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Month: February 2021

Amy Gardner: Law Firm Partner Turned Law Practice Development Expert | THE 1958 LAWYER Podcast

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The secret to law practice development? Successful attorneys are using coaches; experts like Amy who know the legal industry inside and out. From law practice partner, to legal educator, to Apochromatik, over a cup of coffee Amy can offer her fellow attorneys expertise it’d take decades for them to learn from books. Which is why her lawyer clients call her their ‘secret weapon.’

Developing Your Law Practice with Actionable Goals:

  • Driving employee engagement without a traditional office setup (5:44)
  • Goals you can measure and where attorneys trip up (14:34)
  • Where do you want to end up? (21:24)
  • What Amy Gardner wants to see changed in the business of law (35:23)

Follow “The 1958 Lawyer” on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher

For a long-term career, take control with purpose and develop a law practice you love.

“One law firm partner told us not too long ago, ‘My team needs more than just another happy hour.’ And so it really is about making sure that teams have the time to spend together. And that [this time is spent] building relationships, rather than just getting things done.”

“I see lawyers all the time will say things like I want to bring in more business. Well, that’s a great aspiration. But that’s not really a goal, right? You got to have measurements so that you know whether or not you’ve achieved your goal.”

“The people who work for [a law firm] really want feedback, and they want mentoring….They feel like the maybe the firm will teach them how to write a brief. But that doesn’t mean that they feel like they’re always getting as much guidance as they want in terms of how to present arguments and things like that.”

CONNECT WITH AMY GARDNER, Law Practice Development Coach

Amy Gardner

Amy M. Gardner is a certified Career and Career Transitions Coach and Team Development and Leadership Consultant with Apochromatik. She coaches attorneys and other professionals one-on-one, in small group “Future in Focus” attorney masterminds, and delivers workshops for law firms and other employers.

Her work draws on her unique experience as dean of students at the University of Chicago Law School and a successful career practicing law, first as a Skadden litigation associate and later as an associate and then partner at a mid-size Chicago firm. Her career and goal achievement advice has been featured in media including ABA publications, Bustle, Corporette, Glassdoor, Health, Monster, NBC, and Women’s Running magazine.

Amy’s LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/amygardner

Apochromatik: www.apochromatik.com
Blog: https://www.apochromatik.com/blog
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/apochromatik
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/apochromatik
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_apochromatik/

More Law Practice Development Blogs

Have comments, questions, or concerns? Contact us at [email protected]

“The 1958 Lawyer and his 1938 Dollar” still defines the business of law…
It’s time for a change.

If you’re a lawyer, you’re familiar with the ABA article “The 1958 Lawyer and his 1938 Dollar” which gives our podcast its title, and its inspiration. That article was the start of the billable hour for law firms…And the last major change to the business of law, 70+ years ago now. Well, it’s past time for another change.

This podcast is all about bucking the status quo of the business of law. Your hosts Ron Bockstahler and Kirsten Mayfield run Amata Law Office Suites, providing law firms an alternative to the traditional fixed-cost business model that places unwanted stress on attorneys to work long hours that often-times lead to burn out, broken relationships and in many cases substance abuse. Each week they’ll discuss alternatives to the 12 hours days, endless rotation of clerks and paralegals, and the expensive offices leased to impress clients who rarely show up in person anymore. They’ll interview successful lawyers who are doing law differently, and finding a work-life balance while still running a successful firm.

Do you want to find a better way to run your law firm? It’s time for the next big change in the business of law, and you’ll get it here on The 1958 Lawyer.

More episodes of The 1958 Lawyer podcast

Need marketing support? Discover our legal support staff for lawyers in Chicago.

What are Contract Paralegals? Can They Benefit My Law Firm?

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Business man working on documents, close up, lawyer accountant concept

Paralegals serve a critical function in larger law firms, providing client work at a billable hour but lower rate for clients, and freeing up the attorney’s time to work on more complex matters. But can contract paralegals offer the same benefits to solo and partner practice law firms?

Billable Hours & Paralegals Explained

Billable hours are the foundation for revenue for many law firms and attorneys. To increase your potential revenue, then, you have to increase the amount of billable hours in any given year. Extending the day cycle and adjusting the turn of the Earth is not an option, so many firm hire paralegals, who can perform client work and be billed back to the client. Yet recruiting full-time paralegals is costly, particularly for private practice law firms with fluctuating needs.

Many solo and partner practice law firms choose to forgo the assistance, but doing the work of a paralegal by yourself can cut into the firm’s bottom line. Additionally, other firms may be offering the same services at a lower cost because they are using the paralegals with lower billable rates on part of the casework.

