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There is a period after you finish writing a book when you start to feel like you are about to throw it off a cliff into the ocean. Will anyone read it? Will anyone like it? Most importantly, will it help anyone?

And that even happens when you finish the second edition of a book that was as well-received as the first edition of Tom Mighell and I’s The Lawyer’s Guide to Collaboration Tools and Technologies: Smart Ways to Work Together.

We’re starting to hear from people who have read the book and it’s starting to feel like we didn’t throw the book off a cliff. In fact, we are very pleased with the comments we’ve gotten and are grateful for what people have had to say about the book.

Here’s a sampling.

Carolyn Elefant (of MyShingle.com fame) posted a comment on Facebook that made all the hard work seem worthwhile. Carolyn is a pioneer in the use of the Internet by lawyers and it’s difficult to put into words how much this comment meant to us:

The first edition of Dennis’ and Tom Mighell’s book on collaborative tech tools was released over 10 years ago and it soon became a staple of my law practice. I used the tech recommendations on wikis to help my then-30 member trade association draft 65 pages of comments on regulations for siting offshore renewables on the outer continental shelf and drafting and marking up legislation that lead to $50 million in federal appropriations for these nascent technologies. I have collaborated with my virtual assistant of 9 years using some or all of these tools and relied on them to attempt to create an #altlaw consortium law firm back in 2009 before anyone was doing that kind of stuff. Legal Tech is often confined to its own silos and so we don’t realize the profound contribution that it often makes to substantive law so I think it is important for those of us in the trenches who are actually using this stuff for real clients and real causes to share our experience. As an Audible convert, I don’t buy many books these days but I plan on purchasing this new edition at Tech Show.

Jordan Furlong of Law21.ca fame and the author of Law Is a Buyer’s Market: Building A Client-First Law Firm recently unleashed a “ttweetstorm” review that had us blushing, but very grateful:

Ten years ago, almost to the day, I published a review of “The Lawyer’s Guide to Collaboration Tools and Technologies,” by @denniskennedy and @TomMighell: http://bit.ly/2rGWoa1 1/10

If you’re a younger or newer arrival on the legal tech scene, you might not appreciate just how much Dennis and Tom were (and are) giants of legal technology development and scholarship. 2/10

Meeting and speaking with Dennis at my first ABA TECHSHOW was a thrill for me. When Tom highlighted Law21 in his “Inter Alia” newsletter as “Blawg of the Day,” I was so pumped I wrote a post about it. 3/10

“The Lawyer’s Guide to Collaboration Tools and Technologies,” as my 2008 review attests, was a landmark publication — but not just because of the extraordinarily detailed insight and practical advice it contained. 4/10

It was important because it both foretold and helped usher in an entirely new category of legal scholarship: The study of *how lawyers worked.* 5/10

That wasn’t a subject most people talked or wrote about. But Dennis and Tom saw clearly, before the rest of us, that legal technology was going to transform the “how” of lawyer work. That might seem commonplace today. It was borderline radical in 2008. 6/10

And they were entirely correct that the most significant impact of tech on how lawyers work would be “less about personal productivity and more about using technology to make it easier for people to work together.” 7/10

Collaboration is the future of law practice. More accurately, it’s the future of “legal services delivery,” a better phrase that focuses on value to the client and the relationships among clients and providers to create that value. Dennis and Tom saw that before any of us. 8/10

All of which is to say that I think “The Lawyer’s Guide to Collaboration Tools and Technologies” is one of the most important books in the recent history of law practice management and technology. And that’s why this next and final tweet is especially good news: 9/10

Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell have published a Revised Second Edition of “The Lawyer’s Guide to Collaboration Tools and Technologies” (https://shop.americanbar.org/eBus/Store/ProductDetails.aspx?productId=312056356&pubstartdate=2018-02-01&pubenddate=2018-05-08&sortby=Date+(DESC)&perpage=250 …). If you want to know the present and future of collaborative legal services, this is the book for you.

