7. Staffing For Your 2022 Law Firm Goals

Walt Disney said, “You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality.”

So today we are going to do an eye opener episode, because I really want to show my small and solo firms what type of professionals they should be seeking to support their firm’s goals, when they should be seeking it, how they should find it, and how to properly leverage and manage it once they have.

6. Forced Ranking Method

What do you do when you’re feeling incredibly behind in your law firm? Your case work is piling up, you have so many outstanding tasks you just don’t even know where to even begin chiseling away.

Whatever may have led you to having such a huge backlog of work that is now overburdening you and your staff, the forced ranking method will be the most simple and effective process to provide you a ton of insight as to what you should be delegating, what you should hold onto, when to get it done and what takes priority. Doing this will bring immediate clarity and, ultimately, remove the brain fog that blocks your ability to think clearly on your cases.

5. Policies & Procedures Handbook for Small & Solo Law Firms

How do you make a policies and procedures handbook for a small law firm? I want to note that sometimes policy and procedure handbooks can feel a bit too “corporate” and “stuffy” for small, tight nit law firms. Coming from a solo and small background, there are ways to implement procedures in a way that doesn’t feel like you’re slapping a 40 pound policy book on your new hire’s lap on their first day. This handbook is really what I like to call a “policies and procedures amendable bible.” This particular handbook isn’t necessarily going to be circulated around your team members. Typically, the only person creating, amending and viewing this giant handbook will be the managing attorney, lead paralegal and/or case manager, and also your project management consultant if you have one.

4. Staffing for Sustainable Growth

In today's episode, we discuss what it means to staff your law firm for sustainable growth. So often, small and solo law firms are working with marketing agencies that are successful at bringing in new business through the doors. However, when the firm doesn't focus on the hiring actions they are going to take to be sure they are supported to handle the work coming through, the marketing efforts are forced to slow down or shut down completely. Here, we look at the strategic and innovative way a law firm can staff their law firm for the specific need at the given moment, staff for the talent needed to resolve bottlenecks, staff in a way that is adjustable, and make sound hiring decisions when it is time to bring on a full or part time employee.

3. Legal project management processes simplified for law firms

Case management softwares are not going to make processes for you. The law firm needs to establish processes and then leverage a tool to really bring those processes to life with ease. That is why so many law firms, especially solo law firms and small law firms, are in and out of case management softwares. Even if you found the best software that does it all, project management requires a human element of internal process establishment that needs to be defined and consistent before any case or project management system can actually be beneficial.

2. The Lead Paralegal Every Solo Attorney Needs

Does your paralegal or anyone that supports your law firm have a solid understanding of what you are facing on a daily basis? Do they really understand the top challenges of you as the solo attorney in charge? When you expand your abilities beyond a technical focus and start "acting like a CEO," you'll become more valuable, but you need someone in your office that understands what it takes for you to "act like a CEO" or you will never be able to. Someone needs to know every step you and the firm need to take in the business on a day to day basis that will keep cases moving forward and allow you to focus on getting new leads through the door and increasing your law firm’s profitability.

1 - Success is Not synonymous with fear based grit

I think lawyers and business owners alike feel that “no pain no gain” method a little too strongly. As a business owner myself, I catch myself fearing ease because the lack of resistance gives me a false sense that all I have worked for is going to slip away the moment I stop feeling like I’m “working hard.” Working towards success isn’t synonymous with fear based “grit.” Give yourself a moment to breathe, invite ease into your business, and watch as you start to recognize feel-good solution… Listen on all major podcast platforms