Brian Oten and Peter Bolac provided their annual update on what is happening at the North Carolina State Bar during their recent Expert Series CLE. In addition to topics such as legal deserts, changes to CLE rules, the new random audit selection process, and much more, they discussed two recently adopted ethics opinions related to billing and handling of aged…
During the program “Weathering the Storm: Managing Your Firm Through an Economic Downturn” Erik Mazzone and Catherine Sanders Reach presented “Free and Cheap Technology for Thrifty Lawyers“. As law practice becomes increasingly technology-oriented, law firms spend on technology has also increased to command an ever-larger share of the budget. We can’t turn back the clock and practice without all the…
Have you ever had a client write down a bill? Or question an amount? Your bill is one of your most important client communications. Find ways to show the value of the work you do for clients, follow best practices for billing and send invoices that clients pay without question. You can also develop standardized descriptions for your whole firm…
Does your firm have employee reviews for the support team and associates? Is there a system in place to provide regular performance evaluations? Do you have a way for support staff and associates to offer feedback on supervising and managing attorneys? Without regular reviews any disciplinary actions or termination may feel baseless and personal. A regular cadence of feedback will…
Guest Post by Rosario Canales and Nikki D Green from Ave Staffing Have you ever felt so frustrated at your current position that you have seriously considered throwing in the towel? Have you ever felt that although you don’t have a plan B to resort to, the feeling of quitting feels very tempting? Perhaps you had a disagreement with your manager,…
Many law firms put off upgrading and replacing outdated software and hardware because of the cost and disruption. However, putting off purchasing replacement hardware and updating your operating systems, server software, and mission critical systems until they are outdated and insecure will cost far more eventually. The delay in upgrades and replacements will have a cascading effect, forcing you to…
Every week subscribers receive the ICYMI enewsletter from the NCBA Center for Practice Management. The newsletter highlights tips, tools, trends, and techniques to help your law practice. Following are a few popular links from the past issues of the newsletter. Technology Competence for Every Lawyer (October 01, 2021) Jim Calloway points out that the comment to Rule 1.1 regarding technology competency applies…
In a recent LinkedIn post Patrick Brown, director of information security at Lawyers Mutual, noted that the Fall 2021 North Carolina State Bar Journal has an all-caps message on page 24 from the Grievance Committee stating “… that lawyers who fail to take adequate precautions to protect against wire fraud scams can expect imposition of more serious professional discipline.” Why? Despite…
Feeling a little overwhelmed? Do you need some help but not ready to hire full time or part time in your firm? Whether it is getting bills out, reviewing documents, getting the phones answered, or responding to clients there are many services for law firms that can help! Choose from contract attorneys, virtual assistants and paralegals, virtual receptionists, marketing, and…
There has been a repeated refrain during the pandemic regarding the importance of getting the bills out and getting paid. One bit of advice that is constant is “take credit cards”. But what should a NC lawyer know? What are the options and ethics to consider? Are there other types of e-payments a lawyer can take? Why Take Credit Cards?…