The thoughtful and wise John Heckman at the Does It Compute? blog recently posted a review that did a great job of summarizing our key points and themes and said:

The Second Edition of Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell’s Lawyer’s Guide to Collaboration Tools and Technologies is long overdue. The book is a sweeping panorama of the wide variety of tools available to lawyers today in what is perhaps the most rapidly evolving area of web-based technologies.

The book has two distinct areas: “how to” accomplish varieties of collaboration, and arguments in favor of it. The latter element is probably even more important than the “how tos.” As they put it: “Technology choices are always more about culture than they are about technology.” They return to this theme repeatedly in an effort to address the issue of what I call “dysfunctional” law firms: where each individual senior partner is like a medieval duke in his own little castle on top of his own little hill.

Just one more (do I seem like a proud parent?):

Niki Black, the well-known author on legal tech, has a post on Above the Law called “Online Collaboration For Lawyers: Security Issues, Recommendations, And Predictions” that reviews the book in detail and also does a great job of covering our key points. Niki concludes:

Choosing the right tools for secure communication and collaboration in your law firm won’t be easy. But the time spent will pay off in the long run, since the collaboration choices you make today will necessarily impact your firm down the road. That’s why it’s so important to make educated decisions that will help to lay the groundwork for your firm’s future success. And if you’re not sure where to start, this book is a great resource that can help you make the right long-term collaboration software decisions for your firm.

I second all the points Niki makes about security in online collaboration in her post. Tom and I will be speaking on that very topic at the 2018 College of Law Practice Management Futures Conference in October. Our session is called “Cybersecurity is a Team Sport.” If you are interested in having Tom and me speak to your group on that topic, please contact me.

As for our book, we are delighted by the reaction so far. If you want to buy the book (and I know I’ve gotten you interested), you can get it at the ABA Shop.

+++++++++++++++++

[Originally posted on DennisKennedy.Blog (https://www.denniskennedy.com/blog/)]

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Now available:

The second edition of The Lawyer’s Guide to Collaboration Tools and Technologies: Smart Ways to Work Together, by Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell.

Photo of box of books

Ten years ago, Tom Mighell and I wrote the first edition of The Lawyer’s Guide to Collaboration Tools and Technologies: Smart Ways to Work Together. We decided that it was time for a second edition. The photo to the right is the box of books that arrived at my house recently. For an author, that’s when it really feels like the book is finally done.

For the reader, however, it’s probably more meaningful that the book is available for purchase more so than that I have received my copies.

The good news is that you can now purchase the book from the ABA Bookstore. Only the paperback version is currently available. I’m told that the eBook version will be available in the near future. Check my blog and the ABA Bookstore page for the book for details on that.

Much has changed in the last ten years, so the book has many revised and new chapters, including an all new chapter on Slack. It is just one on several now important tools that didn’t even exist ten years ago.

While writing the book, Tom and I noted a few big changes:

  1. The movement to smartphones and mobile apps is probably the biggest trend in this area.
  2. Most lawyers and others now understand the potential and the utility of the cloud.
  3. Names have changed, but many collaboration technology concepts have stayed the same.
  4. Culture and process are ultimately more important than specific technologies and tools.

In my opinion, the book is even better than before and I encourage you to look into the book, consider buying it, and definitely recommend it to your friends.

We are in the rollout stage for the book. If you regularly review books for a legal audience and would like a reviewer copy, please let Tom or me know. Both of us expect to be speaking on this topic, so contact us if that is a good topic for your group.

Writing a book is hard work, but it’s great to get to unveil the result to the world.

Ordering information for book can be found here.

 

 

[Originally posted on DennisKennedy.Blog (https://www.denniskennedy.com/blog/)]

DennisKennedy.Blog is now part of the LexBlog network.

