Reid My Blog!

Congressional Research at Your Fingertips

The new OpenCRS website is a new must-bookmark site for lawyers in all types of practice.  The site provides high-quality informational briefs on a wide range of topics--from immigration to Internet privacy to medical malpractice reform with a state-by-state survey of caps on punitive damages--prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS).

The CRS is the non-partisan think tank funded by Congress to provide members of Congress with objective information on any topic requested.  The CRS serves only Congress.  The briefs are not available to the Executive Branch or the public.  As a former Congressional staffer, I can attest to the high-quality of these well-written briefs.

Now OpenCRS in conjunction with several public entities, including the University of Maryland Law School and the Franklin Pierce Law Center are providing these reports to lawyers and the general public.

Lawyers will find many of the reports useful for factual research and baseline legal research.

Congratulations to Jim Calloway

A tip of the ol' blogosphere cap to Jim Calloway, whose Law Practice Tips Blog won the 2005 Technolawyer @ Award as the Favorite Practice Management Blog.  Jim's blog is a terrific resource for lawyers in any firm or practice area, especially his Website of the Week series.  Jim is my blog mentor and friend, who has spent many, many hours explaining the benefits of blogging and RSS feeds to the legal profession.  His blog is his personal example of how blogs can and do work to benefit lawyers, law firms, and the legal profession. I can't think of a more deserving person to win this inaugural technology award!

Congratulations, Jim!

Flying Solo Takes Flight Once Again

I just finished reading the page proofs for the upcoming new edition of Flying Solo, the venerable bookshelf practice management classic published by the ABA. This is a terrific must-have book for all solo and small firm practitioners who are committed to the effective, efficient, ethical and profitable practice of law.

Granted, as chair of the ABA Law Practice Management Publishing Board that publishes Flying Solo, I may not be completely objective! However, I read all of the books we publish, and this is among the best.

This edition features over 50 chapters written by leading practitioners and law firm management experts such as Joel Bennett, David Masters, Dennis Kennedy, Jim Calloway, Larry Bodine, Jerry Lawson, Lynda Shely, Jim Dimitriou, Tom Kane, Nancy Byerly Jones, Linda Ravdin, Carolyn Elefant, Mark Robertson, Kerry Randall, Gary Munneke, Ed Poll, and Rick Klau. (In the interest of full disclosure, I also contributed two chapters.)

Expertly edited by Portland solo practitioner, K. William Gibson, this book covers most of the issues lawyers face in the life of a solo or small firm--from staffing to technology, marketing to mergers, cash flow to vacations, and just about everything in between. It will be a great addition to your business library today and for many years to come.

I am honored to part of the community effort to bring this practice resource to the legal profession.  I know you will find reading the book as rewarding as I did.

Proof That Client Service is Worth Millions

Sometimes winning $16.8 million for your clients is not enough.  It's how you win it that matters. That's the lesson from this story in the Buffalo News about a family's displeasure with their lawyers, despite the firm obtaining a $16.8 million personal injury verdict on their behalf.

Disbursement issues, the right-to-control-settlement, and dissatisfaction on other matters caused the father to file a disciplinary complaint against the attorneys, and he is threatening to file a malpractice claim.

The complaint played a part in the recent decision by the New York Appellate Division of the State Supreme Court to discipline the lawyers.

The case highlights the importance of superior client service even in the face of exceptional legal service.  Today's clients want to be involved in the resolution of their legal matters. Most are unfamiliar with legal matters, but do understand client service.  Clients who feel left out of the process or pushed beyond their comfort zone will lose faith and trust in their legal advocates. A lawyer's foremost asset is intellectual objectivity, but it must be balanced against the client's expectations.  If these are out of sync, client dissatisfaction follows. It is important for lawyers and firms to continually gauge client satisfaction throughout and after the legal representation to make sure attorney and client expectations are being met, or problems will result.

No matter how good the results in court, the final verdict is really in the hands of the client.  Firms that make client service their highest priority will reap the benefits and avoid the pitfalls, even when the legal results are measured in millions of dollars.

The New York Yankees, Miami Heat, and Your Law Firm

Recent injuries to key players in the NBA playoffs underscore an oft-ignored principle that applies to law firms as well as professional sports teams: A team needs time to adjust after losing a member of the team. 

Many firms view the loss of a lawyer, paralegal, admin support, or “C” level employee as an inconvenience; once the person is replaced, the firm will move on.  However, such a view ignores the true impact on the remaining members of the team.

The loss of a team member causes changes to the entire group.  The work flow dynamics,   productivity and (for the lack of a better word), karma of the law firm must now readjust.  The more integral the member, the longer it takes to make the adjustments.

The Yankees have struggled all year with various members of the team missing multiple games.  The Miami Heat lost star point guard, Dwayne Wade, for Game 6 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals; they were beaten by almost 30 points!  The Chicago Bulls have yet to reclaim the glory of the Michael Jordan years.  All these teams still have some of the top talent in the world, but they have trouble competing until the team adjusts to the loss of one player and the addition of the replacement.

Clearly, the loss of a rainmaking partner has an impact on a law firm; however, do not underestimate the impact on all levels.  Even when an associate or administrative staff person leaves, there are changes to address.

True, the new person requires training to fit in the firm; however, the existing people also need time to make adjustments.  Current staff was used to working with the person who left.  They were familiar with their working style, idiosyncrasies, even their favorite sports teams and movies.  Everyone must now re-establish a new working relationship with that new person.

This adjustment period takes time.  It takes patience and understanding of team management to understand this and to work with the team to make sure the new player fits.

During this time, productivity will be down as members get to know the working style of the new player.  Team dynamics will change as the new person assimilates into the team. Professional friendships need time to root and become established.  Such relationships improve work-flow, loyalty, and personal investment in the firm.

An enlightened team manager not only allows time for these dynamics, but nurtures them as well.  In addition to introducing the members of the team, make sure team members know the firm is sensitive to the changes and will work with the team to make sure they return to top form as soon as practicable.

And the next time a team player is about to leave, make sure you have considered the costs of making a change that effects all members of your championship team!