While larger firms have the resources to take on a full-time staff member, and use them to their full-advantage, on-demand paralegal services (also referred to as freelance or contract paralegals) offer private practice law firms an alternative that is budget friendly.

What is a Contract Paralegal?

While a full-time paralegal is a permanent part of your law firm, a contract or freelance paralegal works on behalf of a licensed attorney for a specified period of time or specific case matter. They will only be paid for the work that they perform, usually by an hourly rate. Some concierge paralegal services only specialize in certain types of tasks and practice areas, while others can handle a variety of client work.

Generally speaking, a contract paralegal can perform the same tasks as any other paralegal, including:

  • Drafting procedures, correspondence, and policies
  • Researching memoranda
  • Reviewing and assisting in payment processing of different invoices received from legal vendors
  • Conducting advertisement reviews
  • Creating case reports
  • Handling special projects whenever assigned
  • Responding to counsel requests on time
  • Performing multiple duties whenever assigned to assist the chief legal officer in managing the company’s legal affairs

Before hiring a contract paralegal, make sure that they are equipped to handle the tasks you are assigning them. Some research may be necessary before hiring a paralegal to work freelance for your firm to ensure they are experienced in your practice area.

Benefits of Contract Paralegals

Cost Savings

Among the benefits of using contract paralegals, cost savings ranks highest on the list. And the cost-savings are two-fold:

  1. You keep overhead low by not taking on a full-time employee
  2. The client saves money by having a lower rate paralegal perform their work, giving your rates a competitive edge

Scalability

If you’re working on a large matter that requires more staff than your firm has on hand, your team can quickly upsize to take on the expanded workload, and then easily downsize once the project is done. On-demand paralegals fluctuate with your need, making it attractive for case-specific matters.

Professionalism

Contract paralegals have already been vetted by the ALSP (alternative legal service provider) they work on behalf of. There’s no need to look at a pile of resumes to find the right person, as their skills have already been qualified and the ALSP will know the right personnel for the job. As ALSPs depend on quality of service to operate, you can rest assured that their skills will match with your case needs. They are professionals who know how to help your legal practice.

Easy Client Billing

Since the paralegal performed billable work, and sent you an invoice, billing your client back is very simple. You simply mark up the service costs and apply to your own invoice structure before billing back.

Amata’s Legal Support Staff

Contract paralegals can provide an immeasurable amount of assistance to law firms, particularly smaller practices who don’t have the resource cushion to build out a team in-house. Using freelance paralegal services can help your business without cutting into your bottom line.

Aside from being a leading provider in shared office space for law firms in the Chicago area, Amata also offers services like contract paralegals and live legal receptionist services—both can be added onto existing programs or used as standalone services. Rather than paying by the hour, our staff charges for actually time spent on work, ensuring that every dime is spent on your clients’ legal matters.

Amata Law Office Suites is more than just an office space: it is an all-encompassing solution for legal practitioners that offers the benefits of a larger law firm at prices solo practitioners can afford. Contact us today more information about our services.

Discover our paralegal services in Chicago.

Lawyers Sharing Office Space with Non-Lawyers: Is It a Good Idea?

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As the idea of the traditional office has been shattered by shared work spaces, any savvy attorney might ask whether lawyers sharing office space with non-lawyers is a sound strategy.

Shared work environments can provide tremendous value and are certainly cost-effective, but such workplaces don’t always provide the environment and resources that are needed for success in the legal profession.

Lawyers Sharing Office Space with Non-Lawyers

People in office sharing their work result to potential partner.

Coworking spaces have grown exponentially in popularity, and with good reason – affordable yet modern, filled with basic necessities and in great buildings with easy access to transport; they offer an attractive alternative to a traditional office.

They also provide more financial control. While most traditional office spaces require a lease from anywhere between 2-10 years, shared office spaces can charge by as short a term as a month. Versus long-term leases, the shared office setups offer flexibility and the chance to decrease space, add space, or even work virtually without ever changing your address.

Despite all these benefits, they aren’t always an ideal match for attorneys. Private practice law firms have more demands their spaces need to fill, like a professional work environment and like-minded peers.

Violations of Attorney-Client Privilege

Lawyers are not ethically prohibited from using a shared office space, but caution should be taken to maintain the independence of your law firm and ensure that attorney-client privilege is maintained. For general shared working spaces, this can be a challenge.

Live Answering

Consider a live answering service – if a receptionist is shared between unaffiliated businesses, they will need customized messaging specific to your law practice rather than a general greeting. Additionally, having one receptionist act on behalf of two lawyers who are not affiliated isn’t illegal, but associating them together in the same messaging is ethically dubious. Furthermore, it may come off as unprofessional to your clients.

