Un-Billable Hour: Business Management Strategies for the Busy Lawyer

Don’t think of December as the end of the year. Think of it as a chance to plan ahead for an exciting, purposeful, and opportunity-filled new year. Guest Andrea Liebross is the founder of her own firm, Andrea Liebross Coaching. She believes setting and achieving big audacious goals are best tackled through the implementation of solid systems, real goals, and the right (and ambitious) mindset.  Are you getting where you want to go? Too often, we set our own limits. We stay safe and we stay small. We do things the way we’ve always done them because it’s safe. Hear how setting “big” goals and stretching your thinking helps you become “future you.” Give yourself permission to find out what you really want and where you want to be. And then make a plan to get there.  Learn about Liebross’ “Think Big Toolkit” and the five components that can help you become “future you.” Don’t wait for things to happen to you, make the things you want happen. Mentioned in This Episode: “She Thinks Big” by Andrea Liebross Podcast “She Thinks Big” Join the next Community Table live. What’s on your mind?

In this episode’s discussions around the Community Table: New year, new plan. And that’s the key: plan. Don’t stumble blind into 2025, instead hear what the experts say about reviewing the previous year and setting goals for the new one. Don’t keep doing the same thing and expecting different results. Sometimes your ship needs a rudder. If you need a COO, an “executive officer,” to manage the practice, part-time help is available. Experienced administrators take a load off your shoulders and teach others how to set a course and get where you want to go. What to do when an associate can’t manage retainers and payments? Being a good lawyer is only part of the job, making sure the firm gets paid is the other part. Sometimes an associate isn’t good at communicating financial information with a client. But if you’re a business owner, you have a responsibility to make sure the firm makes money. Mentioned in This Episode: Association of Legal Administrators Ask us anything for the Community Table. Leave us a question online Join the next Community Table live. What’s on your mind?  Clio Legal Trends Report Clio Cliocon 2025

Guest M.C. Laubscher is the founder of Producers Wealth and an author, speaker, and podcaster who aims to help business owners create and build wealth for themselves, their families, and their team.  How do you look at the path to building your firm and your wealth? It’s not intuitive. It takes thought, effort, and time. How’s your cash flow, and how much time do you spend thinking about it? Sometimes as a business owner you get so caught up in the day-to-day that you may not be spending enough time working on your financial picture. Hear how finance, scale, and cash flow management can build your business. And make no mistake, a law firm is a business.  Hear about the small things you can do within your business that make your business work for you. There may be no greater return than investing in your own business. Never doubt what you can do if you believe in yourself and your business. Hear how you can allocate capital more effectively for greater returns from your own business. As Laubscher says, “You don’t have to be a Rockefeller to do what the Rockefellers do.” Mentioned in This Episode: “Rich Dad, Poor Dad,” by Robert Kiyosaki “Loan on a Life Insurance Policy,” Investopedia Producers Wealth, Un-Billable Hour page “Get Wealthy For Sure” by M.C. Laubscher, free with paid shipping Join the next Community Table live. What’s on your mind?

In this episode’s discussions around the Community Table: There’s a time to take stock and reset. Understanding what you value and your internal motivations will help you guide your law firm’s growth. Think about what gets you out of bed and into the office each day. For most, it’s more than money. Know the difference between growing and truly building. Purpose and intentional goals matter more than billing. It’s the holiday season, and who doesn’t want to take off work for an extended period to be with friends and family. But for law firm owners and leaders, the question is how? Set the pieces in place that will allow you to turn over the business to employees, such as an established chain of command and communication expectations. Try a test period to see how things go when others have to step up and run the office. And finally, let’s talk about recognizing and coming to grips with “red flags” from a job candidate. Sometimes … you just know.  Mentioned in This Episode: Ask us anything for the Community Table. Leave us a question online Join the next Community Table live. What’s on your mind?  Clio Legal Trends Report Clio Cliocon 2025

What can you do to attract more business to your firm? Let’s talk about acquisitions through networking. Guest Janet Falk, Ph.D., is a communications professional with more than 30 years of experience helping small and solo firms get better at finding (and signing) more clients. Falk is the chief strategist at Falk Communications and Research.  This is a free lesson in media and public and personal relations, from being the “go-to” for news reporters, mastering marketing communications, and acquiring new clients through personal relationships. This is all about meeting and exceeding your business goals. Falk is a frequent author, speaker, and an industry-leading communications consultant.  How do you shape a news story that boosts your case? Who are you trying to reach in the media, and how do you get out front? How do you keep your firm top-of-mind? How do you present yourself at networking events?  Even if you’re a secret introvert, this episode is for you. You can “get out there” and build your business, make connections, attract referrals, and tell your story. Learn techniques to prepare and benefit from networking events from the minute you walk in the door. These are valuable tips you won’t find anywhere else (hint, it includes the two things you must bring to any event). Mentioned in This Episode: The 2024 Clio Cloud Conference in Review Five Fast Tips to Maximize a Media Interview, by Janet Falk Join the next Community Table live. What’s on your mind?

