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What I want new lawyers to know
Email [email protected] Twitter @jimcalloway Blog http://jimcalloway.typepad.com YouTube Tips Channel
http://tinyurl.com/967fcc8 Digital Edge Podcast
http://legaltalknetwork.com/
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With
Jim CallowayDirector Oklahoma Bar AssociationManagement Assistance Program
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For several days, you can download these materials at
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Our 2014 Opening Your Law Practice Program is set for
September 30 in Tulsa & October 7 at the Oklahoma Bar Center
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OBA MAP Starting a Law Practice Web Directory
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http://www.okbar.org/members/MAP/StartingALawPractice.aspx or http://tinyurl.com/kvccnwm
Check out July/August 2013Big Ideas Issue of Law Practice Magazine
http://tinyurl.com/p7mwqkc6
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The Law Practice Magazine Appis a Truly Great Deal!
You can buy the magazine via the app for only $4.99 per issue or $19.99 for an annual subscription
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You have probably already heard of Richard Susskind
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Tomorrow's LawyersAn Introduction to Your Future (2013)Amazon: Book $14.95 E-book $9.89
Professor Richard Susskind is speaking in Oklahoma!
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ABA TECHSHOW is worth attending!
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Check out the links to TECHSHOW’s 60 Sites http://tinyurl.com/c9l568z
How to Practice Law Today
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The four corners of law practice management
According to the American Bar Association Law Practice Management Section
Marketing Management
TechnologyFinance
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Most tasks that lawyers do involve the creation, processing, analysis and exchange of information. We do not create tangible, physical products.
So IT (Information Technology) is huge for us and will be more so every day.
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This would offend many excellent lawyerspracticing today, but the important thing for law students to understand is, with rare exceptions, you will not be able to practice law effectively during your career without an understanding of technology -- both to effectively advise your clients and to effectively operate your law practice.
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Earlier this year, Clio raised $17.9 million in venture capital from Bessemer Venture Partners ….This funding puts Clio among not just the most well-funded legal startups, but all startups.
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The Future of Law Practice
Your fortune teller today is Jim Calloway Director of Oklahoma Bar Assn. Management Assistance Program 20
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Small Firm Law Offices– The Next Generation
1. Successful lawyers will continue focusing on providing great client service (aka customer service) in addition to providing quality legal services.
2. To improve efficiency and speed operations we should see more attention on documenting office processes and procedures through checklists and manuals.
3. Data backup is critical for all businesses.
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Small Firm Law Offices– The Next Generation
4. A change in focus on how law firms manage their information is required as our profession moves from using physical client files to managing client data.
5. Digital law practice systems and “paperless” processes are slowly taking over in law firms of all sizes.
6. Most law firms will be using scanners and using technology‐based practice management systems in the future.
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Small Firm Law Offices– The Next Generation
7. More and more consumers make purchasing decisions over the Internet. Small firms have to pay attention to their online image and Internet marketing.
8. Law firms need to embrace document assembly.
9. Alternative Fee Agreements will become more common.
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Small Firm Law Offices– The Next Generation
10. You have always been required to do conflict checking, but the new standard may become instant conflict checking.
11. The only real Twenty‐First Century Constant is Change.
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From the Washington S.Ct. Order• “[T]here are people who need only limited levels of assistance that can be provided by nonlawyers ... This assistance should be available and affordable. Our system of justice requires it. The court acknowledged concerns that the plan poses a threat to the practicing family law bar. But ‘protecting the monopoly status of attorneys in any practice area is not a legitimate objective’ ”
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Check out the Checklist Manifesto
• Inexpensive
• Great read
• Better checklists should be an important goal for your practice.
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Fujitsu ScanSnap S1500 is now being replaced by Fujitsu ScanSnap iX500
Fujitsu ScanSnap S1500
• The PDF machine
• $400‐$440 street price
• Bundled with Adobe Acrobat Standard (which can be upgraded to AA Pro for less than $200.)
• Fast color scanning, up to 20 pages per minute
• 50‐page Automatic Document Feeder (ADF)
• Scans both sides simultaneously
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Seek Virtual Help When Needed
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Strategies for the Twenty‐First Century Lawyer
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Build better systems
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Legal Project Management
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Build Paperless Systems
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Embrace Document Assembly
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Implementing document assembly is a critical issue. We cannot continue to spend so much time preparing and
proofing documents.
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Simple document assembly has gotten cheap and easy
• Installs as MS Word Plug in
• You can program document assembly only using the Bracket keys
• 90 day free trial
• www.pathagoras.com
• $379 1st license then $250 for additional.
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Simple document assembly has gotten cheap and easy
• Installs as Microsoft Word Plug in
• Easy insertion via Word tool bar
• Free version
• $89.00 Pro version
• www.theformtool.com
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• Select text you want to save
• Choose the Insert tab & you’ll see the Quick Parts in the text group
• Name it and Save
Simple document assembly has gotten cheap and easy
MICROSOFT QUICK PARTS
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• Choose AutoText and select the entry you want from the gallery or
• Type the first few letters of the Quick Part name and hit F3
MICROSOFT QUICK PARTS
Simple document assembly has gotten cheap and easy
Alternative Fee Arrangementsare a Critical Part of the
Reinvention of the Law Office
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Focus on Client Service
• In the future, the law firms that will flourish will be those who combine great client service with great legal services.