Data & Document Retention Policies

The shared faxing services and copiers can also pose a problem. If the team receives electronic versions of documents, they need to be sure to have appropriate data policies that protect your firm and your clients. If you use a shared fax machine that doesn’t receive electronically, then you have to also look out as an incoming fax will be available for others to grab, even if it’s accidental, as it lays on the copier.

Some shared offices offer admin work for their clientele as well, and for a busy attorney this may be intriguing. Once again, however, they need to ensure the shared office space has document retention policies that they adhere to and that any work is behind secure storage drives.

With the tech and cybersecurity competence policies being adopted by many bar associations, attorneys need to pay extra attention that they protect their client data and are confident in their shared office space provider’s policies.

For attorneys, the shared space must be compliant with ABA Model Rule 1.6 – Confidentiality of Information; but few know that rule exists.

Culture & Environment Clashes

Startups, marketing firms, advertising spaces; everyone loves shared spaces which can lead to an exciting blend of businesses on a single floor. But the culture at any given business isn’t necessarily compatible with what we might consider a “traditional legal office” – as such, clients who meet with you in a typical shared office space may have doubts as to your professional decorum.

Your clients will be in the common areas when they come to visit, even if it’s just a short span of time while waiting and grabbing a coffee before meeting with you. It’s important that the culture on the floor matches the culture you want your firm to project.

Lawyers Sharing Office Space with Other Lawyers

As a solo or private practice law firm, it is important that you don’t join a shared office space for cost-effectiveness and sacrifice the other important parts of your firm—protection of client data and information, firm brand, and office environment.

At Amata Law Office Suites, lawyers are provided with all of the amenities that a larger law firm might have, with the affordability and flexibility of comparable shared office spaces. With attorney receptionist services, on-demand paralegals, data and document retention policies and internet compliant with ABA code [insert], all of the resources and ethical considerations that a lawyer needs for success are taken care of.

In turn, you’ll work on a floor with other lawyers with a shared mission: practicing law. By sharing an office with other lawyers, you’ll find an easy stream of referrals, as well as collaborative culture where lawyers can share their expertise and advice with others.

Amata Law Office Suites provides an ideal working environment for small and private legal practices. Contact us today for more information about our services.

Tracy Coenen: A Fraud Investigator with Investigative Intuition | THE 1958 LAWYER Podcast

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She was inspired by Encyclopedia Brown and once aspired to become a prison warden, now Tracy Coenen is a revered fraud investigator and forensic accountant. Attorneys go beyond certifications when picking an investigator; Tracy proves why so many choose her.

Looking for a forensic accountant & fraud investigator to work with your law firm? Here’s what you need to know:

  • The 3 areas of fraud and Lifestyle Analysis (02:06)
  • Being the investigator for both sides of a divorce (08:38)
  • Picking the best forensic account or fraud investigator for your case (13:23)
  • Fraud and the consistent mistakes business owners make (16:55)

Follow “The 1958 Lawyer” on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher

Detective. Fraud Investigator. Forensic Accountant.
No matter the title, “Investigative Intuition” is key.

“In many divorces, there’s a lot of suspicion and a lot of negative feelings. In order to effectively use one expert, there has to be a trust level there. There has to be trust that that expert isn’t in cahoots with one side…. That’s sometimes a hard place to get to.”

“The numbers do sort of speak to me…something I call investigative intuition…. I can go through statements and pick out certain transactions and go back to the client and say, ‘These transactions I’d like you to look at and can you tell me anything you might know about them?’….I can’t tell you how many times a client comes back comes back and says, I didn’t know about those transactions, but there’s a couple here that are really stinky.”

“People are as dumb about the money as they’ve always been…. All the electronic banking has made it in some ways a little bit easier to steal, because a few clicks of a button and you could transfer money out of the company’s bank account to you personally. The thing is: there’s going to be more documentation of that than there ever was before, if someone takes the time to dig in.”

“Segregation of duties is literally just taking the money handling process and dividing it up between multiple people so that they are sort of naturally double checking each other. ‘Well, how can I possibly do it in my small company?’ Very simply: have the bank statement sent to your home, Mr. Owner… and you should let your employees know, very subtly, that you’re opening and looking at it. Because it’s a great deterrent.”

TRACY COENEN, SEQUENCE INC. FORENSIC ACCOUNTING

Tracey Coenen

Tracy Coenen, CPA, CFF of Sequence Inc. Forensic Accounting has spent more than 20 years investigating fraud. Her educational background includes an Honors Bachelor of Arts in Criminology and Law Studies and a Master of Business Administration, both from Marquette University. Tracy is a Certified Public Accountant and holds the designations Certified in Financial Forensics and Master Analyst in Financial Forensics.

