A Day (or Two) in the Life of LPM: Meeting Day-to-Day Practice Management Challenges with Law Practice Management Resources

By Natalie R. Thornwell

In 1995, the State Bar of Georgias Law Practice Management Program was developed from the efforts of the Solo and Small Firm Task Force. Since that time, the program has grown and continues to provide services that help Georgia law firms properly set up and run their law offices. In an effort to introduce some to and re-acquaint others with the popular work of this program and its low-cost services for Bar members, I have decided to discuss some of the most popular resources available from the program.

While it is not likely that our program will ever experience a day like the one(s) outlined below, I must tell you that we have on certain occasions come close.

8:30 AM
Phone rings. Third-year law student is looking for information on starting his own practice. He asks what do I need to get started? Do I have to have a business license? What about a trust account and malpractice insurance? LPM responds by sending him an Office Startup kit. This kit developed by LPM and updated with funding from ANLIR (American National Lawyers Insurance Reciprocal), the Bars endorsed malpractice insurance carrier, is mailed to the young lawyer-to-be.

8:35 AM
Phone rings again. A 2nd year associate indicates he is about to go solo. Is there some way we can help? Sure, there is. He is directed to the resources of the checkout library, and a publication called, Flying Solo. A startup kit is thrown in too to help him get his office started.

9:00 AM
Lawyer stops by the LPM department to take a look at the resources we have in the checkout library. After perusing the 500+ items, she decides she wants to checkout two items. LPM informs her she is only allowed to checkout one item at a time for two weeks, but after she is done with the first item, she can mail it back and be mailed her second choice in return. She doesnt have to fight traffic and find parking again. Attorney smiles, and checkouts out volume.

LPM gives her full list of materials to take with her.

9:25 AM
Attorney faxes over quotes from three vendors who are bidding to network his computers. LPM compares the quotes to industry standards for the Attorneys location and faxes back its analysis of which company would probably be best to work with on the networking project.

9:45AM
Local Bar Association member calls to ask if LPM will participate in a meeting of her Bar Association by presenting on Financial Management for Small Law Firms. LPM agrees and sends outline for presentation to member. LPM will discuss general and trust accounting, time and billing techniques, and alternative billing methods.

10:00 AM
LPM receives e-mail of library checkout request. It seems a lawyer visiting the State Bars website found the LPM page at www.gabar.org/lpm.htm, and discovered sample forms and the list of library materials. Seeing how easy it was to get a book on the list, the lawyer submitted a checkout request. He also noticed past articles, a list of software library items on the site as well. Upon moving on, he also saw an announcement of future discussion boards and departmental newsletters for the site.

10:15 AM
Phone rings. Lawyer looking for used law books wants to know if LPM can help. LPM gives list of companies and their contact information.

10:30 AM
LPM meets with General Practice and Trial Section to set schedule for the next wave of Law Staff seminars to be held around the state. It was decided that the seminars would be re-evaluated. The seminars series based on popular demand that had been given in the past were on the topics: Law Office Confidentiality and Ethics; General Administrative Systems for Law Offices; Time and Billing and Accounting; How to Deal with Difficult Clients, Bosses, and Co-Workers (with panels of local lawyers); and Organization and Stress Management.

10:50 AM
LPM submits material to local law firm for upcoming in-house CLE program to be delivered by LPM.

11:00 AM
Attorney looking for technology solutions calls to ask LPM if they are familiar with any systems that might help his non-techie practice. LPM discussed with the attorney: networking her computers; the current systems in place in her office; the case management systems that are most popular and the number of features in these programs that could help in her practice; automating her time and billing and accounting procedures; adding in litigation support; and an implementation plan for getting the programs installed in her office and having her and her staff properly trained. LPM invited the attorney to set an appointment to come by the LPM software library to compare the software packages she seemed most interested in before purchasing. (Follow up to this story: The attorney visited the library and chose an appropriate package. She ordered the software at a discount through LPM, and requested they come to her office and implement the program.)

11:55 PM
Phone rings. Lawyer wants to know if we have a sample partnership agreement. LPM faxes several samples and lets lawyer know that there are several good ABA publications that may help him with drafting his own agreement, and that these books are available for checkout from the resource library.

12:00 PM Lunch

1:00 PM
LPM visits nearby Law School to present short program to students on How to Start and Build a Successful Law Practice.

1:30 PM
LPM spends the rest of the day performing an on-site consulting visit with a local firm having several management issues. The staff is out of control, the accounting procedures are called into question after account errors are found, the firm is having trouble with locating files, clients have expressed concerns over unreturned calls, and the firm does not know how to handle the twelve new cases it just acquired. LPM investigates the issues by meeting with the partners to map out a plan of action for the visit. LPM then interviews all of the attorneys and the staff asking questions about the systems and procedures used in the firm. LPM informs the firm that recommendations will be put in writing and sent to them. The firm pays a low consulting fee based on the amount of time spent in the firm (half-day) and the number of attorneys in the firm.

5:30 PM
LPM rests.

Natalie Thornwell is the Director of the Law Practice Management Program.