The practice group structure has become an accepted organizational model in many firms. Such groups can also be called departments, teams or some other designation, but the concept behind them is fundamental.

Tagged with: Coach's Corner Practice Management

When it comes to marketing his law firm, Ken Harrell, managing partner of the Joye Law Firm, has tried just about everything. Some campaigns have worked well; others have failed miserably. The trick to making it work is simple, though, says Harrell: Have a lot of money, and know when it’s time to move on to the next idea. The firm advertises its bread-and-butter personal injury practice everywhere — on television, on billboards, in the Yellow Pages and on the Internet.

Tagged with: Marketing Practice Management

For lawyers, travel for business or pleasure can be imbued with worry. They want to travel with all the information they might need, but they must make sure their files are secure. Here are a few apps and other innovations to help you stay connected — and keep your documents safe — when you’re on the road.

Tagged with: Practice Management Technology

Working as an attorney means time logged on the road, a reality that is tough to bear as gas prices have climbed higher. South Carolina lawyers are dealing with the rising costs by consolidating appointments into one trip and, in some cases, picking up clients when they don't have the money to make the drive. And much of the time, attorneys just grin and bear the higher bills.

Tagged with: Practice Management

I received a call from a lawyer wanting to know what percentage of his gross revenue should be allocated to rent and whether his percentage was in line with other law firms. I cited one study that put the average at 9 percent, but his comeback was that another consultant said the average was 12 percent. Such generic numbers totally miss the point on two levels. First, they allow lawyers to think that they need not try to do better than the average. And second, they obscure the point that the cost of office space is a statement about the law firm itself, raising issues that should be addressed in a strategic plan.

Tagged with: Business of Law Coach's Corner Practice Management

Every law firm is, or should be, a team, with lawyers, staff and support personnel committed to a team effort for providing the best possible service and work product for the benefit of clients. Involving everyone in the office so that they feel a sense of inclusiveness, understanding their roles and looking forward to exercising them, creates a better and more successful firm. At too many law firms, unfortunately, this does not exist.

Tagged with: Business of Law Coach's Corner law firms Practice Management

Clients clamor for alternatives to hourly rate billing because they want lawyers to have an incentive stake in the outcome of a matter. This is the case with contingency fees, where lawyers get a flat percentage of the value earned for the client. Contingency fees are often used in litigation, from personal injury cases to high-stakes corporate disputes.

Tagged with: Business of Law Coach's Corner Practice Management

Couplings, like metaphors, create mental pictures that help us to better understand concepts. How about "Love and marriage go together like a horse and carriage?" Well, that was in an earlier era. Oops, showing my age again. Perhaps that's appropriate for having turned another year older and wiser. Then we have billing and collecting. They go together. Can't have one without the other.

Tagged with: Business of Law Coach's Corner Practice Management

By ED POLL, Special to Lawyers Weekly [email protected]   Lawyers interested in growing their practice are well advised to seek practitioners who want to sell and harvest their legacy. I’ve negotiated such deals, and it always strikes me as odd ...

Tagged with: Business of Law Coach's Corner Practice Management

A business plan can be simple or complex. Simple is better. Years ago, my dad and I created a business plan for our food-processing company. In essence, it was a set of goals, what we thought farmers could grow for us (raw material) and what we thought we could sell (finished product). We did this informally and used it as a basis for creating contracts with the farmers.

Tagged with: Business of Law Coach's Corner Practice Management