The National Creditors Bar Association Law Practice Management Blog

Most of the software that business owners buy has a lot more features than those same business owners use.  This is true for attorneys, as well.  And, most lawyers are not particularly curious about the software tools that undergird their businesses.  This is not necessarily a fault of ambition; it’s mostly that attorneys are really busy, and that learning anything beyond the basic features of any software program seems like something that is going to interrupt the workflow on substantive cases, which means a downturn in revenue.  And, if nothing else, lawyers are  always hyper-focused on revenue.   But, it’s also true that law firms that are the most efficient, make the most money.  So, if you’re ignoring valuable software features, you’re probably less efficient.  Therefore, making the effort to better understand the technology tools you use in your practice has a pretty significant effect on the bottom line of your business.     Let’s...

The vast majority of law firms still use Microsoft Office/ 365  for productivity software (email, calendar).   But, there are still a significant number of law firms that have zagged, and adopted Google’s productivity software;  and,  it is a viable alternative to Microsoft.   Recently, Google rebranded  GSuite  (the second most-recent name for its productivity suite) to Google Workspace.  As part of the transition,  Google Workspace (re)launched with new pricing tiers .  Now, the pricing for Google’s productivity suite is more competitive with  what Microsoft charges .  One significant change is that Google Workspace now offers  more storage space bang for the buck, that’s  even  a little b it b etter than what Microsoft gives you – so, if your free Google email account is nearing the limit, this may be a great way to get unstuck.   Here are some suggestions for how to select the right plan . ...

Everybody loves a good shortcut.     Seriously, who hasn’t considered  skipping the hard parts in the marathon  of life?     Change is hard, oftentimes necessary.  So, we spend a significant part of our lives trying (and failing) to instill new habits.  And, that includes work habits.     Most fail in this  regard for two reasons: They try to bite off more than they can chew, or they don’t stick with it long enough.  Lawyers  gonna  lawyer.     The solution to this problem is relatively s imple : Start with a smaller goal, and work longer at it.     I know, I know.  That sounds almost too easy; but, it works.     The fact is that, to really instill a new habit effectively, it take s  more like 2/3 of a year,  not  a week or  a  few.     So, rather than setting a goal of revising your entire law firm marketing program, instead focus on mastering one ...