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

In this episode’s discussions around the Community Table: We start with an attorney who wants to balance hiring and firm growth. What happens when you hire “too much” team for the work or have “too much work” for the team? It’s a delicate dance. Start with a business plan and control the one thing you can, the number of cases you accept. It’s OK to say no to a new potential client. (Plus, find out what Christopher calls a “bull$#!* plan”).  What happens when you haven’t explored new ways to market and you fall behind? No use crying over spilt milk, but honestly, get on it. You start from where you are. Understand what you’re doing, what’s working, and what’s failing. A swift kick in the pants may get you motivated. And how do you help a long-standing employee establish some metrics, mainly a minimum billable hour requirement? Be straightforward, but it’s a balancing act. Sometimes you gotta be cruel to be kind (in the right measure). Mentioned in this Episode:Empirical360BlueShark Digital MarketingWhat are LSAs? (Local Service Ads)Join the next Community Table live. What’s on your mind?

Guest Joey Seeber, an experienced litigator, shares insights on the integration of tech and human touch in the legal world. From eDiscovery to AI, finding the balance between using tools and adding a personal touch is crucial. Discover tips on leveraging the right tech to surprise and delight clients while standing out in a high-tech environment.

In this episode’s discussions around the Community Table:  It’s a new year. The “Dos and Don’ts of New Year’s Resolutions.” It’s OK to set goals, heck, it’s great. But be reasonable, mindful even. There is no “magical thinking” that everything will change if you wish it. Review your past, understand yourself, share your vision. And if you need an unbiased opinion, ask someone. The dreaded sales slump isn’t cause for panic. If something has changed, your conversions fall off a cliff, take a deep breath and a logical approach. Don’t dash around like a squirrel in the road. You’ll find the flaw and correct it. Building your team isn’t easy, but if you take an open approach, you can do it. Interviewing a prospective team member is a marketing process – from both sides. You want to learn as much as you can about each other. If you have to spend some time and money getting it right, there’s nothing wrong with that.  Mentioned in this Episode:The Atlantic, “You Can’t Simply Decide To Be A Different Person” by Amanda MullJoin the next Community Table live. What’s on your mind?

Technology has quickly become a topic that touches everything in the legal world. You can’t escape it. While learning to embrace the latest in legal tech is vital to the success of your firm, it doesn’t have to be overwhelming.We’re talking on this episode about how today’s emerging tech trends impact every aspect of your law firm – from client acquisition, to producing results, to generating profit – with guest Colin Levy, an author, speaker, and leader in the world of legal tech.But just buying a tech package won’t deliver value. Incorporating today’s new tech tools, understanding how they work, and truly understanding them (and then actually using them) is what drives value. Take the time to understand what you need, what problems you’re solving, then seek out the tech that actually gets you to your destination. Things are changing, and the rate of acceleration is accelerating, and we’re just getting started. Imagine AI drives the pace of change even faster. Before our eyes, technology is redefining what it means to be a lawyer.Mentioned in this Episode:Malbek“Handbook of Legal Tech,” by Colin Levyhttps://www.amazon.com/Legal-Tech-Ecosystem-Innovation-Advancement/dp/B0CKCZTLWWClio Cloud Conference ABA TechshowLegalweek 2024  Join The Un-Billable Hour Community Table

In this episode’s discussions around the Community Table:  Building an effective landing page is critical to making the most of your pay-per-click marketing dollars. Getting “clicks” is one thing, but then what? Hear how to craft a landing page that drives visitors to the next step: hiring you. Go beyond “call now.” Show why you’re the lawyer for the job. What makes you different? Referrals can be a big part of building your business, but getting them takes careful marketing and effective business relationships. It’s a two-way street. Be a friend to have a friend. It comes down to communication: if done well, it can be your cheapest marketing tool Building your business strategically helps you manage cash flow. If your practice area is too broad, you may be spreading your time across too many channels. And that can lead to cash shortfalls throughout the year. Understand what your business is really about and focus on that. You’re thinking of breaking away from a firm and starting your own practice? Hear some real-world advice from lawyers who have been there, done that. Mentioned in this Episode:Seth Godin, “The Mythical Head Of Marketing”Seth Godin’s blogJoin the next Community Table live. What’s on your mind?

