Legal skills and practice Books

Book SynopsisLegal Project Management in One Hour for Lawyers provides any attorney with practical skills and methods for improving efficiency, keeping budgets under control, building strong working relationships with clients, and maximizing profitability. In just one hour, this book will help you: understand the features and benefits of Legal Project Management (LPM); negotiate project scope and budgets with clients; align your legal work with client needs and priorities; plan and budget all legal project phases and tasks; improve communications with both internal team members and external clients; keep legal work on schedule, on task and on budget; gain familiarity with LPM software, tools, and templates; leverage time and effort with proven Legal Project Management techniques; and improve business development success and enhance client trust.

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Book SynopsisCelebrating its 20th anniversary this updated third edition of an ABA best-seller outlines the fundamentals of running a successful law practice. Whether you are starting a law practice from the ground up or you are looking to enhance the practice you have, this book contains the information you need to achieve success. Ed Poll, respected columnist and management consultant with over four decades of experience in business and in law, has simplified the mystical process of operating a law practice so that anyone can be more effective with his/her clients and become more profitable. New and updated in this edition are the sections on internet marketing, social media, legal technology, and overcoming stress in your legal career.Table of ContentsForeword ... xxiPreface ... xxiiiAcknowledgments... xxvAbout the Author...xxviiAbout the Contributors ... xxixPart I: Creating the Business Plan 1Chapter 1Law Is a Business... 3 1.01 Law Is a Business ... 5 1.02 The Three Competencies ... 6 1.02.1 Marketing Competence ... 6 1.02.2 Technical Competence ... 6 1.02.3 Financial Competence ... 7 1.03 Warning Signs ... 7 1.04 Why Plan? ... 8 1.05 Action Plan... 10Chapter 2First Steps in Starting a New Practice: Initial Checklist ... 11 2.01 Skills for Success ... 12 2.01.1 Strengths of the Entrepreneur ... 12 2.01.2 Weaknesses of the Entrepreneur... 14 2.02 Initial Checklist: Starting a New Practice ... 14 2.03 Initial Checklist: Making a Lateral Move ... 15 2.03.1 Make a Considered Decision... 15 2.03.2 Review the Existing Partnership Agreement ... 16 2.03.3 Know Your Financial Obligations... 16v 2.03.4 Establish a Relationship with Your Bank and Banker... 16 2.03.5 Select an Accountant... 16 2.03.6 Establish a Relationship with an Insurance Broker ... 17 2.03.7 Create a Business Plan ... 17 2.03.8 Develop a Forms File ... 17 2.03.9 Review and Select Technology ... 17 2.03.10 Develop Your Client and Related Files List ... 18 2.03.11 Develop a Case File-Numbering Scheme ... 18 2.03.12 Determine Which Clients/Matters Will Goand Which Will Stay ... 18 2.03.13 Draft a Client Contact Letter ... 18 2.03.14 Develop a Retainer Agreement... 19 2.03.15 Prepare a Letter to Colleagues in the Firm ... 19 2.03.16 Know When Enough Is Enough... 19 2.04 Action Plan... 19Chapter 3The Planning Process ... 21 3.01 What Planning Is and Is Not... 22 3.02 The Basic Steps ... 23 3.02.1 Prepare to Plan ... 23 3.02.2 Identify Goals ... 24 3.02.3 Create the Marketing Plan... 24 3.02.4 Create the Financial Plan ... 24 3.02.5 Evaluate and Revise the Plan ... 25 3.03 Secondary Plans ... 26 3.03.1 Disaster-Recovery Plan ... 26 3.03.2 Succession Plan ... 26 3.04 Agreeing to Plan ... 26 3.05 Who Plans? ... 27 3.06 The Logistics of Planning ... 27 3.07 Gathering the Relevant Information ... 28 3.08 Looking Ahead ... 29 3.09 Action Plan... 29Chapter 4Setting Goals... 35 4.01 SMART Formula ... 36 4.02 Identifying Personal Goals ... 36 4.03 Identifying Law Firm Goals ... 37vi CONTENTS 4.04 Identifying Work-Life Balance Goals... 39 4.05 Action Plan... 39Part II: Marketing Paradigms 43Chapter 5Creating the Marketing Plan ... 45 5.01 Marketing Defined ... 46 5.02 Components of a Marketing Plan ... 46 5.02.1 What Is Your Current Situation?... 47 5.02.2 What Are You Trying to Accomplish? ... 48 5.02.3 Who Are Your Target Customers, or Clients?... 48 5.02.4 What Is Your Strategy for Reaching YourTarget Audience? ... 50 5.02.5 How Much Time, Staff, and Money Will Be Required? ... 53 5.02.6 How Will You Know If You Are Successful? ... 54 5.03 What Clients Want ... 54 5.04 The Marketing Mix... 56 5.05 Embrace Marketing ... 57 5.06 Action Plan... 57Chapter 6A Solo and Small-Firm Practitioner's Marketing Renaissance ... 63 6.01 Cultivate Clients ... 64 6.01.1 Step One: Make Yourself Visible ... 65 6.01.2 Step Two: Find Opportunity and Push Itinto the Pipeline ... 66 6.01.3 Step Three: Bring That Opportunity to Closure... 66 6.01.4 Step Four: Follow Up, Follow Up, Follow Up ... 67 6.01.5 Step Five: Discipline Yourself ... 68 6.02 Serve the 99 Percent ... 68 6.02.1 Guarantee Satisfaction ... 68 6.02.2 Establish Alliances ... 69 6.02.3 Embrace Technology... 69 6.03 Action Plan... 70Chapter 7Using the Internet to Market Your Legal Services ... 71 7.01 Benefits of Internet Marketing ... 72CONTENTS vii 7.02 The Law Firm Website ... 73 7.02.1 Brochureware Websites ... 73 7.02.2 Information-Hub Websites... 76 7.02.3 Websites for Conducting Private Communication ... 77 7.03 Designing and Maintaining the Firm's Website ... 78 7.03.1 Step One: Determine the Marketing Purposeof the Website ... 78 7.03.2 Step Two: Design the Layout and Content ... 78 7.03.3 Step Three: Make the Website Available to the Masses ... 79 7.03.4 Step Four: Maintain the Website... 80 7.04 Electronic Mailing Lists ... 81 7.05 LISTSERVs and Other Discussion Groups ... 82 7.06 Internet Communities ... 84 7.07 Action Plan... 84Chapter 8Using Social Media to Market Yourself ... 85 8.01 Marketing Benefits ... 86 8.02 Maximizing Social Media Use ... 87 8.03 Measuring Returns ... 87 8.04 Need for Personal Contact ... 88 8.05 Bar Association Regulation ... 89 8.06 Formulating Policies ... 90 8.07 Special Concerns About Blogging ... 90 8.07.1 Marketing Tactics ... 90 8.07.2 Technology Concerns ... 91 8.08 Action Plan... 91Chapter 9Using Business Cards, Stationery, and Print Mediato Support Rainmaking Goals ... 93 9.01 Establishing Your Firm Image ... 94 9.01.1 Selection of a Vendor ... 94 9.01.2 Graphics Issues ... 94 9.02 Business Cards ... 94 9.03 Firm Stationery ... 95 9.03.1 Maximize the Value of Your Letterhead ... 95 9.03.2 Plain Paper ... 95 9.04 Other Basic Paper Items... 96 9.05 Large Mailing Envelopes and Mailing Labels ... 96 9.06 Firm Announcements... 97 9.06.1 Envelopes ... 98 9.06.2 Announcement Content ... 98viii CONTENTS 9.07 Firm Brochures and Seminar and Direct-Mail Printing ... 99 9.07.1 Law Firm Brochures: Two-Pocket Folders ... 100 9.07.2 Law Firm Brochures: Alternativesto Two-Pocket Folders... 100 9.08 Action Plan... 101Chapter 10Branding ... 103 10.01 Unique Selling Points ... 104 10.02 Internal Acceptance ... 105 10.03 Management and Marketing Issues... 105 10.03.1 Strategic Marketing Plan ... 106 10.03.2 Marketing Costs ... 107 10.03.3 Lawyer Time and Activities... 108 10.03.4 Negative Fallout ... 108 10.03.5 Firm Leadership ... 110 10.04 Why Brand? ... 110 10.05 Action Plan... 111Part III: Marketing Beyond Advertising 113Chapter 11Rules for Improving Client Relations ... 115 11.01 Believe That the Client Is Number One ... 116 11.02 Return Phone Calls ... 117 11.03 Make Sure That Staff Members Knowthe Names of Clients... 117 11.04 Communicate Regularly with Clients ... 117 11.05 Build a Team Concept ... 118 11.06 Make the Client Feel Like Part of the Team ... 118 11.07 Visit Clients ... 119 11.08 Advise Clients About Changesin the Law That Impact Them ... 120 11.09 Be Realistic in Forecasting Work ... 120 11.10 Ask Clients for Feedback ... 121 11.11 Action Plan... 121Chapter 12Listening to Clients ... 123 12.01 The Client Satisfaction Survey ... 124 12.01.1 Survey Types ... 124 12.01.2 Written Survey... 