Sandy+Placzek

Five **good** things about running a virtual law practice. What are the advantages over an entirely office-bound practice. What are the efficiencies gained, money made or saved, etc.
 * Homework #1: **

Five things that could go **wrong** running a virtual law practice. What are the mistakes you can make, problems you could encounter, issues raised, etc.
 * Working from home. // You don’t have to worry about the weather, traffic/commutes, car problems, etc. //
 * Lower overhead. // Because of lower overhead you can set more reasonable prices for your services. You don't need an office, reception area,etc, some money savings there as well. //
 * Flexible hours. // You can communicate with your clients or work hours that suit you or your clientele – you aren’t bound by the traditional “office” hours. //
 * Less physical space necessary for your “office.” // Don’t need a waiting room or fancy office(s) to impress your clients. Also don’t need a bank of filing cabinets to store documents. //
 * Ability to reach a broader client base. // Because you’re accessible to more people via the Internet, you have the potential to attract more clients because you reach a broader audience than traditional means – advertising, listings, etc. //
 * Ethical Problems. // Need to be sure you clearly understand the local and state bar rules in your jurisdiction to be sure you comply with ALL aspects of a virtual office. Also, making sure you are clear about who you can legally represent and where you are licensed to practice so you don't run afoul of unauthorized practice of law statutes. //
 * Security Problems. //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> If you have not fully investigated your communication and storage options (companies you use), you can run the risk of having unsecure communications or leaving confidential information open to being compromised. //
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Technical Problems. //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Power outages, viruses, software bugs . . . //
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Working from home. //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> It would seem to be important to set “office hours” to either prevent yourself from working too many hours or not enough hours. Also using “office hours” to ensure that you limit distractions. //
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Flexible Hours. //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Similar to the previous entry in the sense that you could find yourself working too many hours or not enough; important to make sure that you are aware of the hours you need to make sure the practice works and does not consume too much of your time. //

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Search the web and find at least three definitions for “Virtual Law Practice”, “Digital Law Practice” and/or “eLawyering”. Copy/paste the definitions into your homework wiki with a link back to the place you found.

“The VLO, also variously known as Digital Law, Online Law, eLawyering and Lawfirm 2.0, may take many different forms. For the purposes of this opinion, “VLO” shall refer to the delivery of, and payment for, 3/ legal services exclusively, or nearly exclusively, through the law firm’s portal on a website, where all of the processing, communication, software utilization, and computing will be internet-based. In the hypothetical VLO discussed in this opinion, a client’s communication with the law firm, as well as his access to the legal services provided, is supplied by the firm through a secure internet portal provided by a third-party internet-based vendor, accessible by the client with a unique user name and access code specific to the client’s particular matter only. The lawyer and client may not ever physically meet or even speak on a telephone.” []
 * DRAFT FORMAL OPINION INTERIM NO. 10-0003 (State Bar of California, Standing Committee on Professional Responsibility and Conduct):

Some Call It eLawyering: //Is It a Brave New World or an Ethical Quagmire?// By Erin Walsh) “The practice that Paul [Bill Paul, former ABA President] describes as "the utilization of the Internet and e-mail networks for the delivery of legal services" has been dubbed by many as //eLawyering//. It is a broad term that includes Web- based companies as well as existing law firms that have supplemented their traditional practices with online services.”  []
 * From BUSINESS LAW Section, ABA website (Volume 12, Number 3 - January/February 2003

“eLawyering is doing legal work - not just marketing - over the Web. Pioneering practitioners have found dramatic new ways to communicate and collaborate with clients and other lawyers, produce documents, settle disputes, interact with courts, and manage legal knowledge. ELawyering encompasses all the ways in which lawyers can do their work using the Web and associated technologies. Think of lawyering as a "verb" - interview, investigate, counsel, draft, advocate, analyze, negotiate, manage, .. - and there are corresponding Internet-based tools and technologies.” []
 * Law Practice Management Section: eLawyering Task Force