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Atticus Law Firm and Attorney Coaching Workshops

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Posted on May 22, 2020
Public Resources

Even before the Covid-19 crisis sent us all into lockdown and law firms became virtual overnight, studies showed that most people in the workplace spent 28% of their day dealing with unnecessary interruptions of all kinds. Some were self-generated; some came from co-workers and some originated from a disruptive environment. Now that many of us are working from home, the problem has become worse. Attorneys, paralegals, and team members of all kinds are faced with interruptions at a whole new level as they try to be productive from home. Spouses who are also working from home, kids that must be home-schooled, parents that must be cared for – the situation, especially for working parents, has become almost unmanageable. Unfortunately, according to studies conducted before the lockdown, we like being interrupted on some level. In the busy law office, most people had gotten used to switching tasks every ten minutes or so and had begun to have an even-shorter attention span, trading efficiency, and focus for the thrills involved in juggling many things at once. Now, at home and coping with new and competing responsibilities, many who are working virtually are under a great deal of stress. There are a few techniques that can help. Many...

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Posted on May 14, 2020
Public Resources

Many Lawyer's Lead Lives of Quiet Desperation Even in the best of times, attorneys are prone to anxiety, depression and substance abuse. Over the last several years, attorneys have taken the lead among all professionals in these categories and many lead lives of quiet desperation as they struggle to cope with the increasing demands of clients, the need to produce a perfect work product and growing competition in the marketplace. According to Dr. Deborah Day, Psy.D, Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Certified Family Mediator in Winter Park, Florida, the additional stress forced upon attorneys dealing with the impact of Covid 19 has brought many to the breaking point. Attorneys in every stage and age of life are contemplating a future filled with unknowns and asking themselves if their firm, their job and their bank accounts will survive. Given that this pandemic has the potential to devastate many small businesses, these are legitimate concerns. Unfortunately, Dr. Day says, she’s noticed an alarming trend: these concerns are “leaking” into conversations with clients as attorneys allow themselves to speculate about their uncertain future. While she wants attorneys to communicate authentically, she warns this is not an appropriate outlet to process fears. Anxious attorneys should avoid dwelling on...

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Posted on April 15, 2020
Public Resources

  Join us April 16th and 17th for Rocket Aid, two full days of legal educational webinars and legal technology programming designed to help your firm thrive in this new reality. Network face-to-face with friends and others in virtual conference rooms. Learn how to run an online practice, generate revenue, and market in our changing world. For $25, Rocket Aid is providing 13 hours of educational webinars on how to run a law firm in today's environment (12.5 of CLE in Florida). Better yet, 100% of the proceeds will be split between United Way's COVID-19 Fund, Feeding America, and Pro Bono Net. We'd love for you to join us online in the conference. Attorney and Atticus Practice Advisor Steve Riley will lead a session on Friday at 12:30 pm, and he will share strategies on managing your team and productivity in a remote work environment. Members of our client services team will host a virtual meeting room in the event's Expo Hall. The entire event will be recorded, so you can feel free to pop in and out of sessions and watch the rest whenever you have the time. We hope to see you there!...

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Posted on April 1, 2020
Public Resources

Interview with Shawn McNalis, Shareholder, Practice Advisor Trainer, and Curriculum Director at Atticus, on how law firms are responding to the COVID-19 crisis, strategic downsizing, and how they can change their organizations to go from struggling to survive to thriving during an economic downturn. Q: This is a very stressful time for many. The Coronavirus has ground the economy to a halt and created a lot of uncertainty. How are law firms managing the crisis? A: No one is handling this well. How they manage depends on how vulnerable they feel they are. Those who have a large financial cushion, a lot of files in their WIP, and the ability to operate virtually are the most secure, though the unpredictable nature of this crisis has them nervous as well. Firms that have no financial cushion, not a lot of work to do and who struggle to operate virtually are the most vulnerable. They will get help in the form of disaster relief loans, but that is also a confusing process. Q: Many firms are having to make tough, and often emotional calls. Some are considering reducing their operational overhead through layoffs and furloughs. What is the best advice you can give? A: Put the people...

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Posted on February 22, 2020
Public Resources

In the book, The 8 Dimensions of Leadership: DISC Strategies for Becoming a Better Leader, authors Jeffrey Sugerman, Mark Scullard and Emma Wilhelm give convincing evidence that leadership comes in a multitude of styles. Based on the DISC model of behavior – one of the most scientifically validated behavioral assessment tools available today, their work shatters many of our fundamental assumptions about leadership. ...

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Posted on February 18, 2020
Public Resources

A good staff is the backbone of any successful law firm, and the difference between a good staff and a poor one can make or break your practice. But a good staff doesn’t happen by accident. From vetting to hiring, from training to empowerment, a good staff is built carefully with people who embrace your values and vision. When you finally have your optimal team in place, your office runs smoothly, efficiently and, we hope, profitably. A good staff, especially one that's been intact for a considerable amount of time, combines unique strengths from its members. The whole really is greater than the sum of its parts. A study in Harvard Business Review found "familiarity was a better predictor of performance than the individual experience of team members or project managers." Familiarity doesn’t breed contempt; it breeds competency. That said, however, turnover is the one universal truth among any workplace or organization — your law firm included. The challenge is to keep your team as intact as possible, and here’s where incentives play a part. A good, competitive salary is a must. People want to feel like they’re valued, and often they equate that to the dollars on their paychecks. But beyond salary are...

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Posted on January 8, 2020
Public Resources

This may seem like a strange place to start, but you really need to know your firm’s mission, vision, and values. If you have never gone through this exercise, or it has been many years, I strongly encourage you to go through a facilitated conversation to uncover these. These answers are what will help guide you in getting this people issue right....

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