Offices with a limited number of staffers can follow the management lead of a New York office manager who has replaced full-staff meetings with 15-minute individual meetings in which she talks with each person privately. In a group, not everything gets brought out, says the manager, which has just seven staffers. There is no opportunity to listen to each person. What's more, … [Read more...] about NY manager gets more done with 15 minute one-on-one meetings
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12 common errors in English you’ll want to avoid
Errors in your writing reflect poorly on you—and on the legal practice. Even if English wasn't your best subject, it's not too late to brush up on the basics. Here are 12 common errors you'll want to avoid. 1. You're/your You're is a contraction, short for "you are." Your is a possessive pronoun, as in "It's your birthday." Quick check: Can you substitute "you are"? … [Read more...] about 12 common errors in English you’ll want to avoid
Why you should consider automating your client screening process
What's your firm's process for dealing with a potential new client? While large law firms may have sophisticated systems of vetting potential new clients that include detailed conflict of interest searches and approval committees, Edie Zimmerman of Legal Software Solutions, suggests your consider automating your screening process. "Some practice management databases allow the … [Read more...] about Why you should consider automating your client screening process
How to survive the coming competition
By Ron Friedmann bio Many in the legal market talk about a "New Normal" where margin pressure is the norm. Is this true, and does it matter? Yes, and here's why. Clients Want Value. Although BigLaw continues to prosper, it faces new competition. Clients want value and they now have market power, so they buy from alternatives to large firms. Clients Bring Work … [Read more...] about How to survive the coming competition
How document automation can save you thousands
Does your firm use document automation tools? If not, you’re not alone. According to a survey conducted in 2013 by the International Legal Technology Association, a whopping 62% of law firms surveyed reported not using a document automation system. But when you think about how much time your team spends assembling variations of the same documents every day, automating the … [Read more...] about How document automation can save you thousands
Seven guides for a safe and somewhat pleasant firing
Firing is the most dangerous action a manager ever takes. "Yet almost everybody does it poorly," says Joseph Godwin, a management consultant with F&H Solutions Group, a human resources consulting firm in Asheville, NC. Any fired employee is depressed and fearful of the future—and not averse to calling an attorney. Every manager needs to know how to fire without asking … [Read more...] about Seven guides for a safe and somewhat pleasant firing
90 minutes of unpaid time off ends a bookkeeping nightmare
A Kentucky office manager has devised a method to control time off, focusing on making the paperwork easier. Keeping track of 45-minute appointments or an hour of personal leave is a bookkeeping nightmare, says the administrator, whose office has 26 staff. So she combined vacation, sick, and personal leave into a single pool of paid time off and made it a rule that the time … [Read more...] about 90 minutes of unpaid time off ends a bookkeeping nightmare
You know dressing for success is important. But do you know how to do it?
Whether you're speaking to a group, to the lawyers, or to a new client, your looks count, says image consultant Sandy Dumont of The Image Architect in Norfolk, VA. And Dumont backs up her assertion with research—limited research, but research nonetheless. She recently sat in a courtroom "for hours predicting which attorneys would win based on how they looked." And each time, … [Read more...] about You know dressing for success is important. But do you know how to do it?
Look for opportunities to improve your staff quality
By Steve M. Cohen bio Here's something you'll consider too obvious to mention: To improve your overall office performance, work to replace marginal employees with better ones. That is obvious and I know most managers are ready to do that whenever possible. But what I'm promoting here is a long-term, sustained policy that ultimately may target weak employees for … [Read more...] about Look for opportunities to improve your staff quality
Scarcity marketing: How playing hard to get may win you new clients
Want clients to appreciate the value of the firm's services? "Make the services hard to get but easy to buy." says Trey Ryder, a law firm marketing consultant in Payson, AZ. Give the appearance of being in high demand with limited time available and let people know they are competing for a limited resource. It's called marketing with scarcity, and there's good psychology to … [Read more...] about Scarcity marketing: How playing hard to get may win you new clients