Law Practice Tips

Many lawyers pursue careers with corporate law departments, law firms, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations. Others chose to start a new firm as a solo or with other lawyers. The new firm path is best for lawyers with entrepreneurial spirit, financial support, and organizational skills. Below are tips for writing a business plan to use as a blueprint for growing legal careers and law firms. For further study, see the links to articles, books, forms, and websites. Tips Assessment - assess entrepreneurial spirit and legal skills to determine readiness. Contents - describe the practice, competitive factors, finances, and marketing plans. Costs - determine the cost of equipment, offices, supplies, and staffing. Focus - select practice areas and geographic locations that will be the focus of the firm. Office - Decide whether to office at home, an office building, or shared office space. Research - study competitive factors, costs, fee schedules, skills, and prospective cl...

Continually review your law firm website to keep it current and comply with evolving ethical requirements. Avoid ethical complaints by using  a short disclaimer at the bottom of each page with a link to a detailed Disclaimer Page.  Add a Policy Page to comply with laws governing privacy. For more information, see the resources listed below and  consult your state bar association.  Articles ABA Modernizes Marketing Rules Best Practices for Privacy Policies Disclaimers for Firm Blogs and Websites Ethical Guide to Lawyer Marketing Ethical Guidelines for Websites Guide to Website Design Overview of Online Ethics for Lawyers   Books Ethics and Technology Legal Ethics and Social Media Marketing on the Internet   Forms Jennifer Ellis Blog Louisiana Legal Ethics Blog Samples Disclaimers Cardone Firm (New Orleans) - personal Injury Lubiner, Schmidt & Palumbo (Newark) - criminal immigration and traffic Mehr, Fairbanks & Peterseon (Lexington) - disability...

Cybersecurity, ethics, and technology  are constantly evolving.   Review your current practices to protect client confidences and comply with ethical rules. Below is a checklist of practices to consider and articles and books for implementing them. Checklist Accounts - Use separate accounts for personal and work (i.e. email, banking and social media, etc.) Backups - Backup client files, correspondence, and other records Conversations - Do not discuss sensitive information near others or smart speakers Emergencies - Exchange landline and cell numbers with co-workers for emergency contact Encryption - Encrypt devices and drives to protect against data theft Erasure - Turn on settings that allow remote erasing when devices are   lost or stolen Locks - Use a locked room or file cabinet to secure paper documents Messages - Use secured messaging or encryption to protect emails and documents Networks - Use secure Wi-Fi network instead of public networks Passwords - Use a ...

Mental sharpness can decline with age and sometimes be a sign of dementia. C onsult the following resources if you notice a colleague in mental decline or to prepare for the possibility that you might lose mental acuity before you retire.   Articles Detecting and Preventing Dementia Knowing When to Quit Law Firm Succession Planning: A Guide Lawyering with Dementia Raising Awareness of Alzheimer's Impairment in the Law Preparing for Mental Decline Reducing the Risk of Dementia Warning Signs of Dementia Wellness Guide for Senior Lawyers and Their Families, Friends, and Colleagues Books Passing the Torch Without Getting Burned Planning Ahead Guide Senior Lawyer Guidebook The Lawyer's Retirement Planning Guide Checklists Actions After an Alzheimer's Diagnosis Closing a Law Practice Law Practice Audit Warning Signs of Dementia Websites Lawyer Assistance Programs Succession Planning Alzheimer's Resources

In the late 1900's, writers began using  gender inclusive language to make women part of the narrative.  For example, using "he or she" as a pronoun instead of only using "she".  In the 2000's, gender neutrality was extended to using pronouns like "they" to be considerate of people whose genders are neither male or female. Gender neutral writing has been adopted in journalistic and academic writing.  It is also  relevant to business and  legal writing.  Below are tips for gender neutral writing and resources for using it in briefs, contracts, corrrspondence, and other documents..  Tips Pluralize the noun and use they as pronoun Repeat a noun instead of using a pronoun Use they as a singular pronoun Articles Adding Gender Neutral Pronouns to Email Signatures  (WiseStamp Blog) Avoiding Sexist Language in Legal Writing  (University of Denver) Do's Don'ts and Maybes of Legal Writing (NYSBA) Gender Free Legal Writing  (British Columbia ...