LibGuides: Starting a Law Practice: Law Practice Management

What does law practice management include?

Here are some things you need to think about when forming a law firm. What are all the elements that contribute to the business portion of your practice?

It can include:

Choosing a Business Entity
Developing a Business Plan
Developing a Budget
Deciding on a Financial Accounting System
Choosing Case Management software
Choosing Time & Billing software
Developing File Retention & Document Management policies
Choosing Insurance - for the business and for the attorney
Client File Maintenance

The sources on this page can help with the business side of law practice.

Practical Law - Legal Operations and Professional Development Toolkit

Practical Law - Legal Operations & Professional Development Toolkit(Westlaw)

Billing Rates

Michigan Bar Economics of Law Practice
This survey conducted by the Michigan bar shows average hourly billing rates for fields of practice, years in practice, etc.
Ohio Economics of Law Practice Study 2019
Available to OSBA members.

Web Resources

Myshingle.com - Soloformania
Free practice management forms and links to court forms
A2J Author
Legal aid agencies, courts and law schools use this Chicago-Kent College of Law product to guide client interviews and fulfill the needs of low-income and working-poor clients. Miguel Willis, a Law School Admission Council fellow and 2018 Legal Rebel, says the website “has been instrumental in advancing innovation at legal aid organizations throughout America.”
ABA Law Practice Management- Solo and Small Firm Resource Center
Key practice management advice, examples, tools and resources legal professionals need to successfully manage a law practice.
ABA Legal Technology Buyer's Guide
ABA Legal Technology Resource Center, Overview of Practice and Case Management Software
Chart covering features and functions of the software.
Callisto
A secure website records sexual assault instances confidentially, lets victims decide whether or how to report them and flags potential repeat offenders. On college campuses, use of the site brought more incident reports and requests for medical or other services. In 2018, plans were announced to develop a version to document workplace harassment.
Case Analysis & Management software solutions by Thomson Reuters
Case Management Software - FindLaw
CaseMap Suite- LexisNexis
Checklists for Starting a New Office- by Carolyn Elefant
Court Listener
CourtListener is a free legal research website containing millions of legal opinions from federal and state courts. With CourtListener, lawyers, journalists, academics, and the public can research an important case, stay up to date with new opinions as they are filed, or do deep analysis using our raw data.
Law Guides
Law Guides is a low-cost, flat-fee app development service for law firms. You can build a variety of apps, including chatbots, document assembly programs, and client intake surveys.
LawPay
LawPay is proud to be the only payment solution offered through the ABA Advantage program. LawPay was developed specifically for attorneys with the input of state bars and their ethics committees to ensure that earned and unearned fees are properly separated and that IOLTA accounts are protected against any third-party debiting.
Legal Software - FindLaw
Lexicata
Lexicata is the law firm CRM & client intake software that helps improve organization, maximize efficiency, and drive more revenue.
Managing the Finances of Your Practice
Taking an active role in managing the finances of your practice is key to building a successful law practice. Foresight, active planning, appropriate internal controls, and an ongoing review of current finances are critical if your practice is to be successful and profitable.
The Matter of Client File Maintenance in the the Digital Age
"For every client, attorneys need to maintain a file. Even if it weren’t required by rules of professional ethics, it’s a necessity of practicing law – since doing otherwise would make being an attorney almost prohibitive difficult."
OfficeKeeper- Ohio State Bar Association
Find out why you need a business plan; when you should do budgeting; the benefits or drawbacks of buying v. leasing office space; general tips on account management, and much more.
PacerDash
A free PACER dashboard tracks dockets, accesses past purchases and shares files with colleagues and clients.
Paladin
Paladin helps law firms, companies and law schools manage their pro bono with streamlined sourcing, tracking and outcome reporting on a tech-forward platform.
Picking the Best Law Office Software
Jim Calloway, Director of Oklahoma Bar Association Management Assistance Program (and has several legal technology blogs).
Practice Panther
This billing platform features a mobile dashboard to share calendars, maintain client accounts and view your files. Inte-grations with QuickBooks, LawPay and file-sharing apps extend its use.
Shape
This online case manager tracks time and expenses, monitors payments and documents and stores client conversations. Shape also integrates with Clio and Needles.
Tracking Time to Save Time
ABA site - Tips on efficiently tracking your time.
Tips for maintaining your communication records for your law firm
This post will concentrate on the non-financial side of record maintenance.

Books

The Business Guide to Law by Kerry M. Lavelle
Call Number: KF315 .L36 2015
ISBN: 9781634252362
Publication Date: 2015
It answers all those necessary questions (and more) that are important in creating and growing a unique law firm business.
The Business of Law by Edward Poll
Call Number: Law Treatises KF315.Z9 P64 2014
ISBN: 1627223517
Publication Date: 2014
Outlines the fundamentals of running a successful law firm in practical, clear, and concise terms.
The Experiential Guide to Law Practice Management
Call Number: OhioLINK
Publication Date: 2016
Opening and Operating Your Own Firm
How to Start and Build a Law Practice by Jay G. Foonberg
Call Number: Law Casebook
ISBN: 1590312473
Publication Date: 2004
Comprehensive guide to planning, launching, and growing a successful practice
Law Office Policies, Procedures, and Operations Manual by Marcia Watson Wasserman; Cynthia Thomas; American Bar Association, Law Practice Division Staff (Contribution by)
Call Number: Akron Law Digital
Publication Date: 2022-04-01
"This manual contains all the information you need to prepare your own staff manual, regardless of the size of your firm"--
The Billable Hour by Annie Dike
Call Number: OhioLINK
Publication Date: 2015
Learn to document your time contemporaneously in a manner that meets client criteria.

To find more books on similar subjects, click the links below: