Law Office Manager

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Why your first act as a new administrator should be to rearrange the furniture

One of the most difficult ways to become a manager is to be promoted from within. For a Colorado administrator, however, moving up was even more difficult because the promotion came with a directive to change the working atmosphere of the office. The previous administrator, while knowledgeable, was not someone who encouraged a welcoming atmosphere, says the … [Read more...] about Why your first act as a new administrator should be to rearrange the furniture

Cutting costs? What worked in 2008 won’t work today

When money is tight, firm administrators start rushing to make decisions to save the bottom line, perhaps relying on strategies that saw the firm through the recession. But hold on, cautions Peter A. Giuliani of Smock Law Firm Consultants in Weston, CT. These decisions have to be made with long-term survival in mind. And the cost-cutting approaches that worked for firms during … [Read more...] about Cutting costs? What worked in 2008 won’t work today

Developing productive associates: Why the traditional annual review gets a FAIL!

If the goal is to develop the associates into productive—and profitable—attorneys, the traditional annual review is not enough. There need to be formal reviews twice during the year. And more, there needs to be continuous feedback in the meantime. Many firms have moved away from the lockstep approach of pushing associates up the partnership ladder based on years of service. … [Read more...] about Developing productive associates: Why the traditional annual review gets a FAIL!

Trust account errors that could get you disbarred

As a law firm administrator, trust accounting issues need to be your primary concern, according to Joryn Jenkins, a collaborative divorce attorney, author and CEO of Open Palm Law and Open Palm Press in Tampa, FL. Elizabeth Miller, an independent law firm administrator in Tampa Bay, agrees, adding that of five trust account errors that could land you in serious trouble with … [Read more...] about Trust account errors that could get you disbarred

Measure your associates’ satisfaction to keep them on board

Do you know whether or not your firm's associates are content or if there is a mass exodus in your future? Find out with a well-crafted survey. Your firm's greatest asset is its associates, yet associate satisfaction is often overlooked. To keep those associates happy, you need to find out what's making them unhappy, and do that with frequent and focused surveys. … [Read more...] about Measure your associates’ satisfaction to keep them on board

Break down barriers with peer-to-peer training

The best staff training, says a Missouri manager, is the training staff give one another. And at her office, her staff of 25 do just that. They hold training sessions for one another on a "when-needed, what's-needed, and who-needs-it" basis. There's no set routine. The manager simply schedules an in-service whenever she sees a problem in the workflow. Perhaps the billing … [Read more...] about Break down barriers with peer-to-peer training

Is the honeymoon over at work?

For many professionals, that first year in a new job can be a "honeymoon period," full of new and exciting challenges. But a study from Robert Half and Happiness Works shows that professionals with between one and two years on the job are less happy, less interested in their work and more stressed than those still in their first year. After three years or more on the job, … [Read more...] about Is the honeymoon over at work?

What you need to know when a bully takes you on

By Lynne Curry  bio You've met bullies who play a win/lose game, even as you aim for a win/win solution. Guess who loses when they take you on? You do. Would you like to win, or at least not lose? Here's what you need to know: Fail the bully's test We believe or like to believe the best of everyone.  When a bully first tests us with a demeaning slam, we often think … [Read more...] about What you need to know when a bully takes you on