View Dennis Kennedy's profile on LinkedIn

Follow my microblog on Twitter – @dkennedyblog. Follow me – @denniskennedy

Now available: The new second edition of The Lawyer’s Guide to Collaboration Tools and Technologies: Smart Ways to Work Together, by Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell.

Box of LinkedIn in One Hour for Lawyers 2Ed booksA box of books arrived at my door – my copies of the new Second Edition of LinkedIn in One Hour for Lawyers. All of the work on a book project finally seems real and tangible when you get the box of books and hold one in your hands.

Allison Shields and I wrote the original LinkedIn in One Hour for Lawyers about a year-and-a-half ago. Then we wrote Facebook in One Hour for Lawyers, which debuted about a year ago. We didn’t expect that we’d be writing a second edition so soon, but the massive interface and layout changes and feature updates at LinkedIn and the overwhelmingly positive response we got to the book pushed up our target for preparing a new edition.

LinkedIn’s changes continued all through the writing of the new book this summer and took a lot more work than we expected just to keep up with the changes. We also had the chance to incorporate some of our new ideas on LinkedIn, materials from articles and presentations we’ve given, practical tips and techniques Allison uses when she does training on LinkedIn, and discussion of new features.

In other words, the Second Edition of LinkedIn in One Hour for Lawyers is a major update and we’re proud of the new version.

Among other things, you’ll find:

    • All new illustrations, reflection the major interface changes.
    • Discussion of new features like Endorsements and a reconsideration of the use of Premium Accounts.
    • Updated material on Company Pages, Ethics, Ads, Mobile Apps and Privacy Settings.
    • Our best new practical ideas and tips for using LinkedIn in effective ways.

    • The book continues to focus on ten “lessons,” provides more detail on some advanced topics like ethics, and includes a generous helping of our favorite 60 LinkedIn tips.

    Here’s the description of the new edition from the ABA’s Web Store:

    Since the first edition of LinkedIn in One Hour for Lawyers was published, LinkedIn has added almost 100 million users, and more and more lawyers are using the platform on a regular basis. Now, this bestselling ABA book has been fully revised and updated to reflect significant changes to LinkedIn’s layout and functionality made through 2013. LinkedIn in One Hour for Lawyers, Second Edition, will help lawyers make the most of their online professional networking. In just one hour, you will learn to:

    Set up a LinkedIn account

    Create a robust, dynamic profile–and take advantage of new multimedia options

    Build your connections

    Get up to speed on new features such as Endorsements, Influencers, Contacts, and Channels

    Enhance your Company Page with new functionality

    Use search tools to enhance your network

    Monitor your network with ease

    Optimize your settings for privacy concerns

    Use LinkedIn effectively in the hiring process

    Develop a LinkedIn strategy to grow your legal network

    As I write this, the book is still available with a 15% pre-order discount. Since we’ve received our author copies already, I’m going to suggest that you act quickly on the pre-order discount. There was a lot of interest in using the first edition in connection with training classes for lawyers in large firms and corporate law departments and we had that in mind when writing the second edition. If interested in that, please inquire about bulk discounts.

    The order page is here.

    Watch for news coming soon about a second book project.

    On October 17, Allison and I will presenting a webinar called LinkedIn for Lawyers Reloaded, co-sponsored by ALI CLE and the ABA’s Law Practice Division.

    – Dennis Kennedy

    [Originally posted on DennisKennedy.Blog (https://denniskennedy.com/blog/)]

    View Dennis Kennedy's profile on LinkedIn

    Follow my microblog on Twitter – @dkennedyblog. Follow me – @denniskennedy

    LinkedIn in One Hour for Lawyers (Second Edition), the new book from Allison Shields and me, is now available. Our previous book, Facebook in One Hour for Lawyers, is also available (iBook version here). Also still available, The Lawyer’s Guide to Collaboration Tools and Technologies: Smart Ways to Work Together, by Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell.

