Law Practice Tips

A good reputation helps persuade clients, colleagues, and the judiciary. It attracts cases, adds authority, and improves interactions. Following is an action plan and resources to manage reputations for successful firms and careers.     Action Plan Branding - use a tagline on business cards, brochures, and websites. Listing - list in legal directories and social media; update at least annually. Monitoring - conduct weekly searches for inaccurate and negative information (e.g., Google, Bing, and social media). Planning - create a personal development plan to improve knowledge, skills, and abilities. Publishing - publish articles on blogs, periodicals, social media, and websites. Reviews - encourage reviews, reply to negative ones, and report fakes. Surveying - survey client satisfaction and respond to comments. Volunteering - pursue volunteer opportunities to develop your reputation.   Articles Willie Peacock, Strategies for Efficient Lawyer Reputation Management , C...

Landing pages are web pages that visitors find by following links in an ad, email, or social media post. They can be used a s a destination for blogs, bios, client events, and marketing campaigns. Landing pages help convert prospects into paying clients and track the results of advertising.  They can be made accessible by inserting links in online advertisements. They can also be publicized by using QR codes on print materials like brochures and business cards. For additional tips, read the articles and books listed below. Also see the samples of landing pages used by law firms with their pay per click advertising.  Articles Benefits of Landing Pages Creating a Lawyer Landing Page Designing Websites Improving Websites Marketing with QR Codes Sample of Law Firm Landing Pages Using Landing Pages for Marketing Books Getting More Clients Law Firm Marketing Tactics Marketing Firms on the Internet Standing out from the Competition Samples Edwards Law Firm  (Family Law, Atlanta)...

Compelling presentati ons are important in auditoriums, boardrooms, classrooms, courtrooms, and offices. Presentations should entertain, persuade, motivate, and educate. Skillful presenters get audiences to change their view, learn new things, and take action.  Below are tips for making effective presentations resources for further study. Tips Audience - research your audience and adjust to their level. Organization - begin with overview, next details, and end with recap. Practice - practice presentations in front of a colleague or friend.  Skills - develop skills by attending in-person or online seminars. Story - tell a story to illustrate your points and entertain. Video - use a video to appeal to emotions and sensibilities. Visuals - limit the number of slides and the content of each slide. Recording - record your presentation for replay as a podcast or YouTube video. Wording - keep sentences short and use inclusive words like us, we and our. Articles Adding Stories...

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...