Law Office Manager

Hiring & firing

Step by step guide to successful lateral hiring

Attracting a lateral hire requires more than sending out a request for resumes. To find the candidate it wants, the firm has to decide on the specific qualifications it is looking for. But more, it has to set a time limit for resume submissions, keep the candidates updated throughout the process, and make an offer the top candidate can't refuse. Here's exactly what we … [Read more...] about Step by step guide to successful lateral hiring

Easy-to-use interview system guarantees a good match between secretary and attorney

For secretarial interviews, an Ohio administrator uses the approach that includes everything—attorney input, staff input and even observations from the receptionist. At the 25-attorrney firm in Dayton, the administrator set up the system not only to make sure the applicant is qualified for the job but also to evaluate how well the secretary will work with the attorney and … [Read more...] about Easy-to-use interview system guarantees a good match between secretary and attorney

Always ask these 7 questions before you fire a staffer

They are the seven-question solution. They have become the standard for determining whether a firing is justified. A "no" answer to any one of them leaves room for argument that a dismissal was discriminatory. They are the seven questions arbitrators ask when settling firing disputes. They are a valuable pre-termination checklist to determine whether a firing is … [Read more...] about Always ask these 7 questions before you fire a staffer

10 interview questions that reveal the true personality of every job applicant

Interviewing job candidates is perhaps the most serious responsibility of management. A bad hire is a full-time disaster, because the lawyers, the staff, and the manager spend more time with that person than they do with their own families. Interviewing is an artificial situation and managers get tricked by it. Everybody can have a pat answer to the standard questions of "what … [Read more...] about 10 interview questions that reveal the true personality of every job applicant

Five personalities to weed out when hiring for staff positions

Just as important as being able to do the work and being willing to do the work is having a personality that fits the job. Five traits can spell disaster in law firm staffing. Those five traits can cause severe friction within the staff. They can stymie the work. And they can undermine the administrator. Here's a definition of each plus the detection questions to ask and the … [Read more...] about Five personalities to weed out when hiring for staff positions

Five dangers in dealing with harassment complaints

As with firing, the rules are well known, yet employers still fall into the common violations that spawn claims of sexual harassment, says management consultant Joseph Godwin of F&H Solutions Group in Asheville, NC. Here are five areas that warrant attention. 1. No, it's not sour grapes Don't dismiss any complaint, particularly one from a fired or demoted employee, as sour … [Read more...] about Five dangers in dealing with harassment complaints

Assigning secretaries to case types improves litigation work flow

A Tulsa administrator had serious secretarial problems. Work flow was stymied, productivity was down, client service was suffering, and morale was low. The cure, however, was simple. It was nothing more than a secretary reassignment strategy. Now the secretaries still work for specific attorneys but at the same time, each secretary is assigned to handle all the work in a … [Read more...] about Assigning secretaries to case types improves litigation work flow

A manual that covers the entire administration

A Washington, D.C. administrator has set up an operations manual that covers every imaginable item of managing the firm. It holds the basics of everything so that when she is out, the firm “can be on autopilot and keep the trains running on time,” says Jill D. Hirsch, chief operating officer of Slevin & Hart. And, she says, “it’s for me as well as for someone stepping in … [Read more...] about A manual that covers the entire administration

5 proven ways to spot and avoid hiring potentially “toxic employees” … and what to do if you already have them

Got toxins in the office? Toxins are people who cause dissent. They undermine people. They create an atmosphere of mistrust and suspicion. They kill the camaraderie. They are toxic because they cause enough misery to force worthwhile staffers to leave. Law firms are notorious for putting up with toxic people at both the attorney and staff levels. Professional people are not … [Read more...] about 5 proven ways to spot and avoid hiring potentially “toxic employees” … and what to do if you already have them