There are particular personality traits that make us good lawyers. For example, most lawyers are professional pessimists, able to spot the possible catastrophes in a transaction and anticipate a wide range of problems in any scenario. Most of us are also efficient, intense and results-oriented. And we learn to regulate our emotions to be effective.

Sounds great, right? Maybe. But while these traits make you a good lawyer, they do not make for a happy life. What to do? Here are a certified life coach’s top five strategies. … Read The Rest

Lawyers spend far too much of their valuable time chasing after unpaid invoices instead of working billable hours. Being able to schedule payments in advance provides both you and your clients with unmatched convenience, and helps ensure steady cash flow for your practice. This type of system is only… … Read The Rest

It’s almost a certainty that, at some point, every lawyer will have an unhappy client. In his seminal research on loyalty, business strategist Frederick Reichheld concluded that simply satisfying clients is not enough to retain them. Research showed that depending on the industry, between 65 and 85 percent of customers or clients who defected said they were satisfied or very satisfied with the company they abandoned. They left because they didn’t like the experience. … Read The Rest

Law firms are busy places, and sometimes the smaller operations are even more chaotic than their large firm counterparts. It’s important to keep that behind the scenes, though. Your clients should see only a well-oiled machine — beginning the moment they first make contact with the firm.

Often, the first interactions will involve your support staff. Theirs are the first faces a client sees when she walks through the door, the first greetings on the phone, and they are sometimes involved in the actual pre-screening process, too. So, it’s crucial that each of your support team members understands the message you want to send to the public and conveys it when dealing with clients, whether in person, on the phone or by email. … Read The Rest

Many lawyers dictate their thoughts into a recording device, then send the recording to an assistant for transcription. This is a great time-saver for the lawyer. But the human transcriptionist today is gradually giving way to computer versions. When I say “gradually,” I mean that digital transcription doesn’t work well in all situations yet. Consider these uses for transcription (they’re listed from easiest to most difficult for computers to understand) … Read The Rest

I’ve finally figured out why so many lawyers want to know, “But how do I ask for the work?” It’s because the picture they have in their minds is a pretty darn scary one. It’s something like this: You and a former colleague are sitting together over coffee or lunch. You share stories about your kids’ accomplishments and talk about your summer vacations — then you blurt out, “So … got any work you can give to me?”

Yeah, that sounds awkward to me, too. … Read The Rest

It’s difficult to attend any legal conference these days without hearing about technology and change, but it’s refreshing to discuss these topics with people who actually do the work. Recently, I moderated a panel for an ARK conference, “The New Spectrum of Legal Services,” in Chicago. Our focus was the pressures on legal operations and general counsel. Panelists covered technology adoption, partnerships with law firms and information technology departments, plus their future strategic priorities. … Read The Rest