Law Practice Tips

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 Lawyer's Guide to Collaborati

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 Anatomy of an Invoice Best Practices for Billing Billing Tips for New Lawyers Common Billing Mis

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 from a Mid-Size Firm Managing a Hybrid Workforc

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 about  steps for better sleep , WSJ's   sleep strategies , and WebMD's   Sleep Checklist . Review tips for avoiding night owl syndrome ,   limiting light , resetting schedules , and  and  preventing hybrid work from messing your sleep . 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 habits. Banking -  don’t try to bank sleep; avoid a sleep deficit with at