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After a year-long review, the Minnesota State Bar Association is switching its legal research provider to Casemaker from Fastcase. You can learn more details about the transition, including webinar and in-person demo and training schedules here.

Several popular MSBA services will be getting a facelift in 2016. The MSBA will be changing its internet legal research provider from Fastcase to Casemaker. While Fastcase has been a valuable practice resource for members, Casemaker offers similar service with several added features and benefits. Watch for more information coming soon. And as the current legal research service, Casemaker will continue to be provided free to members as an included member benefit.

On Thursday, March 24, the MSBA will offer members an opportunity to take advantage of a number of services, including Video Day and Headshot Day. This 'Spring Cleaning' event will allow members to update their digital properties and get advice (and CLE credit) from experts, staff and other members.

Two weeks ago the MSBA held its 2015 technology conference down in Lakeville. Several nationally prominent speakers covered topics ranging from mobile security to the ethical duty of technological competence to the impact of technology on diversity and inclusion in the legal profession. If you missed the conference, the programs will be available soon as part of the MSBA's On-Demand CLE offerings. The Association also recently formed a new Technology Committee to "keep current on changing technology and determine how the MSBA can best assist its members to stay at the forefront of these changes." So what's next?

Often referred to as an "elevator speech," do you have a short explanation of what you do, the value of your services, and what you can do for potential clients? Getting its name from the short time you have in an elevator to potentially pitch yourself to someone, it is generally limited to 20-30 seconds, or less. There may be instances where a simple "I'm a lawyer" or "I'm a commercial litigator" may be sufficient and appropriate, but your pitch can be refined to be more memorable and effective with potential clients. Given a half hour, or a complete album, you could likely demonstrate your talents and show value, but what if you only had 30 seconds, or one song, what would you say?

Last week the MSBA held its first, or first in a long while according to Todd Scott of MLM, technology conference in Lakeville. The well-attended event covered a variety of technology-related topics and issues facing the legal profession, and included the opportunity to learn more about new systems and offerings like Fastcase 7 and the Legal Tech Assessment (and the development of a Minnesota-specific version). Minnesota is not the only state having these conversations, and technology is an area of increasing concern and relevance to the legal profession, as evidenced by amendments to the Model Rules.

The MSBA is many things to many people, but at its core it is a community for people participating, somehow, in the legal profession (in Minnesota). The fifteen thousand plus members are all MSBA members, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they all have the same experience or take advantage of the same benefits and opportunities.

One reason people choose the solo or small firm route is the autonomy, the ability to decide how your business will operate. Small business owners often revel in the freedom to set their own hours, hire who they want if and when they want, work where they want, and even be selective about potential clients. While you may not have to slip a weekly envelope to Patsy, there are certain requirements to running a business and practicing law.

Time: unless you are Jupiter Jones or Will Salas, it is the one resource you can never get more of. Lawyers, generally, are acutely aware of how extremely limited this resource is. For many, it is the nature of the profession that each hour (or tenth of an hour) must be accounted for. And when employing a billable hour practice model, it can be hard to allocate time to non-billable projects or tasks, whether that is something like researching and deploying a new tool or system or marketing your services.

Absolutely nothing? That sentiment seems to apply on a couple of levels. First with society generally and the emergence of new players like LegalZoom and LLLTs, the need for lawyers is often called into question. And second, are bar associations relevant to the practice of law today?

The Practice Management and Marketing Section hosted an interesting session today on effectively and ethically selling legal services featuring MSBA members Bill Gschwind and Shawn Jamison. Many lawyers understand the need to market their services, but the session focused on the often overlooked but critical step of actually closing the deal, a perhaps uncomfortable but necessary part of running a successful law practice.

The MSBA's Tech Conference is less than a month away (November 5 in Lakeville), and the opening session features Casey Flaherty. Casey Flaherty and his Legal Tech Audit have been mentioned with some frequency in this blog (and elsewhere), and one of his common themes is the Myth of the Digital Native.

Fall is in the air and there's less than a month remaining before the MSBA's tech conference in Lakeville on November 5. The schedule for the day is now set, CLE credit has been applied for (including 3 ethics and 1 EOB), and registration remains open ($65 for members, $25 for law students).

The specific number may change from article to article, but the ultimate conclusion is always the same: profiles with photos get more results than those without. The MSBA recently rolled out an update to its MN Find a Lawyer and Colleague Directory products to help members take advantage of this fact.

The MSBA’s fiscal year began on July 1, and the dues renewal season is well underway. If you haven’t already renewed, now is a good time to do so to take advantage of the many ongoing and new member benefits. In 2015, the MSBA has already added several new programs, services, and partnerships leading to even more ways to maximize the value of your MSBA membership.

Technology has been a hot topic with lawyers recently, on this blog and elsewhere. Competition has increased due in part to changes in technology. Processes can be improved or replaced through new technologies. The Rules of Professional Conduct while not changed have been clarified to highlight the necessity of technological competence for lawyers. With the rapid pace of change, it becomes even more important for lawyers to have a forum to keep up-to-date and discuss new developments in the practice of law.

According to Rule 6.1, every lawyer has a professional responsibility to provide legal services to those unable to pay, and a lawyer should aspire to render at least 50 hours of pro bono publico legal services per year. There are a number of programs available through the state bar association and other organizations that provide a variety of opportunities for Minnesota attorneys to meet this aspirational standard. New developments in legal technology further aid these organizations in assisting lawyers with their pro bono obligations.

The MSBA launched two new member directories in January of this year, MN Find a Lawyer and the MSBA Colleague Directory. Both have been well-received and proven to be valuable member benefits. And the Association continues to improve and enhance its member directories. Several new features will be rolled out in the next couple of weeks.

Why should someone hire a lawyer with so many cheap (or free) options out there? What is the value added from consulting a lawyer as opposed to using LegalZoom or something similar, or going the DIY route via Google? The most basic comparison people make, especially when options appear equivalent or at least comparable, is price. Lawyers may be able to compete on price, but really the better approach is to change the conversation.

Perhaps you had some crazy idea about breeding pine trees back in the day. Or maybe some little punk from Harvard stole your idea about a website while you were out rowing your boat. The reality is that things change, and life moves pretty fast. One thing that hasn't, and likely won't, change is the importance of a lawyer's reputation, both within the legal community and the public at large.