By dismantling toxic cultures and tapping into the power of positive relationships, lawyers find that they are given the opportunity to Be Seen, Be...
Diversity is a heated but essential issue–there’s a lot of misinformation, vitriol, vibes, and deep-rooted opinions about it. We break down the...
Attract more clients without breaking the bank with legal referral networks for personal injury attorneys. Learn essential tips for building strong...
Discover answers to the most popular questions about Metwork and see how we are transforming the legal networking experience.
Metwork Major Account Manager Robby Daniels discusses the importance of embracing legal tech.
We talked with top legal professionals about the challenges facing women in law and how to push the legal field into the future.
Being a great attorney means knowing that sometimes it's better to refer the case out, even if you could handle it yourself. We break down the best...
What a comedy classic can teach us about the importance of positive legal mentorship.
Looking to expand your legal association and its influence? Learn the 3 tips to grow a successful association by attracting, engaging, and retaining...
Accelerate your paralegal career and push the community forward with Metwork, a first-of-its-kind legal networking platform.
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Lawyers are lonely. After an average of seven years of classes, studying, and exams, new lawyers are thrust into the legal world to find their way. Some join law firms, while others strike out on their own–either way, endless hours are spent alone, away from family and friends. Each client brings new challenges to be addressed, and more time is spent in solitude.
A career as a personal injury attorney can be both lucrative and meaningful. In 2022, personal injury lawsuits accounted for $53.1 billion in verdicts and settlements. About 90% of cases that went to trial favored those who filed the complaint. The data shows that, on average, clients who retain a personal injury attorney increase their compensation by 440%.
Metwork’s thriving legal community continues to grow, bringing enhanced collaboration to legal professionals like you. While exploring a new networking platform may come with questions, we're here to provide clarity and ensure your experience is seamless.
The legal tech sector continues to grow yearly, with an estimated market size of $29.7 billion. Metwork Major Account Manager Robby Daniels has spent over a decade in the legal tech field and has seen its growth and importance for the legal industry. Robby took some time to share his thoughts on the importance of embracing legal tech to gain the cutting edge.
The numbers don’t lie, and the stats are concerning. Women comprise 40% of lawyers and only 27% of partners. In a recent survey of 200 women who left the legal profession, 90% of respondents pointed to workplace culture as the driving force behind their decision to leave.
FOMO is real, especially when a client calls with a problem that’s within your specialty. It’s natural to want to take every single case, help every client, and bring in more money for your practice or firm.
“Didn’t they teach you that in law school?”
“No. That’s not what they teach you. They teach you contracts, precedents, interpretations. Then the firm that hires you teaches procedures. Or you could go to court and watch.”
So goes the exchange between Mona Lisa Vito (Marisa Tomei) and Vinny Gambino (Joe Pesci) after Lisa bails him out for contempt of court in the 1992 classic My Cousin Vinny.
Directed by Jonathan Lynn and written by Dale Launer, My Cousin Vinny tells the story of two Brooklynites heading to college (Bill, played by the Karate Kid, Ralph Macchio, and Stan, played by Mitchell Whitfield), who are charged with murdering a store clerk in Alabama. With no money to hire a lawyer, they turn to a family recommendation: Bill’s lawyer cousin, Vinny.
The true nature of the narrative comes into focus when Vinny’s experience (or lack thereof) is revealed–he only passed the bar six weeks prior, after six years of trying and six attempts (it’s like he’s cursed). From that point on, we watch Vinny go through trial by fire in an Alabama courthouse, learning firsthand the importance of mentorship.
“I wanted to win my first case without any help from anybody.”
On first viewing, it would appear that Vinny’s main adversaries are the judge (Herman Munster–I mean–Fred Gwynne) and the prosecutor (Lane Smith). If you dig deeper, you realize that the antagonist is also the protagonist, Vinny.
Yes, he’s his own worst enemy. At best, he turns down advice, and at worst, he outright disregards it, putting himself and his clients at risk. (The stakes for losing the case is the execution of Bill and Stan). That’s where we get one of the most significant lessons on mentorship in the film: it’s okay to accept help.
Vinny’s view on winning the case without help is neither noble nor wise. His repeated repudiation of advice leads to mistake after mistake (and quite a few contempt of court charges). It isn’t until he takes the advice, albeit reluctantly, that he begins to act “lawyerly” and make headway in the trial. When he fully admits that he needs help from others, he wins the case, but more on that later.
In the fast-paced, high-pressure world of law, legal associations are vital to supporting collaboration and growth in the legal field. The advocacy, networking, and information you bring to your members help to advance their careers. Growing your association offers more opportunities to shape the practice of law and empower lawyers on their journey.
Are you looking to grow your association and expand its influence but need a hand figuring out where to start? We’ve got you covered. Here are 3 tips to grow a successful legal association and attract, engage, and retain members.
One of the top ways to attract, engage, and retain members is through providing meaningful content. When creating (or expanding) content, focus on topics related to your association’s mission. As you share more relevant information, the legal community will see you as an authority, bolstering interest in joining.
Legal association content comes in many forms, and we suggest you experiment with the full toolkit (resources permitting). The easiest to implement is written content, including articles and blogs. Look to newsletters, forums, and your website to distribute this content. In addition to written content, webinars, video blogs, and online video meetings are perfect for engaging your audience, especially the more tech-savvy members.
Despite having the latest communications technology at our fingertips, many legal professionals feel increasingly alone. Even at close-knit firms, tasks are often siloed, and there’s very little time to stop and seek help.
