The power of emotion in advertising

I have been amazed this past couple of weeks at the power of emotion in advertising. This applies to both companies and individual who are advertising themselves.

I put out an ad this week that said "Enjoy Peace of Mind for the Holidays" - it was an ad for a discounted last will & testament. Our phones have been ringing off the hook. I would like to say it was because of the discount, but I've tried that tool before. I am convinced it is the hook line at the beginning of the ad.

Something to think about for you budding and existing lawyers as you strive to promote yourself as a lawyer. Emotion sells. Good service keeps the customer. You might even want to consider this thought when preparing your resumes and cover letters for upcoming summer and articling positions. A great first line or title goes really far.

Billions of dollars hang on Canada court's BCE hearing

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada's top court has the potential on Tuesday to create several billion dollars in shareholder value for investors of BCE Inc. (BCE.TO: Quote, Profile, Research)(BCE.N: Quote, Profile, Research) when it considers whether to let the world's largest leveraged buyout proceed.

I would just love to be a junior lawyer in this case. It would be fascinating, I'm sure.

Law society should still teach ethics, say critics

By Nora Rock
The Lawyers Weekly
Toronto
April 18 2008

A Law Society of Upper Canada (LSUC) Bencher has said she is appalled by a proposed retreat by the LSUC from ethics teaching in the Bar Admissions program. “I think it is a retrograde step... We are doing the wrong thing. We are betraying the profession,” said Bencher Heather Ross at a recent conference on legal ethics.

An interesting article...read it here.

Alternative Careers (nevermind legal)

I have been asked quite a few times about alternative legal careers. However, today, I came across a fairly long-running thread on Lawstudents.ca that asks the question, what would you be if you were not a lawyer. A great question! Most of the posts are nonsense, of course, but I think it is a question worth asking yourself if you are anywhere in the midst of becoming or acting as a lawyer.

In asking myself this question, I came up with the following list in order of most desirable at the top:

1. Professional writer - photographer;
2. Property Developer and Renovator;
3. Law professor;
4. English professor;
5. Publisher;
6. Librarian

That was a fun exercise, and provided for at least some loosening of the career strings. Please post your alternative careers here (no nonsense please - only legitimate careers). Thanks!

Lawyer Gone Bad

Oh man, I am pissed!

Yesterday, I received my Macleans magazine. Title in yellow bold on the front cover: "Lawyers are Rats".

Then, on the same day, I received in the mail from Penguin Group a hardcover version of the book "LAWYER GONE BAD, MONEY SEX AND MADNESS IN CANADAS LEGAL PROFESSION" by Philip Slayton, along with a press release.

The article in the Macleans magazine is an interview with Slayton, a long-time lawyer, law professor and former law school dean. I read it when I got home, and I am not happy. Not happy at all.

I will provide more comments once I read the article again, and once I read the book.

I have no idea why I received the book. I never asked for it. I'm not sure if it is because I am a lawyer, because I subscribe to Macleans or because I am also involved in the publishing business.

I noticed that as of today, Amazon.ca Sales Rank for this book is #26 in Books.

Apparently the Canadian Bar Association provided a response, and it was published in the August 13 issue of Macleans. Macleans has posted a response to their complaints. I think Macleans has its dates all mixed up, as it is only August 2 today...I need to read the response by the CBA and the counter-response by Macleans.

I'll comment more, believe me.