    In perhaps the classic example of “I didn’t have enough time to write a shorter article, so I wrote a longer one,” I have a new article out in the February issue of the Law Practice Today webzine. It runs about 3,000 words and is called “Thirteen Facebook Tips for Lawyers in 2013.”

    As the article summary says:

    Still scared of Facebook? Come on, it’s 2013 already—can 1 billion users really all be wrong? Here are 13 tips to guide even the most reluctant late adopter on how to get the most of the most popular social media tool.

    The article offers some of my observations about lawyers using (and, mainly, not using) Facebook, thirteen practical tips (anybody else notice that matching the number of tips to the year has upped the degree of difficulty for these types of tips articles?), and three simple action steps to get yourself going on Facebook.

    The money quote:

    There are many reasons lawyers probably should be using Facebook, but I’m not sure that convince many reluctant lawyers with those reasons. Instead, consider my view that there may be no better resource than Facebook to help you reconnect with people who were important in your life with whom you have lost contact.

    I expect that Allison Shields and I will cover many of these tips in more detail in our upcoming presentation on LinkedIn and Facebook at ABA TECHSHOW 2013 in Chicago in April.You will also have the chance to talk about these topics with Allison and me at the Taste of TECHSHOW dinner we will be hosting on April 4.

    Hope you find the new article helpful.If you want to dive even deeper into Facebook, you might consider reading Facebook in One Hour for Lawyers, the new book from Allison Shields and me, which is also available in an iBook version.

    What other tips do you have for for lawyers to make better use of Facebook?

    [Originally posted on DennisKennedy.Blog (https://denniskennedy.com/blog/)]

    View Dennis Kennedy's profile on LinkedIn

    Follow my microblog on Twitter – @dkennedyblog. Follow me – @denniskennedy

    Facebook in One Hour for Lawyers, the new book from Allison Shields and me, is now available (iBook version here). Our previous book, LinkedIn in One Hour for Lawyers is also available and also can be downloaded as an iBook. Also still available, The Lawyer’s Guide to Collaboration Tools and Technologies: Smart Ways to Work Together, by Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell.

    When I got home from work this evening, I found a package that had been delivered today. I opened it and found:

    A closer look:

    Yes, the new book from Allison Shields and me, Facebook in One Hour for Lawyers, has arrived. For me, my books only really seem real when I get my personal copies in hand.

    This book is our “sequel” to LinkedIn in One Hour for Lawyers, which was published earlier this year. In fact, what I mainly remember about the publication of the LinkedIn book was how fast the deadline for the first draft of the Facebook book was approaching.

    We’re quite pleased with the way Facebook in One Hour for Lawyers turned out, although we stretch the concept of “in one hour” well past the breaking point. You’ll get a lot of value in this book. I did prove that it is possible to read the main section of this book in one hour, but I’m a really fast reader.

    I believe that the book is still technically in the pre-order period and is available with a 15% discount as a pre-order. We’re excited about this book and think you will be, too. If your firm or organization might consider using the book for social media training efforts, let me know and I can put you in touch with our publishing contacts for info about volume discounts. If you might be interested in a review copy (and have an audience that will appreciate the review), let me know. And, of course, don’t forget about LinkedIn in One Hour for Lawyers.

    Although, frankly, I expect the only book Allison and I might consider next would be “Resting Up after Writing Two Books in Less Than a Year in One Hour for Lawyers,” I have grown fond of the “in One Hour” format and I think it has a lot of potential. I’ll be the Vice-chair of the ABA Law Practice Management Section’s Publishing Board this year and would be happy to hear any topics for an “in One Hour” book that you know that you would definitely buy.

    Here’s a link the ordering page for Facebook in One Hour for Lawyers – I hope you enjoy the book.

