Lawyers Journal

Award-winning novelist and screenwriter Dennis Lehane will deliver the keynote address at the Massachusetts Bar Association's Annual Dinner on Thursday, April 28, at the Westin Boston Waterfront. Born and raised in Dorchester, Lehane has published more than 12 novels that have been translated into more than 30 languages and become international bestsellers. Some of Lehane's novels showcase both Boston and the criminal justice system. Lehane recently took part in a Q&A session about his literary career.

Three law schools in Boston have partnered to create a new legal incubator project in an effort to foster professional skills in a group of new lawyers while simultaneously expanding legal services to a section of the population that could not otherwise afford them.

This year, the Massachusetts Bar Association celebrates a quarter-century of pro bono assistance at the 25th anniversary of the monthly Dial-A-Lawyer program.

An anonymous hotline offering free legal advice, the program assists approximately 1,100 callers each year. Although it helps all Massachusetts residents, it is more specifically geared toward aiding those who have fallen through the cracks of the legal and criminal justice system. The program also gives lawyers an opportunity to volunteer their time to a short-term commitment.

Back in the day, you could hide from the Internet. There was a time (like when horseless carriages were in general use) when potential clients would not look for or vet lawyers online -- at least not aggressively. This was a function of a lack of information (just think of how much more stuff is online in 2016 than in 2006) and a lack of savvy (as more and more consumers flock to the Internet for purchasing advice, and use search more regularly than ever before, they get better at finding what they need), which has, of late, been remedied. The upshot is that, in the modern environment, consumers, including consumers of legal services, know how to find (the right) service providers online. In terms of looking to the Internet for professional services, the methodology for finding a lawyer is not all that much different from finding a chimney sweep. The primary questions to answer, at least as these relate to your Internet marketing, are:

1. How will potential clients find you?
2. What will they find when they do discover you?

MassBar Bulletin publishes updates from Massachusetts Bar Association members. Information is listed alphabetically by county.