How to choose the legal tech that’s right for your firm, and how to reject the rest, without getting overwhelmed. What’s denying yourself and what’s overindulging? It can be overwhelming. Guest Jared Correia helps law firms understand available technology and separate what’s helpful from what’s simply bright and shiny. Correia looks at software from several angles: Intake, e-signature, customer relationship management, and performance monitoring. All are important, but how do they fit together? Ask yourself what you like about the software you have, and what do you hate, then what do you want, and finally what do you need.Most firms probably don’t need all the hardware they have in the office, including the servers and data storage. The cloud – data management by firms that specialize in secure data management – is the future.Learn the secrets of the “Core Four” of software: Productivity; Accounting; Case Management Software; and Customer Relationship Management. Hear how these bedrock systems are the foundation of any successful firm. Wait … what about what about AI?Mentioned in this Episode:Legal Toolkit podcastOn The Road podcast“Twitter In One Hour For Lawyers” By Jared CorreiaClio Cloud ConferenceABA TechshowFilevineJoin The Un-Billable Hour Community Table

In this episode’s discussions around the Community Table:  A firm owner needs a computer policy for employees both in-office and working from home. What policies should she have for damage to the firm’s computers and client security? There’s insurance for physical damage. More important is protecting client data if a laptop is stolen or hacked. How can you protect client confidentiality, both for staff in the office and working from home? Is a contract IT team the answer? How do you split tasks between two admins? Hear how you can divide tasks to match each employee’s area of excellence. Carving out niches so each employee delivers maximum value creates a foundation for growth.  You’ve hired a new employee, but they aren’t catching on. How much time do you allow before you know it’s not working, and you need to let them go? There is a reasonable period to expect results. It’s OK to be patient and retrain as needed, but don’t carry dead weight. Mentioned in this Episode:Join the next Community Table live. What’s on your mind?Previous appearance on the Community Table “Community Table: Using Vacations to Strengthen Company Culture”

Throughout his career in “big law” and fintech, guest Abdi Shayesteh struggled with the legal profession’s lack of formal training. “It was sink or swim” with every new challenge, he says. There had to be another way to help associates become better lawyers. Law school may not fully prepare graduates to practice law, and the old apprenticeship model – learning on the job – has fallen apart as new lawyers are expected to produce billable hours from the start, and clients expect to pay for results, not teaching new lawyers.After practicing law for years, Shayesteh founded AltaClaro, an online platform built to train law school graduates how to actually practice law by applying practical skills training in a structured, online environment. Attorneys deserve better, and so do clients. Hear how AltaClaro’s approach combines experiential learning techniques to help attorneys build skills and confidence in a low-risk environment. Lawyers learn, do, and review at their own pace with practice documents, contracts, and clients. Then they go through each exercise with a live, experienced, vetted professional.  New attorneys get the skills they need, and firms get the fully trained associates they want.Mentioned in this Episode:Clio Cloud ConferenceJoin The Un-Billable Hour Community Table

In this episode’s discussions around the Community Table:  We start with an attorney who wants to create a fair referral compensation policy for his associate, a “grinder” who does everything asked. Recently, through a contact, the associate started bringing in new business. How does a firm set up a referral fee schedule? What’s fair to the associate and the firm? How to create effective, inviting “meet the attorney” videos as a relationship-building step with potential clients. What to include? What topics? How personal? Where do you post them on your website, or do you control when a potential client sees these?  When it’s time for a managing attorney or a director of operations, start by understanding the duties of each position and the experiences needed. One position requires a background in law; the other needs experience running a business (that includes facilities management, finance, and the overall operation of your office).  Mentioned in This Episode:Robert’s previous appearance on the Community Table “Community Table: Using Vacations to Strengthen Company Culture” WizeHire Legal Recruiting LinkedIn Talent SolutionsJoin the next Community Table live. What’s on your mind?

When it comes to law firm marketing, what is “niching?” Guest Chris Dreyer founded and leads the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) marketing firm Rankings.io. In a thoughtful, in-depth interview, Dreyer shares how to make your law firm stand out in a crowded field when you stop trying to be everything to everyone. Be memorable. Share what makes you special. SEO is often portrayed as sorcery, but it’s not. It’s math, it’s work, and it’s attention to detail. Learn about the “Four C’s” of online marketing and what makes your firm stand out when a potential client types a need into a search engine: Content, Capital, Collaboration, and Code. Dreyer explains what makes websites work, what makes content special, and how putting yourself out there as an expert in a specific area drives referrals and attracts attention. A focus on SEO doesn’t work overnight. It’s a long-term play, but the benefits build on themselves and stock a client pipeline that can grow your firm as your reputation and visibility compound your efforts. Trying to “game the system” doesn’t work. There’s no substitution for sincerity, authenticity, and hard work. Hear how you can get started and stay focused (and some common mistakes you can avoid) from an industry expert with a history of helping firms find new clients. Mentioned in this Episode:"Niching Up: The Narrower The Market, The Bigger The Prize," by Chris Dreyer.SurferSEOHARO, Help A Reporter OutFivrrUpwork"How To Get Rich: (Without Getting Lucky)," by Naval Ravikant.Malcolm GladwellJohn Morgan Explains Morgan & Morgan’s Marketing Strategy, YouTube.Join The Un-Billable Hour Community Table: Eventbrite.