She has personally completed more than 400 forensic accounting engagements in a wide variety of industries, including cases of embezzlement, financial statement fraud, investment fraud, divorce, and insurance fraud. Tracy has also been named an expert witness in numerous cases involving damage calculations, commercial contract disputes, shareholder disputes and criminal defense, and has testified more than 75 times.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracycoenen/

Sequence Inc.: www.sequenceinc.com

KEEP READING ABOUT FRAUD INVESTIGATION, FORENSIC ACCOUNTING & MORE!

Have comments, questions, or concerns? Contact us at [email protected]

“The 1958 Lawyer and his 1938 Dollar” still defines the business of law…
It’s time for a change.

If you’re a lawyer, you’re familiar with the ABA article “The 1958 Lawyer and his 1938 Dollar” which gives our podcast its title, and its inspiration. That article was the start of the billable hour for law firms…And the last major change to the business of law, 70+ years ago now. Well, it’s past time for another change.

This podcast is all about bucking the status quo of the business of law. Your hosts Ron Bockstahler and Kirsten Mayfield run Amata Law Office Suites, providing law firms an alternative to the traditional fixed-cost business model that places unwanted stress on attorneys to work long hours that often-times lead to burn out, broken relationships and in many cases substance abuse. Each week they’ll discuss alternatives to the 12 hours days, endless rotation of clerks and paralegals, and the expensive offices leased to impress clients who rarely show up in person anymore. They’ll interview successful lawyers who are doing law differently, and finding a work-life balance while still running a successful firm.

Do you want to find a better way to run your law firm? It’s time for the next big change in the business of law, and you’ll get it here on The 1958 Lawyer.

More episodes of The 1958 Lawyer podcast

Discover our legal support staff for lawyers in Chicago.

Lawyering and Parenting? Legal Support Services Help Lawyer Moms Do Both

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Michelle Sinkovits' Family

When it comes to juggling motherhood and practicing law, Natalie Harris, a partner at Baron Harris Healey, candidly admits that it’s no easy task.

“It was totally horrible,” she said about transitioning back to work after becoming a mom 11 years ago.

At the time, she was an attorney at a boutique law firm and roughly 10 years out of law school, the typical time frame for rising to partner status. The firm had few full-time, female partners and no one before her returned to work at the firm after having a child. 

As her family’s primary breadwinner, Harris couldn’t afford to take a few years off. While she was able to negotiate a “generous” amount of time for maternity leave, she said she didn’t receive any accommodations, such as daycare assistance, to help her ease back into her role. The firm also reduced her annual billable hour goal and salary — for the next few years.

“It was as if I came back from vacation,” she recalled. “Hope you had fun. Now, let’s get back to work.”

She eventually made partner after having her second child, but she thinks motherhood “absolutely” delayed her promotion.

Does Being a Mother Impede Career Prospects as a Lawyer?

It’s no secret that the legal industry is struggling to retain female attorneys. While roughly 50% of law students are female, legal news service Law360 found that women represent less than 40% of attorneys in law firms and just over 20% of equity partners. 

Becoming a parent certainly seems to factor into the diminishing numbers. A 2019 study from the American Bar Association reported that nearly 60% of female lawyers cite caretaking commitments as an “important influence” on their decision to leave their firms. More than half said arranging child care is their full responsibility, compared with 1% of male lawyers.

As a solo practitioner specializing in international law, Sandra Chiarlone agreed that it was “very difficult” to manage her practice and a new baby in 2017. While she was able to find a babysitter whenever she had in-person client meetings, she often depended on others to visit the various entities with which she communicates, such as the Illinois Secretary of State office and Consulate General of Italy. Her quarterly trips to Italy also stopped.

“When you’re lawyering in your early 20s, no one asks you, ‘What kind of lifestyle do you want?’” Harris said. “Do you like being in the office all the time? Or do you like having control of your schedule?”

Family law attorney Michelle Sinkovits Ferguson decided not to wait for others to ask. Instead of continuing her career at an established firm in 2012, she chose to start her own practice, Greenberg & Sinkovits, LLC, with fellow attorney Stephanie Greenberg. She knew that working for herself would eventually provide more flexibility when she wanted to have children. But a firm with two women at the helm also poses unique challenges.

“I think my first maternity leave … was a learning experience for both of us … how to handle things when the other one is on leave for an extended period,” Greenberg said.

Now, Greenberg and Sinkovits Ferguson are both moms and split their time between their at-home and in-person offices. While many other attorneys find challenges with working from home, they relish the ability to see their children the moment they stop working.

Legal Support Services Help Lawyers Who Are Mothers Excel

According to the 2019 American Bar Association study, levels of stress at work and work-life balance are top reasons that women leave their law firms. Luckily, the COVID-19 pandemic has stirred change in the legal industry. A hybrid setup — renting a few offices that attorneys can share during their periodic downtown trips — or working completely remote is no longer frowned upon. If more female attorneys feel empowered to find a work setup that suits them, it could improve overall retention. 