    [Originally posted on DennisKennedy.Blog (https://www.denniskennedy.com/blog/)]

    View Dennis Kennedy's profile on LinkedIn

    Follow my microblog on Twitter – @dkennedyblog. Follow me – @denniskennedy

    The book Allison Shields and I have written called “LinkedIn in One Hour for Lawyers” is now available and also as an iBook. Also still available, The Lawyer’s Guide to Collaboration Tools and Technologies: Smart Ways to Work Together, by Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell.

    As the number of Facebook users approaches the one billion mark, lawyers are starting to take interest in Facebook and how they might use it.

    I’ll be co-presenting with Allison Shields at an upcoming presentation and a webinar on the “Facebook for Lawyers” topic.

    First, this Friday, May 4, if you are in the San Francisco area or are attending the ABA Law Practice Management Section’s Spring Meeting in Napa, you can see our live presentation called, simply enough, “Facebook for Lawyers.” Details here.

    Second, on May 17, Allison and I will be presenting an ALI-ABA webinar called, simply enough, “Facebook for Lawyers.” Details here.

    As the perceptive reader will guess, you can also expect to see a new book from Allison and me called Facebook in One Hour for Lawyers later this summer. Both the May 4 presentation and the May 17 webinar can be expected to give you a preview of the book.

    Hope to see you for one or both of these events.

    [Originally posted on DennisKennedy.Blog (https://www.denniskennedy.com/blog/)]

    View Dennis Kennedy's profile on LinkedIn

    Follow my microblog on Twitter – @dkennedyblog. Follow me – @denniskennedy

    The new book Allison Shields and I have written called “LinkedIn in One Hour for Lawyers” is now available. Also still available, The Lawyer’s Guide to Collaboration Tools and Technologies: Smart Ways to Work Together, by Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell.

    As you might already know, Allison Shields and I have written a new book called “LinkedIn in One Hour for Lawyers,” published by the American Bar Association’s Law Practice Management Section.

    We’re quite pleased with the initial reaction to the book (see comments here). Probably the most interesting response has been the inquiries from large law firms about bulk orders to bring their lawyers up to speed on LinkedIn. If you want more information on bulk orders, let Allison or me know and we can get you to the right person.

    We’ve also had three articles on LinkedIn published in the last month. Again, each has gotten more interest than we expected.

    1. The Chain: LinkedIn Is More than Social Media for Lawyers

    This article was my monthly legal technology column for the ABA Journal in the April 2012 issue. It is a short entry-level article about LinkedIn, with three suggestions to quickly improve your experience with LinkedIn.

    2. Ten Tips to Get the Most Out of LinkedIn

    In this article for the ABA’s GPSolo eReport April newsletter, we cover ten of our favorite LinkedIn tips to help you increase the benefit you get from LinkedIn.

    3. LinkedIn: How to grow, nurture your network and obtain results

    In this interview for the YourABA newsletter, Allison and I discuss several aspects about how lawyers (and others inside and outside the legal professions) use LinkedIn, how than can improve their effectiveness with LinkedIn, and our LinkedIn book. It’s a very thorough interview, with lots of great, practical information.

    If you like what you read int he articles, then, of course, I’d like to consider buying the book, either for yourself or your firm or organization. Remember that our LinkedIn book is part of the re-launch of the reasonably-priced “In One Hour” series of books from the ABA’s Law Practice Management Section.

    Also, Allison and I have started a LinkedIn Group as a companion group for the book. It’s called “Social Networking for Lawyers.” Click on the link in the previous sentence or simply search for the name fo the Group when you log into LinkedIn. We welcome you to join the Group to discuss LinkedIn, the book and other issues, as well as to get a sense of how LinkedIn Groups work and might work for you.

    Details on the book and how to purchase it may be found here.

    [Originally posted on DennisKennedy.Blog (https://www.denniskennedy.com/blog/)]

    View Dennis Kennedy's profile on LinkedIn

    Follow my microblog on Twitter – @dkennedyblog. Follow me – @denniskennedy

    The new book Allison Shields and I have written called “LinkedIn in One Hour for Lawyers” is now available. Also still available, The Lawyer’s Guide to Collaboration Tools and Technologies: Smart Ways to Work Together, by Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell.

