Legal Aid Service of Broward County and Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida will host its 10^th Annual For The Public Good Gala on Friday, October 14 at the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina. The event is Legal Aid’s annual fundraiser with proceeds benefiting families and individuals in gaining access to equal justice.  Our very own Account Executive Michelle Friedman was named as Publicity Chair this year and has secured outstanding media placements.

Boardroom Communications is a proud sponsor and looks forward to seeing everyone there! For more information call 954-736-2429.

It’s the case heard ‘round the world, and everyone seems to have something to say about it. Yes, Casey Anthony’s controversial trial and her equally controversial choice in counsel, Jose Baez, have made national headlines and dominated the media. With virtually no personal effort of his own besides taking on Anthony as his client, Baez has found his name all over the media before, during, and after the trial.

Though we all seem to have differing opinions regarding the verdict(s), there’s one thing we can agree on: Baez has gone from a nobody to a somebody, and might just be here to stay.

Baez, a high school drop-out and relatively new lawyer (he’s only been practicing for three years), has made quite the reputation for himself. His peers in the field have named him the luckiest man in America, and just one day after the sentencing, he sat down with the one-and-only Barbara Walters to discuss his thoughts. He told Walters, “After I heard the last not guilty verdict in the court yesterday…I thought to myself, ‘My life may start to change.’”

And it has.

Rumors of potential book deals, bio-movies, reality TV shows, and more surround the lawyer.

The lesson us PR folks can take is simple. You don’t have to be a lawyer to recognize the idea of sacrificing in the short term for long term gains. Sometimes it’s better to give up time and money in the short term for the publicity, exposure, and post-benefits that await us in the long run. So while the aggressive tactics Baez used in the courtroom remain questionable, his PR skills have most definitely served him well.

In Florida’s Super Lawyers 2011 issue coming out this Sunday, Boardroom client, Howard Talenfeld, is featured for his ongoing work and dedication to help many of Florida’s foster children and others in need. Howard is a partner at the law firm of Colodny, Fass, Talenfeld, Karlinsky & Abate. He has built a remarkable record of reforming Florida’s foster care, juvenile delinquency and mental health systems, while winning large class action and individual verdicts and settlements on behalf of children and adults injured while in those systems. Boardroom congratulates Howard for his hard work and is happy to spread the word.

To read the article, click here.

We would like to congratulate the Fort Lauderdale law and governmental consulting firm Colodny, Fass, Talenfeld, Karlinsky & Abate, P.A., for being named the “Law Firm of the Year” by Broward Lawyers Care, the pro bono project of Legal Aid Service of Broward County (LAS) and Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida (CCLA).

Colodny, Fass, Talenfeld, Karlinsky & Abate was recognized for its leadership in advocating for the less fortunate in Broward County.  Members of this firm participate in many community and service activities, including organizations designed for the protection of the interests and needs of the public, particularly the most vulnerable members of our society: children and the elderly.

This year Colodny, Fass, Talenfeld, Karlinsky & Abate, together with Broward County Bar Association, Legal Aid Service of Broward County and the 17th Judicial Pro Bono Committee, will launch the Tracey McPharlin Initiative named for Tracey McPharlin, a member of their firm, who passed away last year. The goal of the initiative is to recruit, train and support attorneys who will carry on Tracey’s work by representing at-risk children at all proceedings affecting their safety, permanency, health and well-being.

Larry Marin, a partner with Izquierdo & Marin, was also named the Broward Lawyers Care Attorney of the Year.  The official awards will be presented at the 10th Annual for the Public Good gala on October 14, 2011, at the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina.

In spirit of take your child to work day, the law firm of Colodny, Fass, Talenfeld, Karlinsky & Abate hosted a mock trial for children of their employees. The mock trial script, which pits Plaintiff “Big Bad Wolf” against Defendant “Curly Pig,” borrowed from the “Three Little Pigs” storyline, demonstrates the mitigation measures that were taken to prevent the Pigs’ house from being blown down by the Wolf. 

