Un-Billable Hour: Business Management Strategies for the Busy Lawyer Around the Community Table

Host Christopher Anderson is joined by Dr. Teresa Albizu, founder and co-president of the R-A Pinnacle Group and Dr. Gerardo (Gery) Rodríguez-Menéndez, co-president of the R-A Pinnacle Group as they discuss attorney wellness, how to see the signs, strategies on how to cope with stress, and when an individual should seek help.

Host Christopher Anderson talks to Andrew Lechter about how lawyers can be wise about leasing their work space. From maintaining a healthy relationship with your landlord to trends in the real estate market, there’s a lot that goes into leasing your own office space. Andrew shares tips about what lawyers should look for in a law firm lease, how to maximize the space you have, and what to do with office space that isn’t working for your business.

Hiring the right employee involves a lot more than looking at a resume. Host Christopher Anderson talks to Molly Hall about the best ways to find and hire quality employees. She shares tips on how to conduct interviews, weed out ill-fitting candidates, and compete with larger firms for talent. She also discusses best practices when letting go of employees that don’t fit.

More clients for less ad spend seems like a distant ideal, but artificial intelligence (AI) may be the tool lawyers need to get their ads in front of the right people. Host Christopher Anderson talks to Keith Dyer about how law firms can use AI to improve their marketing efforts. They discuss the three different types of AI (robotics, natural language processing, and machine learning), their capabilities, and how they could impact the future of legal marketing.

All lawyers want to get paid but keeping track of billable hours can be a challenge for solo and small firm lawyers. Inevitably, some hours may through the cracks resulting in a loss of potential money. Host Christopher Anderson talks to Alan Tuback about techniques and tools that can help lawyers keep track of their billable hours. They also discuss using practice management software to track time and other easy-to-implement software solutions for an overall efficient firm.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is vital if you want your website to be found by the right clients. But SEO can be difficult to understand to those who don’t specialize in online marketing. Host Christopher Anderson talks to Seth Price about the four main components of SEO including high quality content, authoritative links, correct coding, and local. They also discuss the advantages and disadvantages of taking on a website redesign and identify the differences between good and bad links.

Host Christopher Anderson talks to Tyler Todd about the access to justice problem and how blockchain and other technology could be the key to solving it. They discuss the common issues within access to justice like lawyers not being able to connect with consumers, and how blockchain addresses these issues with transparency, efficiency, and accountability.

For growing solo and small firms, deciding when to use billable resources to hire new employees can be a challenge. Greg Garman talks about when firms should hire freelance lawyers to help them fill in the gaps. What are the benefits and functions of freelance lawyers?

There’s a lot of talk about practice management software in legal circles, but what is it and how can it serve your law firm? In this episode of The Un-Billable Hour, host Christopher Anderson and PracticePanther CEO David Bitton dive into the details of just how practice management software can lead to a more focused and efficient law firm. From client portals to document generation, they discuss the key benefits of practice management software and how they enhance the client experience. David Bitton is the CEO of PracticePanther, a management and billing software solution that is specially catered to users in the legal profession. Special thanks to our sponsors, Answer1, Solo Practice University, and Scorpion.

There are systems to help you run every part of a small law firm, whether it’s billing, marketing, or hiring. But what are systems and how do you implement them in your practice? In this episode of The Un-Billable Hour, host Christopher Anderson talks to Kristen David about the importance of using systems and how they help law firm owners, staff, and even clients. They discuss crafting checklists, freeing up time, and how systems are sometimes resisted. They also share tips on how an owner can free up their time. Kristen David is law firm management and marketing advisor for How To Manage a Small Law Firm. Special thanks to our sponsors, Answer1, Solo Practice University, and Scorpion.