everything you didn’t learn in law school massachusetts law office management assistance program ...
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EVERYTHING YOU DIDN’T LEARN IN LAW SCHOOL
Massachusetts Law Office
Management Assistance Program
www.masslomap.org
LinkedIn.com/company/Mass-LOMAP
Facebook.com/MassLOMAP
@MassLOMAP
LOMAP ServicesFREE and CONFIDENTIAL
www.masslomap.org/blog
Start-Up KitProfessionalism Materials
eNewsletter
LoMac
Agenda• Office Organization• Client Communication• Marketing• Technology• Data Security• Additional Resources
Better Not . . .
OFFICE ORGANIZATIONHow to efficiently and effectively organize your practice.
Filing System• Organizing Files + Folders• Naming Conventions• Lost + Found• Paperful vs Paperless vs Hybrid• Document Management Program
Calendar Management• Your Activity Hub • What to Track
• Appointments • Court dates• Statutes of limitation• Self-imposed deadlines
• Using Ticklers• Back It Up• In Sync
Tracking Time• Always (regardless of billing type)• Completely• Contemporaneously• Electronically
Office Management• Working with Staff• Working with Supervisors• Collegiality – It pays to be nice! • Basic Human Resources• Ethical Duties
CLIENT COMMUNICATIONGet ‘em in, get ‘em happy, and keep ‘em comin’!
Client Contact Management• Intake Process• Conflict Checking• Follow Up
Client Education• Attorney + Client Responsibilities to the Matter• Confidentiality• Timeliness• Boundaries• Technology
Documenting the Relationship• Disclosures• Fee Agreements• Non-engagement Letters• Memorializing Course of Decisionmaking• Disengagement Letters• Attorney Notes to File• Create a Record!
Billing• Types + Sorts
• Billable hour• Flat fee• Unbundled• AFA• Hybrid
• The Art of Drafting Bills• The Science of Sending Bills• Collection
MARKETINGKnow what you’re selling and how to sell it.
Networking• Elevator Pitch• In-Person vs Online• Associations + Organizations• The Importance of Referrals
Traditional vs Online• Advertisements• Content Marketing• Storefront/Website• Networking/Social Media• Publication/Blog
Return on Investment• $ + Time = $• Formulae• Analysis• Budgeting• Tools
Ethical Considerations• False or Misleading• 2-Year Rule• Solicitation• Practice Areas• Limited Liability Entities
TECHNOLOGYBoost productivity and organization with technology.
Generally• The Future Present of Law Practice• ABA Model Rule 1.1: Competence• Productivity• Mobility• Security
Software• Law Practice Management (LPM)• Document Management• Email + Calendaring• Time + Billing• Financial Management• Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
Paperless Office• Scanning + Scanners• PDF w/ OCR• Naming Conventions• Folder Architecture• Form Creation• Electronic Signing
Mobile• Remote Access• Time Capture• Productivity• Security
DATA SECURITYMaintain client confidences and protect firm data.
Confidentiality• It’s the Client’s File• Retention• Disposition
The Cloud• Pros + Cons• Ethics• Encryption
Data Protection Rules• Statutory Authority
• M.G.L. c. 93H + 93I• 201 C.M.R. 17.00
• SJC Interim Guidelines• Applications
Data Backup• Redundancy v Backup• Local• Cloud• Testing
ADDITIONAL RESOURCESFinding the resources you need.
Resources• Ethics
• Board of Bar Overseers / Office of Bar Counsel• Massachusetts IOLTA Committee
• Legal Research + Education• Social Law Library• MCLE• West’s Mass. Practice Handbook• Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly
• Communities• Bar Associations
• Local, State, National, Practice Area-specific
• Social Media Groups• Listservs
Better Yet . . .
GOOD LUCK!Toll Free 1.888.54.LOMAP
www.masslomap.org
Facebook.com/MassLOMAP
LinkedIn.com/company/Mass-LOMAP
@MassLOMAP
@RodneyDowell
@JaredCorreia
@HeidiAlexander