    As you might already know, Allison Shields and I have written a new book called “LinkedIn in One Hour for Lawyers,” published by the American Bar Association’s Law Practice Management Section.

    For Allison and me, the target date for the “official” launch of the book has always been ABA TECHSHOW, and, more specifically, the Meet the Authors session for the book tomorrow (March 29) at 10:00 at TECHSHOW. Unfortunately, I’m not able to join Allison for that session (at least I have a medical excuse for that), but I know that she will do a great fantastic job in introducing the book and answering questions.

    The book grew out of the very successful “LinkedIn for Lawyers” webinar Allison, Michelle Golden and I presented last summer. Allison and I took on the book project and some highly-ambitious deadlines to get the book ready for publication at TECHSHOW. It was a great writing collaboration and we already have another book project in the works. Here’s a hint about the topic of that book.

    Our LinkedIn book is part of the re-launch of the reasonably-priced “In One Hour” series of books the LPM Section has done in the past. My friend and longtime collaborator Tom Mighell helped successfully re-launch this line with his highly-praised “iPad in One Hour for Lawyers” book. Tom’s excellent (I’ve already read it) new “iPad Apps in One Hour for Lawyers” and Ben Schorr’s Microsoft OneNote in One Hour for Lawyers” are new books in the series, with more in the pipeline.

    Allison and I noticed that when we speak about social media and LinkedIn to lawyers, we consistently hear lawyers saying that while they’ve joined LinkedIn, they really don’t use it or even know how to use it. Interesting, many of them also say that one of their clients invited them to join LinkedIn and connect. That’s an interesting disconnect, when you think about it.

    Our book tries to show lawyers how to get started with LinkedIn (the social media platform most commonly used by lawyers and certainly the social media platform lawyers find most comfortable), how to use it better, and, most important, how to integrate LinkedIn with your real world networking efforts in effective ways. The focus is on the practical, with lots of color screen shots, step-by-step instructions and our best practical tips on using LinkedIn.

    The book is 128 pages long, divided into two main sections. The core of the book (which you should be able to read in about an hour) is a series of ten “Lessons” designed to walk you through opening an account, putting together an effective profile, adding connections, participating in LinkedIn and monitoring what’s happening in your network. We pack a lot of information into the lessons and have been told that even long-time LinkedIn users have learned some new things to implement right away. You can also think of the Lessons section as something to have at your side while you use LinkedIn. The second section is a group of essays on “Advanced Topics” – ethics, apps, advanced search, 60 tips, resources and more.

    The early reaction to the book has been great, as you will see from the comments on the order page. My daughter, Grace, who helped with proofreading and editing, also thought the book would be very valuable to people who aren’t lawyers.

    We’d be happy if you would take a look at the book and consider buying a copy. There are some discounts available for the book at TECHSHOW. If you are attending TECHSHOW, please stop by Allison’s Meet the Author session.

    I know that there will also be an iBook version, but I don’t have the details on its availability at the moment.

    If you haven’t started using LinkedIn or feel that you are using LinkedIn only to a fraction of its potential, this book might be just what you need.

    Allison and I have started a LinkedIn Group as a companion group for the book. It’s called “Social Networking for Lawyers.” Simply search for the name fo the Group when you log into LinkedIn. We welcome you to join the Group to discuss LinkedIn, the book and other issues, as well as to get a sense of how LinkedIn Groups work and might work for you.

    Details on the book and how to purchase it may be found here.

    [Originally posted on DennisKennedy.Blog (https://www.denniskennedy.com/blog/)]

    View Dennis Kennedy's profile on LinkedIn

    Follow my microblog on Twitter – @dkennedyblog. Follow me – @denniskennedy

    The new book Allison Shields and I have written called “LinkedIn in One Hour for Lawyers” is now available. Also still available, The Lawyer’s Guide to Collaboration Tools and Technologies: Smart Ways to Work Together, by Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell.

