Category: Law Practice Management
By James Crosby
Referrals are the lifeblood of law practices – they are the “coin of the realm” for most attorneys. There are attorneys with large loyal clients providing cases year after year. But, for most attorneys, it’s not 20 cases from one client, it’s 20 cases from 20 different referral sources. Yet, despite the significance of referrals as a source of business, attorneys often mishandle referrals and torch referral sources. So, as a public service to the “referral-source-torchers” out there, I offer “The Referral Rules!” Read More
By Meghan Dohoney
For those practicing as solo attorneys or at small firms, it can be difficult to manage the demands of running a law practice without a safety net of associates around to pick up the slack when things get busy or if an emergency comes up. Hiring freelance attorneys for discrete legal projects (writing a motion to dismiss, drafting discovery responses, preparing a complaint, etc.) is one way of managing the strains of a busy practice, without having to hire a full-time employee. Freelance attorneys are a tool — or a possible career option — with which attorneys may not be familiar. Read More
By Teresa Warren
Thirty years ago, the ability for lawyers to ethically advertise was new and controversial. Today, advertising is an accepted form of communication by most in the legal profession. But is it effective? The answer is yes and no. The key is knowing if it will be effective for your practice or firm. Read More
By Renée Galente
Lawyers express themselves on behalf of others for a living, whether the work is done in a courtroom or from behind a desk. As a result, some practitioners would likely be amused or offended at the notion that they might not be effectively communicating with their own clients. Yet, the No. 1 reason for client complaints to the State Bar of California revolves around lack of communication with their lawyer. The truth of the matter is that lawyers get busy. And when lawyers get busy, there is often a rush to get things done, move on to the next project, check boxes, get things filed and go, go, go! Communication — real communication — suffers as a result. Read More
By Will Marshall
Skilled word processing staff, particularly for smaller practices and transactional attorneys, are all but gone. Attorneys must increasingly handle their own documents, generally using the not-always-friendly Microsoft WordTM. Battling with automatic numbering is not the highest and best use of your time nor your client’s wallet. With that in mind, I offer a collection of some of my most often used techniques in Microsoft Word. Read More
