Practical Law Office Management , Third Edition (West Legal Studies)

Cover......Page 1
Half-Title Page......Page 3
Title Page......Page 5
Copyright......Page 6
Dedication Page......Page 7
BRIEF CONTENTS......Page 8
Contents......Page 9
Preface......Page 21
1 THE LEGAL TEAM, LAW PRACTICES, AND LAW FIRM GOVERNANCE......Page 27
The Legal Team......Page 28
Attorney......Page 30
Legal Administrators......Page 31
Legal Assistants......Page 32
Legal Assistant Roles, Responsibilities, and Employment......Page 36
Legal Assistant Compensation......Page 37
The Judicial System’s Recognition of the Legal Assistant Profession......Page 42
Law Clerk......Page 44
Legal Secretaries......Page 45
Types of Law Practices......Page 46
Corporate Law Practice......Page 47
Legal Services Offices......Page 49
Private Law Practices......Page 50
Sole Practitioner......Page 51
Law Firms......Page 52
Plaintiff/Defense Firms......Page 54
Geographic Service Areas......Page 55
Legal Forms of Private Law Firms......Page 56
Private Law Firm Management Structures......Page 57
Corporate, Government, and Legal Aid Organization Structures......Page 60
Summary......Page 61
Helpful Web Sites......Page 62
Suggested Reading......Page 63
Test Your Knowledge......Page 64
On the Web Exercises......Page 65
Questions and Exercises......Page 68
Notes......Page 69
Answers to Test Your Knowledge......Page 70
Case Review......Page 71
Exercises......Page 75
2 LEGAL ADMINISTRATION AND TECHNOLOGY......Page 77
Legal Administration Principles......Page 78
Why Legal Assistants Need to Know Legal Administration......Page 79
Functions of Legal Administration......Page 80
Defining the Law Firm’s Practice......Page 82
Defining the Law Firm’s Practice System Needs......Page 83
Quality and Total Quality Management......Page 84
What Is TQM?......Page 85
What Are Specific TQM Philosophies?......Page 86
What Are the Benefits of the TQM Philosophy?......Page 88
Leadership......Page 89
Financial Management......Page 90
The Hiring Process......Page 91
Performance Evaluations......Page 96
Current Personnel Law Issues......Page 102
Employment-At-Will Doctrine......Page 103
The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993......Page 104
Equal Employment Opportunity......Page 105
Sexual Harassment......Page 106
Why Legal Assistants Need to Learn to Develop Plans......Page 108
The Mission Statement and Strategic Plans......Page 109
Ideas on How to Plan Effectively......Page 113
Marketing Management......Page 114
Law Practice Policies and Procedures—the Staff Manual......Page 115
Drafting Policies and Procedures......Page 118
Staff Manuals on the Law Office Intranet......Page 119
Moves/Construction/Remodeling......Page 120
Space Planning/Office Design/Furniture......Page 121
Security and Workplace Violence......Page 122
Office Services Management......Page 125
Telecommunications......Page 126
Technology and Information Systems Management......Page 128
Legal Assistants and Technology......Page 129
Hardware......Page 131
Software......Page 132
E-Mail in the Legal Environment......Page 134
E-Mail Encryption and Digital Signatures......Page 136
E-Mail Errors......Page 137
E-Mail Confidentiality......Page 138
Telecommunications......Page 140
Summary......Page 141
Helpful Web Sites......Page 142
Suggested Reading......Page 143
Test Your Knowledge......Page 144
On the Web Exercises......Page 145
Projects......Page 146
Questions and Exercises......Page 147
Notes......Page 148
Case Review......Page 149
Case Review......Page 150
Exercises......Page 157
3 ETHICS AND MALPRACTICE......Page 159
Why Are Ethics and Malpractice Important?......Page 160
Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility......Page 161
Ethical Standards for Attorneys......Page 162
Attorney Ethical Rules Not Directly Applicable to the Legal Assistant......Page 163
Voluntary Ethical Codes Established by Legal Assistant Associations......Page 165
The Unauthorized Practice of Law......Page 168
Giving Legal Advice......Page 169
Representing Clients in Court Proceedings......Page 171
Evaluating a Case, Selecting or Rejecting a Case, and Selecting an Appropriate Course of Action......Page 172
How to Avoid the Unauthorized Practice of Law......Page 173