125CONTENTS ix 12.01.3 Telephone Survey ... 125 12.01.4 In-Person Survey... 126 12.02 Presentation Skills... 127 12.03 Listening Techniques ... 127 12.03.1 Active Listening... 127 12.03.2 Gender Listening... 128 12.03.3 Paying Attention to Nonverbal Communication... 128 12.04 It Pays to Ask Questions ... 129 12.05 Following Up ... 130 12.06 Action Plan... 131Part IV: Financial Management 135Chapter 13Creating the Financial Plan ... 137 13.01 Key Financial Terms ... 138 13.02 Introduction to Cash Flow ... 140 13.03 Creating the Collected Revenue Cash Flow Form ... 141 13.03.1 Row 1: Cash Retainers Collected for General Account... 142 13.03.2 Row 2: Transfer of Funds fromTrust Account per Client Instructions... 142 13.03.3 Row 3: Contingency Fees Collected ... 143 13.03.4 Row 4: Collected Accounts Receivable ... 143 13.03.5 Row 5: Funds Collected from Sale of Assets... 144 13.03.6 Row 6: Miscellaneous Collected Funds ... 144 13.03.7 Row 7: Total Operating Funds Collected ... 144 13.03.8 Final Rows ... 144 13.04 Creating the Paid Expenses Cash Flow Form ... 144 13.04.1 Row 1: Employee Salaries ... 146 13.04.2 Row 2: Employee Taxes ... 146 13.04.3 Row 3: Partner Draws/Shareholder Salaries ... 147 13.04.4 Row 4: Rent ... 147 13.04.5 Rows 5, 6, and 7: Insurance ... 147 13.04.6 Row 8: Marketing and Public Relations ... 148 13.04.7 Rows 9 and 10: Office Expenses ... 148 13.04.8 Row 11: Professional Dues... 148 13.04.9 Row 12: Continuing Legal Education ... 149 13.04.10 Row 13: Library ... 149 13.04.11 Row 14: Professional Services ... 149 13.04.12 Row 15: Travel and Entertainment... 149 13.04.13 Row 16: Loan Repayments ... 149 13.04.14 Row 17: Total Operating Expenditures ... 149x CONTENTS 13.05 Creating the Summary Cash Flow Form ... 149 13.05.1 Row 1: Beginning Cash Balance ... 150 13.05.2 Rows 2 and 3: Increases and Decreases in Cash ... 150 13.05.3 Row 4: Cash Balance... 150 13.05.4 Row 5: Short-Term Loans... 150 13.05.5 Row 6: Cash Available ... 151 13.05.6 Row 7: Capital Expenditures... 151 13.05.7 Row 8: Balance of Cash ... 151 13.05.8 Row 9: Long-Term Loans... 151 13.05.9 Row 10: Free Cash Flow... 151 13.05.10 Row 11: Savings... 151 13.05.11 Row 12: Net Free Cash Flow ... 152 13.05.12 Row 13: Extraordinary Use of Cash Flow ... 152 13.05.13 Row 14: Monthly Cash Totals ... 152 13.05.14 Addressing the Issue of Negative Numbers... 152 13.06 Final Thoughts on Cash Flow Plans ... 153 13.07 Action Plan... 153Chapter 14Methods of Determining Revenue... 157 14.01 Revenue Pattern Analysis ... 158 14.02 Turnover Ratio... 158 14.03 Aging Analysis ... 159 14.04 Payment Pattern Analysis ... 160 14.05 Action Plan... 161Chapter 15Pricing Legal Services ... 165 15.01 Basic Ways to Set Prices... 166 15.01.1 Cost-Plus Pricing... 166 15.01.2 Market Pricing ... 168 15.02 Specific Pricing Methods: Hourly Rate Pricing ... 169 15.03 Specific Pricing Methods: Alternativesto Hourly Rate Pricing... 170 15.03.1 Blended Hourly Rate ... 170 15.03.2 Fixed or Flat Fee ... 171 15.03.3 Value Pricing ... 171 15.03.4 Contingent/Percentage Fee... 172 15.03.5 Premium Pricing ... 173 15.03.6 Retainer... 173 15.04 The Future of the Billable Hour ... 173 15.05 Cost Disbursements as an Element of Pricing ... 174CONTENTS xi 15.06 The Use of Nonlawyers ... 175 15.07 Price Sensitivity and Raising Rates ... 177 15.08 Action Plan... 177Chapter 16The Billing Process ... 179 16.01 Importance of Billing Process ... 179 16.02 Clients and the Billing Process ... 180 16.03 Who Should Do the Billing? ... 180 16.04 What Should Bills Look Like and Contain? ... 181 16.04.1 Appearance ... 181 16.04.2 Content ... 181 16.05 When Should Bills Be Prepared? ... 182 16.06 When Should Bills Be Sent? ... 182 16.07 Responses from Clients ... 183 16.08 Action Plan... 183Chapter 17Credit and Collections ... 189 17.01 Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due... 190 17.01.1 Approve Clients... 190 17.01.2 Determine Credit Limits ... 190 17.01.3 Set Interest Rates ... 191 17.02 Collecting Your Money ... 191 17.03 Steps to Decreasing the Need to Worry About Collections . . 192 17.03.1 Fees and Budgets... 192 17.03.2 Other Communication Considerations ... 192 17.03.3 Retainers ... 193 17.03.4 The Billing Cycle ... 193 17.03.5 Time Your Statements... 194 17.03.6 Make It Easy to Pay ... 194 17.03.7 Discounts for Timely Payment ... 194 17.04 Steps to Increasing Your CollectionsWhen Clients Don't Pay ... 194 17.04.1 Communication... 195 17.04.2 Dial-and-Smile"... 195 17.04.3 Plan for Payment... 197 17.04.4 Last Resorts ... 197 17.05 Action Plan... 197Chapter 18Banks and Loans ... 199 18.01 Financial Needs... 200xii CONTENTS 18.02 Types of Loans... 202 18.03 Selecting a Bank ... 202 18.04 How a Bank Selects Borrowers ... 203 18.04.1 Areas of Concern... 204 18.04.2 The Four C's... 204 18.04.3 Documents That the Bank Wants to See ... 206 18.04.4 Additional Information to Discuss with the Bank... 206 18.05 Developing a Good Relationship with the Banker ... 207 18.06 Action Plan... 207Chapter 19Equipment Lease Financing ... 209 19.01 Advantages of Leasing ... 210 19.01.1 Leasing Is Flexible and Practical... 210 19.01.2 Leasing Is Cost-Effective ... 210 19.01.3 Leasing Has Tax Advantages ... 211 19.01.4 Leasing Helps Conserve Operating Capital ... 211 19.02 Other Leasing Considerations ... 211 19.02.1 Types of Leases ... 211 19.02.2 Approval Decisions... 212 19.02.3 Property Taxes ... 213 19.02.4 Use Taxes ... 213 19.02.5 Insurance ... 213 19.02.6 Personal Guarantee... 214 19.02.7 Rentals... 214 19.02.8 Lease Rates ... 214 19.02.9 Warranties... 214 19.02.10 Soft Costs ... 214 19.02.11 Maintenance Contracts... 215 19.02.12 Leasing and Rapid Changes in Technology ... 215 19.02.13 Early Buyouts and the Rule of 78s" ... 216 19.03 Action Plan... 217Chapter 20Risk Management for Lawyers ... 219 20.01 Insurance Needs ... 219 20.01.1 Property and General Liability Insurance ... 220 20.01.2 Cyberinsurance ... 221 20.01.3 Life Insurance ... 221 20.01.4 Disability Insurance ... 221 20.01.5 Health Insurance ... 221 20.01.6 Errors and Omissions Insurance ... 222 20.01.7 Employment Practices Liability Insurance ... 222CONTENTS xiii 20.01.8 Personal Auto Insurance ... 223 20.01.9 Employee Benefits... 223 20.02 Disaster-Recovery Plan ... 223 20.02.1 Create a Task Force ... 223 20.02.2 Create a Management Structure ... 224 20.02.3 Create a Communication System ... 224 20.02.4 Test the Efficacy of the Plan... 225 20.02.5 The Plan in Action... 225 20.03 Action Plan... 225Chapter 21Client Trust Accounting the Easy Waywith QuickBooks ... 227 21.01 IOLTA Basics ... 228 21.02 Rule of Five" ... 229 21.03 Accounting Theory... 230 21.04 QuickBooks for Windows ... 230 21.05 Summary of Tasks ... 232 21.05.1 Receiving Funds ... 232 21.05.2 Disbursing Funds ... 232 21.05.3 Reports ... 233 21.06 Action Plan... 236Chapter 22Improving Your Bottom Line... 237 22.01 Banking ... 237 22.02 Office Services ... 240 22.03 Rent ... 240 22.04 Diversity... 241 22.05 Revenues Versus Expenses ... 241 22.06 Personal/Professional Expense Hierarchy ... 242 22.07 Action Plan... 243Chapter 23Playing the Slow Economy Game ... 245 23.01 Temporary Slowdown ... 246 23.02 Downsizing ... 246 23.03 Demerger ... 247 23.04 Liquidation ... 247 23.05 The Great Recession ... 247 23.06 Action Plan... 248xiv CONTENTSPart V: Employee Issues 249Chapter 24Hire Is Not a Four-Letter Word" ... 251 24.01 Determining Your Staffing Needs ... 252 24.02 Considering Preemployment Consultation ... 252 24.03 Writing the Job Description... 253 24.03.1 Legal Assistant... 253 24.03.2 Legal Secretary... 254 24.03.3 Paralegal (Certificated)... 254 24.03.4 Independent Contractor... 255 24.04 Choosing an Advertising Venue... 256 24.05 Setting Up a Screening Funnel ... 256 24.06 Preparing Before the Interview ... 257 24.07 Conducting the Face-to-Face Interview ... 258 24.07.1 Do's and Don'ts of Interviewing ... 259 24.07.2 Sample Questions ... 260 24.08 Hiring Temporary Employees ... 262 24.09 Action Plan... 262Chapter 25The Law Office as Equal Opportunity Employer:Rights, Risks, and Responsibilities ... 