Law Office Manager

Managing the office

Model Tool: Office move checklist

Why you need this checklist: When moving offices, there is no room for error. For every day the attorneys can't get into the new location or can't see their clients, the practice is out of business. The key to success is good planning. How this checklist helps you: This checklist contains essential items you must consider for a successful move. How to use this … [Read more...] about Model Tool: Office move checklist

Employee rules change dramatically with 50 and up

By Steve M. Cohen  bio When it comes to sick leave in your office of 50 or more employees, you have to follow the doctor's orders regardless of whether or not you think the reason for the leave is justified. Because most office managers are so singularly focused on their firm, they are appalled to learn of all the limitations placed upon them by government rules and … [Read more...] about Employee rules change dramatically with 50 and up

How the Affordable Care Act affects your office policies and practices

You’ve heard a lot of talk about Obamacare, officially known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA). But do you know how how ACA affects your office as an employer? The ACA imposes new obligations on employers. Some of these are already in effect and are continuing obligations you should be satisfying, but others don't kick in until next year or later. Review our summary of the key … [Read more...] about How the Affordable Care Act affects your office policies and practices

Surveying for rewards

To encourage job satisfaction throughout the office, Matthew J. Bower, administrator at Luhrsen Law Group in Sarasota, surveyed staff to find out what specific types of rewards they wanted to see in their jobs. The firm had always given rewards, and they ran the gamut from plaques to cash to time off to gift certificates. But over the years, what Bower found was that the … [Read more...] about Surveying for rewards

Model Tool: Calendar control self-review checklist

Why you need this checklist: Failure to meet a deadline, such as a statute of limitations, and other related calendaring issues continue to be the cause of the majority of legal malpractice claims in the United States. Yet despite this risk, many law firms still do not have a proper calendaring system in place. How this checklist helps you: This checklist will help you … [Read more...] about Model Tool: Calendar control self-review checklist

Model Tool: A firm-wide style sheet

Why you need this model style sheet: There are many authoritative editorial resources available, but there are still times when individual preferences prevail. For example, perhaps your chosen stylebook endorses the use of the series comma (also known as the serial or Oxford comma), but your managing partner abhors it, so the firm makes the decision to not use it. If you have … [Read more...] about Model Tool: A firm-wide style sheet

3 quick training tips

Here are three quick applications of new research in the field of learning sciences on how to instill deeper learning in trainees: Present a problem and ask your trainees to try to solve the problem first before providing the solution. Ask trainees to explain how they will use their new skills. This requires them to consider the training in the context of their work and … [Read more...] about 3 quick training tips

Model Policy: Employee computer use and social networking

Why you need this policy: The law governing your right to discipline employees for the things they say on blogs and social networks is still in its infancy stages. But even from the early cases, it has become clear that online conversations are not simply private matters. There's a big difference between bad mouthing a company, supervisor or colleague to a friend in a bar over … [Read more...] about Model Policy: Employee computer use and social networking