Do you have these law firm essentials in place?

Independent lawyers at the helm of small firms need these law firm essentials more than ever.

Running a successful law business means working smarter, and these elements help you do just that:

Knowledge and experience

We often gloss over this piece as a given. Law school and years in practice have prepared you to deliver great service and skill to your clients, but what about:

  • Continued learning
  • Business acumen

You need to stay on top of changes in the legal landscape and your practice area in order to provide the most relevant and timely service to clients. Anticipating changes and challenges for your clients can become one of your most sought-after assets as an independent lawyer. Understanding the bigger picture and helping clients avoid pitfalls along the way will set you apart from the competition.

In addition, when you run a small law firm, you need to have the knowledge and skill to run a business. If you don’t, you need resources and a strong support network to help you learn what you don’t know.

Technology

All businesses need technology to operate, but technology becomes essential for independent lawyers and small law firms trying to provide high-level service with lean staff.

The Exigent Group observes:

“While novel tools like ChatGPT are far from the sophisticated ability of a corporate lawyer, automation can drastically improve the pace of completing routine legal operations…GCs can turn to ALSPs and vendors with legal tech solutions that automate key workflows. This removes the burden of intensive training, confirming compatibility with other systems, and other hurdles of implementing legal tech.”

Choosing where to implement technology to improve workflow and efficiency will free up your time and resources so you can go after more work and bigger cases.

Just starting out? The ABA has compiled a list of the basic technology your law firm needs, and you can build from there.

Tools on the go

The way we work in 2023 means the ability to practice and connect from nearly anywhere. Think about what a typical week entails and then choose tools accordingly:

  • Will you have office space?
  • How many face-to-face client meetings will you have each week?
  • Which meetings will happen over video conferencing?
  • Do you have contract admin staff who work remotely and need access to files?
  • How will you manage client and case notes
  • What tools will help you manage your personal/professional schedule?
  • How will you track goals and metrics from anywhere?
  • When you want or need a break from technology and need to do deeper thinking, which analog tools support that?

Many of these questions will have cloud services as an answer, but it mapping out your typical week will help you choose those services more thoughtfully.

Professional space

While many meetings can happen through video calls, your space still matters. You can’t take a confidential client call in the middle of Starbucks, and face-to-face meetings also need a private and professional setting.

The good news is that you don’t need a full-time, dedicated office, which usually comes with a long-term lease and high price tag. That type of office also requires an investment in phone and Internet connections, printers and other office equipment that can add up quickly.

Alternatively, coworking and shared office spaces allow you to rent space according to your preferred schedule. You can work in an office two or three days a week and work from home on alternate days, for example. These space also come furnished, include wifi connectivity and often offer receptionist services.

People

In addition to all the technology and tools you need to run your law practice, you need people.

Even as an independent attorney working alone, you need people who will become your referral and business mentor network. You may also consider hiring freelance attorneys, paralegals or other support staff who can carry some of the workload. In addition, you can outsource accounting, marketing and other functions necessary for running and growing your business.

Bottom line, while you might be a one-person shop, you need people around you who will support you in building a successful law firm.

Looking for flexible and affordable office space for your law firm? Reach out to us to learn more about our shared offices in Denver and Las Vegas, which offer a collegial community of independent lawyers and the professional space you need.