Law Practice Tips

More than 200,000 lawyers will be retiring in the next 10 years. To be prepared for this age wave, younger lawyers should seek mentoring and older lawyers should start planning. Below are planning tips and links to resources with more information.    Tips Advisors - consult insurance and financial advisors; contact state bar assistance programs. Career - consider working part-time or starting a new career.  Emergencies - be prepared in case you or an immediately family member are disabled. Health - exercise, eat nutritiously, and get health checkups to avoid issues. Housing - consider alternative housing for post-retirement years.  Insurance - plan for Medicare and supplemental insurance. Savings - determine whether you need to increase savings (or work longer). Articles Choosing Where to Retire Deciding When to Retire Exit Strategies Insuring Healthcare Mentoring Lawyers Planning Retirement Pre-Close Planning Thinking About Retirement Technology Considerations Work...

Generational differences motivate clients and lawyers. Marketing, recruiting, and supervising can be more effective when adjusted for these differences. See below for a list of generational differences and resources for accommodating them. Silent Generation (ages 79 to 99; born 1925 to 1945) Grew up during the depression and lived through World War II. Prefer paper and low tech. Hardworking, loyal, and respectful. May need legal assistance with legal aspects of elder care and elder abuse. Baby Boomers (ages 60 to 78; born 1946 to 1964) Born during the golden age of television. Veterans of Korean and Vietnam wars. Known for strong work ethic, loyalty to employers, and professionalism. May need estate planning for themselves and for family members with special needs Constitutes about 25% of the workforce. Generation X (ages 43 to 59; born 1965 to 1980) Declining birthrates and advent of personal computers. Lived during Watergate, Arab Oil Embargo, and Aids Crisis. Increasing exposure to ...

Below are tips for responding to emails from clients, lawyers, and prospects, Prompt replies improve goodwill, relationships, and reputations.  For more guidance, see the articles and books listed below. And for examples, see below for sample responses to website inquiries. Tips Attachments - summarize attachments and include a list at the end of  message. Automating  - automate replies to acknowledge receipt and provide timeline. Courtesy - be empathetic, polite, and positive.  Length - keep messages short (use attachments for long messages). Promptness  - respond within 24 hours. Subject - limit to a few words to improve visibility. Articles Accelerating Replies Automating Responses Chat Tools Client Portals Designing a Contact Page Do's and Don'ts Emailing Professionally Ethics of Email Handling Unsolicited Inquiries Responding to Lawyers Sign-Offs and Signature Blocks Using Forms Books Mastering Email Writing Professional Email Samples Family Law Advocates ...

Below are planning tips and resources to help implement them.  Planning can achieve goals and reduce stress. Start planning with an annual assessment and then create goals like improving relationships, managing caseloads, and work/life balancing. Put your goals into action with planning tools like apps, audits, budgets, checklists, and diaries. Work on one goal at a time to avoid overwhelming yourself.  Tips Budgets   – prepare annual budgets and monitor them monthly. Calendars  – try calendaring apps to record appointments, notes, and deadlines. Checkups  – use checklists and to-do lists to create action plans for cases and clients. Plans  –  create plans and periodically review them to identify areas for improvement. Technologies  – use apps and software to perform routine tasks.  Analog Tools Audits –  Firm  and  Individual . Budgets -  Operating ,  Cash Flow , and  Capital Expenditures . Calendars and Diaries...

Technology helps lawyers to gain a competitive advantage and improve work and life. Following are some statistics from the ABA's Annual Survey of Legal Technology .  And beneath that are links to resources to help you adopt technology for analytics, managing, drafting, litigation, and research.  Trends Automated research - over 50% of lawyer use Westlaw, Lexis, etc. Technology Spending - over 60 of law firms budget for technology  Laptops for computing - over 50% of lawyers user laptops as for work Virtual Lawyering - over 10% work without offices Cloud Computing - over 50% of firms keep their documents in the Cloud Cybersecurity - over 50% of firms have policies to protect security (encryption, etc.) Smart Discovery - over 30% of small firms and more than 70% for large firms use it Articles Cloud  Computing Courtroom Technology Cybersecurity Office Technology Litigation Management Marketing Training Books Legal Technology Guide   Cybersecurity Handbook Checklis...

