The National Creditors Bar Association Law Practice Management Blog

A lot of attorneys, new and seasoned, volunteer for everything under the sun, until they’re so busy, they just wanna puke.  Now, that’s not the goal of volunteering.  When it comes to working with organizations, legal-specific or otherwise, the idea is not to overwhelm yourself – but, to actually generate business, based on your in-person networking and referral marketing efforts.   But, it’s hard to do that if you can only spend a microscopic amount of time on your commitments, or n one at all.     Of course, there’s a simple solution, here – that’s maybe easier said than done – which is not to over commit.  But, it is difficult to turn down opportunities, when you feel like, as a young lawyer, there may not be all that many others.  And, as a more experienced lawyer, you might feel like everybody wants a piece of you.  In either case, it’s hard to say ‘no’.  But, one of the most important things you can do as a businessperson is to train yourself to say ‘ no ’ to opportunities tha

Law firms have developed workflows in much the same way for years and years.  And, those are standard task lists, with timekeepers and reminders attached.   For someone who is trying to learn a workflow – or , even , to better understand them – that can be kind of daunting.     Like : ‘Hey , learn this new thing’ – and: Wall of Text!     Now, most people are visual learners.  And, the text-based model for workflow management doesn’t work for everybody. Fine, okay.  But, what’s the alternative?     Video is a good option: it’s the most visual of formats.  And, for visual learners, it’s a bonanza + the easiest way to learn.     And, there are a million different ways to create video content (phone, tablet . . . camcorder?) , as well as an equally significant number of methods for publishing video (including privately) via media like YouTube and Vimeo.     But, perhaps the best option for allowing your team access to your innermost workflow-related thoughts is Loom , an asynchrono

Client reviews are fantastic marketing tools for any business, including law firms.  Testimonials drive conversion, because it is a window into how lawyers have had success with other clients.  Law firms place testimonials on their websites, and try to get as many client reviews as they can on directory profiles and social media profiles.  It’s really important, but can also be kind of a slog.  Many people won’t respond, the process can be hard to manage without software and sometimes reviews don’t get published.  Not that you shouldn’t do it; but, it’s kind of a pain.   You know what’s often easier: Getting reviews from your colleagues, who can also speak to your professional competence.  Generally speaking, it’s less unwieldy to get another lawyer to write something nice about, especially if you do the same for them, or if the two of you regularly pass referrals back and forth.     On most platforms, reviews from colleagues are called ‘recommendations’; and, you can request these dir

Law firms have traditionally extended credit to clients by billing in arrears .  This is, in fact, the most common way for law firms using an hourly billing model to invoice their clients.  That’s why you hear advice like: Make sure to get the most you possibly can upfront/Charge the most significant retainer you can.   But, let’s be honest.  That’s not a client-facing model.  That works for law firms, sure.  But, if I’m a legal consumer, I’m not into paying a lot of money right away, before my service provider (in this case, the law firm) has even proven itself.  It’s kind of the opposite problem that attorneys who bill hourly face .     So, this becomes a difficult balance to strike: How much can you charge clients right away?  And, how long can you wait before you bill them next?     Well, this is, in part, a n argument for taking credit cards, via epayment models, because that allows law firm clients to pay more upfront, and removes the creditor burden usually placed upon the att