Chiarlone, Greenberg and Sinkovits Ferguson have learned to adjust their schedules so they could devote necessary time to their children and practices, and they credit Amata Law Office Suites (Chicago’s first legal community of more than 700 attorneys and six Class-A downtown offices) with helping them reach their law practice and parenting goals. In addition to physical office space, teleworking services and virtual office programs, Amata offers them premier legal support, such as live legal receptionists who perform client intake and an experienced legal support team. Not to mention the potential to network with fellow lawyer moms and other attorney parents.

Greenberg and Sinkovits Ferguson decided to move their office to Amata last summer when their previous lease ended. For now, they prefer the virtual office approach rather than a hybrid or completely on-site option. They use Amata’s reservable day-offices and meeting room space for client meetings and have taken advantage of the live reception services. Sinkovits Ferguson said the arrangement is working “really well.”

 Chiarlone appreciates the location of her downtown office, as it’s very convenient for clients to visit. But what she loves most about Amata is the empathy that she found in the personnel.

“On a scale of one to 10, they’re more than 10,” she said. They do what you need in a very precise and kind manner.”

After 15 years with her previous firm, Harris also made the move to Amata in 2019 when starting her partner practice with former colleagues. The goal was to live a more fulfilling life. She said Amata has helped them keep overhead “extraordinarily low,” earn more revenue and be more selective with their work. Most importantly, she has more time to spend with her kids.

“We enjoy our time together so much more,” she said.

There’s more work to be done to empower lawyer moms. Call us or visit our website and take an online or in-person tour of one of our six Class-A law firm office spaces and consider joining the Amata community. Or keep the conversation going by contacting us at [email protected].

Discover our legal support staff for lawyers in Chicago.

John Risvold: Prioritizing Powerful IP Over Fancy Legal Tech | THE 1958 LAWYER Podcast

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Don’t equate the legal technology changes that are happening in the courts, like E-Filing and the incorporation of video calls, with your law firm having to adopt all new tech to keep up with the times. While John D. Risvold likes the technology changes he sees in the legal system, he credits IP—his own pursuit of medical knowledge and expert support from family, friends, and his colleagues—for his practice’s success. With a focus on strong IP, a server (or cloud drive) and Microsoft 365 is all your firm needs to be profitable. Even the office is optional.

An IP focused law firm and the legal tech they use:

  • The Collins Law Firm minimal tech setup (01:21)
  • Examples of powerful IP at play in a law firm (06:31)
  • Marketing techniques and tools (25:10)
  • What John Risvold wants to see changed in the legal profession (41:20)

Follow “The 1958 Lawyer” on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher

OPERATING A LAW FIRM WITH A STREAMLINED LEGAL TECHNOLOGY APPROACH

“I haven’t been in the office in three weeks, but 2020 was one of the most successful years the firm has had in the last decade. It’s just a testament to everybody’s pulling together and hard work and making the technology work too.”

“We’re still getting cases resolved because of the expertise of folks at the firm, and the history of the firm and it’s experience.”

“The way things are going, if you have a good laptop, a good internet connection and you know how use Word, Excel, and Outlook, you can run an entire practice. You don’t need an office space. You don’t need any of the fancy case management systems…. You really can run the whole thing from a laptop and Excel and Outlook.”

“The pandemic [has] dragged our industry kicking and screaming from the mid-18th century to the present…. Carbon paper is such a hot commodity in Cook County that the judges have written their courtroom numbers on them and ‘Do not steal’….Hopefully, now that they’ve decided to do smart things like digital orders and PDF orders and email…we shouldn’t be handwriting orders [any longer.]”

JOHN RISVOLD, TECH SAVY PERSONAL INJURY TRIAL LAWYER

John Risvold

John, a personal injury trial lawyer at The Collins Law Firm P.C., has dedicated his career to fighting those responsible for injuring his clients. He focuses his practice on traumatic brain injury, car and truck crashes, medical negligence, nursing home neglect, and catastrophic personal injury. He spends the majority of his practice helping victims of catastrophic injury obtain justice.

Instagram: @johnrisvoldesq

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnrisvold

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RisvoldTrial/

The Collins Law Firm: https://www.collinslaw.com/

LEGAL TECH TIPS, TRICKS, AND OTHER FIRMS FOCUSING ON IP

Have comments, questions, or concerns? Contact us at [email protected]

“The 1958 Lawyer and his 1938 Dollar” still defines the business of law…
It’s time for a change.

