Law Practice Tips

During the Pandemic, successful practices are adopting new technologies, changing practice areas, and monitoring health and safety. To thrive during and after the Pandemic, read articles about marketing , recession proofing ,  strategies , technology , and trends .  Also read the ABA Report on Pandemic Survey Of Law Firns  and browse Coronavirus resources available at websites created by the ABA ,  AICPA ,  HBR , and State Bar Associations . For in-depth study of emerging trends, read the ABA's new book about  Ethics and Technology in an Evolving World .

Slow Internet speeds can cause timeouts, delay downloads, interrupt video, and garble conference calls.  Start the troubleshooting process by contacting your cable provider to request help with speed problems and connection issues. Consider connecting your devices to the Internet using Ethernet cable instead of Wi-Fi. Improve Wi-Fi performance by upgrading routers, changing channels, moving to higher frequencies, and using a Wi-Fi extender or mesh device. Read home networking articles about design , improvements , mesh systems , rebooting ,  routers , speed , and security . For in-depth study read books like Wiley’s Guide to Networking and  ABA’s  Cybersecurity Guide .  Get assistance from the ABA's Legal Technology Resource Center and your state bar's technology assistance service .    H

Improve the audiovisual quality of your conference calls by using a webcam or microphone. Enhance your appearance by using an expensive spotlight  to illuminate your face.  And free up your laptop by putting your smartphone on a tripod  for video calls. For more tech tips, read articles about video calling ,   best gear for online meetings ,  mastering virtual meetings . And see Doug McHomey’s video about working about best video calling equipment for working from home. 

Surveys  show that a significant number of lawyers and their firms are using Twitter.  Lawyers mostly use Twitter for following news, marketing, and establishing reputations. See samples using a  Directory of Legal Twitterers , a  List of Lawyers to Follow , or a  Table of Top Law Feeds .  Learn more by reading articles about the benefits of Twitter , creating an account , ethical issues , getting followers , marketing with social media ,  starting up , and user tips .   Also see O'Reilly's  Twitter Book  and the ABA's   Guide to Legal Ethics and Social Media.

Signature technology can be used on business, government, and personal documents.  Popular software programs with electronic signature capability include Adobe Acrobat and Microsoft Word .  Digital signature software programs like Docusign  provides encryption in addition to electronic signatures. Learn more by reading articles about paperless signing , notarizing e-documents ,  document management ,  legal requirements , and when and  how to use signature technology .  Also see reviews of software for  digital signatures  and  document management.

Fact checking is essential because of the exponential growth of news sources and partisan reporting. Remember to be skeptical, compare sources, and don't share articles without verifying. For more fact checking tips, read articles about bias ,  critical thinking ,   literacy , reliability , scammers ,  spotting fake news , and verifying AI . Try adding a fact checking extension to your web browser. Check out the bias ratings of your news sources at a fact checking website  and view a  diagram of ideology ranking  of news sources.  Consult the ABA's Legal Fact Checker which seeks to help media and individuals find answers to legal issues.

Write professional looking contracts by using concise wording, paragraph numbering, section headings, and tables of contents. Use letter-size paper and single spacing to make contracts easier to scan. For more tips, read articles about  form libraries , word processing ,  writing clearly , and technology tools  like document management software . Improve your drafting skills by attending an ALI Webinar  or taking a Ken Adams  workshop . Also see Dell  Toedt's  archive of drafting articles  and his contract checklist .  For in-depth study, read PLI's contract handbook  and the  ABA's Manual of Style for Contracts and other ABA books about business contracts , computer contracts , construction contracts , documenting deals ,  drafting style ,  government contracts , leases ,  medical contracts ,   prose in contracts ,  settlement agreements , structuring transactions , and tech contracts ....

Good morale benefits law firms, lawyers, and staff.  Morale improves recruitment, productivity, and teamwork. Read articles about  improving law firm morale with coaching ,  compensation , communication s, mentoring , and newsletters .  Also read articles about productivity improvemen t and boosting morale during the Coronavirus situation  and recessions . For more in-depth study, read the ABA's book about Lessons in Leadership and  Being a Champion for Your Firm and Employees .

Blogging builds reputations, informs clients, and markets professional services. It can be done by individual lawyers or by groups or firms. Research best practices by reviewing top ranked blogs . Add a Blog page to your firm’s website and enable visitors to subscribe for email updates. Search blogs using the ABA's Search Tool , Justia's Blog Directory , and Lexblog's Network  to access blogs published by thousands of lawyers and law firms. Learn more by reading articles about creating , hosting , marketing , readership , rankings , starting ,  syndicating   and tips .  Read books like the ABA's Blogging in One Hour  and the Dummy's Guide for in-depth study. And see below for links to Blog Pages at law firm websites hosted by Justia. Sample Blog Pages at Law Firm Webistes Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell , Los Angeles (Business Law) Leonard Sienko , Hancock, NY (General Practice) Arnold & Smith , Charlotte (Divorce Law) Siegfried River a , Coral Ga...

Podcasts are recorded audio programs that are available using websites or podcast apps. Podcasting began in the early 2000’s. More than 30% of Americans listen to podcasts while driving, exercising, and walking. Lawyers can podcast to attract prospects and educate clients. It can be used to spotlight practice specialties or firm achievements.   Podcasting requires more time and money than other marketing activities, but it can help you and your firm stand out from others. Make podcasts available at your firm's website and on popular services like Amazon, Apple, Google, and Spotify.  Consider using a consultant to overcome technical challenges.  Below are resources for do-it-yourselfers, including articles, books, directories, and examples of lawyers who podcast.   Articles Benefitting from Podcasts Challenges Finding Listeners   Keeping it Legal Lawyers Who Podcast   Launching a Podcast   Listening to Podcasts to Get News Making Money From Podcast...