Wisconsin Law Journal – WI Legal News & Resources Wisconsin Legal News & Resources

Pro bono work is an indisputably positive activity — in theory. However, the specifics of a pro bono plan are not always so indisputable.

It’s better, but it’s still not really good. What I’m talking about is the situation of law schools.

There is a five-step process for establishing a plan for your business.

Sixty-five was selected as the targeted retirement age because, at the time, only a small percentage of the population lived beyond it, and thus the cost of insurance was manageable.

What should you do if a client says to you, “Give me a 10 percent discount . . . or else”?

Expenses in a law firm can be predicted with greater certainty than revenues, because in a professional practice setting, the expenses tend to be limited in kind and repetitive.

What are the most important words in a dictionary? For lawyers, the most important words deal with accounting.

It cannot be emphasized too often that disaster and recovery planning is about people. Staff concerns are especially crucial. Valuable staff members are important during normal times and indispensable in dealing with a calamity.

The practice of law is no different than the business of manufacturing automobiles or cheese. The essence is the same: the only way that these businesses grow is when the owners pay personal attention to their customers/clients.

The term "relationship" is not necessarily a word that you might automatically associate with your work life. But relationships are very important in the business of law.

You know you need to do it, but how? Law firms are rife with data and files, and they must be protected. That’s a given. The specifics, however, often elude lawyers.

It may seem obvious, but some lawyers need reminding: revenue has to exceed expenses in order to have cash flow.

Like the ripples that spread out wider and wider in a pool of water when you throw a pebble into it, your circle of networking contacts can also spread out, encompassing each other and expanding greatly on that original circle.

No business, including a business of law, should begin without a plan. A plan is critical to give the business direction and keep it on track in terms of goals and finances.

The fact that the world is changing is no surprise to anyone, but the fact that the legal world is changing seems to be a surprise to far too many lawyers.

Technology seems to be at the top of everyone’s wish list this year. But be careful: You just might get what you wish for.

With the highlights of Super Bowl XLIX still firmly in our minds, it is a good time to think about the importance of teamwork and how teamwork leads to the success of any team, whether on the field or in a business office.

Having a comprehensive job description for every position in the law office is essential for several reasons.

Empowering staff is a strategic way to make clients happy.

Law firms are comprised of people who do not necessarily have the same goals in mind. Thus, it is important to get together to discuss individual ideas of goals so that everyone can get on the same page for the benefit of the firm.

Lawyers owe many duties to any number of people, but they’re increasingly being asked to do even more.

Any business, including the business of law, grows through personal relationships.

Those diplomas on your wall constitute a point of pride, and they should. But if you hope to achieve an advanced degree of success — not just an advanced degree — you must not see them as an end to your education.

An excess number of lawyers — surely there must be a joke about that!

It seems the more that Americans strive for a work-life balance, the more that such a goal becomes, well, out of balance.

Remember how much time you and your spouse spent picking a name for your child(ren)? Remember how important it seemed to choose a name that would identify that child for the rest of his/her life? Well, no less time should be spent considering the name of your law firm.

A quick glance at the table of contents for the American Bar Association Model Rules of Professional Conduct is all it takes to let you know that the client is No. 1.

Let’s talk about Red Lobster. Yes, the seafood restaurant chain. You may be asking yourself, “What does Red Lobster have to do with the practice of law?” The answer is, “They are both businesses.”

Want a surefire way to protect against at least some lawsuits? Don’t discriminate!

Ever since the debut of The Jetsons, a TV cartoon show that featured a world of futuristic technology and robots, most of us have been aware of the impending death of many jobs and careers.