In an interesting twist of liability and self-defense to the beloved tale, the Wolf accused Curly Pig of trying to “poach” him in a steaming kettle of boiling water.Participating children ranged from ages 5 to 17. They played the roles of the judge, jury, plaintiff, defendant, attorneys, witnesses, court deputy and bailiff. 

Boardroom secured media coverage for the fun-filled and educational event. The Sun-Sentinel featured highlights of the day with interviews of the cast.

See the video here! Photo Taken By Alessandro Abate

Join us this Thursday evening at Yolo for Legal Aid’s NEXT event celebrating National Caramel Popcorn Day.

This innovative NEXT program merges the “social media revolution” with the traditional goals of recruiting pro bono attorneys, recognizing participants, placing cases with the private bar for handling, raising funds, and growing awareness in the community about the work Legal Aid does to meet the civil legal needs of Broward County’s underserved populations. This group meets quarterly to network and celebrate some of the most interesting holidays.

Don’t miss out, it’s a real blast! 

For more information visit the event’s page here:  

After two days of investigations, the cause of a young girl’s death remains a mystery. But as tales of abuse — being duct-taped or forced to stand in garbage bins — began to unfold, the opinions of advocates became crystal clear: Red flags and warning signs — and the system in place to act on them — failed to respond quickly and thoroughly enough.

Howard Talenfeld, president of Florida’s Children First and Child Rights Attorney, appeared on Ch. 7 news last night to comment on the Barahona case. See full story and interview below.

Every year, it seems as though law firm marketers are inundated with attorneys who want to start the New Year off on the right foot with marketing themselves, enhancing their profile and ultimately developing new business. 2011 is sure to be more of the same—and now’s the time to prepare.

Here are some practical law firm marketing resolutions that any attorney can, and should, do early in 2011 to position themselves for the coming year:

1. Edit online bios: The Internet is fast becoming the most popular resource for people looking to learn more about attorneys and their firm. As such, editing and enhancing attorney bios should be done on a regular basis. At Boardroom, we suggest at least twice a year. Things attorneys should review include honors and recognition, representative cases and even memberships. What’s changed? What’s new? In addition, look at the headshot. Is it recent? If not, now is the perfect time to add a new picture.

2. Update contact lists: Most of new business generated usually comes from an existing client, contact or referral source. The beginning of the year is a great time to weed through existing contact lists to see who’s on it and pick out a handful to personally target for 2011. Organize contacts in different categories—current and old clients, referral sources, networking contacts, prospects, etc. This way, attorneys can customize mailings and e-blasts to different targeted groups.

3. Expand social media: Whether we want to get away from it or not, the truth is social media isn’t going away, it’s just gaining momentum. I know it’s hard to convince an already busy attorney to add something else to their plate, but nowadays at least some degree of an online presence is almost mandatory. The beginning of the year is a great time for law firm marketers to educate their attorneys into at least one manageable social media outlet such as LinkedIn or Facebook. With both, you can join groups and get involved—and for LinkedIn, you can even recommend others. The more interactive an attorney is, the better. For those who have more willing attorneys, Twitter or a blog might be a good suggestion. If your firm has an existing blog, attorneys can start out participating and writing there first. Either way, getting a jumpstart on social media will only enhance attorneys’ reputation, and image—and trust me, they’ll thank you later.

 Although I could list several other suggestions, these three are the most realistic and could potentially pay the most dividends for attorneys in the coming year. Starting off with easily accomplished marketing tasks such as these will only empower attorneys to want to do more—which will turn, increase your value.

For the past several years, Boardroom Communications has been involved with Legal Aid by participating on its Executive Council, NEXT and providing PR support. We really respect the great work they do for the greater Ft. Lauderdale and Naples communities.This year Legal Aid has helped more than 150 local not-for-profits, social services agencies and 10,000 low income citizens in obtaining legal representation in matters such as domestic abuse, foreclosure, children’s issues, guardianship, environmental contamination, and much more….  They do a fabulous job!

