Opening a law office is a very different operation today than a few decades ago. In my feature Opening a Modern Law Office: Coping with Today’s Rapidly Changing Law Firm Business Model, I contrast several of the differences between those days and today. A new lawyer having an experienced lawyer to guide them is a valuable and irreplaceable resource. But the experienced lawyers do not know it all and a novice can provide assistance to them in return in certain areas. Here’s my example:
“For the beginning lawyer, it is important to rely on local experienced lawyers and mentors for advice about:
• questions about substantive law,
• developing sound legal strategies,
• how to handle a matter where you have limited experience,
• your first jury trial and
• opposing counsel’s inexplicable behavior.
“But, with all due respect to the experienced lawyers around the state, I also suggest to beginning lawyers that they should pay more attention to the modern experts on topics like:
• the need for a digital practice management system,
• legal project management,
• paperless office procedures,
• automated document assembly,
• online marketing of your practice and future trends.”
This was part of an “Opening a Law Office” theme issue of the Oklahoma Bar Journal for August 2015.
There is a lot of great content in this issue, including past OBA President Stephen Beam’s 11 Things to Know When Starting a Small Town Practice which should be required reading for most lawyers, even if they do practice in the big city.
My friend Michelle C. Harrington is always teasing me about how non-teckie she is and so I was not surprised she chose the topic The Non-Tech Side of Starting Your Own Practice.
Legal ethics is always an important topic. OBA Ethics Counsel Joseph P. Balkenbush reminds us of Ethical Considerations When Opening a Law Practice while Stillwater, Oklahoma lawyer D. Scott Pappas reminds us of the most important concept of trust accounts with Because It Is Not Your Money! Tulsa lawyer Tracey Garrison notes The Importance of Your Fellow Lawyers. Whatever your practice setting, you are joining a legal community, like it or not.
There is much more in this theme issue from Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to purchasing insurance. You can view all of the feature articles in Opening a Law Office Oklahoma Bar Journal theme issue by downloading the entire issue in PDF format. There is something in this edition for every lawyer, no matter how long ti has been since you opened your law practice.