Law Practice Tips

Firms that foster teamwork and collaboration win clients and cases. Collaborative firms also keep lawyers happier and productive. Additional effort is needed to make remote/hybrid lawyers p art of the team.  Following are tips for improving collaboration and resources for implement them. Tips Activities  - conduct team building activities, hold mealtime get-togethers, and schedule retreats Compensation - adopt bonus systems to incentivize teamwork. Feedback - seek feedback to identify issues and resolve them. Leadership  - appoint a lawyer or assistant to lead team building efforts.   Meetings - include video conferencing links on meeting invitations. Tools - empower lawyers and staff with apps that facilitate collaboration.     Articles Better Law Firm Collaboration Building a Remote Culture Collaboration in Law Firms Forces Driving Lawyers to Collaborate Fostering Collaboration Promoting Teamwork Team Building Activities Tools for Collaborating Books...

Turn billing from a chore into an opportunity to accelerate revenue and improve client relations.  Below are tips for writing bills that compensate you, keep clients happy, and  satisfy ethical obligations.      Tips Agreement  - use engagement contracts to avoid fee disputes. Frequency  - select a monthly or quarterly billing cycle based on the circumstances of each case. Content  - avoid legal jargon, include an itemized list of what was done, who did it, when it was done, how long it took, and why it was done. Communicating - add a handwritten personal note to invoices to give them a personal touch. Expenses  - include overhead and administrative costs in your fee (instead of billing separately for them).  Payment  - provide e-payment alternatives; state the deadline and penalty for late payments. Automating  - use an app to track time, issue bills, and avoid overbilling claims. Articles Accounting Software Anatomy of an Inv...

Many law firm websites include Press Pages. They  provide information for clients, prospects, and journalists. They typically include press contacts, firm news, highlights of awards, links to media mentions, and articles about or by members of the firm. Press pages can boost search engine rankings and improve chances of being featured by journalists. For additional resources, see the articles, books, and samples listed below Articles Building a Press Page Creating a Marketing Plan Improving a Small Firm's Website Law Firm Press Releases Marketing Tools for Small Firms Writing a Press Release Books Marketing on the Internet Public Relations Small Firm Marketing Successful Marketing Working with Reporters Samples Dingess Foster (Mid-Size, Pittsburgh) Kang Haggerty  (Mid-Size, Philadelphia) Kean Miller  (Large, Baton Rouge) Latham and Watkins (Large, New York)

The transition to a hybrid workplace can stress lawyers and challenge productivity. Keep hybrid workers connected and productive with the following  tips.  For more resources, see the articles, books, forms, software, and websites listed below.   Tips Amenities - provide beverages/snacks, exercise rooms, and outdoor areas. Engagement  - survey lawyers and staff to determine needs and preferences.  Meetings - keep staff in the loop with memos, team meetings, and firm events. Privacy - set aside conference rooms for individual use. Schedule - encourage teams to select days for working at the office. Training -  provide leaders with training and tools for managing hybrid teams. Workplace - create system for reserving workspace .  Articles Adopting Hybrid Work Schedules Building Successful Work Environments Connecting Hybrid and Remote Workers How Accounting Firms Deal with Hybrid Keeping Lawyers Happy Legal Rules for Hybrid Workplace Lessons fro...

Getting 7 to 9 hours of nightly sleep helps us to avoid diabetes, hypertension, inflammation, and obesity. Eliminating interruptions during sleep enables your body to heal itself and refresh. Learn how to sleep better by reading Harvard Health Letter’s article abou  steps for better sleep , WSJ's   sleep strategies , and WebMD's   Sleep Checklist . Review tips for avoiding night owl syndrome ,   limiting light , resetting schedules ,   hybrid work , and sleeping on red-eye flights . Visit the   Sleep Foundation   website for more articles. See a doctor when   sleep is   disrupted by breathing difficulties.  Learn serenity tips by reading articles about   achieving work-life balance ,  overcoming anxiety ,  and  staying clam .  Try purchasing   gadgets to help you sleep bette r and following these sleep strategies:   Apps  - use tracking apps to monitor sleep habits and reinforce good sleeping hab...