Marketing by lawyers is continuing to evolve. Below are current usage rates mentioned in the ABA's 2023  Profile of the Legal Profession . And further below are links to articles with marketing tips and resources. MARKETING METHODS USED BY LAWYERS  Social Media Used LinkedIn - 96% Facebook - 31% Twitter - 20% Martindale - 18% Instagram - 13% Marketing Tools Used Event sponsorships - 44% Email marketing - 40% Blogging - 37% Printed materials - 24% Direct mail - 11% Directory listings - 9% Advertising - 9% MARKETING RESOURCES Activities Blogging Brochures Cards Directories Postcards Pamphlets Publishing Social Media Surveys Testimonials Websites Videos

Posting on social media can attract clients, build reputations, and  drive traffic to websites.  Popular providers include Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and X (Twitter). Below are tips for using social media and linking it to websites. Also included are links to articles, books, checklists, and examples. Tips Analyze  - use analytic tools to monitor visits to firm websites and social media. Delegate - delegate responsibility for posting and monitoring on firm social media accounts. Delete - remove links to social media accounts that have become inactive. Explain  - mention social media accounts on the firm's About Us Page. Focus - focus on a few accounts and post to them regularly. Link - make social media findable by linking to bottom of each page of the firm website. Articles Attracting Visitors with Chatbots and Videos Benefits of Social Media Best Posting Frequency Ethical Considerations Exemplary Use of Social Media Managing Social Media Marketin...

Political activity helps marketing, networking, and performing civic duty. Below are tips for staying politically active and resources for implementing them.     Tips   Encourage Others  - rally family and friends to vote. Influence Outcomes  - influence outcomes by voting for candidates that support your causes.  Investigate Candidates  - research voting records of candidates and their truthfulness. Participate  - consider volunteering to help candidates to win election.  Register  - confirm your voter registration and calendar for renewal. Stay Informed  - read local and national publications to determine candidate positions.  Vote Early  - avoid long lines by voting early or balloting by mail.   Articles Kelsey Alpaio,  How to Respond When Someone Says I'm Not Voting , Harvard Business Review, Oct. 28, 2020. Dena Bunis,  Six Ways to Check Out a Candidate , AARP, Apr. 30, 2018. Kayleigh Lickliter,  Ho...

Advertising can be distracting and stressful, Below are tips for blocking ads and a list of resources. Take action now to to avoid becoming overwhelmed by ads on  cellphones, computers, and other smart devices.   Tips   Browsers  – use an ad blocker to stop receiving ads from appearing in browsers. Calls  – block unknown callers or send their calls sent to voicemail. Emails  – report spammers and move their messages to spam folders. Internet  – check privacy settings for accounts on Apple, Google, and Microsoft. Notification  – disable notifications for email and texts to avoid distractions. Radio  – listen to ad-free podcasts and music on streaming services to stop radio commercials. Search Engines  – turn off ad tracking on search engines. Social Media  – enable privacy settings on social media like Facebook, LinkedIn, X, etc. Texts  – block texts from unknown senders or segregate them in a separate folder. TV  – replace...

As we age, we get better at some things, worse at others, and reach plateaus. However, exercise and mindfulness can help us maintain abilities as we age.  Below are ages when abilities peak and recommendations for maintaining them.   Aging and Abilities Cognition  - knowledge and thinking skills continue to improve through the 70's. Practice mindfulness and read books to expand knowledge. Emotion  - ability to control emotion peaks in the 50's. Regulate emotions by keeping a mood journal, listening to music, and using meditation.   Recognition  - memory for faces is greatest in the 20's and then declines around 30. Improve recognition skills by looking for facial markings like freckles and scars. Protect eyesight with annual checkups. Memory  - short-term memory peaks by mid-20's and then declines in the mid-30's. Improve memory by eating a brain-healthy diet, using mnemonic devices, and sleeping at least 7 hours every night. Strength  - phys...