EVERYTHING YOU DIDN’T LEARN IN LAW SCHOOL

Massachusetts Law Office

Management Assistance Program

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Agenda• Office Organization• Client Communication• Marketing• Technology• Data Security• Additional Resources

Better Not . . .

OFFICE ORGANIZATIONHow to efficiently and effectively organize your practice.

Filing System• Organizing Files + Folders• Naming Conventions• Lost + Found• Paperful vs Paperless vs Hybrid• Document Management Program

Calendar Management• Your Activity Hub • What to Track

• Appointments • Court dates• Statutes of limitation• Self-imposed deadlines

• Using Ticklers• Back It Up• In Sync

Tracking Time• Always (regardless of billing type)• Completely• Contemporaneously• Electronically

Office Management• Working with Staff• Working with Supervisors• Collegiality – It pays to be nice! • Basic Human Resources• Ethical Duties

CLIENT COMMUNICATIONGet ‘em in, get ‘em happy, and keep ‘em comin’!

Client Contact Management• Intake Process• Conflict Checking• Follow Up

Client Education• Attorney + Client Responsibilities to the Matter• Confidentiality• Timeliness• Boundaries• Technology

Documenting the Relationship• Disclosures• Fee Agreements• Non-engagement Letters• Memorializing Course of Decisionmaking• Disengagement Letters• Attorney Notes to File• Create a Record!

Billing• Types + Sorts

• Billable hour• Flat fee• Unbundled• AFA• Hybrid

• The Art of Drafting Bills• The Science of Sending Bills• Collection

MARKETINGKnow what you’re selling and how to sell it.

Networking• Elevator Pitch• In-Person vs Online• Associations + Organizations• The Importance of Referrals

Traditional vs Online• Advertisements• Content Marketing• Storefront/Website• Networking/Social Media• Publication/Blog

Return on Investment• $ + Time = $• Formulae• Analysis• Budgeting• Tools

Ethical Considerations• False or Misleading• 2-Year Rule• Solicitation• Practice Areas• Limited Liability Entities

TECHNOLOGYBoost productivity and organization with technology.

Generally• The Future Present of Law Practice• ABA Model Rule 1.1: Competence• Productivity• Mobility• Security

Software• Law Practice Management (LPM)• Document Management• Email + Calendaring• Time + Billing• Financial Management• Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

Paperless Office• Scanning + Scanners• PDF w/ OCR• Naming Conventions• Folder Architecture• Form Creation• Electronic Signing

Mobile• Remote Access• Time Capture• Productivity• Security

DATA SECURITYMaintain client confidences and protect firm data.

Confidentiality• It’s the Client’s File• Retention• Disposition

The Cloud• Pros + Cons• Ethics• Encryption

Data Protection Rules• Statutory Authority

• M.G.L. c. 93H + 93I• 201 C.M.R. 17.00

• SJC Interim Guidelines• Applications

Data Backup• Redundancy v Backup• Local• Cloud• Testing

ADDITIONAL RESOURCESFinding the resources you need.

Resources• Ethics

• Board of Bar Overseers / Office of Bar Counsel• Massachusetts IOLTA Committee

• Legal Research + Education• Social Law Library• MCLE• West’s Mass. Practice Handbook• Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly

• Communities• Bar Associations

• Local, State, National, Practice Area-specific

• Social Media Groups• Listservs

Better Yet . . .

GOOD LUCK!Toll Free 1.888.54.LOMAP

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