Pro bono work is an indisputably positive activity — in theory. However, the specifics of a pro bono plan are not always so indisputable.
Read More »Author Archives: ED POLL
LAWBIZ COACHES CORNER: Improving law schools: It’s good business
It’s better, but it’s still not really good. What I’m talking about is the situation of law schools.
Read More »LAWBIZ COACHES CORNER: Ghosts? Proper business procedures ward off scary occurrences
There is a five-step process for establishing a plan for your business.
Read More »LAWBIZ COACHES CORNER: When looking to the future, be sure to protect the past
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.
Read More »LAWBIZ COACHES CORNER: Approaches to approaching fee discontent
What should you do if a client says to you, “Give me a 10 percent discount . . . or else”?
Read More »LAWBIZ COACHES CORNER: A rough industry guideline to expense tracking
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.
Read More »LAWBIZ COACHES CORNER: Taking definitions into account
What are the most important words in a dictionary? For lawyers, the most important words deal with accounting.
Read More »LAWBIZ COACHES CORNER: Help is at hand
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.
Read More »LAWBIZ COACHES CORNER: Business of law much like manufacturing cheese
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.
Read More »LAWBIZ COACHES CORNER: Play nice with your banker
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.
Read More »LAWBIZ COACHES CORNER: Electronic data protection: The how-to’s
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.
Read More »LAWBIZ COACHES CORNER: Prioritizing wants versus needs
It may seem obvious, but some lawyers need reminding: revenue has to exceed expenses in order to have cash flow.
Read More »LAWBIZ COACHES CORNER: Networking — the ripple effect
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.
Read More »LAWBIZ COACHES CORNER: Get logical about logistics
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.
Read More »LAWBIZ COACHES CORNER: Forward thinkers = forward movers
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.
Read More »LAWBIZ COACHES CORNER: Careful techie, you might get what you wish for
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.
Read More »LAWBIZ COACHES CORNER: Team play wins the game
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.
Read More »LAWBIZ COACHES CORNER: The importance of job descriptions
Having a comprehensive job description for every position in the law office is essential for several reasons.
Read More »LAWBIZ COACHES CORNER: The key to client satisfaction
Empowering staff is a strategic way to make clients happy.
Read More »LAWBIZ COACHES CORNER: Shared goals equal shared success
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.
Read More »LAWBIZ COACHES CORNER: Firms, public expecting more from lawyers
Lawyers owe many duties to any number of people, but they’re increasingly being asked to do even more.
Read More »LAWBIZ COACHES CORNER: Real people still real drive behind marketing
Any business, including the business of law, grows through personal relationships.
Read More »LAWBIZ COACHES CORNER: For successful lawyers, the learning never ends
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.
Read More »LAWBIZ COACHES CORNER: Are buyouts ageism or a contract issue?
An excess number of lawyers — surely there must be a joke about that!
Read More »LAWBIZ COACHES CORNER: The problem with working long past 40 hours
It seems the more that Americans strive for a work-life balance, the more that such a goal becomes, well, out of balance.
Read More »LAWBIZ COACHES CORNER: Make yourself a household name
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.
Read More »LAWBIZ COACHES CORNER: Clients are No. 1 in Model Rules — and in your practice
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.
Read More »LAWBIZ COACHES CORNER: A lesson from Red Lobster
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.”
Read More »LAWBIZ COACHES CORNER: Lawsuits don’t discriminate among discriminators
Want a surefire way to protect against at least some lawsuits? Don’t discriminate!
Read More »LAWBIZ COACHES CORNER: Give clients service a robot can’t
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.
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