One of the big challenges with data security is keeping in compliance with the Indiana Rules of Professional Conduct, which deal with confidentiality of information in the attorney-client relationship.
Read More
As larger firms tout heftier pay packages and perks partly designed to get attorneys excited to come back to an office post-pandemic, those who run and work at smaller firms are trying to show that they have their own advantages, too.
Read More
Roughly half of all small firms reported in Thomson Reuters’ 2021 State of U.S. Small Law Firms study that they endured a moderate or significant struggle in getting paid by clients over the last two years. Many also expressed concerns about acquiring new business. But those firms that created a concentrated approach to addressing their payment challenges saw quick, positive results.
Read More
Indianapolis lawyer Clayton Miller will be tasked with helping to implement the Indiana State Bar Association’s new strategic plan as president of the state bar, a position he’ll assume Oct. 15. Miller will also lead the bar through the ongoing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, and he wants to address other big-picture issues impacting Hoosier legal professionals.
Read MoreIf your new firm is not where you expected it to be, time is now for an honest assessment. The strategy of waiting for things to get better works as well in startups as it does in relationships. As in, not at all. Early course corrections are easier and smaller than if you wait.
Before the ultimate act of hanging out your proverbial shingle, here are 10 action areas to ensure the final step of launching goes off as smoothly as possible
For anyone looking to take better control of their day, I wholeheartedly recommend John Maley’s Time & Practice Management for Lawyers and his tips to streamline your practice and make you a better lawyer.
Whether it’s burnout avoidance, disillusionment with law firm culture, or an inability to ignore the entrepreneurial itch, it might be time to leave your firm and start your own.
I recently sat down with Cory and Mitch Sprunger to learn more about the business model they have created in SprungerPEO.
Large cities and small towns alike are experiencing a growth in non-English-speaking communities, and undocumented or not, they have legal needs that far exceed those of just immigration.
Without the marketing and branding resources of larger firms, solo and small firm attorneys try a variety of tactics to promote their name and legal services.
Practicing law in a solo or small firm is the epitome of freedom — but as we all know, freedom isn’t free.
Multiple small and solo firm attorneys told Indiana Lawyer they aren’t yet panicking over current inflation, have not heard any major concerns about billing from their clients or fellow colleagues, and believe the lessons learned from COVID-19 will help them meet future economic challenges.
The daily grind of small firm management ranges from routine to immensely stressful. By returning to bigger picture ideas, I constantly find the practice of law both challenging and rewarding.
How to choose the right clients as a solo practice or small firm? This is the million-dollar question. If every law firm owner could answer this question perfectly, every attorney would be a million-dollar partner at a law firm. Not choosing the right clients could be No. 1 at destroying your practice or firm. Surprisingly, the topic, “How to choose the right clients” is a discussion that is uncommon among lawyers.
Owning a business can be richly rewarding. Law firm owners can define the scope of their practice, pick a target market, set their own hours and enjoy the creativity involved in implementing a corporate vision. With technological advancements and a move to web-based work and communication in recent years, starting a law firm has become increasingly accessible for attorneys seeking the unique benefits of small business ownership.
One of the great aspects of practicing law is the wide variety of ways to make it happen. Whether you are in-house counsel, legal services, a big firm associate, prosecutor, public defender, government lawyer, judge or a solo practitioner, the ways we as lawyers ensure access to, and the delivery of, justice are myriad. Although there are many common elements to each form of practice, there are challenges and opportunities that are unique to each, and the solo or small firm lawyer holds a special place in this cohort of practice options.
When you are a small firm, you become fully familiar with each person in the office, including knowing and caring about each person’s family. As such, the first and most important decisions during COVID were to protect the health of our staff and their families.
A friend of mine owns a McDonald’s and has told me that McDonald’s requires its franchise owners to complete a training program called “Hamburger University.” He explained that Hamburger University teaches the franchise owner about the “system” of McDonald’s. In some ways, launching my own firm has been like what I imagined about “Hamburger University.”
Indiana law firms and legal nonprofits received nearly $200 million in Paycheck Protection Program loans, but managing partners said the money had a nuanced impact as the financial boost provided some peace of mind during a very uncertain time and helped keep their firms positioned to meet client demands.
Indiana Supreme Court justices have indefinitely suspended an Indianapolis lawyer who was suspended earlier this year for failing to cooperate with the disciplinary commission concerning a grievance against her.
Given the opportunity, hiring a law student for a paid clerkship can be an asset to a small firm or solo practice. Outlined below are some of the most significant benefits for a smaller or solo practice hiring a student law clerk.
The Indianapolis Bar Foundation is once again offering up to $2,500 to lawyers who work with local service providers to help central Indiana families in need of legal services related to the COVID-19 pandemic.