Ah, the woes of running a law office. You know them well: Reams of reports, scheduling squabbles, technology tangles, and so much more. It takes a lot of skill, patience, and strategy to make a law office run smoothly—plus a little bit of help from others who know your pain. That must be why the Reader Tips section of our website is so popular. It contains dozens of solutions … [Read more...] about 10 ways managers are improving their law firms
Managing the office
You can be personally liable for what happens in your workplace
By Lynne Curry bio It comes as a surprise to most managers when a plaintiff names them personally as a co-defendant in a lawsuit against the manager's company. The ugly truth? Personal tort actions against individual managers and employees often accompany discrimination and harassment claims. Disgruntled employees may target a manager not for what he did, but for … [Read more...] about You can be personally liable for what happens in your workplace
5 blind spots in sexual harassment policies and how to fix them
The past couple of years have witnessed the morphing of workplace sexual harassment prevention from legal requirement to moral imperative. And while the recent fervor is a bit unnerving for employers, to the extent it shatters complacency, it's a positive and even necessary development. Sexual harassment has evolved dramatically in the past two decades—in terms of not just … [Read more...] about 5 blind spots in sexual harassment policies and how to fix them
A simple way to rate attorney performance
A North Carolina administrator follows an extremely simple formula to calculate the attorneys' monthly and yearly profitability. It also shows them their own profitability compared to the other attorneys'. Originally, the firm showed them only the billed hours, says the financial manager for the seven-attorney firm. But that wasn't enough. The billed hours alone were not a … [Read more...] about A simple way to rate attorney performance
How to support the caregivers in your workplace
Half of working female caregivers feel they have to choose between being a good employee and being a good daughter, says a survey by Home Instead, Inc., franchisor of the Home Instead Senior Care® network. In addition, one quarter (25 percent) of daughters find there is a workplace stigma in being a caregiver, and 23 percent believe their supervisor is unsympathetic. "We are … [Read more...] about How to support the caregivers in your workplace
Use straight talk to solve 4 common people problems in your firm
The key to success as a manager is being up-front with employees. Yet that is what managers are most reluctant to do. They don't want to sit down with a staff member and say, "You are messing up on this, and I cannot allow it to continue." That reluctance is a normal human trait. People don't like confrontation. In fact, one human resources consultant says most of her clients … [Read more...] about Use straight talk to solve 4 common people problems in your firm
4 ways to get the most out of slow summer days
By Elizabeth M. Miller bio Summer is here, and with that the inevitable slow-down of the court dockets as judges and judicial assistants make their escape over summer vacation. There are many ways to make efficient use of this downtime that will benefit the firm and keep you on track to end the year on a successful, and profitable, note. Here are 4 ways to make efficient and … [Read more...] about 4 ways to get the most out of slow summer days
5 things leaders can learn from stand-up comedians
By Andrew Tarvin bio As you can imagine, stand-up comedy can make you a better presenter. After all, it's one of the hardest forms of public speaking you'll ever do (aside from effectively teaching second graders), which means if you can do okay in stand-up, all other types of business presentations will seem easier. But stand-up comedy can also make you a better … [Read more...] about 5 things leaders can learn from stand-up comedians
How employers can help break the stigma of mental health in the workplace?
May is Mental Health Awareness Month! With approximately 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. experiencing mental illness, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, it is imperative that today's employers focus on breaking the stigma around mental health in the workplace. Why is it important to employers? By addressing this taboo topic, employees can educate themselves and … [Read more...] about How employers can help break the stigma of mental health in the workplace?
Should you outsource your IT department?
It's a question many law firm administrators face at some point, particularly when discussing workforce restructuring: Is it time to outsource our IT needs? It's not an easy decision to make and it's not the same answer for every firm. If your firm is currently having this discussion, let's take a look at some of the pros and cons of outsourcing, and what you need to consider … [Read more...] about Should you outsource your IT department?