In this episode’s discussions around the Community Table: Returning Guest Danielle Hendon, CPA, founder of 4 Corners CFO, explores what lawyers and law firms should, and should not, be doing in the fourth quarter of 2024. Learn the common mistakes firms make as the year winds down.  Take the time to understand the story your business “numbers” are telling you. Do you see where your business is going and what you should be thinking about as you forecast for next year? Be intentional about your growth. Don’t let things “happen to” your firm, make them happen.  It’s OK to spend as needed at the end of the year, especially if you’re thinking of taxes. But you’ve got to be looking ahead, too. What’s important, how do you manage a budget, understand what’s budgeting and what’s forecasting? Don’t spend just for short term tax advantages, plan for the unexpected too.  Mentioned in This Episode: Danielle Hendon, previously on the Un-Billable Hour, “Is Your Small Firm Missing A Chief Financial Officer? Rent One.” 4 Corners CFO, “A Framework to Reveal Your Path to Profit” The Un-Billable Hour, Legal Talk Network Quickbooks Clio Legal Trends Report Clio Cliocon 2025 Join the next Community Table live. What’s on your mind?

Let’s talk about technology and how it fits into your practice. Fact is, the old yellow pad and document boxes are no longer your friends. Your clients expect you to use technology to be more efficient and effective.  Guest Richard “Rich” Dukes Jr. has gone paperless. So has his entire South Carolina law firm. Today’s tech drives efficiency whether that’s in document review, witness preparation, or even courtroom presentation.  Hear how Dukes evaluates each evolution of tech tools, how he decides if they will truly elevate his productivity, and how easy they will be to introduce to his colleagues and incorporate them into his practice.  Time is an attorney’s most valuable commodity. Technology can give you more time. Coming next, AI. Dukes has some ideas of where artificial intelligence may upend the next generation of legal tech tools. Put down the pen and pad and start working smarter today.  Mentioned in This Episode: Notability TrialPad  OpenAI Perplexity AI Join the next Community Table live. What’s on your mind?

In this episode’s discussions around the Community Table: The ROI of hiring. It’s important. You may think hiring someone, say a paralegal, will cost you money. Successful firms won’t consider hiring someone if they don’t already know they’re going to make money. Firms use benchmarks to weigh the cost of a new hire against anticipated additional revenue. This is math, not “gut feeling,” and you can do it! Listen to find out how. Dive into the results of a legal industry “secret shopper” study by Clio. The scientific data shows law firms stink at answering calls, responding to emails, and even monitoring chatbots. The first rule of success? When a potential client knocks, open the door. Can AI help? How do you incentivize a high performing team? What kind of rewards are appropriate? And if your team is already firing on all cylinders, what else can you incentivize? Hear how you can help high performers earn more and grow by finding new tasks where they can take over and excel.   Mentioned in This Episode: Moneyball, what your firm can learn about ROI from a movie about baseball Google local search ads, be better Tips for better Google reviews Listen to the On The Road episode featuring Joshua Lenon  Clio Legal Trends Report Clio For Clients app Cliocon 2024 Join the next Community Table live. What’s on your mind?

Guest Shaun Jardine is an unapologetic disrupter in the world of pricing and billing by lawyers and law firms. He’s leading the charge to move from traditional billable hour pricing – charging for time – to the emerging revolution of value-based pricing. Charge for the results you achieve for your clients, not the time you spent getting there. Are you still charging for time? Why not base your pricing on your experience, your wisdom, your education, the outcomes your clients want, and everything you bring to the table. Clients don’t want your time, they want their problems solved. It’s not “the way we’ve always done things,” but Jardine explains why change is inevitable. As technology, notably AI, accelerates the practice of law, why should a lawyer charge less – fewer billable hours – for achieving results faster and more efficiently?  The move to value-based pricing isn’t like flipping a switch. It will take effort, and it will involve your entire team, from HR to marketing, to lawyers and paralegals. But in a changing world, sticking with the old ways may not be an option. This fascinating conversation will ignite your curiosity and challenge you to think differently.  Mentioned in This Episode: Charles Proteus Steinmetz “Ditch The Billable Hour! Implementing Value-Based Pricing in a Law Firm,” by Shaun Jardine American Bar Association Rule 1.5: Fees RACI methodology of change management (free download) Join the next Community Table live. What’s on your mind?

In this episode’s discussions around the Community Table: Growing pains. As you bring on new clients, it can be hard for an overburdened team of lawyers and paralegals to manage client communications. Hear how texting can help bridge communication needs, how a virtual receptionist can fill gaps, and how a standing schedule of update calls and a task assignment system can ensure clear communications between lawyers and clients. ·What is the “rhythm/parking lot” method for managing client communications? Combined with allowing clients to schedule their own appointments online and chat functions, this system can take pressure off your staff. Be honest and direct with your clients. Set expectations and ask clients if your expectations and theirs align, so they know how the case will proceed. And if a client “emergency” arises, be sure your staff asks the right questions and fully understands the situation so they can provide clear details to the attorney. Mentioned in This Episode: Clio Legal Trends Report Clio For Clients app Cliocon 2024 (discount code, “actfast”) Google Chat Vonage Join the next Community Table live. What’s on your mind?