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Posted on July 27, 2022
Public Resources

If you are experiencing high-pressure, high-demand, never-ending emails, back-to-back meetings, working more than 50 hours (minimum) on a weekly basis, you are most likely susceptible to lawyer burnout. Lawyer burnout is a real issue that occurs more often than we think. "Recent studies have shown that 64% of attorneys have anxiety, 31.​2% feel depressed, 10.​1% feel they have an alcohol problem, and 2.​8% feel they have a drug problem." According to the Attorney Workload and Hours Survey by Bloomberg Law in 2021, lawyers are less satisfied at work and felt burned out more than half of the time. The survey also noted that lawyers worked an average of 53 hours per week - and 80 hours on their busiest week. Mental health and work related issues can include: Disrupted sleep, anxiety, depression, personal relationships, and health issues. The pandemic heightened this issue and brought to surface the disparity between a lawyer's work life and a non-existent personal life. So how do we go about fixing this? 1. Plan ahead - Planning ahead and knowing what is coming up can help reduce stress. When you are planning your week, we recommend planning for family events first. In theory, this is easier said than done, but...

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Posted on July 15, 2022
Public Resources

Have you ever received an email from Netflix, Amazon, Paypal or a familiar company that shows that you made a transaction for $3,585.​58 that you didn't make? Phishing, or hacking, is unfortunately very common and so many people fall victim. According to Proofpoint’s 2022 State of the Phish Report, 83% of organisations fell victim to a phishing attack last year. According to the FBI, businesses lost $2.​4 billion in 2021 to Business Email Compromise (BEC) scams. This is a large, but very common, issue that can cost businesses thousands of dollars. So, how do we differentiate a real email from a phishing or malware email? 1. Look at the senders email address - Hackers do a great job of mimicking the company name, logo, header, and footer, and making the email look like it's from a specific company. When you receive these emails, look at the senders email address - if it isn't straight from the company itself, it may be spam. Sometimes the sender has an email with a combination of letters and numbers instead of a company email. Also, if the email contains gmail.​com or yahoo.​com instead of a business name, it could also be spam. 2. Look for misspellings and punctuation errors...

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Posted on May 31, 2022
Public Resources

According to the "2021 LexisNexis InterAction Marketing & Business Development Survey" the #1 challenge that small and solo law practices face today is competition. Other challenges include staffing, lack of technology and training, and client expectations. Even though we will discuss five challenges that small and solo law firms face, as well as solutions for each, there are dozens more that you may experience on a daily or weekly basis. 1. Competition: Competition can be classified as small law firms competing with larger firms, not having a large marketing budget, or finding new clients. Whether you are a solo or small law practice, growing your firm can be tough and finding new clients can be a huge concern - especially after a global pandemic. There are a few ways to combat this challenge. Although it's hard to compete with larger firms, keeping your website updated and making sure the information is refreshed often can assist with online brand awareness and improving your rankings with Google. This process can lead to quality leads. Another way to assist with this challenge is by posting on social media consistently. Consistency shows trust and reliability. It also helps with educating past, current, and future clients on the services...

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Posted on May 31, 2022
Public Resources

Diversity is not a cookie cutter element in a law firm. Regardless of being a small, mid-size or large law practice, diversity will vary by population-based factors. One benefit to being a larger firm, is having a Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) department. This department assists with bringing in diverse attorneys from different backgrounds and cultures to help resolve legal challenges. This department offers programs to hire and develop diverse talent, reports on metrics and finds new ways to provide inclusion and fairness in the work environment. This can be a disadvantage to small and mid-size law firms because they may not have the funds or resources to establish their own department. Because of this, attorneys have to find creative ways to build diversity into their law practice. The challenges of diversity, inclusion, and equality include: location, salary, attorneys of color, attorneys of different cultures, and flexible schedules to fit diverse needs. According to the latest ABA National Lawyer Population Survey, 86% of lawyers are white, a statistic that hasn’t changed much over the past decade. Additionally, the survey also indicated that only 37% of lawyers were female. When it comes to diversity and inclusion, what are the benefits of having diversity in the workplace? -...

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Posted on May 23, 2022
Public Resources

With school almost out - or maybe it's already out for your kids - you are probably starting to feel the pressure of summer activities mixed with your clients and running a law practice. How do you balance parenting and partnering - especially during the summertime? Earlier this year, we offered a "Parenting, Partnering, and Practicing" workshop where we discussed some ways that you can bring balance to lawyering and parenting: - Plan family time first before planning your work week - Have a weekly family meeting - Schedule a family night once a week - Eat dinner as a family where you can discuss "wins" and goals The legal industry and larger law firms, over time, have adapted and revised their policies to adjust to the needs of parents and caretakers by offering: - Parental leave - Part-time work - Flexible work weeks - Family-friendly offices - Temporary leave - Remote work Balance is important in all aspects of life and isn't just limited to parenting and practicing. During this time, it's important to make time for yourself. This can be done through nutrition, fitness, sleep, relaxing, or meditation. Life can be hectic so finding hobbies that you enjoy can offset any stress that may be caused during summer break. According to the...

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Posted on August 25, 2021
Public Resources

Knowing the answer to the question, "Can I bill for this task?" is one of the most typical problems that young attorneys confront. Showing up in court, speaking with your client about his or her legal concerns, and writing legal papers are all clearly chargeable services, but what about making copies after the secretary has gone home for the evening? More senior attorneys frequently do not offer clear answers to these queries, and guessing is frequently used. When your customer raises these concerns about a bill that reflects dubious work at attorney rates, you may be subjected to even more scrutiny, leading to late payments, disagreements, and a general loss of goodwill that may be costly. It’s important to note that some paralegals aren’t considered paralegals in some jurisdictions/states.  A paralegal's job description isn't always obvious. Lawyers are, of course, extensively regulated by the state bar associations in which they practice. A person cannot practice law or hold oneself out as a lawyer unless they have taken the bar , and are abiding by the state regulations. Paralegals, on the other hand, are typically not obliged to possess any specific licenses or certificates, and while paralegal training programs exist, their profession...

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Posted on February 16, 2021
Public Resources

Keeping a practice afloat amid the unique obstacles presented by 2020 created off-the-chart stress for even the most even-keeled law firm owners, especially solo and small firm practitioners. While focusing on resolving last year’s challenges and problems, a lot of attorneys neglected their mental and physical well-being. They overworked themselves, leading to burnout....

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Posted on October 13, 2020
Public Resources

Meet three attorneys who grew their law firms successfully in the face of 2020's obstacles. This article is based on a panel discussion hosted by Attorney and Atticus Practice Advisor, Steve Riley, and Atticus Director of Client Services, Denise Gamez. Steve and Denise interviewed three Atticus clients who grew their firms exponentially despite the unique challenges of 2020. Panelists: Shannon Sagan, Law Offices of Shannon J. Sagan, PA, Lake Worth, FL, www.1800flalawyer.com Roberta "Bobbie" Batley, Batley Powers Family Law, Albuquerque, NM, www.batleypowers.com Jonathan White, Jordan & White, LLC, Salem, MA, www.jordanwhitellc.com What Was the Biggest Challenge You Faced and Why? DENISE: "Bobbie, you just saw really great growth, what do you think was your biggest challenge?" BOBBIE: "As the Atticus Coaches know, my weakness is being the cheerleader, the hero in our firm in that role. I want to walk in every day and inspire people and set them on a straight course. I suffered a really devastating personal loss at the end of April and I couldn't be that… I just could not be that. So, my star associate, my paralegal, my office manager just pushed me out of the way, stepped in and became that. And, it was that great reminder to me...

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