• People will pay for convenience and quality.
• Our new goal: “Clients for Life.”
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The unhappiest job in America (April 2013) – Associate in large law firm
Take care of the most valuable part of your law practice- you!!
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Opening Your Law Practice
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The four corners of law practice management
Marketing Management
TechnologyFinance
According to the American Bar Association Law Practice Management Section
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Marketing
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Marketing
We’ve come a long way, baby! On June 17, 1977 the U.S. Supreme Court
held in Bates v Arizona that state bar rules prohibiting lawyers from advertising in newspapers violated the First Amendment.
Now we grant CLE credit for programs on attorney marketing (although other states still deny that credit.)
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When we talk about marketing, many lawyers envision a huckster
selling soap.
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Or Paul Newman’s character in The Verdict, pitifully passing out business cards at stranger’s
funerals.
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Our First Lesson
“Marketing is not advertising.”
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Where do Lawyers get their best clients?
Referrals
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The Golden Rule of Effective Marketing
Do everything possible to produce satisfied former clients for they will
serve as ambassadors and marketers for you for years into the future.
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The old way:
Always do a good job for your clients.
The new way:
Always do a good job for your clients and communicate with
your clients that you are doing a good job for them.
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Remember this basic rule:
Your client’s perception is your reality.
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Ever had really lousy service in a restaurant with really
great food?
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You never get a second chance to
make a first impression.
Grandma’s Rule for the Law Office
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A Personal Marketing Plan is a Must
position or aspirational statement goals, objectives policies, strategies and a tactical plan to
achieve those goals and objectives can be brief for a solo
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Make Your Goals Realistic
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And of course, Internet marketing and networking opportunities
aboundYour law firm’s
website
BLOGS
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Management
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Management
There is a lot to manage in a law firm People & HR issues Supplies/Vendors/Ordering/Payment Physical plant Financial controls
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Management
And then you have to manage all of the things you went to law school to do:
Client files and matters Litigation scheduling and docketing Attorney fees and expenses Client relations
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Your Best Secure Practice Tool May Come in a Three Ring Binder: Office Policies and
Procedures Manuals.
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Law office management software
We’ll discuss more in the technology section
But this is now a “must have.”
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Lawyers are NOT intuitively good people managers
Don’t shoot the messager “Lowly” bailiffs and clerks can make your
life easier or much harder Don’t make jokes about firing staff Always treat everyone respectfully
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Managing yourself is perhaps the greatest challenge
Time Management Setting priorities Planning and Goals Getting things done Temperment
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Finance
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Finance
The law is a profession. The law practice is a business. You have to run your business like a
business or you may not have a business for long.
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Follow the Money
Bank statements delivered unopened to you.
Compile and review financials at least month (Bi-weekly is better)
Consider accepting credit cards http://tinyurl.com/cy78ec
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More Technology Tools
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Technology
Lawyers are information providers. Almost everything we do involves the
management and processing of information.
Information Technology (IT) has a huge impact on our professional lives.
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A must have for most lawyers.
More than just a PDF “printer”
Document management and full text search
Send documents for client comments and corrections even if they don’t own Adobe Acrobat
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Become an Acrobat Pro!
On sale from the OBA Management Assistance Program
$45 if you pick up at Bar Center
$50 if shipped to you
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I believe every firm needs PRACTICE MANAGEMENT
SOFTWARE
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Software
Practice management software is an absolute must.
Software designed for law firms is better than “making” Outlook work (But Outlook is a pretty powerful tool.)
This can serve as the assistant you don’t have to pay each month.
No excuses!
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Amicus Attorney-
www.amicusattorney.com
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www.timematters.com
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The Software Technology, Inc family
Practice Master
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The Software Technology, Inc family
Practice Master
and TABS IIIwww.stilegal.com
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Online practice management solutions in the cloud are very
popular with solos and small firms.ClioRocketMatterMyCaseHoudiniESQ
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First there was TimeMatters and now there is BillingMatters.
www.timematters.com
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PC LAW
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Timeslips
www.timeslips.com
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There are many accounting packages in the world.
They all should work just fine for you. But you still need to consult
with an accountant.
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QuickBooks- The business version of Quicken
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PC Law and PC Law Jr.
www.pclaw.com
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Law Office to Go
Laptop plus portable scanner plus portable printer equals law office to go
Scanner + printer = copier Always buy a “brand name” laptop If budget allows, a port replicator or
docking station saves at least five to ten minutes every single day.
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Disaster Planning: All About Proactivity!
The essence of “planning” is, well, “planning!” (ahead)
What are you protecting your practice from? What are you planning for?
Different responses needed for different disaster scenarios
The key is avoiding “it happens to the other guy” mentality
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Backup is a criticalbusiness issue today
Here’s a law school exam question Lawyer A does a great deal of research
and document drafting on a unique matter for Client. Client pays A’s bill of several thousand dollars. A’s computer network crashes losing all research, notes and documents. The data was not backed up. Who should pay for recreating it?
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Keys to backup
Understand your stystem Don’t rely on only one backup Off-site is a must! Test to see if you can restore
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Thanks for listening
May you all be Oklahoma Bar Association members some day
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You can find usefulinformation at my blog
Jim Calloway’s Law Practice Tipswww.jimcalloway.typepad.com
