How to Run a Website for Small
Firms and Solos
St. Mary’s University School of Law
Wilhelmina Randtke
November 11, 2014
• URL and hosting – ownership is totally
separate
• Texas Rules of Professional Conduct – you
need to know these
• Common website features; working with a
developer
URL and Website are different
• Show www.randtke.com
(registered with GoDaddy; hosted with Dreamhost)
Show GoDaddy registration with nameservers.
Show Dreamhost info.
URL and Website are different
• Set up www.chinacabi.net
(registered with Namecheap)
Show page
Enter nameservers in Namecheap
(transfer DNS to Webhost).
Enter URL into Dreamhost.
Like a cooking show… we wait…
Lesson 1: You need to own your URL
• Always, you, personally, register your URL.
• Buy the URL and hosting from different
companies.
• Good registrars: GoDaddy, NameCheap
Texas Rules of Professional Conduct
• Advertising rules:
http://www.texasbar.com/AM/Template.cfm?
Section=What_Types_of_Advertisements_Mu
st_Be_Submitted_1&Template=/CM/ContentD
isplay.cfm&ContentID=11897
29 pages long
• “best”
Rule 7.02
• “Specialist”
Rule 7.04
Rule 7.07 Filing Requirements for Public
Advertisements and Written, Recorded, Electronic,
or Other Digital Solicitations
Exemptions from filing are in 7.07(e)
http://www.texasbar.com/AM/Template.cfm?Section=What_Types_of_Advertisements_Must_Be_Submitted_1&Template=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=11897
Exemptions from filing
Rule 7.07(e)(1):
“The filing requirements of paragraphs (a), (b), and (c) do not extend to any of the following materials, provided those
materials comply with Rule 7.02(a) through (c) and, where applicable, Rule 7.04(a) through (c):
(1) an advertisement in the public media that contains only part or all of the following information,
(i) the name of the lawyer or firm and lawyers associated with the firm, with office addresses, electronic
addresses, telephone numbers, office and telephone service hours, telecopier numbers, and a designation of the
profession such as “attorney,” “lawyer,” “law office,” or “firm”;
(ii) the particular areas of law in which the lawyer or firm specializes or possesses special competence;
(iii) the particular areas of law in which the lawyer or firm practices or concentrates or to which it limits its
practice;
(iv) the date of admission of the lawyer or lawyers to the State Bar of Texas, to particular federal courts, and to
the bars of other jurisdictions;
(v) technical and professional licenses granted by this state and other recognized licensing authorities;
(vi) foreign language ability;
(vii) fields of law in which one or more lawyers are certified or designated, provided the statement of this
information is in compliance with Rule 7.02(a) through (c);
(viii) identification of prepaid or group legal service plans in which the lawyer participates;
(ix) the acceptance or nonacceptance of credit cards;
(x) any fee for initial consultation and fee schedule;
(xi) other publicly available information concerning legal issues, not prepared or paid for by the firm or any of its
lawyers, such as news articles, legal articles, editorial opinions, or other legal developments or events, such as
proposed or enacted rules, regulations, or legislation;
(xii) in the case of a website, links to other websites;
(xiii) that the lawyer or firm is a sponsor of a charitable, civic, or community program or event, or is a sponsor of
a public service announcement;
(xiv) any disclosure or statement required by these rules; and
(xv) any other information specified from time to time in orders promulgated by the Supreme Court of Texas;”
Lesson 2: You check Rules of
Professional Conduct. The web
developer does not.
Reminder: URL and website are different
• Look back at www.chinacabi.net
Web Developer:
What’s cheap? What’s easy?
• Pick a one-click install for www.chinacabi.net
Like a cooking show… we wait….
One click installs
• This is usually what a developer is selling you.
• Dreamhost
• HostGator
• Bluehost
(Also a list of reputable hosts.)
Expectations
• Show www.lawlibrarian.org site
– Login
– Browse to page, and edit page
– Change theme
– Show widgets
– Make an editor account to just change pages.
Lessons
• It’s east to edit the words on the site, with no
special training. Updates don’t have to go
through a developer, and simple changes
don’t have to cost money.
• Developer implements layout with colors and
photos you choose. The more concrete plans
you have, the less time it takes to do, the less
you will pay.
• Most developer time is spent trying to get
the client to say what they want.
• Back to www.chinacabi.net
• Lesson 3: Layout and colors take time.
Changing the words on the site is fast, and
something you should have the option to do.
This is to help you know what you are paying for
when you buy a web developer.
Recap
• URL and hosting – ownership is totally separate
You need to own your URL.
(Good registrars = GoDaddy or Namecheap)
• Texas Rules of Professional Conduct
You need to know advertising rules.
• Common website features; working with a
developer
Concrete instructions save the developer
time, and you money.
You should be able to make simple edits.
How to Run a Website for Small
Firms and Solos
St. Mary’s University School of Law
Wilhelmina Randtke
November 11, 2014