265 25.01 The Foundation of Equal Employment Opportunities... 266 25.01.1 Areas of Concern... 266 25.01.2 Defenses to Discrimination Charges ... 268 25.02 The Legal Framework ... 268 25.02.1 Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964... 269 25.02.2 Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 ... 271 25.02.3 Older Workers Benefit Protection Act of 1990 ... 272 25.02.4 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act ... 272 25.02.5 Family and Medical Leave Act of 1992 ... 275 25.02.6 Comparison/Contrast of FMLA and ADA... 276 25.03 Preemployment Selection ... 276 25.03.1 Recruitment and Advertising ... 276 25.03.2 Criminal Background Screeningand/or Credit Checks ... 279 25.03.3 The Personal Interview ... 280 25.04 Discrimination in the Workplace ... 280 25.04.1 Sex Discrimination ... 280 25.04.2 Age Discrimination ... 282CONTENTS xv 25.04.3 Religious Discrimination ... 283 25.04.4 Disability Discrimination... 283 25.05 Action Plan... 286Chapter 26Conducting Effective Performance Appraisalsin a Law Office Setting... 287 26.01 Setting Objective Performance Standards... 288 26.01.1 Purpose ... 288 26.01.2 Specifics of Creating a Standards-BasedAppraisal System ... 288 26.02 Specific Performance Appraisal Considerations ... 290 26.03 Conducting a Performance Appraisal Conference ... 291 26.04 Action Plan... 292Chapter 27Preventing Workplace Harassment and Retaliation in the Law Office ... 293 27.01 What Is Workplace Harassment? ... 294 27.01.1 Harassment ... 294 27.01.2 Sexual Harassment ... 295 27.02 Myths and Facts About Workplace Harassment ... 297 27.03 High-Tech Workplace Harassmentand Abuses of Electronic Messaging... 298 27.03.1 Unwelcome E-Mail Messages ... 300 27.03.2 Myths About Explosive E-Mail... 300 27.03.3 Reasons for Monitoring Employee E-Mail ... 301 27.03.4 Development of an E-Mail Monitoring Policy ... 302 27.03.5 Enforcement of the E-Mail Monitoring Policy ... 303 27.03.6 Limits on Employees' Privacy... 304 27.04 Retaliation as a Separate Form of Discrimination ... 305 27.05 Responsibilities of Supervisors... 306 27.06 Developing Enforceableand DefensiblePolicies... 307 27.06.1 Clear and Effective Reporting Procedures ... 307 27.06.2 Effective Training to Avoid Other Liabilities ... 308 27.06.3 Training Guidelines ... 309 27.07 Action Plan... 311Chapter 28Should You Hire an Executive Director?... 313 28.01 The Executive Director's Job... 314 28.02 A Profit Center for the Firm ... 314 28.03 Measuring Benefits ... 315 28.04 Action Plan... 315xvi CONTENTSPart VI: Technology 317Chapter 29Technology and the Legal Information Age... 319 29.01 The Open-Access Movement ... 320 29.01.1 Open-Access Legal Portals ... 320 29.01.2 Government Portals ... 323 29.01.3 Collaborative Websites ... 323 29.02 E-Books... 324 29.02.1 Pros and Cons ... 325 29.02.2 E-Book Purchases ... 326 29.02.3 E-Book Cost and Licensing Considerations ... 327 29.02.4 A Possible Future Model for E-Books ... 327 29.03 Going Mobile: Apps ... 328 29.03.1 Ready Reference Apps ... 329 29.03.2 Legal Research ... 329 29.03.3 Legal Publisher Apps ... 330 29.03.4 Productivity ... 331 29.03.5 Trial Practice... 332 29.03.6 Keeping Current ... 333 29.04 Improvements in Legal Databases... 333 29.05 Action Plan... 335Chapter 30Financial and Ethical Implications of Technology ... 337 30.01 Financial Implications of Technology ... 338 30.01.1 ROI and Cash Flow... 338 30.01.2 ROI and the Replacement Cycle... 338 30.01.3 ROI and Financing ... 339 30.01.4 ROI and Efficiency ... 340 30.02 Ethical Implications of Technology ... 341 30.02.1 Meet the Standard of Care... 342 30.02.2 Safeguard Files... 342 30.02.3 Maintain Confidentiality ... 343 30.03 Action Plan... 344Part VII: Operating Your Law Practice 345Chapter 31A Checklist for Moving Your Law Firm ... 347 31.01 The Decision to Move ... 348 31.01.1 Establish an Initial Timeline ... 348 31.01.2 Locate New Space ... 348CONTENTS xvii 31.01.3 Negotiate for New Space ... 349 31.01.4 Set a Moving Date... 349 31.01.5 Develop a Moving Budget... 350 31.02 New-Space Planning ... 350 31.02.1 Plan New-Space Improvements ... 350 31.02.2 Establish What Goes Where ... 350 31.02.3 Determine Location of Telephone,Electrical, and Computer Hookups... 351 31.03 Premove Planning... 351 31.03.1 Create a Move Manual ... 351 31.03.2 Solicit Moving Bidsand Hire a Moving Company ... 351 31.03.3 Factor in Lead Time for OrderingFurniture, Equipment, and Supplies... 352 31.03.4 Order Printed Firm Materials ... 352 31.03.5 Order Packing Supplies ... 352 31.03.6 Schedule Telephone and Computer Services ... 353 31.03.7 Handle Other Notifications ... 353 31.03.8 Set Up Tagging/Labeling Plan ... 354 31.03.9 Assign New Parking Cards and Building Passes... 355 31.03.10 Review Vacations and Personal Days ... 355 31.03.11 Schedule Premove Meetings ... 355 31.03.12 Schedule Premove Inspections of New Space ... 355 31.03.13 Schedule an All-Hands Space Visit ... 356 31.03.14 Obtain Acknowledgments ... 356 31.04 The Move ... 356 31.04.1 Publish the Moving Schedule ... 356 31.04.2 Appoint Move Coordinators ... 356 31.04.3 Post Color-Coded Floor Plans... 356 31.04.4 Determine Optimum Order ... 356 31.04.5 Schedule Technicians/Maintenance Staff ... 357 31.04.6 Address Security Issues ... 357 31.05 After the Move ... 357 31.05.1 Clean Up Old Space ... 357 31.05.2 Inspect Old Space with Landlord... 357 31.05.3 Obtain Certification and Release of Old Space ... 357 31.06 Action Plan... 357Chapter 32Your Own Island: Opening a Home-Based Practice... 363 32.01 Packing for Your Trip to the Island ... 364 32.01.1 Computer ... 364 32.01.2 Internet Connectivity ... 365xviii CONTENTS 32.01.3 Printer/Scanner/Copier/Fax Machine ... 365 32.01.4 Smartphone ... 365 32.01.5 Software Program ... 366 32.01.6 Online Services ... 366 32.01.7 Office Furniture ... 366 32.02 Crew on the Island ... 366 32.03 Ethics of the Island ... 367 32.03.1 Service ... 367 32.03.2 Quality ... 368 32.03.3 Confidentiality... 368 32.04 Happily Stranded on the Island ... 368 32.05 Action Plan... 368Chapter 33Case Study: Starting a Family Law Practice ... 369 33.01 The Advice... 370 33.01.1 Do You Really Want Your Own Firm? ... 370 33.01.2 Profiling the Desired Practice ... 371 33.01.3 Selecting the Location of the Practice ... 372 33.01.4 Staff Considerations ... 374 33.01.5 Equipment Considerations ... 374 33.01.6 Promoting the New Practice ... 374 33.01.7 Expansion from Solo Practice to Partnership ... 376 33.02 Implementation... 377 33.02.1 Profiling My Firm ... 377 33.02.2 Selecting My Office ... 377 33.02.3 Staffing and Equipping My Office ... 378 33.02.4 Outlining a Business Plan ... 378 33.02.5 Embracing the Opportunity to Grow ... 379 33.02.6 Where I Am Today ... 380 33.03 Action Plan... 381Chapter 34Overcoming Stress in Your Legal Career ... 383 34.01 Prioritize... 384 34.02 Ten Steps to Organization ... 385 34.02.1 Step One: Unclutter Your Office ... 385 34.02.2 Step Two: Set Up a 43" System ... 386 34.02.3 Step Three: Employ a U-Shaped Office Layout ... 387 34.02.4 Step Four: Spend Time on Daily Planning ... 387 34.02.5 Step Five: Incorporate PWT... 388 34.02.6 Step Six: Prepare a Weekly To-Do List... 388CONTENTS xix 34.02.7 Step Seven: Manage Interruptions ... 388 34.02.8 Step Eight: Assign NumericalTime Frames for Requests ... 389 34.02.9 Step Nine: Conduct Efficient Group Meetings... 389 34.02.10 Step Ten: Conduct One-to-One Briefings ... 390 34.03 What Not to Do... 390 34.04 Good Stress ... 391 34.05 Action Plan... 391Appendix A: Cash Flow Projection Forms ... 393Appendix B: Monthly Accounts Receivable Aging Analysis... 397Appendix C: Profit and Loss Statement ... 401Appendix D: Budget Recap Revenue and Expense Forms ... 405Appendix E: General Ledger Information ... 409Appendix F: Payment Pattern Analysis... 415Appendix G: Comparison of Essential Provisions of the ADAand the FMLA ... 417Appendix H : Examples of Overlap and Conflict Between the ADAand the FMLA ... 421Appendix I: Employer Actions ... 425Appendix J: Effect on Workers' Compensation ... 431Appendix K: Preemployment Inquiries ... 435Index ... 439

