For a small but growing number of lawyers, sophisticated social media marketing is the heart of their business development strategy.

"As [social media] platforms have emerged, I've tried to claim that online real estate," says Daliah Saper of Chicago-based Saper Law, who focuses on intellectual property, social media, entertainment, and business law, and who started online marketing in the early days of the web.

"Traditionally, law firms would send out a newsletter or try to attract clients," she said. But social media requires an always-on approach to engaging would-be clients. "I try to be top of mind depending on platforms, posting something about the practice or disseminating news on a daily basis."

So how are savvy attorneys and law firms using social media to connect with clients? Is Google Plus worth your time? (Surprisingly, yes.) Old-school blogging? (Ditto.) What, if anything, should you do about Avvo? And how can you put the social media triumvirate of Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter to use in your marketing?

Along with Saper, Chicago lawyer and frequent CLE presenter Sarah Toney and other sophisticated social-media users offer advice for stepping up your game in the January Illinois Bar Journal.

Clio, an ISBA Marketplace Vendor, is hosting a free webinar titled "Law Firms in the Social Age" on Tuesday, Jan. 12 at 1 p.m. Central. Click here to find out more and register.

New Year, New Cirque

With the New Year comes new experiences and there is no better way to kick off 2016 then with a new Cirque show. This January Broadway welcomes Paramour, a rapturous and passionate new experience that brings together the spectacle of Cirque Du Soleil with the storytelling of Broadway. And you can see it with big savings! You can also enter the world of curiosity in the Cirque show Kurios during its limited engagement run in Atlanta, GA. When you book now you'll save over 30%!

Goodbye Jubilee

The legendary showgirl production Jubilee in Las Vegas will go dark this February. For the chance to see the world-renowned show one last time book your tickets through TicketsatWork.com and save up to $37! If you need a way to get to the Strip look no farther than TicketsatWork.com for savings up to 25% on Avis!
Deal of the Month: Save over $37 on one Final Performance of Jubilee

Did You Know?

January is the best time to enjoy a ski vacation? Not only is it the perfect conditions to ski but now TicketsatWork.com is offering savings up to 50% on ski resorts nationwide! Enjoy a ski vacation at some of the nation's top resorts including Mountain Creek Ski Resort in the Appalachian Mountains, Shawnee Mountain in Pennsylvania, Mammoth Mountain Ski Area in California and many more!

From Our Blog

Enjoy a tour of your favorite city in 2016 with the convenience of a Big Bus Tour. With locations in New York, Washington D.C. and many more, this is the perfect way to spend the day on your next vacation.

Jonathan T. Swain will join the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners, under an appointment approved Monday by a majority of Circuit Judges of Cook County.

The ISBA Election in the Spring of 2016 will elect 10 seats on the Board of Governors, 44 Cook County Assembly seats and 88 Outside Cook Assembly seats. Nominating petitions are now being accepted and must be filed by 4:30 p.m. on Monday, February 1, 2016 at either the Illinois Bar Center, 424 South 2nd Street, in Springfield or the ISBA Office at 20 S. Clark Street, 9th Floor, Chicago. Petitions must be physically submitted with original signatures. Petitions submitted via email or fax will not be accepted.

Candidates should submit their biography and photo at www.isba.org/election/bioform

Find out more at www.isba.org/elections

The ISBA Standing Committee on Women and the Law will host a Celebrating the Power of Laughter in the Law Luncheon on March 8 at Maggiano’s Little Italy, 516 N. Clark. The Luncheon will feature Special Speaker Dr. Gail Stern, co-owner and chief academic officer of Catharsis Productions

Stern is an educator and curriculum developer with over 20 years of experience in violence prevention education and advocacy. She is the co-author of the non-stranger rape prevention program, SEX SIGNALS, which is presented over a thousand times at universities and military installations each year. She is also the author of the programs, The Canary in the Mine Shaft; Beat the Blame Game; Why They Fight the Facts; and, Moral Development: Sexual Assault Prevention in a Military Context. Dr. Stern earned her doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Wisconsin - Madison, examining the role of humor in reducing the emotional and cognitive resistance to the subject of rape.

For more information, please visit www.isba.org/lol or contact Melissa Burkholder at MBurkholder@isba.org.

The deadline to register is Tuesday, March 3.

Happy New Year and Best Wishes for a Personal and Professional 2016

By John W. Olmstead, MBA, Ph.D, CMC

As 2015 comes to an end we begin with a clean slate for 2016. As with anything new - the uncertain future can be scary and exciting at the same time. Year-end provides an opportune time for reflection on the past year and setting goals for the next year - both personal and professional. Goal setting can improve your personal life and your practice.

Setting and achieving goals is one of the best ways to measure your life's and practice's progress and to create unusual clarity. The alternative is drifting along aimlessly with hope and a prayer.

I am a strong believer in the power of goals. This year I finished writing my book, The Lawyers Guide to Succession Planning published by the ABA which is scheduled to be released in January. I never would have even started, alone completed, such a project without very specific goals and timelines.

I strongly suggest that you established a few SMART goals for both your personal life and your practice for 2015 where each goal is: 

The Illinois Supreme Court has announced the creation of a judicial college to provide comprehensive and multidisciplinary educational programs and professional development training to the state's judges and Judicial Branch employees.

Under the authority and governance of the Supreme Court, the Illinois Judicial College will consist of a seven-member Board of Trustees and six standing Committees. The formation of the Judicial College will take effect January 1, 2016.

The City of Chicago Independent Police Review Authority has a job posting for a licensed attorney. All applications must be made at the City of Chicago job website. The posting is due to come down January 4, 2016.

Justice Thomas L. Kilbride and the Illinois Supreme Court have announced the appointment of Moline attorney Joseph F. Fackel as a Circuit Judge in the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit.

Mr. Fackel was appointed by the Court to fill the vacancy created by Circuit Judge F. Michael Meersman, who retired at close of business on November 30, 2015. His appointment takes effect January 4, 2016 and will terminate on December 5, 2016, when the position is filled by the 2016 General Election.

Did you miss ISBA's live program on December 4, 2015? ISBA will be rebroadcasting individual segments from the seminar via the Internet throughout January and February so you can get the information you need on the upcoming changes to the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act! Family law attorneys, child law practitioners, and general practice lawyers who attend this full-day seminar will better understand: how the revisions to the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act and Parentage Act may affect your practice; the ethical considerations you need to be aware of based on the recent changes; the legislative changes that will impact custody and visitation, property and maintenance, continued support for children entering post-high school education, and attorney's fees; the civil procedure concerns for temporary relief, drafting complaints, and discovery issues; and much more. Each live webcast replay will be moderated by one of the speakers from the original seminar. Attendees are encouraged to submit questions in the Q&A panel throughout the program, which will be answered in real-time by the moderator.