    As you might already know, Allison Shields and I have written a new book called “LinkedIn in One Hour for Lawyers,” published by the American Bar Association’s Law Practice Management Section.

    For Allison and me, the target date for the “official” launch of the book has always been ABA TECHSHOW, and, more specifically, the Meet the Authors session for the book tomorrow (March 29) at 10:00 at TECHSHOW. Unfortunately, I’m not able to join Allison for that session (at least I have a medical excuse for that), but I know that she will do a great fantastic job in introducing the book and answering questions.

    The book grew out of the very successful “LinkedIn for Lawyers” webinar Allison, Michelle Golden and I presented last summer. Allison and I took on the book project and some highly-ambitious deadlines to get the book ready for publication at TECHSHOW. It was a great writing collaboration and we already have another book project in the works. Here’s a hint about the topic of that book.

    Our LinkedIn book is part of the re-launch of the reasonably-priced “In One Hour” series of books the LPM Section has done in the past. My friend and longtime collaborator Tom Mighell helped successfully re-launch this line with his highly-praised “iPad in One Hour for Lawyers” book. Tom’s excellent (I’ve already read it) new “iPad Apps in One Hour for Lawyers” and Ben Schorr’s Microsoft OneNote in One Hour for Lawyers” are new books in the series, with more in the pipeline.

    Allison and I noticed that when we speak about social media and LinkedIn to lawyers, we consistently hear lawyers saying that while they’ve joined LinkedIn, they really don’t use it or even know how to use it. Interesting, many of them also say that one of their clients invited them to join LinkedIn and connect. That’s an interesting disconnect, when you think about it.

    Our book tries to show lawyers how to get started with LinkedIn (the social media platform most commonly used by lawyers and certainly the social media platform lawyers find most comfortable), how to use it better, and, most important, how to integrate LinkedIn with your real world networking efforts in effective ways. The focus is on the practical, with lots of color screen shots, step-by-step instructions and our best practical tips on using LinkedIn.

    The book is 128 pages long, divided into two main sections. The core of the book (which you should be able to read in about an hour) is a series of ten “Lessons” designed to walk you through opening an account, putting together an effective profile, adding connections, participating in LinkedIn and monitoring what’s happening in your network. We pack a lot of information into the lessons and have been told that even long-time LinkedIn users have learned some new things to implement right away. You can also think of the Lessons section as something to have at your side while you use LinkedIn. The second section is a group of essays on “Advanced Topics” – ethics, apps, advanced search, 60 tips, resources and more.

    The early reaction to the book has been great, as you will see from the comments on the order page. My daughter, Grace, who helped with proofreading and editing, also thought the book would be very valuable to people who aren’t lawyers.

    We’d be happy if you would take a look at the book and consider buying a copy. There are some discounts available for the book at TECHSHOW. If you are attending TECHSHOW, please stop by Allison’s Meet the Author session.

    I know that there will also be an iBook version, but I don’t have the details on its availability at the moment.

    If you haven’t started using LinkedIn or feel that you are using LinkedIn only to a fraction of its potential, this book might be just what you need.

    Allison and I have started a LinkedIn Group as a companion group for the book. It’s called “Social Networking for Lawyers.” Simply search for the name fo the Group when you log into LinkedIn. We welcome you to join the Group to discuss LinkedIn, the book and other issues, as well as to get a sense of how LinkedIn Groups work and might work for you.

    Details on the book and how to purchase it may be found here.

    [Originally posted on DennisKennedy.Blog (https://www.denniskennedy.com/blog/)]

    View Dennis Kennedy's profile on LinkedIn

    Follow my microblog on Twitter – @dkennedyblog. Follow me – @denniskennedy

    The new book Allison Shields and I have written called “LinkedIn in One Hour for Lawyers” is now available. Also still available, The Lawyer’s Guide to Collaboration Tools and Technologies: Smart Ways to Work Together, by Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell.

