At least 77% of Americans own a smartphone. They spend, on average, two hours and 51 minutes per day on these smartphones. That’s a lot of people and a lot of time. The data also show that of all the time Americans spend online — on mobile or on a desktop or laptop — half is spent using a smartphone app. It’s no wonder so many businesses — from retailers to banks to restaurants — have apps. Many law practices and app developers are jumping on the mobile bandwagon, too, offering apps to help contest a traffic ticket, draft a business contract or become a U.S. citizen. Some allow people to ask lawyers questions directly.

Too often, “client-focused” content translates as “let me tell you what you need, ” followed by “please don’t interrupt, I’m still talking.” One of the most exciting trends in law firm content is client-driven content — that is, stories about client companies. This content is not about what the law firm did for the company (think representative engagements), but about the mission and promise of the company itself.

Now is the time that we reflect on our successes and failures of the past year — both professionally and personally — and plan for the upcoming year, setting goals for ourselves, our firms and our practices. As I think about 2017, I see many successes, some failures and, above all, lessons I learned from both. Looking back at the "Friday Fit Five" posts of 2017 for top takeaways, there are five things I want to take into the new year with me, to continue or to improve upon. Here they are.

This time last year, many of us were anxious for 2016 to end. But instead of smooth sailing ahead, I feel like the universe started 2017 by saying, “Hold my beer” and it has spun chaos ever since. During the past month, I’ve been looking back on the year's achievements and setbacks and looking ahead to 2018.

Brooke Lively | Many lawyers who own their own firms are frustrated by a lack of growth compared to other firms.

Seven years ago this month, Attorney at Work was born — unfurling the prospect of hundreds and hundreds of daily posts on law practice management issues of every variety. It was early days and the list of contributors was small. As the editors, Joan Feldman and I often stepped in to write posts. As the holidays neared, we decided to write together about something important to both of us: being kind. Looking back from here, the concept takes on even greater import.

With fewer people in the office over the holidays, it can be hard to keep work moving efficiently. Today, there’s a whole host of mobility tools to alleviate the pressure when you need to get the same amount of work done with half the staff. Workflow apps for billing, expense tracking and dictation let busy lawyers remain productive while on the move — and they give firms the power to optimize all available support to meet tight deadlines, no matter where people are working.

Most lawyers have to attend events. Clients have parties, law firms host functions, organizations hold galas and associations offer networking meetings. If you’re someone who detests going to these, particularly when you don’t know anyone, I am here to tell you they will be a lot less painful if you are prepared. Even if you never come to enjoy networking functions, you can make them both tolerable and productive if you go about things the right way.

Sometimes lawyers and law firms need to clean up online reputations sullied by lawsuits, bad press, negative reviews or poor social media choices. While there’s no magic bullet, reputation management is possible. There are two approaches you can take: Either hire a company to help you, or do it yourself. Here are the pros, cons and considerations related to both options.

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