Competence and Diligence......Page 175
Confidentiality and the Attorney-Client Privilege......Page 177
Ethical Prohibitions on Revealing Client Communications......Page 179
How to Avoid Confidentiality Problems......Page 180
Conflict of Interest......Page 183
Conflict Checking......Page 184
Legal Assistant Conflict of Interests......Page 187
Resolving Ethical Problems......Page 189
Answers to Common Legal Assistant Ethical Questions......Page 193
Malpractice and Malpractice Prevention......Page 194
Summary......Page 197
Helpful Web Sites......Page 198
Test Your Knowledge......Page 199
Projects......Page 200
Questions and Exercises......Page 201
Notes......Page 203
Case Review......Page 204
Case Review......Page 211
Exercises......Page 218
Introduction......Page 219
Lesson 1: Introduction to ProLaw......Page 220
Lesson 2: Entering Contacts......Page 222
Lesson 3: Conflict of Interest Searching......Page 224
4 CLIENT RELATIONS AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS......Page 227
Ethical Duty to Communicate with Clients......Page 229
Client Relationships......Page 232
Fostering Positive Client Relationships......Page 233
Know Your Client......Page 235
Resolving Client Dissatisfaction......Page 242
Dealing with Difficult Clients......Page 245
Communication Skills......Page 246
General Communication......Page 247
Improving Your Communication Skills......Page 249
Use Proper Telephone Techniques......Page 252
Leadership and Communication......Page 253
Communication in Interviewing Clients, Witnesses, and Third Parties......Page 255
Summary......Page 260
Suggested Reading......Page 261
On the Web Exercises......Page 262
Questions and Exercises......Page 263
Notes......Page 264
Case Review......Page 265
Exercises......Page 278
Welcome to Johnson and Sullivan......Page 279
Lesson 1: Introduction to ProLaw......Page 280
Lesson 2: Entering New Matters/Cases, Part 1......Page 282
Lesson 3: Entering New Matters/Cases, Part 2......Page 285
Lesson 4: Retrieving and Printing Client Event Reports......Page 287
Lesson 5: Case Management Notes......Page 288
5 LEGAL FEES, TIMEKEEPING, AND BILLING......Page 291
The Difference Between Timekeeping and Billing......Page 292
Hourly Rate Fees......Page 293
Contingency Fees......Page 297
Retainer Fees......Page 299
Prepaid Legal Services......Page 304
Value Billing......Page 305
Billing from the Corporate and Government Perspective......Page 307
Fee Agreements Should be in Writing......Page 308
Only a “Reasonable” Fee can be Collected......Page 311
Fraud and Criminal Charges......Page 315
Ethical Problems......Page 316
Legal Expenses......Page 318
Manual Timekeeping......Page 320
Billable v. Non-billable Time......Page 322
Timekeeping for Legal Assistants......Page 324
Recording Time......Page 325
Timekeeping Practices......Page 326
Billing For Legal Assistant Time and Profitability......Page 329
Functions of a Successful Billing System......Page 331
The Computerized Timekeeping and Billing Process......Page 333
Management Reports......Page 337
Summary......Page 341
Helpful Web Sites......Page 342
Suggested Reading......Page 344
Test Your Knowledge......Page 345
Projects......Page 346
Questions and Exercises......Page 347
Notes......Page 351
Case Review......Page 352
Exercises......Page 362
Case Review......Page 363
Case Review......Page 364
Exercises......Page 366
Welcome to Johnson and Sullivan......Page 367
Lesson 1: Introduction to ProLaw......Page 368
Lesson 2: Entering Time Sheets......Page 370
Lesson 3: Using the Timer Feature and Entering Expense Slips......Page 372
Lesson 4: Producing Pre-bills, Final Bills, and Reports......Page 374
I. Worksheet......Page 377
II. Numbers and Formulas......Page 379
Before Starting Lesson 1—Setting the Tool and Menu Bar......Page 380
Lesson 1: Creating a Client Settlement Worksheet......Page 381
Lesson 2: Creating a Fee Projection Worksheet......Page 386
6 CLIENT TRUST FUNDS AND LAW OFFICE ACCOUNTING......Page 389
Client Funds—Trust /Escrow Accounts......Page 390
Ethics and Trust Accounts......Page 392
Trust Funds and Office Operating Funds Cannot Be Commingled......Page 393
Commingling of Client Funds Is a Common Problem......Page 395