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Book SynopsisStrong financial management helps law firms profit in the good times and weather the bad ones...but it also takes time and effort. Finding the time during a busy day can be challenging, and for many firms, hiring an expensive CFO is out of the question. But now there's the newly updated and revised edition of Results-Oriented Financial Management. The first two versions have helped countless firms reach their financial goals, and this third edition is no exception. Nationally-recognized expert John Iezzi covers every aspect of the financial management process, from gathering a firm's historical data, to preparing and analyzing the overall financial plan. Whether you're a financial novice or veteran manager, this book will help you examine every facet of your financial affairs from cash flow and budget creation to billing and compensation, including: * Calculating net income* Preparing annual financial plans* Setting billing rates and performing analyses on results* Performing timekeeper breakeven analysis* Examining cash flow analysis* Performing pro-forma calculations* And much more!

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Book SynopsisParalegals and legal assistants need a thorough guide to all the rules and regulations dictating their job performance, as well as a repository of the many forms they see every day. The revised and updated 2015 Legal Assistant's Complete Desk Reference explores these myriad responsibilities and types of paperwork in six easy-to-use sections: PART I: A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A LEGAL ASSISTANT PART II: COURT SYSTEMS AND PROCEDURES PART III: PREPARING LEGAL INSTRUMENTS, DOCUMENTS AND COURT FILINGS PART IV: LEGAL RESEARCH AND WRITING PART V: TRIAL PREPARATION PART VI: AREAS OF PRACTICE This is a complete guide to the rules and regulations guiding paralegals and legal assistants, as well as the many different types of forms they are responsible for each day. This comprehensive handbook also explores the career opportunities open to paralegals and legal assistants, as well as some common areas of legal practice and what they entail. With a CD of writable sample forms and letters, a state-by-state resource guide, a glossary of common legal terms, and a thorough index, this is the guide you need to efficiently complete all your many duties. This updated edition contains new forms and additional samples.

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Book SynopsisBeginning and building a real estate law practice offers many advantages: the underlying law changes relatively slowly while offering a satisfying opportunity to develop a base of steady clients and professional relationships. Written by a veteran real estate law attorney, How to Build a Real Estate Law Practice offers useful and essential guidance, whether you are in your first years of practice and are just starting to focus on real estate as a legal practice, or if you've already started in the area. Author Dean Alterman shares pointers that you can incorporate into your daily practice as well as for your long-term business plan. Real estate law offers a broad range of specialties, some that lead to the courtroom and others more suited to a desk in an office. Whatever area of real estate law that you practice in, you'll find practice-focused advice that's tailored specifically to the needs of a real estate lawyer. Topics include:* How to define your practice* Law practice financials: banking and budgeting* Law practice management: setting up an office, from location to equipment and staff* Finding clients and networking* Engagement letters* How (and when) to turn down work* Setting and collecting fees for your work* Communicating with clients and how to best use boilerplate language and forms * Doing business with clients, from referrals to conflicts between them* Growing your practice - and the opposite, how to transition a practice and plan for retirementTable of ContentsTable of Contents Chapter 1: Why a Real Estate Practice? Chapter 2: Define Your Practice Chapter 3: Budgeting and Banking Your Practice Chapter 4: Selecting a Location Chapter 5: Leasing and Furnishing Your Office Chapter 6: Supplying Your Office Chapter 7: Staffing Your Office Chapter 8: Finding Clients and Networking Chapter 9: Getting Hired: Meetings and Engagement Letters Chapter 10: How and When to Turn Down Work Chapter 11: Setting and Collecting Fees Chapter 12: Managing and Monitoring Your Finances Chapter 13: Managing Your Time and Workload Chapter 14: Communicating with Your Clients Chapter 15: Making Your Work Reusable: The Brighter Side of Boilerplate Chapter 16: Conflicts With and Between Clients Chapter 17: Doing Business with Your Clients Chapter 18: Growing Your Practice Chapter 19: Transitioning Your Practice; Preparing for Retirement Chapter 20: ConclusionAppendices Appendix 1: Sample Annotated Engagement Letter with Alternate ClausesAlternate Clauses for the Sample Engagement Letter Appendix 2:New Business Letter Appendix 3: Sample Disengagement Letter Appendix 4: Recommended Additional Reading Afterword

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Book SynopsisEvery law firm needs a business development strategyrainmakers are the breadwinners for firms and the heart and soul of recruiting and maintaining clients. But how are rainmakers created? How do you turn a smart law school graduate into a marketing maven? And how does law firm management ensure that members of the firm are learning the art and science of being a rainmaker? Building Rainmakers: An A to Z Guide to Business Development Training is a complete encyclopedia of business development training techniques, indispensable advice for law firm management, partners, and associates looking to successfully bring in clients. Tips and tools are distilled from interviews with more than thirty leaders and innovators in rainmaking and business development training, including associates, partners, and mentors from Baker McKenzie, Stinson Leonard Street, Duane Morris, Nixon Peabody, and the LawVision Group. A clear and precise business development mentoring path can give law firm leaders confidence that the firm is creating and deploying rainmakers. Building Rainmakers provides not only business development techniques that can help your law firm train and coach very talented attorneys into very successful rainmakers, but also the metrics necessary to make sure it's happening and measure its progress. The new market reality requires a very high level of business development skills. Building Rainmakers will help you and your firm compete in today's highly competitive marketplace.

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Book SynopsisSixty-five percent of law firms' equity partners in the U.S. are in their late 50s or early 60s. Over the next ten years, there will be many partners in firms of all sizes transitioning and exiting their practices. Many solo and sole owner attorneys as well as larger law firms are in "reactionary mode" and have not adequately prepared for transition of firm leadership and client relationships. A firm's very survival may very well depend upon coming to terms with succession and transition and doing so early. The purpose of this book is to provide guidance to firms of all sizes, especially smaller firms and share succession and transition processes, approaches, and step by step action plans for solo practitioners, sole owners and members of larger law firms. The book discusses what to do and what not to do, how to do it and provides case studies, sample action plans, sample succession plans, sample agreements and other documents.

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Book SynopsisMany studies have been conducted over the years on the importance of visual perception and visual communication. The consistent takeaway is that using visuals makes a difference in how humans communicate. And then there’s the jury setting itself—it is like no other. And that matters, too. Appreciating how jury trials are fundamentally different from other communication settings is critical to the effective design of our trial visuals. At its core, Images with Impact: Design and Use of Winning Trial Visuals is about helping to win trials with effective visual images. Each chapter builds to give substantive ideas, design guidance, and practical and legal tips for improving jury visuals.

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Book SynopsisThe Flourishing Lawyer offers an empathetic guide for members of the legal profession to cultivate their personal and professional well-being, identify and develop their individual strengths, and define success on their own terms. Drawing from lessons and research from the fields of psychology, health care, sports, and medicine, this book is an affirming guide to becoming a better contributor to the profession while living a flourishing life.Trade ReviewThe Flourishing Lawyer: A Multi-Dimensional Approach to Performance and Well-Being, by Heidi K. Brown (ABA, 2022) Lawyers are readers by necessity – and also by choice. President Harry Truman once said, “Not all readers become leaders, but all leaders must be readers.” This column will feature all sorts of books that lawyers may find interesting, both professionally and personally. Subjects will include nonfiction, fiction, biographies, popular culture, professional development, and more. Ideally, topics of books will mesh with the themes contained in the subjects addressed that month in the magazine. For this introductory column, we’ll take a small step backward to address an important topic covered in the October 2023 issue: the wellness and well-being of lawyers. …. Another refreshing component to this book is Brown’s well-rounded approach to incorporate other disciplines into lawyer well-being, including art and sports, to find one’s personal “flow.” She’s an avid boxer, which explains the heart-shaped boxing gloves on the book’s cover. The training exercises encompass all types of fitness – mental, physical, and emotional – and call for the elimination of a one-size-fits-all approach to legal education and training, and how success is defined in the practice of law. She also discusses professionalism and civility at length, calling on all lawyers to change the general tone of our profession, stating: Of course, our jobs are demanding and we’re all going to encounter intense moments in which everyone is stressed. Naturally we’re all going to have bad days when our emotions get the best of us and we say things less artfully than we should. But when that behavior becomes a pattern, the norm rather than the exception, we must stand up for ourselves and others. In the not-too-distant past, lawyer well-being was not widely discussed. This book is an important addition to a new area of legal discourse that will, hopefully, continue to flourish.■ -- Kelly Lynn AndersTable of ContentsTable of Contents: The Field of Positive Psychology: A Booster Shot for Human Flourishing Let’s Get to Work Cultivating Our Multiple Dimensions Awareness Amplifier #1: Crafting Character through Flexing Strengths, Like Muscles Awareness Amplifier #2: Finding Flow and Getting Gritty Our Physical Dimension Our Emotional Dimension Our Artistic/Creative Dimension Our Social Dimension The Dimension of Culture Our Spiritual Dimension Our Occupational Dimension Our Intellectual Dimension Our Moral/Ethical Dimension Our “Caring” or Caregiving Dimension Appendix A: PERMA Well-Being Components Tracker Appendix B: VIA Character Strengths and Virtues Tracker Appendix C: Proposed “Flourishing Lawyer Project” Curriculum Appendix D: Sample “Personalized Well-Being Framework”

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Book SynopsisWritten using the very tools that are discussed, this updated edition of The Lawyer's Guide to Collaboration Tools and Technology is a comprehensive guide covering: Best practices for working from home The distinction between collaborating within vs. outside your firm Collaborating on documents online and off Practical ways to manage cases and transactions Simple collaboration tools to use with clients, colleagues, and others Commonly used collaboration platforms Developing a collaboration strategy for your firm Practical issues, tips, and techniques The future of collaboration in the practice of law

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Book SynopsisMany lawyers work long hours and still do not have enough time to complete all their work--let alone tackle the business aspects of their job, such as marketing, business development, or strategic planning. It's a common problem and learning how to juggle the work and manage the extras can be overwhelming for the new or seasoned lawyer.The second edition of How to Do More in Less Time is a valuable resource to help you learn strategies for taking control of your day and become more productive. Written for the busy lawyer, the authors outline how you can identify the right activities that need to be accomplished and then how you perform those activities efficiently to maximize your productivity. You will learn how to: Develop good productivity habits by setting goals and prioritizing your workload Eliminate the distractions around you Clean up the clutter Delegate your workload efficiently Organize and schedule tasks weekly Create effective systems in your daily practice Streamline your email Do 90 minutes of work in 60 minutes and maybe even 30, and much more

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Book SynopsisNo existing work instructs patent practitioners regarding the legal pitfalls of patent claim drafting in light of major court decisions and related to the substantive aspects of patent law as it exists today in a portable and relatively compact form. Patent Claim Drafting Practice addresses common concerns and/or pitfalls in this area of law, offering invaluable knowledge drawn from experience.For the less experienced practitioner, Patent Claim Drafting Practice discusses the basics of patent claim drafting. In particular, patent claim drafting mechanics is treated in detail. Extensive discussion is provided on types of patent infringement and types of patent claims. Patent claim construction is also handled. This discussion of the legal rules related to claim construction is used as a springboard to develop a set of principles to guide claim drafting.For the practitioner with a bit of experience desiring to sharpen his or her skills, Patent Claim Drafting Practice develops and provides a set of guiding principles to use when drafting patent claims, both basic principles and relatively advanced principles, respectively identified as such. The book, therefore, provides an extensive discussion for handling many important drafting issues, such as patent eligibility considerations, as simply one important example. In addition to providing up-to-date legal analysis based on up-to-date case law, many other considerations that may affect how best to draft patent claims are discussed, such as underlying economics or markets, differences in technical arts, etc. Throughout the book, discussions are supported with many examples of patent claim drafting using state of the art technology examples.The book, consequently, covers a host of patent law considerations and doctrines that have the potential to affect the drafting of patent claims. The book highlights key principles using bolded text within text boxes throughout. In addition to listing key principles at the beginning of each chapter and in an appendix, the book also includes in an appendix a sample of patent application boilerplate that covers a wide range of existing technologies.

