Law Practice Today

How to Make Associate Development Happen

Associates can become effective business developers and contributors to the future of the firm. Here are three steps any firm can take to make it happen.

Using Trade Organizations to Network: Three Things You Should Know

Time is one commodity few lawyers have in abundance. As such, careful consideration must be taken when selecting a trade organization to help grow your network. Read more to learn the three questions you should ask before sending in your membership dues.

 

Are You "Super," a Specialist – Or a Lawyer?

Clients are increasingly choosing “strategic lawyers" over those with standard credentials and useless advanced degrees. Who is going to stand out in the crowd? A lawyer that provides the best services at the least cost to benefit the clients they serve. By developing unique skills as a counselor, the more valuable you will be to your firm, and your clients.

 

Selecting and Implementing the Best Collaboration Tools for your Practice

A recent survey indicated that what lawyers are most interested in when it comes to technology is developing competence with all the new collaboration tools available. From a management perspective, the selection and implementation of the most useful technology is a critical part of collaborating with co-counsel and opposing.

 

Talking to Yourself: Your Voice as Your Assistant

Learn how to implement and use voice recognition software, pairing it with the latest in digital dictation equipment. Originally presented at ABA TECHSHOW 2007, authors and presenters Jim and Laura Calloway provide you with the tools to find a compatible program that could potentially improve efficiency and reduce costs.

 

This article was originally presented at ABA TECHSHOW 2007, the World's Premier Legal Technology Conference. It's just one example of the terrific content offered at TECHSHOW by more than 50 legal technology experts. ABA TECHSHOW 2008 will be held March 13-15, 2008 at the Hilton Chicago. To learn more about TECHSHOW and register for the 2008 conference, just click the banner below.

Law Firm Marketing for Tomorrow

Many lawyers like to be trendy and fashionable. In law firm marketing circles, you are not exactly Nostradamus when advising people with incredible predictions of "new" marketing ideas—blogs, podcasts, annual reports, CRM systems—among them. They were new and trendy many years ago, and most catch on just about the time advanced marketers are on to the next great thing.

Living with Integrity

One of the greatest modern challenges in the workplace is maintaining integrity. Whether it’s rounding up billable hours or drawing on funds to pay the client before the check has cleared, there are countless opportunities to jeopardize the integrity of you and your firm.

Time to Stop Time Recording: "The Times They Are a Changing"

Clients are demanding greater transparency of charges, pushing law firms to change their old ways and move to fixed fees and offshoring. In the future, the success of your firm will depend on how you embrace new technology and how you approach offshore legal services, shared knowledge and fixed fee charging.

Firm Capitalization

If working capital keeps a business alive, why is it so often mismanaged? Cotterman provides a thorough lesson on the importance of capital and how to properly manage it. A little rusty? Take his quick test for balance sheet management.