Is Google your firm's whole reputation?

Building a law practice means balancing more than just client matters.  You’re running a business, managing risks and trying to shape your career. This week’s stories reflect those competing demands.

First up, we take a look at the ethical limits you can’t ignore when setting fees and we flag a new AI-driven hacking tactic you’ll want on your radar. Plus a crucial marketing lesson: if you’re only asking clients for Google reviews, you’re missing out on some major opportunities to build your firm’s reputation. 

But first: Did you hear? A scared kitty sparked a federal free speech fight. 

So generous. Does your firm offer the same hybrid schedule as @attorneyatlawlz?

Artificial intelligence, real heartbreak. New trend: couples divorcing because AI chatbots have come between them.  

Where does the apostrophe go? Is it attorney fees or attorney's fees or attorneys' fees? Vote in this Reddit poll. 

Reports say “alcohol was involved.” Bodycam footage shows a special assistant attorney general in Rhode Island shouting, “You're gonna regret this. I’m an A.G.” as she's arrested for trespassing.

What we’re watching. There’s a new TV series out based on the John Grisham novel The Rainmaker. It’s already ranked the seventh-best Grisham adaptation of all time. 

What’s a reasonable amount for a reasonable person to pay? 

In a market economy, goods and services are worth whatever price people are willing to pay for them. Not so in the legal field. Under the Rules of Professional Conduct, attorneys have a duty to ensure their fees are not just acceptable, but reasonable, too.

Just because a client agrees to pay a certain amount does not make a fee reasonable. Instead, lawyers must weigh the eight factors in SCR 20:1.5 to determine if what they are charging is fair. This article from ethics attorney Sarah E. Peterson provides some real-world examples of this process by highlighting fee-related cases from across the country. 

Why this matters: Fee agreements are both a contract and an ethical obligation. Lawyers must evaluate their own billing practices against the reasonableness standard, not just client expectations. (State Bar of Wisconsin)

Think twice before uploading that document

Sorting through and summarizing the deluge of documents that land on our desks is one of the ways attorneys are using AI. Unfortunately, this time (and sanity) saving tactic opens us up to what researchers presenting at this year’s Black Hat hacker conferences are calling “indirect prompt injection.”

By hiding a malicious prompt inside a seemingly harmless document (think tiny white font in the footer), attackers can trick AI platforms into leaking sensitive information to an external site without any action from the user. And because indirect prompt injections can bypass human awareness, a lawyer may never realize a breach has occurred until it’s too late.

Why this matters: Convenience comes with risk. Learning about those risks helps you minimize them. In this case, that means limiting the access whatever AI platform you are using has to sensitive data. (Futurism)

Lawyer describes the plane crash that changed his life… and practice

"Great Practice, Great Life" is a typical legal coaching podcast, but this episode of it is pretty unusual. In it, Atticus’s Steve Riley interviews Illinois attorney Blinn Bates about surviving a plane crash. 

Bates, who is a third-generation attorney, had to take significant time away from work to recover from his injuries. He (and the rest of his team) realized they needed to make some big changes at the firm to survive.  

Why this matters: This episode is a powerful reminder that no one is immune to unexpected disruptions. Illness, family crises and other life events will inevitably arise, so your practice must be built to withstand them. (Great Practice. Great Life. By Atticus)

• White House sends social media teams out to film FBI arrests 
• Divorce rates for people over age 50 are rising 
• Deep dive on AG Bondi
• Mississippi’s law regulating kids’ use of social media goes into effect
• Latest Thomson Reuters financial report says Q2 was good for attorney bottom lines

Beyond the Google review

Getting pleased clients to leave Google reviews is one of the best ways to boost your firm’s visibility online. But that does not mean you should ignore other sites that allow users to share their feedback, like Facebook, the Better Business Bureau or even Yelp. 

Expanding your review strategy can strengthen your credibility and reach different segments of your audience. It can also protect you from being overly dependent on a single platform’s algorithm or policy changes.

Why this matters: Online reviews are one of the most powerful drivers of client decisions in today’s market. By encouraging satisfied clients to leave feedback in multiple places, you can increase your visibility and enhance your firm’s reputation. (Igniting Business)

You're all caught up!

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 Raise the Bar is written and curated by Emily Kelchen and edited by Bianca Prieto.