"Lawyers become lawyers because they want to help people and practice the art of law," says Los Angeles financial consultant Gene Siciliano, CMC, CPA, author of Finance for Non-financial Managers (McGraw-Hill, New York). And once in practice, lawyers focus exclusively on their technical expertise, not the essentials of running a business successfully. "They think they can get … [Read more...] about The top five reasons firms lose money and go out of business
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Plan firm’s transition now even if retirement is years away
Many of us daydream of how we'll spend our retirement years; it's the dream we've chased all of our careers. However, when faced with the reality of this life-changing phase of life, retirement suddenly switches from a dream to a touchy subject—and it's a subject every law office administrator must address and properly plan for, because at some point in the life of your firm, … [Read more...] about Plan firm’s transition now even if retirement is years away
Follow the example of the Navy SEALs and build the framework of an excellent training program
By Michelle Spencer bio Recently, an article appeared in The Harvard Business Review entitled "How the Navy SEALs Train for Leadership Excellence," written by Michael Schrage, an educator and research fellow at MIT Sloan School's Center for Digital Business. In his article, Schrage wrote, "As an educator, I fear world-class business schools and high-performance … [Read more...] about Follow the example of the Navy SEALs and build the framework of an excellent training program
Use this one easy chart to track attorney profitability
A St. Louis administrator has developed a simple chart that tracks the monthly and yearly profitability of each attorney. Its obvious benefits are that it allows the firm to address performance issues immediately and that it provides a solid basis for determining compensation and bonuses. But it goes beyond that, says the administrator. It lets the firm see which attorneys … [Read more...] about Use this one easy chart to track attorney profitability
Model Employee Social Networking Policy
Why you need this model policy: This model policy will help you protect your practice from the potential threat posed by employee blogging, tweeting, Instagramming, and other social networking. How this model policy helps you: The key to protecting your practice is by implementing clear and specific policies to establish your right to discipline employees for social network … [Read more...] about Model Employee Social Networking Policy
7 steps to safely terminating an employee
Properly terminating an employee to minimize the chances of repercussions starts with gathering all the facts and considering all the factors, says HR attorney Chris Lessard, J.D. Solution Center Advisor to CEDR HR Solutions. Here are his recommendations on how to do that, in seven steps. Step 1: Separate the relevant from the irrelevant Your first step involves reviewing … [Read more...] about 7 steps to safely terminating an employee
Financial Reporting Beyond the Budget
Downloadable Files: Presentation Slides Presenter:Diane Camacho, CLM In this webinar recording, Diane Camacho, a leading law firm expert and consultant, explains the practical, "how-to" techniques you can use to generate the specific statistics and reports that provide actionable insight into the where the money comes from, where it goes and what adjustments need … [Read more...] about Financial Reporting Beyond the Budget
Can your employee handbook help you safely terminate an employee?
If you ever need to terminate an employee, one of the best tools you can have is an employee handbook that sets out clear policies and is kept up-to-date with changes in employment laws, says Chris Lessard, a California attorney who specializes in HR issues. Lessard, who is J.D. Solution Center Advisor to CEDR HR Solutions, says employee handbooks can protect legal practice … [Read more...] about Can your employee handbook help you safely terminate an employee?
How to eliminate meeting pain points and stop wasting time
Love 'em or hate 'em, meetings are an essential platform for sharing information, brainstorming new ideas, and collaborating as a team. But are they always necessary? It doesn't seem so, finds new research from Accountemps. Professionals surveyed said they spend more than one-fifth (21 percent) of their work hours in meetings but feel a quarter of that time is wasted. Workers … [Read more...] about How to eliminate meeting pain points and stop wasting time
Just how truthful is that applicant’s resume? Here’s how to find out
There's always tough competition for a good job. And sometimes, to beat out the competition, people do more than brush up their resumes. Some fabricate the facts to get in a better position for winning a job. But there's a way to sort out the facts from the fiction, says Michelle Taylor, PhD, of Taylor Consulting in Huntington Beach, CA, a company that provides psychological … [Read more...] about Just how truthful is that applicant’s resume? Here’s how to find out