If you’re a lawyer, you’re familiar with the ABA article “The 1958 Lawyer and his 1938 Dollar” which gives our podcast its title, and its inspiration. That article was the start of the billable hour for law firms…And the last major change to the business of law, 70+ years ago now. Well, it’s past time for another change.

This podcast is all about bucking the status quo of the business of law. Your hosts Ron Bockstahler and Kirsten Mayfield run Amata Law Office Suites, providing law firms an alternative to the traditional fixed-cost business model that places unwanted stress on attorneys to work long hours that often-times lead to burn out, broken relationships and in many cases substance abuse. Each week they’ll discuss alternatives to the 12 hours days, endless rotation of clerks and paralegals, and the expensive offices leased to impress clients who rarely show up in person anymore. They’ll interview successful lawyers who are doing law differently, and finding a work-life balance while still running a successful firm.

Do you want to find a better way to run your law firm? It’s time for the next big change in the business of law, and you’ll get it here on The 1958 Lawyer.

More episodes of The 1958 Lawyer podcast

Discover our legal support staff for lawyers in Chicago.

Faye Gelb: Empowering Women in Law | THE 1958 LAWYER Podcast

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Faye is teaching female attorneys not to make the assumptions she did: that hard work is all it takes to be seen. Previously a lawyer working within the Canadian government, when her boss retired, her job retired too, which was a shock. She now runs Her Legal Global, an international community which empowers women in law through practical skill development and mentorship, in Canada and the United States.

Key Moments:

  • Faye’s story (02:00)
  • Career successes, failures, and discovering yourself (16:50)
  • How Her Legal Global provides a new environment for female lawyers (25:10)
  • What Faye Gelb wants to see changed in the legal profession (31:36)

Follow “The 1958 Lawyer” on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher

MEMORABLE QUOTES

“If I could go back, I would have been much more proactive and strategic about my development and my career.”

“Back in March this year I went on to LinkedIn to network and I started talking to women…I realized that in the last almost 30 years since I was called, not a lot has changed, they face the same challenges…. I really thought: ‘What is it, why can’t we have a better way… Why is it the same-old, same-old after this many years? We have all these different initiatives!’”

“If you want to have pay equity, start negotiating from the beginning. So, how do you do that if you’re timid or you’ve never been taught? Where do you get those skills? Who’s going to teach you?”

“We need to define success for ourselves and with law it becomes a ‘big picture’ success, always. Most people see success in law as getting into law school, graduating law school, getting your first job, getting a certain pay rate, making a certain position in the firm, but every day we have success and if we only relate our achievements to these big goals then it sets us up for perfectionism. And to be crushed when things don’t go [as planned].”

CONNECT WITH FAYE GELB

Faye Gelb

Lawyer Faye Gelb is the founder of Her Legal Global, a private online community for women in law to empower their careers. Women have a shared experience in law that is consistent regardless of where they live or practice. Our community provides the space, expert information, mentors, and virtual coffees to support and help women overcome obstacles. We are strategic, proactive, and innovative in our approach. Love your career!

Her Legal Global: https://www.herlegalglobal.com/

Faye’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fayegelb/

Her Legal Global on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/69240862/

OUR FAVORITE HER LEGAL GLOBAL BLOGS

Have comments, questions, or concerns? Contact us at [email protected]

“The 1958 Lawyer and his 1938 Dollar” still defines the business of law…
It’s time for a change.

If you’re a lawyer, you’re familiar with the ABA article “The 1958 Lawyer and his 1938 Dollar” which gives our podcast its title, and its inspiration. That article was the start of the billable hour for law firms…And the last major change to the business of law, 70+ years ago now. Well, it’s past time for another change.

This podcast is all about bucking the status quo of the business of law. Your hosts Ron Bockstahler and Kirsten Mayfield run Amata Law Office Suites, providing law firms an alternative to the traditional fixed-cost business model that places unwanted stress on attorneys to work long hours that often-times lead to burn out, broken relationships and in many cases substance abuse. Each week they’ll discuss alternatives to the 12 hours days, endless rotation of clerks and paralegals, and the expensive offices leased to impress clients who rarely show up in person anymore. They’ll interview successful lawyers who are doing law differently, and finding a work-life balance while still running a successful firm.

Do you want to find a better way to run your law firm? It’s time for the next big change in the business of law, and you’ll get it here on The 1958 Lawyer.

More episodes of The 1958 Lawyer podcast

Discover our legal support staff for lawyers in Chicago.

Practicing Law in Multiple States? These Lawyers Share How They Meet Clients Where They Are

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For estate planning attorney Michael Milliman, this is a busy time of the month. He takes a four-hour train ride, leaving his Michigan-based law firm (DeLoof, Dever, Eby, Wright, Milliman, Bourque & Issa, PLLC) for a few days, to serve his clients in Chicago. It’s only a short walk from the train before he arrives at his satellite office in the heart of the downtown area.