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Book Synopsis"[I]f you want to become a real lawyer (or mentor a young'un to become one), and you really don't know how, then this is really the book for you. . . . Really!" - The Honorable Richard G. Kopf, Senior United States District Judge for the District of Nebraska, at Hercules and the Umpire "[A]absolutely addictive, unputdown-able. . . . Curmudgeon's Guide pulls off - with great elan - a technique that many writers attempt, only to crash and burn in the face of its extraordinary degree of difficulty. That technique is to deliver deadly accurate truths veiled in laugh-out-loud humor." - Bruce MacEwen, Law Firm Consultant, at Adam Smith, Esq.

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Book SynopsisCivil litigation in the United States is becoming an increasingly international practice, requiring litigants and courts to apply foreign and international law in order to resolve domestic cases. Discovery is one of the principal areas of civil litigation that requires collaboration across national lines and efficacy of court orders beyond jurisdictional boundaries. Although central to the practice of civil litigation in the United States, discovery is virtually unknown in most civil law jurisdictions, which creates a problem for obtaining necessary evidence from these countries. This book considers the procedures for obtaining evidence in the United States through the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and the Hague Evidence Convention. The book then describes, in successive chapters organized by jurisdiction, the laws that enable foreign litigants to obtain evidence in the respective countries. Each chapter discusses the controlling law on foreign discovery, including the type of evidence obtainable, confidentiality and privilege, alternative dispute resolution, and costs.

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Book SynopsisWith countless articles and blogs on legal innovation, it is nearly impossible for attorneys to keep pace. The good news: lawyers can continue to learn well into their years of practice! With some updated vocabulary and a few real examples lawyers can learn to wow their clients. The Simple Guide to Legal Innovation: Basics Every Lawyer Should Know will help them on that journey, providing details on the: Legal ecosystem Rise of legal operations (or legal ops) Top innovation concepts lawyers need to know and more! By providing bite-sized lessons on topics that every practicing lawyer should be familiar with, this book will keep attorneys from getting left behind. Author Lucy Endel Bassli is ready to share her hard-won innovation advice with women looking to advance and commercial attorneys looking to shake things up.

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Book SynopsisThis book provides a deep dive into various aspects of voice and presentation including breath, resonance, articulation, inflection and shaping openings and closing for maximum impact on the jury. It is divided into five primary sections, Tuning Your Instrument, Catching Their Interest, Catching Their Heart, Amplifying Through Body Language and Gesture, and Applying Voice to Everyday Legal Situations. The pedagogical goal is to provide a training model that yields actual and lasting results for litigators and attorneys who want a wider range of story-telling skills to strengthen their success in and out of the courtroom. This book’s contribution is the depth into which the authors go into the subject of voice and its relation to story-telling, providing a clear and tangible pathway to skill development and lasting transformation.

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Book Synopsis"Lauren is a go-getter. I have seen her rise from being a broke lawyer to a six-figure earner. This book is a guide that is created from her charging down this path and forging her own way forward. She has laid out each and every step for you so that you can skip the figuring out part of how to run a business and jump straight ahead to earning a great living and doing life-changing work." - From the Foreword by Ally Lozano, Esq., Law Firm Business Consultant Lauren Eagan has done everything she writes about, and with her guidance you can begin with a strong foundation to make sure everything is in place to make your firm last. Starting in a new city with student loan debt, Lauren Eagan explains how she effectively built her business. She explains how you, too, can take advantages of resources you might not have known were available, such as free and low-cost technology solutions, online resources, and leveraging the skills of your friends, family, and mentors. More than anything, starting your practice depends on your own hard work, research, and decision process all dedicated to achieving your goal. Following the book's path towards opening your own practice, Lauren Eagan explains these key ingredients in the mix: Doing the necessary work while getting started: contract work, document review, and more Adding a business focus to how you think: goal setting, choosing a business entity, bank accounts, insurance and taxes Make your firm seem established: names, logos, office space, and online communications Determine a target market and get clients: from networking to volunteering and giving presentations to the importance of social media Case management: software and systems How to get paid: fee arrangements, invoices, and how to follow up Planning in time for you: vacations, weekends, and adding efficiency Know when you're ready to grow: outsourcing, delegating, and hiring And finally, What to do when you’re ready to start: create a business plan Chapters are accessible and encouraging, tackling topics that can be overwhelming in a constructive, step-by-step manner. Throughout, the author has shared checklists, flow charts, plenty of real-world tips that she used in setting up her successful law firm, and a chapter checklist to capture the core information by topic.

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Book Synopsis"Effective legal writing calls not only for artistry but also for scientific understanding." In this synthesis of his experience on the bench and his own research into the science and art of written communications, Robert E. Bacharach, a federal court judge, shares his insights on ways language can determine different responses -- and how to use this knowledge to craft a powerful and persuasive message. Judge Bacharach follows a logical progression in crafting effective legal writing, beginning with the importance of an introduction that provides a context for the argument. At this stage, it is important to consider clarity, context, identification of the underlying legal issues, the structure of your argument, and stating the rationale for the optimum outcome. Subsequent chapters look at specific aspects of effective legal writing, including: Organization - the guiding principles of parallelism, logical sequence, and developing the point before responding to the adversarial argument Headings - creating a familiar context to make it easier for readers to follow your argument Fact sections - the importance of a clearly written summary of legal facts that is readily understandable Sentences and paragraphs - in-depth commentary on structural issues such as varying the length of the sentence structure to key rhetorical devices, all to make the reader follow the flow of the argument Diction - how to choose the right word (and why) Grammar - the most essential rules to follow for effective legal writing Conclusions - how to end strong with a concise reminder of the core points Quoting - when--and when not--to use it Typography and page layout Throughout the book, Judge Bacharach illustrates his points with real-world examples from lawyers and judges. As Lisa Blatt of Williams & Connolly states, this is an "easily readable and comprehensive catalogue of do's and don'ts that provides the essential foundations for clear, persuasive legal writing . . . From diction to grammar, and alliterations to aphorisms, this book is mandatory reading for law students and lawyers alike."Trade Review"A magnificent book on writing. Drawing on the lessons from psycholinguistics and rhetoric, Judge Bacharach has written a remarkably practical book on how to write effectively. Judge Bacharach illustrates his points with very specific suggestions and countless examples from briefs from top lawyers and opinions of judges. I learned so much from this wonderful book." -- Erwin Chemerinsky, Dean, Berkeley School of Law

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Book SynopsisToday, lawyers and clients devote a great deal of time, effort, and expense to discovery. More often than not, discovery, and not trial, is the central battleground of a case. Most civil lawsuits in federal court end before trial, either by pretrial settlement or on dispositive motion. In either case, the fruits of discovery can be critical to the outcome. The need for analytical and strategic guidance on problems in discovery is heightened by the fact that much of it is handled by relatively inexperienced lawyers, and in the case of document production, legal assistants. Effective discovery is crucial. This book is written to address that need. It describes the problems that civil litigators encounter most frequently in pretrial discovery and presents suggestions and strategies for solving these problems. Following a background discussion on the scope and types of discovery, discovery problems are presented as hypotheticals (many of which the authors have encountered in their experience) followed by a discussion that includes the law and helpful practice tips. In this edition, particular emphasis has been placed on discussion and interpretation of the new rules, and evolving case law, concerning discovery of electronically stored information (ESI).

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Book SynopsisThis updated edition is designed to help lawyers prepare clients for the very formal and unnatural "question-and-answer" environment. Written by ABA bestselling author and seasoned litigator Dan Small, this easy-to-read guide provides a systematic witness preparation process and offers strategies and “Ten Rules” to help make witnesses comfortable and effective in a wide range of witness scenarios.

