Prepaid legal fees and refundability of those fees was the subject of American Bar Association Formal Opinion 505. The recently released opinion states that under the Model Rules of Professional Conduct, a fee paid to a lawyer in advance for services to be rendered in the future must be placed in a client trust
Takeaways from the 2022 OBA Solo & Small Firm Conference
We had some great tips and content at the Oklahoma Bar Association Solo and Small Firm Conference this summer. I wrote about it in the Oklahoma Bar Journal, but forgot to cross post it here. This piece includes some of the best tips. Thanks so much to Brett Burney and Kenton Brice for the great
Avoiding ‘Hello L’office’ and Other Law Firm Telephone Tips
I had no idea how many law firms answered their phones with “Hello L’office” until I went to work for the OBA. But it’s not limited to Oklahoma. I have received the same greeting calling lawyers’ offices in many states. Obviously, the intended greeting is “Hello Law Office,” but when you are busy and do
Overcoming Trust Account Management Challenges
We recently did a Digital Edge podcast Overcoming Trust Account Management Challenges. 
Our guest was Paul Garibian, a fintech expert, entrepreneur, and current CEO of Nota. Nota provides financial services to lawyers including trust accounts with no services charges. We discussed common mistakes lawyers make with their trust accounts, the serious consequences of mismanaging
Protecting Your Clients When You Aren’t Able to Help
Lawyers often deal with the challenges that occur when people die without making a last will and testament. One result is sometimes intestacy laws distribute property differently than the deceased might have wanted. Additional expenses and legal fees are almost always a result.
Similar challenges and expenses can occur when a lawyer dies or becomes
The Changing Dynamics of a “People Law” Practice
Do you practice People Law? There has long been a perceived difference between large law firm practice and small law firm practice. But, in my view, the major difference is not the size of the law firm, but the type of clients primarily served.
Those who study the data of law practice have noted that
Virtual ABA TECHSHOW 2021 is a Great Event and a Real Bargain
ABA TECHSHOW 2021 will be held March 8 -12, 2021 and will be virtual. But a virtual venue means it is much more affordable with lowered registration fees and no need for travel and lodging expense.
As you know, ABA TECHSHOW 2021 brings together attorneys, legal technologists, thought leaders, law professors and many legal tech
10 Top Technology Tools for the Small Firm Lawyer
Let me stress this is “ten top” tools, not a ranked Top Ten list. But these ten types of tools should be on the agenda for implementation in most solo and small firm practices.
Here’s the quote I’d emphasize from the column.
The most significant observation I have distilled from the past year is the
The Copier in Your Pocket
It is now a cliché to note that we have more computing power in our mobile phones than NASA had at its disposal during the moon missions. Today we’ll discuss harnessing one bit of that power with scanning apps.
Suppose you are visiting with a client outside of your office and the client shows you
Client Portals Are Now an Essential Service for Law Firms to Offer
The Oklahoma Bar Association has a new digital publication called Courts & More. It is sent to OBA members and features links to the recent Oklahoma appellate court opinions and other Oklahoma legal news. I write a practice management feature for that publication and will republish it here the week after it goes out to