His days in the Loop are filled with client meetings, a total of 15 over the next 72 hours. When he finishes the first day of meetings, he’ll take another short walk and retire to a nearby hotel. The next day, he’ll do it all over again.

“It keeps me efficient,” he said about his schedule. “I love the fast pace of being in the Loop.”

Milliman has spent his nearly 20-year career in Michigan, but he has always considered Chicago a great second home. Several years ago, he became licensed to practice law in Illinois and began establishing a client base. While most of his work can be done virtually, he prefers a physical office, especially for maintaining client relationships. In 2019, he opened a satellite office with Amata Law Office Suites, Chicago’s first legal community of more than 700 attorneys and six Class-A downtown offices.

“I want my clients to always have a local connection to their attorney,” he said.

Fellow Amata-based lawyer, Ken Fiedler of Ken Fiedler Injury Law, echoed Milliman’s thoughts. Fiedler began his career in Chicago before moving and practicing in Colorado. He developed many connections during his time in the Windy City and always planned to resume a physical presence.

“Chicago is a great place to practice law,” he said, noting the large yet close-knit legal community. “I’ll always consider it home.”

Yet opening a satellite office in a new city can be difficult. According to Law.com, firms typically allocate around 300 square feet of office space per employee. That comes to a minimum of $14,000 for one attorney in downtown Chicago, as the average cost of Class-A office space is $48 per square foot.

To circumvent these issues and better focus on their practices, Milliman and Fiedler chose Amata. In addition to physical and virtual offices, Amata offers live reception services and an experienced legal support team.

“It’s a really economical choice for any firm that wants a presence in a large city, where it has historically been expensive to open a brick-and-mortar office,” Milliman said.

He praises Amata’s “fantastic” paralegal team, which boasts 110 years of combined work experience. He says they copy and scan documents among other tasks that he simply doesn’t have time to manage himself. Specifically, the on-staff notary is one of his favorite Amata offerings.

“It’s a huge, huge convenience for me,” Milliman said. “I never have to worry about scheduling on my notary’s availability and it’s cost-effective. When you bring a mobile notary to your office, they charge for travel.”

Fiedler appreciates Amata’s professional environment and the proximity of his office to the Circuit Court of Cook County. Once COVID-19 restrictions are further lifted, he looks forward to traveling to Chicago and meeting his clients at least one week per month.

Fiedler and Milliman aren’t the only ones taking advantage of Amata’s flexible office options. Amata also caters to Chicago-based attorneys who do business in other states.

Personal injury lawyer Sean Park of The Park Law Firm came to Amata after practicing in Georgia, where he still holds a license. He continues to virtually serve clients in Atlanta. He utilizes Amata’s live reception services and says Atlanta callers don’t necessarily know that he’s located in Chicago or frequently traveling. He attributes that to the professionalism of Amata’s receptionists, who keep him feeling grounded even when he’s working from different states.

“I hope Amata expands into other areas,” he said. “If they opened in Atlanta at some point, they would have my continued business.”

Expand your practice smoothly. Chicago is home to burgeoning startups and leading companies in various industries, making it a prime location for advising clients. With Amata’s investment in technology and support services, attorneys can feel supported anywhere.

Whether you’re based on the East Coast, West Coast or Third Coast in Chicago, call us or visit our website and take an online or in-person tour of one of our six Class-A law firm office spaces to learn how our legal support and live reception services can help you establish a presence in any city in which you desire to work.

Discover our virtual offices in Chicago.

What to Look For in the Best Virtual Receptionists for Law Firms

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Vietnamese young female receptionist talking on phone

There are three traits the best virtual receptionists for law firms have in common, and we’ve listed them below. Before you go skim those bullets, however, let’s explain why your private practice law firm needs a legal receptionist in the first place. It comes down to two words which clients expect: immediacy and professionalism.

Regardless of the type of law that you practice, when a person calls a lawyer, they believe their needs are urgent. Getting a voicemail instead of a person is rarely acceptable. You may think “those are not the clients I want” but even your top-tier prospective client wants to talk to a human on the phone when they call. It’s the high-quality customer service people come to expect from a profession like law. You risk losing great clients by negating this simple request.

Yet for solo law firms and many private law firms, the expense of hiring a secretary or receptionist can be difficult to justify. Then there is the time involved with interviewing, onboarding a new employee, and training them on your firm’s processes and clients. Facing this mound of tasks, and fearing the receptionist will not provide enough value to outweigh the additional overhead costs, many firms choose to opt-out of such a hire.

Live Legal Receptionist Options

Thankfully, another option is available: virtual receptionist services. A virtual receptionist acts as an extension of your law office, without the costs of hiring, training, and retaining an employee.