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Book SynopsisIn the summer of 2008 Kimberley Motley quit her job as a public defender in Milwaukee to join a program that helped train lawyers in war-torn Afghanistan. She was thirty-two at the time, a mother of three who had never travelled outside the United States. What she brought to Afghanistan was a toughness and resilience which came from growing up in one of the most dangerous cities in the US, a fundamental belief in everyone's right to justice and an unconventional legal mind that has made her a legend in an archaic, misogynistic and deeply conservative environment. Through sheer force of personality, ingenuity and perseverance, Kimberley became the first foreign lawyer to practise in Afghanistan and her work swiftly morphed into a mission - to bring 'justness' to the defenceless and voiceless. She has established herself as an expert on its fledgling criminal justice system, able to pivot between the country's complex legislation and its religious laws in defence of her clients. Her radical approach has seen her successfully represent both Afghans and Westerners, overturning sentences for men and women who've been subject to often appalling miscarriages of justice. Inspiring and fascinating in equal measure, Lawless tells the story of a remarkable woman operating in one of the most dangerous countries in the world.Trade ReviewA thoroughly riveting read * Sydney Morning Herald *Table of Contents1: The playlist 2: The Manchurian Candidate 3: I'm not a terrorist, I'm a taxi driver 4: Please help us 5: My name is Irene 6: False pretences 7: Give me your watch 8: The minimum is not guilty 9: You need to sit down 10: I don't have all day 11: Immoral crimes 12: Watch your back 13: Lock your doors and hide 14: Okay, baby. Breathe. Slow down. 15: Iron Doe 16: A man or a monster? 17: Wicked Ninja 18: Crocodile tears 19: Well, you must have done something 20: High fives 21: Article 71, I think 22: Oh . . . this is America 23: Motley's law Epilogue: The aftermath

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Book SynopsisAny notary public in England or Wales can run a successful notarial practice that is an asset to their legal career, their clients and the profession. Whether you are newly qualified or well established, you can create, adjust or transform your notarial practice so that it streamlines perfectly with your solicitor work and generates opportunities for growth and consistent income. The Four Pillars of Notarial Practice enable you to become more visible, expert, efficient and bold, and build a robust practice that is uniquely tailored to you. This book gives you the tools to: Design your ideal notarial practice Become visible to key clients and contacts Establish yourself as the expert in your field Run your practice efficiently and profitably Build a successful business that you love

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Book SynopsisEpistemic Forces in International Law presents a comprehensive examination of the methodological choices made by international lawyers and provides a discerning insight into the ways in which lawyers shape their arguments to secure validation within the international legal community.International law is defined in this book as an argumentative practice, articulated around a set of foundational doctrines and deployed through rhetorical techniques. Taking an original approach, Jean d'Aspremont focuses on five key foundational doctrines of international legal theory and five key techniques deployed in international legal argumentation. He argues that mastering these foundational principles and argumentative procedures shapes the discourse of international lawyers as much as these discourses shape these foundational doctrines and techniques of legal argumentation. This book is a pertinent contribution to the methodology and theory of international law, illustrating the rationale of the choices made by lawyers in the doctrines of statehood, sources, law-making, international organisations and effectivity.This accessible reflection on the conceptual, theoretical and methodological perspectives of international law will be a salient point of reference for legal academics, researchers and practitioners alike.Trade ReviewTo whom does international law belong? International lawyers have shaped our understanding of the nature as well as of the content of the discipline to an unusually high degree. This book explores this phenomena, probing the nature of the community of international lawyers that engage in this practice, its causes, consequences and the means through which it is accomplished. It is replete with thought-provoking insights into why we understand international law in the way that we do and, as a result, seeks to open the space for new understandings to emerge. --Malcolm D. Evans, University of Bristol, UKLaw does not have the seamless consistency of mathematics or moral philosophy; and lawyers need to be aware of its limitations. Many lawyers have quoted Emerson's great dictum that 'foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds', but few have had the courage to act on it. Here, d'Aspremont offers a principled defence of a position that is not only the unavoidable fate of the international lawyer but also the best hope for the rational development of international law. --Vaughan Lowe, Oxford University, UKJean d'Aspremont is one of the more thoughtful and creative international legal academics of his generation. In this volume of essays, he aims to explore how the 'invisible college of international lawyers' (to use a famous phrase) works, based on the idea that insight into the way international lawyers work will also tell us something of great value about international law itself. The result is sometimes compelling, sometimes controversial, and invariably thought-provoking: a must-read for the self-reflective international lawyer. --Jan Klabbers, University of Helsinki, FinlandTable of ContentsContents: PART I THE FOUNDATIONAL DOCTRINES 1. Subjects 2. Sources 3. Law-making 4. Institutions 5. Effectivity PART II THE ARGUMENTATIVE TECHNIQUES 6. Methodology 7. Interpretation 8. Academic Writing 9. Dissemination 10. Expert Blogging Index

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Book SynopsisInnovation. How to go about it, what it can do for your business - what even is it? Can innovation be applied in the legal environment? Such is the interest and appetite for legal innovation that, in the last 18 months, ARK has published over a dozen titles with innovation in their remit, covering everything from knowledge management to pricing, from marketing to recruitment, and everything in between. This compilation deep-dives into the key areas that drive innovation forward in the legal profession, combining the views and experiences of 14 leaders in their fields.Table of ContentsChapter 1: The nature of innovation Chapter 2: Disruptive innovation Chapter 3: Why creativity and innovation are the key to value Chapter 4: Building a culture of innovation in legal services Chapter 5: Beliefs, attitude, and values which encourage "innovation thinking" Chapter 6: Innovative pricing - The gap between clients' expectations and law firms' delivery Chapter 7: Developing knowledge capability to support innovation Chapter 8: Technology and the client relationship: moving to a new Chapter 9: Evolve and innovate - how law firms need to learn how to Case studies Chapter 10: Innovation as a business development strategy Chapter 11: Are you your vendor's captive? How to optimize your research dollars Chapter 12: Marque Lawyers - The development of law firm innovation Chapter 13: The missing "E" in legal innovation Chapter 14: The innovation committee's brief

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Book SynopsisOn 6 April 2014 long-awaited reforms, came into force, unifying and radically reforming the law governing enforcement agents, and creating a new statutory procedure of commercial rent arrears recovery. In the second edition of this popular book, highly respected practitioners in property law and enforcement set out the most up-to-date and comprehensive review of the new law. Coverage includes: the new standards and certification for enforcement agents a complete review of the Taking Control of Goods Regulations 2013 the abolition of distress for rent the introduction of Commercial Rent Arrears Recovery (CRAR) the criminalisation of squatting. The authors combine their authoritative review and analysis of the law with insights into the practical impact of the rules and regulations, uniquely illustrated by numerous examples and practice points. The book also includes extracts from the relevant law and regulations, and so gathers in one convenient volume all the relevant law and guidance on enforcement and debt recovery for property lawyers, enforcement agents, commercial landlords, surveyors and insolvency practitioners.

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Book SynopsisDuring any period of change, the winners are those that are able to adapt in a changing environment and it is becoming clear that the firms that are doing well, have a small number of characteristics in common. They have: * a clear strategic focus that differentiates them from their competitors; * effective leadership; * a clear grasp and understanding of the numbers. They are also responsive to change. Profitability and Law Firm Management book is intended to help those who aspire to lead a law firm to develop the skills they will need to run a successful business. One that will be better able to adapt and succeed. For most firms simply having good lawyers is no longer sufficient. Having well motivated people with business acumen, able to lead and build teams is more important. Effective business skills, an ability to spot and take advantage of opportunities and an ability to plan, manage and lead a team of people are key skills to nurture and develop. Successful firms identify people with these skills at an early stage and provide training and support to develop them. This book tries not simply to indicate what to do, but to provide some ideas on how to do it.It is not intended to be the definitive or only way of doing things, but is designed to help partners and others involved in law firm management think about their firms differently and identify ways of making them more successful. Its purpose is to help you move forward.Table of ContentsAcknowledgements, Preface, About the author, Part one -- Strategic focus;1. Values, brand and target market position;2. Developing the plan;3. Asking some difficult questions; Part two -- Leadership;4. Leadership and management;5. Managing change;6. Managing partners and CEOs;7. Team and departmental leadership;8. Professional managers; Part three -- Making sense of the figures;9. Profitability -- the underlying drivers;10. KPIs;11. Team profitability;12. Making sure everyone understands the figures;13. Working capital management;14. Understanding your firm's cost base;15. Information;16. Conclusion.

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Book SynopsisThe SRA's latest report on financial stability (February 2014) said its engagement with firms found poor financial management that ranged from "naive to reckless". They have also seen poor practice in the management of client accounts. This toolkit will help firms to address those common financial issues facing many firms. This toolkit will cover the following: What the requirement to maintain financial stability will mean in practice for firms. What are the danger signals and how can action be taken to remedy them? The steps that need to be taken to take control of cash management in order to achieve financial stability. Part of our popular toolkit series, it will contain a mixture of draft policies, procedural checklists and other instruments to assist practitioners in demonstrating sound financial management. The aim is to produce a working resource which practitioners can use to monitor the financial health of the firm. It will form part of a series of toolkits branded with the livery of the Risk and Compliance Service.Table of Contents1. Financial stability; 2. Understanding finance in law firms; 3. Management information, KPI's and early warning indicators; 4. Financial forecasting; 5. Boosting cash flow; 6. Boosting profitability.

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Book SynopsisIncrease your efficiency, profits and client approval through the use of clear, modern English. This unique book debunks the myth that legalese is precise. Using many before-and-after examples, this book explains how you can increase your efficiency, profits and client approval while making your documents more readable and reliable. This third edition covers online communications and includes updated chapters on the common law rules of interpretation and: * what is good writing * how misunderstandings arise * translating and interpreting * an outline of how software can improve the clarity of your writing * the common law rules of interpretation. With a foreword by Lord Neuberger, this practical book also contains a number of useful precedents written in plain English to help you work better with clients and avoid potentially costly misunderstandings.Table of ContentsPart A: What's wrong with legal writing? Part B: What is good writing? Part C: How to make legal writing more effective; Part D: How misunderstandings arise; Part E: Common law rules of interpretation; Appendices: A. A legal writing workshop; B. Analysis of examples; C. Precedents.

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Book SynopsisEvery year firms close for a variety of reasons, including sale or merger, but what happens if you haven't prepared to exit the market? This toolkit contains a mixture of commentary, procedural checklists, draft policies and precedents to help you to prepare for this eventuality.

