Articles

Compensation Model for Small Firms

 

When you’re hiring another attorney, don’t think about how much bringing him or her on will COST. Instead, think about what revenues he or she will bring in. Take a look at this week’s clips for more…

 

 


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How Do You Fully Leverage Paralegals?

What does a paralegal do?  Have you ever attempted to type the plural of paralegal in your word processor; what happens?  Evidence that few lawyers, let alone others, understand what a paralegal is, does or contributes to the law firm. Find out:

  • What can paralegals do?
  • What can’t/shouldn’t paralegals do?
  • How can lawyers take advantage of the skills that paralegals bring to the table?
  • What is the best way for lawyers to interact with lawyers?
  • Can lawyers leverage the skills of paralegals, and if yes, how best to do so?
  • How can lawyers make money from the work performed by paralegals?

Our panel members, Cynthia Mascio, ACP, CEDS, a leader in the California paralegal movement, and Edward Poll, J.D., M.B.A., CMC, will discuss these issues from the perspectives of both the lawyer and the paralegal.

56 minutes, 3 seconds
12.8MB


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Associates Must Be Profitable

Most associates don’t understand the concept of profitability. This week, Ed outlines what it means to be a profitable associate, and why that is important for not just your firm, but your career as a lawyer.


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Resolve to get “there”

How do we get from here to there? Jim Collins, in his Good to Great, describes CEOs with many different styles, but all successfully leading their companies to the pinnacles of success. How do we do that for ourselves? Is wanting something enough? Is the intention to be great, to be successful, to be rich enough? Is imagining or visualizing the "there" enough?

I suspect not. First, we must identify where we are. Then we must honestly address what our current state or condition is. And finally, we must develop new approaches to deal with the troubling challenges we face. As Dr. Phil might say, in the popular vernacular, "How’s this working for you?" And if what you’re doing now isn’t working for you, you’ve got to change your pattern, your actions … and not merely wanting the change. You’ve first got to think it through and, then as my coach, Alan Weiss, might say, develop the "Resolve" to change.

Are you in a good employment situation, do you have a good law firm partnership, do you have the kind and number of clients you want? If not, what are you going to do to make the change you want? One approach might be to engage a coach to provide you with meaningful feedback.


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What is the lawyer’s responsibility for metadata?

Corey Stephenson of Lawyers Weekly USA wrote an article about the Oregon Bar’s position about metadata:

"If a lawyer receives a document and knows or reasonably should know that metadata was inadvertently included, the Oregon Rules of Professional Responsibility only require notice to the sender. The receiving lawyer is not required to return the document unread or to comply with a request by the sender to return the document, according to the opinion.

The Bar went on to say that the 2nd lawyer’s client should be consulted about whether the lawyer should read the document. "…. (G)iven that the decision affects a client’s objectives, lawyers should consult with the client about the risks and rewards of returning the document versus retaining and reading the document prior to making such a decision."

It was my understanding that a misguided "hard copy" needed to be returned, unopened, if the lawyer knew the document was mistakenly sent. It seems we are modifying the rules a bit with technology.

But, there was a more fascinating pronouncement. The opinion went on to say that lawyers may not utilize special software to reveal the metadata in a document. “Searching for metadata using special software when it is apparent that the sender has made reasonable efforts to remove the metadata may … constitute ‘conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation.’" The comparison was made to surreptitiously entering the other lawyer’s office to obtain client information.


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Law Firm Fees & Compensation

The three main components of being a lawyer are getting work, doing the work, and getting paid for the work. However, many lawyers do not sufficiently understand this all-important third part. Make sure you get the proper compensation for all of your hard work!


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