    The UPS man brought me a package yesterday that contained the book in the photo below.

    LinkedIn in One Hour for Lawyers - Book Photo
    LinkedIn in One Hour for Lawyers

    So, I thought now would be a good time to pre-announce the impending release of the new book Allison Shields and I have written called “LinkedIn in One Hour for Lawyers,” which is now available for pre-order.

    It’s part of the ABA Law Practice Management Section’s reasonably-priced “In One Hour” series of books on legal technology topics. While the title is self-explanatory, the goal of the book is to provide a quick and easy, but reasonably thorough, introduction and guide to LinkedIn, the premier social networking platform and the social networking tool most commonly used by lawyers.

    Many, many lawyers have joined LinkedIn, but it’s rare for me to find a lawyer who tells me that he or she is using more than a tiny fraction of the potential of LinkedIn. This book is meant to help remedy that.

    Allison, Michelle Golden and I presented a very popular webinar last year that led to the idea for this book. I’ve long been a fan of Allison’s writing – we have a similar style and a similar lawyer-focused approach. The writing collaboration was great, and we’re very pleased with the final product.

    The book itself is short and to the point. It has lots of color screenshots and a simple, step by step approach to the essential components of LinkedIn – Profiles, Connections and Participation.

    The main portion of the book consists of ten “lessons” that will get you up and running on LinkedIn. We finish the lessons section with three action steps anyone can take to improve their LinkedIn effectiveness.

    We also have a set of advanced materials, covering topics like ethics, apps, advanced features, and more, plus a list of 60 of our best LinkedIn tips.

    Our idea was to provide not just the basics, but point readers to more advanced uses, and share some of our ideas about how LinkedIn fits into the context of your real-world networking contexts.

    I really like the way the book turned out and want to thank everyone involved in the project (including my daughter, Grace, who provided proofreading and editorial help).

    I also wanted to share comments we received from two people I admire greatly, Bruce Marcus and Patrick McKenna.

    “One of the byproducts of the new world of social media is the burst of new how-to books. Naturally, some are far better than others, and so we are blessed when a pair of superior and experienced practitioners like Dennis Kennedy and Allison Shields share their experience in using LinkedIn® in One Hour for Lawyers. Yes,after an hour with this clear and succinct book,you will indeed become highly proficient in the art of using LinkedIn® proficiently and profitably.”–Bruce W. Marcus, editor of “The Marcus Letter on Professional Services Marketing” and author of Professional Services Marketing 3.0.

    “If you are interested in promoting your practice, finding clients, discussing important issues with like-minded colleagues, or getting answers to your important burning issues, than you definitely need to explore the social networking power of LinkedIn®. And it would be hard to imagine two better people than Dennis Kennedy and Allison Shields to make it unbelievably easy for even the most reluctant lawyer to get up-and-running as quickly as possible. What a great way to spend an hour–teach yourself how to ramp-up your networking activities with this highly practical guidebook. Even an old dog like me, who has had an active presence on LinkedIn® for more than a few years, has to admit that I learned a number of new things (advanced search techniques and company buzz) from reading this book.”–Patrick J. McKenna, bestselling author, law firm management consultant and host of “Law Firm Leaders,” the only LinkedIn® group exclusively for large law firm managing partners.

    The book is currently available for pre-order, with a 15% discount available.

    As an aside, as the title indicates, the focus is on use of LinkedIn for lawyers and other legal professionals, but I don’t think you need to be a lawyer to get some benefits from this book.

    [Originally posted on DennisKennedy.Blog (https://www.denniskennedy.com/blog/)]

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    Noted legal technologists Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell bring listeners an in-depth analysis of the latest advancements in legal technology, in addition to best practices for utilizing existing tools.