Budgeting and Planning......Page 398
Steps in the Budget Process......Page 400
Collection/Income......Page 402
Internal Controls......Page 404
Lawyers and Nonlawyers Cannot Share Fees......Page 408
Helpful Web Sites......Page 409
Key Terms......Page 411
Projects......Page 412
Questions and Exercises......Page 413
Notes......Page 416
Case Review......Page 417
Case Review......Page 435
Exercises......Page 436
Case Review......Page 437
Exercises......Page 442
Introduction......Page 443
Lesson 1: Introduction to ProLaw......Page 444
Lesson 2: Entering Trust Deposits......Page 446
Lesson 3: Entering Trust Checks......Page 447
Lesson 4: Printing Trust Reports......Page 448
Overview......Page 449
I. Worksheet......Page 450
II. Numbers and Formulas......Page 452
Before Starting Lesson 1—Setting the Tool and Menu Bar......Page 453
Lesson 1: Building a Budget Spreadsheet—Part 1......Page 454
Lesson 2: Building a Budget Spreadsheet—Part 2......Page 457
Lesson 3: Building a Complex Budget Spreadsheet......Page 462
Lesson 4: Client Trust Account—Checkbook Register......Page 464
Lesson 5: Client Trust Account—Client Registers......Page 467
Lesson 6: Client Trust Account—Client Summary Ledger......Page 469
7 CALENDARING, DOCKET CONTROL, AND CASE MANAGEMENT......Page 471
Calendaring, Docket Control, and Case Management Definitions......Page 472
Appointments......Page 473
Deadlines and Reminders......Page 474
Hearings and Court Dates......Page 475
Receiving Documents......Page 476
Calculating Deadlines......Page 477
File Date v. Document Receipt Date......Page 478
Ethical and Malpractice Considerations......Page 479
Ethical Considerations......Page 480
Legal Malpractice Considerations......Page 483
Manual Docket Control Systems......Page 484
Types of Computerized Docket Control Systems......Page 485
Event Entry Screen......Page 486
Scheduling Conflict Alert......Page 488
Automatic Reminders......Page 489
Reporting......Page 490
Synchronizing with PIMs/PDAs......Page 492
Case Diary/Notes......Page 493
Other Features......Page 494
Combined Docket Control Cycle......Page 496
Helpful Web Sites......Page 497
Suggested Reading......Page 498
Projects......Page 499
Questions and Exercises......Page 500
Notes......Page 501
Case Review......Page 502
Questions......Page 508
Case Review......Page 509
Exercises......Page 513
Introduction......Page 514
Lesson 1: Introduction to ProLaw......Page 515
Lesson 2: Making Docket Entries......Page 517
Lesson 3: Docketing by Rules and Searching and Retrieving Docket Entries......Page 519
8 LEGAL MARKETING......Page 523
Why Is Marketing Important to Legal Assistants?......Page 524
Basic Restrictions on Marketing......Page 525
The Legal Marketing Plan......Page 526
Typical Law Practice Marketing Options and Strategies......Page 530
The Role of the Rainmaker......Page 538
Marketing—An Ethics Perspective......Page 539
Helpful Web Sites......Page 541
Test Your Knowledge......Page 542
Projects......Page 543
Questions and Exercises......Page 544
Answers to Test Your Knowledge......Page 545
Case Review......Page 546
Exercises......Page 550
9 FILE AND LAW LIBRARY MANAGEMENT......Page 551
Why Legal Assistants Need an Understanding of File and Law Library Management......Page 552
Introduction to File Management......Page 553
Numerical Systems......Page 554
The “Paperless Office”—Electronic Document Management......Page 555
Opening Files......Page 557
Color Coding......Page 560
Closing, Storing, and Purging Files......Page 561
Organization of Files—A Major Legal Assistant Duty......Page 562
Duty to Turn Over File When Client Fires Attorney......Page 563
Introduction to Law Library Management......Page 564
Developing a Library Collection......Page 565
CD-ROM Legal Databases......Page 566
Advantages and Disadvantages of CD-ROM Legal Libraries......Page 567
Cataloging and Classifying the Collection......Page 568
Computer-Assisted legal research (CALR)......Page 569
The Internet......Page 570
Helpful Web Sites......Page 579
On the Web Exercises......Page 580
Questions and Exercises......Page 581
Notes......Page 582
Case Review......Page 583
Exercises......Page 584
Appendix Succeeding as a Legal Assistant......Page 585
Glossary......Page 597
Index......Page 605