7 things legal professionals should stop doing
It’s not just legal professionals, every industry and every office has certain less than stellar work habits. Add them all up and some harmless seeming habits can actually have a fairly large negative impact on your wellbeing, both personally and professionally. Here are some things legal professionals—and everyone else, too–should avoid doing, for their own […]
Do more with less: strategies for busy legal professionals
Today’s law firms are more focused on efficiency – doing more with less – than ever before. Due to greater pressure on the bottom line, new regulations, and unpredictable workloads, firms are increasingly looking to keep costs under control while continuing to provide value to their clients. In this challenging environment, paralegals and other legal […]
Finding a loophole: Workarounds by creative people
Are you sick of frequent flier offers that never materialize? Done with bonuses that turn out to have more exclusions than rewards? Have you been trying to find a workaround for pesky things known as ‘laws’? Check out the creative people who beat the system, discovered the exception, and got inventive when finding a loophole […]
Considering a virtual paralegal? What you need to know
Do you need extra help in your law firm but don’t feel quite ready to hire someone full-time? Are you just starting out in your practice and need some assistance during the transition? Are you an office manager supporting too many attorneys with an overwhelming case load? A virtual paralegal could be a good fit […]
10 tips for paralegals to improve client communication
The need to improve client communications is a challenge that many law firms find themselves faced with over the course of their practice. And as the central source of information, paralegals are often the main point of connection for clients, legal professionals, and court staff, A study published in 2016 by the American Bar Association […]
Maximizing the power of your legal support staff
According to the American Bar Association (ABA), “Rare is the law firm that fully leverages its paralegal team.” While law schools may provide attorneys with a solid legal education, many successful lawyers don’t have the faintest idea how to best utilize their support staff. When attorneys don’t consider their staff a part of the legal […]
5 ways to maximize your law firm’s business email
According to the 2016 State of Marketing Research Report published by Salesforce Research, 80 percent of marketers consider email to be a core component to the success of their business. Nearly half said the use of email is directly connected to their main source of income. Now that you’ve set up a professional business email […]
Starting your law firm off with a professional email account: when AOL won’t cut it
Your law firm has a comprehensive website with its own domain name and a solid online presence. But if you’re still relying on third-party email services instead of starting a professional email account, you aren’t making the most of your brand presentation. While email accounts provided by your Internet service provider or free accounts through […]
Being a good host: essentials for law office waiting rooms
When a client enters the offices of a large law firm on the upper floor of a large downtown building and sees wall-to-wall cherry wood, uncomfortable-looking chairs, shelves of law books, and an empty reception desk staring back at them, they’re not likely to feel welcome or comfortable. Offered no refreshments and left with nothing […]
Networking for paralegals and legal support staff: How and why
We may think of ‘networking’ as a very modern concept, but according to a Harvard Business Review article, networking has existed for the past 2000 years and is essential to our survival. But for many people, including legal professionals, networking doesn’t come easy and trying to connect with others in the industry can push them […]
How to convert a fillable form for eFiling
When it comes to submitting documents to court, there have always been specific requirements and standards that must be adhered to. Now that eFiling is becoming the preferred way to submit filings in many counties—and will eventually become the only way to file in most—there’s a host of new details for paralegals and other legal […]
The best free/low-cost CLE for legal support professionals
For legal professionals, part of the job is to keep up with changes in the industry, and education doesn’t stop after you get your first job. Continuing legal education (CLE) — which could cover anything from regulatory mandates, legal technology, practice management, and the law itself — will help you stay on top of new […]
Shorthand is not dead: The power of effective note taking for legal professionals
In this age of computers, smartphones, digital voice recorders, and so on is note taking even a necessary skill for legal professionals anymore? Legal professionals attend numerous meetings and rarely show up in the conference room without a notebook (a paper or electronic one), but do they actually take notes, and more importantly, do they […]
Don’t write wrong: $10 million lawsuit decided over missing serial comma
Good grammar – following the rules for commas, punctuation, and sentence structure – is considered by many to be essential for effective writing. But in the age of informal writing via texting, social media, and email, does grammar really matter for quality legal writing anymore? Legally speaking, yes it does. In 2014, three Maine truck […]
How to make sure your desk set up isn’t harming your health
Most legal professionals spend a good part of their workday sitting in an office chair staring at a computer. Although sitting at a desk is an essential part of the job, paralegals and legal assistants should make sure that their desk set up is not increasing their stress or otherwise harming their health. You can […]
5 key skills attorneys look for when hiring a paralegal
According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Outlook Handbook, the employment of paralegals is expected to grow about eight percent from 2014 to 2024. That means competition for jobs is expected to be strong, with experienced, formally trained paralegals having the best prospects for employment. To stand out in a crowded market like this, […]