When a long sentence contains a collection of items that are similar in nature and importance, consider replacing it with an introductory clause followed by a bulleted list. In the March, 2021 edition of the Bulletin, we discussed the importance…
Improve the Law Firm Client Experience with Frictionless Billing
Originally published: https://lawpay.com/about/blog/law-firm-client-experience-frictionless-billing/ People have gotten used to the convenience of electronic payments and online bills. Many studies show that the majority of people expect all types of businesses, including both retail and service providers, to offer a wide variety…
It’s a Zoom, Zoom, Zoom, Zoom World!
No doubt video improves the ability to communicate in the negotiation process whether in mediation or with direct negotiations. Video court proceedings have successfully emerged as a productive and efficient way of handling civil and even criminal court proceedings. And…
The Importance of Secure Communication and Collaboration in 2021
Lawyers have an ethical obligation to preserve client confidentiality. For that reason, the need to protect client confidences has always been a top priority for lawyers. This means that when lawyers and their staff work remotely – a practice that…
Risk Management: Mitigating Risk in the COVID-19 Era
For the last 12 months, most California attorneys have worked from home instead of an office. In addition to logistical challenges, working from home presents further risks of potential claims against attorneys. Below are three tips firms should consider to…
Answering the Call
Celebrating 75 years serving the community: 1946-2021 This coming August, the Lawyer Referral and Information Service (LRIS) of BASF will officially turn 75. The dynamic growth and changes to the program over the last seven and a half decades are…
Improve Your Client Intake: 5 Steps to Seal the Deal
The client intake process is arguably the most critical part of your law firm management. It’s how you get clients, procure retainers, and generate cash flow. The initial client consultation sets the tone for the entire case, so make sure…
Favor the Simple, Declarative Sentence
Resisting the urge to pack your sentences with numerous thoughts and details will make your writing easier to understand and thus, more effective. Use of sprawling, convoluted sentences—in legal memoranda, briefs to the court, judicial opinions, statutes, and transactional documents—is…
A Case Management Platform For The Pandemic Era
While many discuss the coronavirus pandemic as a force that has dramatically reshaped workplaces in 2020, few note the extent to which it has revolutionized how lawyers interact with their colleagues and clients — and the new expectations clients now…
Risk Management: Terminating Attorney-Client Relationships
During the first quarter of the new year, this column identifies strategies to minimize the risk of claims in 2021. The first strategy is to effectively terminate a representation once it concludes. In California, the statute of limitations for a…
Conclude Forcefully
In the final section of your brief, don’t forget to remind the court why your side should win. All too often, having run out of time, space, and energy, you finally get to the end of the brief you’ve been…
Working From Home During the Pandemic: Top Tips and Considerations from a Solo and Small Firm Attorney
In March 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom announced a statewide shelter-in-place order in California. On March 25, 2020, I, alongside Diane Camacho of DLS Consulting Services and Brittny Bottorff of the Law Office of Brittny Bottorff, presented a panel entitled “Change…