Disasters can be caused by computer hacks, deaths/disabilities, equipment failures, errors/omissions, health emergencies, loss of a key employee, power outages, sabotage, scandals, severe weather, and software glitches. Advance planning can help firms survive disasters and overcome adversities. Following are disaster planning tips and resources for implementing them. Tips Backing Up  - backup data with cloud services and store backup equipment outside of the office. Contacts -  create a communication list with contact details of clients, employees, and vendors. Communicating  -  be prepared with alternative forms of communication (e.g., mobile phones, mobile hotspots, satellite phones, etc.). Delegating  - appoint a leader to take charge in the event of a disaster. Drilling  - stage occasional drills to rehearse roles. Insurance - purchase insurance to cover business interruption, malpractice, and other risks. Inventorying - prepare a list of equipment, su...

Defending a malpractice claim can be expensive and tarnish your reputation. Below are tips for avoiding malpractice claims and a links to resources with additional information. Tips Assistance - seek assistance for cases that require additional time or specialization.  Accounting  - use an accounting app to record client funds and keep them in a trust account separate from firm accounts. Automate  - automate calendaring of appointments, deadlines, and hearings; use software for billing, case management, and client communications.  Communications - use written communications to follow-up meetings and phone calls;  promptly provide case updates;  explain reasons for your decisions and strategies. Disengagement  - use a non-engagement letter to confirm that a lawyer-client relationship has not been created. Documentation  - Retain copies of engagement (and disengagement letters), keep notes of matters discussed with clients; retain research that ex...

Below is an action plan for winning the competition for clients. For more information, read the articles and books appended further below.   Checklist Automating  - use apps for billing, calendaring, marketing, tracking, etc. Differentiating  - stand out from the competition with 24/7 availability, in-person and online consultations, and prompt response Innovating  - adopt techniques that make your services better, faster, and cheaper Imaging  - update your image on business cards, social mediate, and websites   Marketing  - use marketing tools to attract new clients and add new engagements with existing ones  Recruiting  - hire talented lawyers and keep them motivated and highly compensated Servicing - provide exceptional service and positive experiences Surveying  - determine client needs and preferences by periodically surveying them online, in person, or by phone Articles Adopting a Marketing Plan Competitive Challenges ...

Well designed websites attract clients and keep them returning. Periodically visit other firm websites to assure that your site is competitive. Annually review data to determine whether traffic and retention are adequate.  Use the checklists  below to confirm that your website has essential features and consult the resources for articles, books, and samples of well-designed  websites. Front Page Features Brevity - be concise to speed downloads Menu - include links to other pages of the site Photo - show lawyers and staff   Social - add links to social media pages Tagline - express the firm’s focus or mission  Essential Pages About - awards, focus, history, practice Articles - bibliography or blog Bios - bios for lawyers and staff  Contact - address, phone, etc.  Disclaimers - ethical and privacy notices Press  - news about your firm and its lawyers Portal - client  access to bills, documents, messaging, etc. Articles Adding a Chatbot Al...

Client surveys let your clients know that you care. Surveys can be used to  evaluate satisfaction with services and determine additional needs. They can be  conducted  at the end of an engagement or distributed annually. Conduct the survey by phone, send by mail,  or create a survey page at your website. Design your questionnaire using a template from Google, Microsoft, or Survey Monkey. Provide an incentive for completion and assure responders that their replies will be kept confidential. For more tips see below for a checklist, articles, books, and samples. .   Checklist Amount of time devoted to client Communication and Office Technology Fairness of Fees Friendliness of staff Handling of inquiries Information on invoices Office location and furnishings Promptness of service Quality of legal advice Articles Asking Questions Benefitting from Surveys Building Reputations Client Feedback Programs Collecting Data Creating Online Surveys Handling An...