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Book SynopsisThe fourth edition of this bestselling guide to money laundering compliance has been updated to take account of significant developments in legislation and best practice including: - the replacement of the Money Laundering Regulations 2007 with the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017 - the replacement of the Law Society’s practice note with the Legal Sector Affinity Group’s guidance - the introduction of the Criminal Finances Act 2017 - the National Crime Agency succeeding the Serious Organised Crime Agency. User-friendly and practical, the book provides an overview of the substantive law and guidance on reporting suspicions, managing money laundering procedures and spotting money laundering activities in a solicitor’s practice, as well as the full text of the Anti-Money Laundering Guidance for the Legal Sector, making it an essential resource for ensuring compliance.Table of ContentsPart I: Substantive law; 1. Money laundering and the solicitors’ profession: an overview; 2. Criminal offences: arrangements (POCA 2002, s.328); 3. Criminal offences: other money laundering offences; 4. Authorised disclosures; 5. Failure to disclose: regulated sector; 6. Failure to disclose: nominated officers; 7. Disclosures which prejudice an investigation; 8. Money Laundering Regulations 2017; Part II: Practical guidance; 9. Reporting suspicions; 10. Management of money laundering procedures; 11. How to spot money laundering activities in a solicitor’s practice; Part III: Appendices.

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Book SynopsisCompliance and Ethics in Law Firms provides guidance on SRA regulations for non-lawyers working in law firms and for those who are responsible for ensuring that they comply with the SRA's rules (such as COLPs, COFAs and learning and development professionals). There are regulatory and legal consequences both for these individuals and for their firms if they fail to demonstrate the correct behaviours. It is therefore essential that everyone who works in a law firm understands the compliance and ethical requirements of SRA regulations. The second edition of this book has been updated to aid compliance with the SRA Standards and Regulations, which replaced the SRA Handbook in November 2019, as well as relevant tribunal decisions. The text has been revised to take account of the Money Laundering Regulations 2017, the Criminal Finances Act 2017, the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. These changes are of great significance and this edition will explain them and provide the reader with a toolkit of regulatory and ethical knowledge which can be applied to their specific circumstances.Table of Contents1. Introduction, 2. The Regulatory Landscape, 3. The SRA Standards and Regulations, 4. The SRA Principles 2019, 5. The Two SRA Codes of Conduct 2019 - Essentials for All Staff, 6. Other Conduct Requirements, 7. Complying with the SRA Accounts Rules 2019, 8. Practising Certificates, Job Titles and the Risk of Holding Out, 9. Key Legislation for Law Firms, 10. Compliance in a Nutshell, 11. Conclusion, and Appendices

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Book SynopsisThis practical book shares insights, smart strategies and tips to help you to market yourself and maximise your chances of career success. The book covers: - what marketing actually is - why you must put yourself in your clients' shoes - the importance of having a personal brand - how to make networking work for you - blocks lawyers have about marketing and how to overcome them - how to fit marketing into your hectic schedule - how LinkedIn can help you to create visibility online and build your reputation - how content marketing fits with your overall marketing strategy and plan. Written by an experienced mentor and coach with in-depth knowledge and experience of the legal profession, this book is an essential read for fast changing times with more competition.Table of Contents1. Marketing; 2. Clients; 3. Brand; 4. Blocks about marketing; 5. Networking; 6. Time management; 7. Social media - LinkedIn; 8. Content marketing.

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Book SynopsisCareer Management for Lawyers is a practical resource for any lawyer, from the newly qualified through to those facing a career transition later in life. Packed with step-by-step guidance, action plans and self-assessment tools, this resource acts as a personal career coach, challenging and encouraging you to work through key career questions. This practical book covers: * the importance of career adaptability * how to take stock of your skills and qualities * the different types of career crossroads that lawyers face * case studies of lawyers who have made a successful career transition * how to change career direction * the importance of developing SMART career goals * how to relaunch yourself when changing career direction * how to overcome potential blocks to career success. Whether you have recently qualified, are facing a key career crossroads or want to take stock of your career, this book gives you all the essential tools to develop a plan you can put into action.

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Book SynopsisThis latest edition of the popular Elderly Client Handbook offers an updated guide to all aspects of the law, regulation and practice relevant to acting for elderly clients, from commissioning care to will drafting.

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Book SynopsisIncorrect execution can lead to documents being invalid or unenforceable. Ensure that you are following the correct procedures with Execution of Documents.

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Book Synopsis‘'Rethinking’' legal reasoning seems a bold aim given the large amount of literature devoted to this topic. In this thought-provoking book, Geoffrey Samuel proposes a different way of approaching legal reasoning by examining the topic through the context of legal knowledge (epistemology). What is it to have knowledge of legal reasoning? At a more specific level the pursuit of this understanding is conducted through posing a number of questions that are founded on different approaches. What has legal reasoning been? What are the institutional and conceptual legacies of this history? What is the literature and textual heritage? How does it compare with medical reasoning and with reasoning in the humanities? Can it be demystified? In exploring these questions Samuel suggests a number of frameworks that offer some new insights into the nature of legal reasoning. The author also puts forward two key ideas. First, that the legal notion of an '‘interest’' might perhaps be a very suitable artefact for rethinking legal reasoning; and, secondly, that fiction theory might be the most viable ‘'epistemological attitude’' for understanding, if not rethinking, reasoning in law. This book will be of great interest to academics who are researching legal method and legal reasoning, as well as epistemology of the social sciences and aspects of comparative law. It will also be an insightful text for those interested in legal history and historical perspectives on legal reasoning.Trade Review'This excellent book pursues the author's relentless ontological and epistemological project of thinking (and rethinking) legal reasoning, with a view to showing the relevance of law for the social sciences and the humanities: there is more indeed to law as a discipline than description of, and reasoning about, rules!' --Horatia Muir Watt, Ecole de Droit, Sciences-po, FranceTable of ContentsContents: Preface General introduction 1. What was the contribution of the medieval civilians? 2. What was the contribution of the Roman lawyers? 3. What was the contribution of the later civilians and the common lawyers? 4. What is the institutional legacy? 5. What is the legal literature legacy? 6. How do legal reasoners treat facts? 7. Is legal reasoning like medical reasoning? 8. Is legal reasoning like reasoning in film studies? 9. Is legal reasoning based on fictions? 10. Can legal reasoning be rethought? 11. Rethinking legal reasoning: should jurists take interests more seriously? 12. Should jurists take interests more seriously (continued)? Concluding Remarks Bibliography Index

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Book Synopsis‘'Rethinking’' legal reasoning seems a bold aim given the large amount of literature devoted to this topic. In this thought-provoking book, Geoffrey Samuel proposes a different way of approaching legal reasoning by examining the topic through the context of legal knowledge (epistemology). What is it to have knowledge of legal reasoning? At a more specific level the pursuit of this understanding is conducted through posing a number of questions that are founded on different approaches. What has legal reasoning been? What are the institutional and conceptual legacies of this history? What is the literature and textual heritage? How does it compare with medical reasoning and with reasoning in the humanities? Can it be demystified? In exploring these questions Samuel suggests a number of frameworks that offer some new insights into the nature of legal reasoning. The author also puts forward two key ideas. First, that the legal notion of an '‘interest’' might perhaps be a very suitable artefact for rethinking legal reasoning; and, secondly, that fiction theory might be the most viable ‘'epistemological attitude’' for understanding, if not rethinking, reasoning in law. This book will be of great interest to academics who are researching legal method and legal reasoning, as well as epistemology of the social sciences and aspects of comparative law. It will also be an insightful text for those interested in legal history and historical perspectives on legal reasoning.Trade Review'This excellent book pursues the author's relentless ontological and epistemological project of thinking (and rethinking) legal reasoning, with a view to showing the relevance of law for the social sciences and the humanities: there is more indeed to law as a discipline than description of, and reasoning about, rules!' --Horatia Muir Watt, Ecole de Droit, Sciences-po, FranceTable of ContentsContents: Preface General introduction 1. What was the contribution of the medieval civilians? 2. What was the contribution of the Roman lawyers? 3. What was the contribution of the later civilians and the common lawyers? 4. What is the institutional legacy? 5. What is the legal literature legacy? 6. How do legal reasoners treat facts? 7. Is legal reasoning like medical reasoning? 8. Is legal reasoning like reasoning in film studies? 9. Is legal reasoning based on fictions? 10. Can legal reasoning be rethought? 11. Rethinking legal reasoning: should jurists take interests more seriously? 12. Should jurists take interests more seriously (continued)? Concluding Remarks Bibliography Index