The downside? With hundreds of virtual receptionist services available on the market, finding the right option for your firm and budget takes some research and they are not ‘one-size-fits-all.’ Below, we consider three traits that the best virtual receptionists for law firms have and what makes them different from other receptionist services.

3 Qualities of the Best Virtual Receptionists for Law Firms

Professionalism (That Matches Your Own)

Yes, we covered this a bit already, but in a day and age where so many services are on offer, we think it’s pertinent to repeat. Receptionists serve as the gateway to attorney-client legal relationships. They are likely to serve as the first impression of your company. When a legal buyer is looking for options, professionalism serves as the number one selling point.

Hold them to the same rigorous standards by which you hold yourself. They must be competent, efficient, and able to get the right answers when onboarding new clients so that your time is not being wasted with bad leads.

Keep in mind live legal receptionists are also an extension of your law firm’s brand. While virtual receptionists may serve a variety of clients throughout the day, their messaging should be personally customized around your firm’s needs and the image you want the firm to convey. This sets the groundwork for what clients can expect moving forward.

Before signing up with a provider:

  • Ensure you can customize everything you’d (from hold-music to the greeting to the “they are not available” language) to match your firm’s brand. Also ask for them to handle this set up at your direction, instead of having you do it yourself in the software backend.
  • Ask if you can test their services to ensure professionalism. If there is a free trial period, that’s even better! The last thing you want is to commit to a provider who mishandles your calls.
  • PRICING TIP: Figure out how they bill for time spent on the phone. Many providers round up to the full minute, instead of charging you only for time used.

Efficiency (That Improves Your Firm)

Taking on more overhead, even if it’s via a cost-effective option, should result in an improvement of your firm. Otherwise, save the money!

The best legal answering services will eliminate bottlenecks in your onboarding pipeline by:

  • talking with new and potential clients,
  • vetting them based on your firm’s standards, and
  • filling out the correct forms (if you like those and/or have a CRM) or
  • sending you a streamlined email with complete information

Many people point to the billable hour as reason enough for a receptionist: every minute spent on the phone with a prospective client equates to less billable hours for existing clients.

At Amata, we like to look beyond the billable hour, however: every interruption takes you away from practicing law. No matter how your firm’s fees are structured, you will find legal answering services are vital to assisting you and your firm’s attorneys with managing time. Better managed time leads to less stress.

Before signing up with a provider:

  • Verify their systems can handle the exact client intake, call screening, and call-routing procedures your firm needs, no matter how complicated.
  • Never worked with a receptionist before? Ask for guidance! A high-quality answering service will be able to assist you and your firm with setting up the right processes even if you’ve never had any in place before.
  • PRICING TIP: Ask if they have fillable form options available or if you have to provide your own. If they are available, check if there is a limited amount included in the base-program and get pricing if you need more.

Availability (Without Excessive Fees)

The hours that a legal practice is open don’t always coincide with the hours when clients and potential clients will be contacting your firm. Like you, your clients and potential clients are at work during business hours and they may not be able to call until closer to dinner time. Virtual receptionist services can help resolve this problem.

Unlike employees you hire in-house, the best virtual live legal receptionists operate outside of the normal 9-5 business hours to account for the needs of legal buyers.

Before signing up with a provider:

  • Ask who is answering the phone. Many people outsource to other countries after the regular 9-5, but if you have certain language demands you’ll want to make sure someone who can meet them is always available to answer calls. In Chicago for instance, Spanish is very common and may not be known by overseas receptionists.
  • PRICING TIP: Go over the billing for extended hours as many answering services consider it a premium service. What’s the additional cost to have extended hours? Is it fixed fee or variable? Additional line items can quickly add up.

By hiring a legal answering service you are giving your clients access to the professionalism they need, at an immediacy they will appreciate (and help your firm stand out among the crowd), without overtaxing your own work day.

The best virtual receptionist for law firms is available when clients need them, and legal practices should only be billed for the time for which calls are taken, as opposed to a full-time receptionist who is either salaried or billed hourly.

What Makes Amata The Best Virtual Receptionist for Law Firms

Amata Law Office Suites is more than just an office space – for over 20 years, we have offered live legal receptionist services to help support and grow solo and private law practices by holding ourselves to the highest standard.

Amata’s Live Legal Receptionists use customized greetings and onboarding messaging to seamlessly fit into your law firm. We bill for the time our services are used and never round up. With extended operating hours from 7AM to 10PM, your law firm can be optimized around billable hours and client needs, at affordable prices.

Contact us today to learn more about our live legal receptionists, on-demand expert legal staff, office space, and more!

Discover our virtual offices in Chicago.