Currently, they are in the process of recruiting for the following high-level position, which is detailed below. If you have any interest, please contact Kathy Thomsen at kthomsen@bellsouth.net.

LEGAL AID SERVICE OF BROWARD COUNTY
PRO BONO COORDINATOR/DEVELOPMENT OFFICER

GENERAL STATEMENT OF DUTIES:

Legal Aid Service of Broward County (LAS), a not for profit law firm, is seeking a highly motivated individual to serve as the Pro Bono Coordinator/Development Officer. This position will manage Broward Lawyers Care (BLC), LAS’s pro bono program. The person will also be a member of the development department reporting to the Regional Director of Development. Services will also be provided to LAS’s sister agency, Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida (CCLA).
Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Build, sustain and expand relationships with law firms, corporation, law schools and bar associations.
2. Recruit, train and supervise Broward Lawyers Care’s pro bono staff and volunteer clerical help.
3. Build a relationship between BLC and program substantive units within the agencies by attending monthly unit meetings.
4. Supervise the screening and placement of cases.
5. Develop quality control/evaluation tools for the project.
6. Conduct presentations on pro bono opportunities.
7. Coordinate pro bono recruitment.
8. Develop CLE trainings for attorneys.
9. Meet regularly with pro bono liaisons and allies.
10. Oversee the design, implementation and evaluation of client service delivery models, including pro bono and pro se assistance projects.
(more…)

Law firm marketers have a hefty job—not only do they have to help attorneys engage clients and secure new business, they also make sure their attorneys are actually listening to what their clients want. Joyce Smiley, a client interview specialist with JKS Company, recently wrote an article dealing with attorneys and how they listen and respond to their clients’ needs. In the article, she noted that attorneys sometimes view their jobs as interpreting what their clients want and need, rather than listening to the clients’ direct request.

Here’s the point—make sure your attorneys listen to their clients preferences and react accordingly. Even if they think they are doing the right thing by the client, if it isn’t what the client wants that’s what the client will remember when evaluating the relationship.

Here’s the article:

When clients tell your attorneys how they prefer to have their legal services delivered, how do your attorneys respond?

Reporting on a judicial conference panel discussion, last month The Am Law Daily told of a large law firm managing partner saying that believed that law schools should turn out project managers. He and his clients really need attorneys to be project managers because front-line opportunities-such as trials for litigators-are disappearing.

However, another panelist, a general counsel of a Fortune 100 company, disagreed: “I don’t hire lawyers to be project managers. I want their best judgments and special skills.”

According to The Am Law Daily, the partner rebutted, saying that perhaps the GC didn’t really know what he wanted or needed. That partner needs to start listening to clients.

Some clients would agree with that managing partner. For example, in Strategic Client Interviews:

• The president of a national auto parts company talked about an IP attorney who was the point man: “He comes in here and we meet face-to-face every other month. Because IP is such a complex area, he brings his lists of to-dos, where we are on projects, and who’s got the ball. That works out well.”
• The general counsel of a health care services company complained that he didn’t get the same kind of reporting from other attorneys as he has from a particular litigator. “They are not on top of the cases,” he added.

Some clients, however, would disagree with that managing partner. The first one is the client representative on the panel.

The point is: Deliver service however each client prefers. The only way to find out a client’s preference is to ask and to listen, one client at a time. “Other firms should do this, too,” said the president of a health care management company in a Strategic Client Interview. “None of the other firms we used to use were listening to us. I would think your services for a law firm would be invaluable.

“Last year we spent $1.5 million in legal fees, which were our average fees at our previous firm. They did our deals and other types of work. But they wouldn’t listen to me, so they lost us.”

For more information on Strategic Client Interviews, contact Joyce K. Smiley at 561-775-9755, or jsmiley@jkscompany.com. On the web at jkscompany.com.