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Book Synopsis•Understand what digital transformation means in a law firm context •Explore the cultural barriers to transformation, and learn how to overcome them •Gain insight from the operating models of successful digital businesses •Develop a business case and practical strategy for digital transformation •Understand the importance of diversity and purpose in driving digital change •Manage change and adoption challenges •Build on learnings from the COVID-19 crisis to accelerate digital transformation As law firms take stock in the aftermath of COVID-19, there is an opportunity to rethink the law firm operating model for the next decade and beyond. The crisis has reinforced the importance of agility and resilience, and the critical role digital technologies play in client service. For law firms, digital transformation should no longer be viewed as an indulgence, but as an urgent necessity. For those that embrace this challenge, the rewards, for both clients and colleagues, will be substantial. Written by one of the most respected leaders of law firm innovation, this book will help those contemplating or leading digital change in law firms to develop and execute a compelling digital transformation strategy. With a particular focus on the cultural and organisational challenges inherent in a law firm partnership, the book provides practical advice on how to effect meaningful and sustainable change. This invaluable guide for law firm leaders, lawyers, and those leading digital change in a law firm includes plenty of best-practice examples from outside as well as inside the legal profession. The book provides valuable insight for start-ups and technology providers looking to partner with law firms, and for aspiring lawyers starting their professional careers. Along with practical guidance on shaping digital transformation, this engaging work will give the reader a comprehensive overview of the competitive landscape in legal services, sharing diverse perspectives and case studies from leaders from different parts of the legal sector.Trade ReviewLaw firm partners will realize quickly that Isabel Parker has not pulled any punches in her concise, direct and highly informative presentation of the digital transformation imperative for law firms and how they must rethink traditional approaches to successfully transform. Her own law firm experience, extensive research and talent for clarity combine here to deliver great insights. Almost all law firms give consideration to their culture, but Parker’s treatment of the subject is among the best as she provides an in-depth explanation of what it is, why it should matter to law firms and how firms can develop a culture that fosters digital transformation. The insights from this book will be of equal value to inhouse corporate counsel undertaking transformation initiatives. As a general counsel and student of digital transformation for many years, I will highly recommend this book as ‘required reading’ to law firm partners and my inhouse team alike! -- Bill DeckelmanThoroughly enjoying Isabel Parker‘s book on successfully implementing digital transformation. Although it’s predominantly for law firms, the principles apply to in-house as well. Highly recommend! -- Eletra JaponasThis is a much-needed work, few (if any) legal professionals are more qualified by dint of experience, contacts and skill than Isabel Parker to deliver these timely messages. The book is very well written, edited and laid out as a pure visual and production matter, is well documented (but not excessively or annoyingly) by endnotes, and most of all, is well supported on all key points by case studies and interviews. The latter, importantly, are not just from law firms, but as appropriate, from digital leaders outside the legal profession. Both lend additional credibility. The author’s approach is fair and balanced; she recognizes both the undeniable strengths and current limitations in a rapidly transforming world of the traditional law firm model. She offers several plausible paths that firms can take in order to adapt, while being keenly realistic about the likely challenges to be faced and difficult choices to be made by law firms that will rise to the challenge and earnestly commit to putting client service first in today’s (and tomorrow’s) world. While focused on law firms, there are many lessons that can apply directly or with slight adaptation to in-house legal departments that are embarking on similar transformation journeys. These lessons are also helpful to corporate legal departments in terms of evaluating law firms’ innovation credibility and in picking a core group with which to partner. Similarly, vendors to both law firms and legal departments will find Ms. Parker’s insights very valuable since they provide such deep context and visibility into the workings of such a key element of the legal profession. The focus on culture is spot on and often under-appreciated; somewhat similar challenges apply in-house since so many in-house attorneys are products of the same law firm culture (and to be sure, educational system and culture of exceptionalism). They still carry some of these characteristics. As such they are often a sub-culture within their corporations, even when the corporation’s dominant culture is more dynamic and innovative. They (myself included) need to recognize this as we seek to adapt and transform. The author’s insights - and the cited research findings - about the importance of cognitive diversity, pluri-disciplinary teams and minimizing the lawyer v. non-lawyer dichotomy when evaluating new ideas apply in both worlds. Very well worth the cost and time spent in reading, highlighting and annotating carefully. -- Robert Dilworth * Managing Director & Associate General Counsel Bank of America *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements 11 Foreword by Mark A Cohen 15 Introduction 19 Part I: Why digital transformation matters – and how to get started 25 Chapter 1: What is digital transformation? 27 1. Meaningful change or management speak? 27 2. Innovation vs digital transformation 28 3. Why should law firms change? 30 3.1 Money, money, money 30 3.2 Law firm expertise 31 3.3 The mythology around law firm brand 35 4. “Only the paranoid survive” 37 5. The disruption test 38 6. The art of persuasion 39 Chapter 2: Five defining elements of successful digital companies 41 1. Framing the challenge 41 2. Adapting best practice to the law firm environment 42 3. Beware of innovation theatre 43 4. What does ‘good’ look like? 44 5. The five elements of successful digital transformation 45 5.1 Element 1: digital companies are customer-centric 45 5.2 Element 2: Successful digital companies have a digital strategy (aligned to business strategy) 61 5.3 Element 3: Successful digital companies commit to digital change 66 5.4 Element 4: For successful digital transformation, you need the best (digital) people 74 5.5 Element 5: Create a culture in which transformation can continue to flourish 80 Chapter 3: Developing the vision and strategy 87 1. Introduction 87 2. Eight steps to digital transformation 88 2.1 Step 1: Understand your firm’s business strateg 89 2.2 Step 2: Undertake a firm diagnostic and identify digital opportunity 92 2.3 Step 3: Review the competitor landscape 102 2.4 Step 4: Talk to clients 105 2.5 Step 5: Create the business case for funding 108 2.6 Step 6: Create a plan for execution and assemble the right team 123 2.7 Step 7: Create your vision and strategy document and communications plan 134 2.8 Step 8: Communicate and manage the change 141 Part II: Product development and technology 147 Chapter 4: Products 149 1. Law firm or software development house? 149 2. Embedding products into services 151 3. Law firm digital products – some examples 151 3.1 The subscription model 153 3.2 Partnering to develop and deliver products 155 3.3 Client-facing apps 156 3.4 Digital platforms 157 4. Digital products – the pros and cons 161 5. How to develop products successfully 164 5.1 Talk to customers 165 5.2 Use process 165 5.3 Establish product ownership 165 5.4 Build a team 165 5.5 Work in an agile way 166 5.6 Work cross-functionally 166 5.7 Measure success 166 5.8 Be cognisant of the culture 166 6. Establishing a process 166 7. The product lifecycle 168 7.1 Stage 1: Idea 171 7.2 Stage 2: Enablement 171 7.3 Stage 3: Validation 172 7.4 Stage 4: Proof of concept 173 7.5 Stage 5: Minimum valuable product (MVP) 174 7.6 Stage 6: Continuous delivery 174 7.7 Stage 7: Legacy 175 8. Managing the product delivery lifecycle: product ownership 175 9. Product owner skills 176 10. What does success look like? 177 10.1 The right measures 180 10.2 The go-to-market strategy 181 11. Products – or product thinking? 183 12. Products – some final thoughts 184 Chapter 5: Technology 187 1. Legal tech 187 2. Simplification and convergence: making use of what you have 189 3. Back to basics 191 3.1 Legacy 192 3.2 Leadership and digital literacy 193 3.3 Cloud 194 3.4 Data 197 4. Technology leadership 212 5. In summary 213 Part III: Sustaining the change 215 Chapter 6: Petri dish or opera house? Culture under the microscope 217 1. The link between culture and digital transformation 217 2. Defining culture 218 3. The cultural strengths of law firms 219 4. Law firm culture: the challenges 223 5. Addressing culture under strain: lessons from the financial services sector 225 5.1 Governance 230 5.2 Incentives 230 5.3 Individual accountability 231 6. The enduring nature of the partnership model 231 Chapter 7: Sustaining change – partnership 235 1. Time for a new model? 235 2. Structure and culture 237 2.1 The importance of agility 240 2.2 Investing for the long term 241 2.3 Rigidity of career structure 242 3. What are the options? 245 3.1 Option 1: Specialise 245 3.2 Option 2: Choose to change 248 3.3 Option 3: The ‘wait and see’ approach 248 4. Six structures that encourage cultural change 248 4.1 The acquisition model 249 4.2 The captive model 254 4.3 The intrapreneurship model 256 4.4 The incubation model 260 4.5 The spin-off model 262 4.6 The IPO 265 5. Choosing the right model 267 6. Structuring for success 268 Chapter 8: Sustaining change – people 269 1. Law firms are people businesses 269 2. The law firm people problem 271 3. Who law firms hire 273 3.1 The lawyers 273 3.2 The digital professionals 280 3.3 The changing role of the law firm HR function 280 4. What law firms reward 291 4.1 The danger of recruiting in your own image 291 4.2 Fee earners and fee burners 292 4.3 Cognitive diversity: the power of mixing it up 295 4.4 The challenge of multidisciplinary teams 295 4.5 What’s the alternative? 298 4.6 Cognitive diversity and psychological safety 298 Chapter 9: Sustaining change – purpose 303 1. Purpose – or perpetuity? 303 2. The corporate view of purpose 303 3. The law firm response 307 4. The role of purpose in sustaining transformation 308 5. Becoming purpose-driven – practical steps 309 Chapter 10: Final thoughts 313 Notes 319 About the author 327 Index 329 About Globe Law and Business 341

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Book SynopsisDescription View table of contents Look insideLook inside Author(s): Clare Jones , Sarah Goulbourne , Steve Couch Publication date: Aug 2021 Format: Softback Pages: 180 Price: GBP65.00 ISBN: 9781787424265 Lawyers of the 2020s operate in a ferociously competitive world and face unprecedented complexity, change and conflicting demands. As well as regulatory, legislative, economic and political uncertainty, other challenges include pricing pressures, technological advances, and market innovation. In this climate, professional development is ever more critical and the ambitious legal professional must develop their own competitive strategy to survive and thrive. In this book, authors Clare Jones, Steve Couch and Hannah Beko from leading challenger law firm gunnercooke, apply real-life, evidence-based coaching techniques and step-by-step practices exclusively to the legal sector. It also features a foreword written by Sarah Goulbourne. Through exploring ten core areas of professional development for lawyers, discover how to unleash yourself from your barriers and future-proof your legal career today. Content covers everything from self-discovery, through to thought-leadership and pitching as well as the skills and behaviours that underpin success. Readers are invited to create their own dynamic personal development programme and are challenged to hold themselves accountable for delivering it. This title will help senior level lawyers looking to build a lasting reputation, successful practice and sustainable, balanced career. It will provide clarity about your value and a deeper understanding of how to develop client relationships, as well as uncovering challenges to your progress and identifying priority next steps to make everything you do more effective.Trade ReviewThis is a must read for anyone looking to get to the next level in their legal career. The book cleverly marries professional services experience and expertise with the power of coaching. -- Claire RasonI so wish I had been able to read this book when I started my legal career. Looking back, it is clear I had no guidance or goals about how to succeed or what success meant to me in terms of my career. The wise words throughout this book will make you think and really help develop your legal career in the way that works for you. The insights provided also give understanding on how to provide a valuable and meaningful service to clients so that their professional and personal needs can also be met – a client for life being the result. The coaching approach really is the way forward to develop your career for you and your employer/firm. -- Helen GossTable of ContentsIntroduction 1. Know yourself and your goals 2. Know your client 3. Share great ideas 4. Build presence 5. Lead the way 6. Be commercial 7. Be innovative 8. Win work 9. Collaborate 10. Manage change Conclusion

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