The National Creditors Bar Association Law Practice Management Blog

If you run a law firm that’s been around for any length of time, you’ve probably got paper files stored somewhere, taking up space, and costing you money .  And, law firm owners tend to treat that as a ‘forever’ investment; they don’t see a way out of holding onto those paper files for all time .   But, there are some steps you can take, to get rid of the hassle of long-term paper storage.     The first thing you need to know is that lawyers are not expected to hold onto client files forever .  In every state, client files may be destroyed after a certain period of time , after the representation has closed .  Even so, most attorneys prefer to be cautious, and to hold onto those files for as long as the practice is in operation .  Now, that’s fine; that’s a viable choice .  But, the question becomes: In what format do you retain that data ?  At this point, it’s clear that the best and most secure way to manage client files – esp...

Some lawyers love to practice law; and, they would do it for the rest of their lives, if they could .  But, for other attorneys, the practice of law – really, building a law firm, as a business – is a way out, of the practice of law .  It is/will be the thing that provides them with enough revenue, to do what they really want to do .   For some attorneys, that’s the end game.     To get there, the law firm either needs to generate enough profit for you to get paid, without having to practice law anymore ; or, it has to generate enough revenue, for you to be able to sell it, and retire or start something new.   But, if you’re not managing the firm, who is ?  If you’re looking to devolve your caseload, even if you have multiple partners and/or associate attorneys, someone needs to sit in the role of case manager, which you formerly occupied.     And, that’s why you need a ‘ Chief Legal Officer ’ .   This is a corporate concept that ...

If you’re a solo attorney – whether that’s a true solo (just you & no team) or a solo, with non-attorney staff help – it’s definitely a scary proposition to hire your first attorney .  Some solo lawyer s , in fact, never do it .  They just can’t get past the fear .  But, if you can make that hire, and make it successfully, that’s like adding lighter fluid to the fire of law firm growth.   Since law practice is a service industry, that means that you need people putting in hours, in order to make money .   If you’re a solo, the ‘people’ of which I speak are: ‘you ’.   Without attorney staff, who can bill on your behalf, your income is limited to what you yourself can bill.  And, that’s a fairly low ceiling.  But, if you can bring one other attorney into the mix, and generate a certain amount of work for that lawyer – you can calculate a profit margin: by defining what you pay that person, and what they can bill out .  Since atto...