Law Practice Tips

Improve your writing by using active voice, action verbs, present tense, singular nouns and other principles of clear writing . Get inspired by reading  an article about the importance of improving writing throughout your career. Then enhance your writing skills by reading articles about  Common Mistakes ,  Grammar Goofs ,  Muddled Writing ,   Learning to Write Well ,  Writing Tips  and Writing Resources .  Visit the Federal Register website for its  Plain Language Tools ,  Drafting Resources , Newsletter  and  Handbook . Read  books about Elements of Style ,  Grammar and Writing,   Judicial Perspectives on the Written Word , Legal Writing Resources , and Strategies for Faster and Better Editing . Proofread your writing with  Grammarly ,  Microsoft Edtor , and other writing tools .

Mark Twain learned about law from his father who was a Justice of the Peace. Twain's writings have several lessons for lawyers, including learning from mistakes, listening to your opponent, and pausing during presentations. Get inspired by reading Twain's  biography , his  tips for lawyers , and his  lessons for life . For deeper learning, read his  books and an anthology of his  humorous observations about life and lawyers . Get inspired by watching Hal Holbrook perform in Mark Twain Tonight.

Use virtual preparation to improve witness performance at trials and depositions. During practice sessions, keep conversations informal, make briefings short, and use playback as a teaching tool. For more tips, read articles about best practices ,  ethical rules , expert witnesses , and  virtual preparation . For comprehensive study, read ABA books about  Preparing Witnesses , Pre-Trial Strategies for Success ,  Trial Manual  and What it Takes to Win .

Read the ABA’s 2020 Annual Survey of Law Firm Technology Trends to learn about  trends for lawyers and firms . Trends covered in the survey  Billing ,  Budgeting , Cloud Computing , Cybersecurity ,  Getting Paid ,  Litigation ,  Management , Marketing , Training , and  Websites . Click here   for a page with links to articles with survey results. Also see Robert Ambroggi's article about  Top Technology Trends  and Jim Calloway’s article about Top Technology Tools .  For in-depth study, read the ABA's  Legal Technology Guide  and Cybersecurity Handbook.  And visit the  ABA’s Legal Technology Resource Center .

Hackers can  encrypt your files unless you protect them against ransomware attack s.  Protect your files and your clients by enabling   Controlled Folder Access   in Windows and using link protection in Outlook  a nd Gmail . Remember to continuously backing up files with an external hard drive or cloud service like Carbonite . Learn more by reading articles about   cybersecurity , hacking , and  ransomware . Also read the ABA's  Handbook on Cybersecurity  and  Survey of Best Practices . Also see  PC Magazine's Review of Cloud Backup Services  and visit security websites like   NoMoreRansom   and Krebs on Security .  

Hashtags (#) and handles (@) can be used to search content on social media and increase the visibility of your postings. Use # with words to lure readers searching for those words. Tag people and organizations with @ to attract searchers looking for them. Learn how to use handles and hashtags by reading articles about them ,  what they mean , marketing with hashtags ,  popular legal tags , hashtag etiquette ,  promoting your firm with tags,   using hashtags on linkedin , and tips for searching with tags .  Also see articles about using Instagram ,  LinkedIn and Twitter hashtags. Also see the  post   about  marketing with social media   and visit the ABA's web page with social media resources . , us

A healthy lifestyle helps lawyers thrive during throughout life. Stay healthy with annual doctor checkups, balanced meals, daily meditation, and weekly exercise.  Avoid digital addiction by turning off notifications, putting devices away during family time, and setting daily time limits on personal use of email and social media.  Practice mindfulness with a daily Yoga class and listening to meditation music before bedtime.  Read below for additional tips and resources to improve your  health and productivity.  The resources include articles, books and websites for lawyers. More Tips Eat Well -  A healthy diet will reduce the risk of complications from Coronavirus. Eat fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Avoid processed foods. Get Physical -  Stand up when possible while working and take exercise breaks. Go for a walk after meals.   Track your activity using a fitness app on your smartphone. Go Outdoors -  Take weekly excursions to city parks and gardens. Meet up with family and frien