Wider adoption of technology means you need to be ready to respond to clients whenever and wherever. Maximize mobility. More than ever, the delivery of legal services is on your clients’ terms.
In some instances, though, it’s worth bringing in a professional project manager.ĥ. Using web-based project and task management tools like Trello or Asana can help you develop documents and checklists, make decisions, and collaborate more efficiently with clients and co-counsel. Processes shouldn’t be so fluid that you can’t map them out. This will require an up-front investment of time and money to figure out ways you can be more efficient, but it’s time and money well spent. Take the time to eliminate waste. It’s important to pause and ask why certain systems are in place, or why you have been doing things a particular way. To make sure everyone’s on the same page without scheduling constant status meetings, I recommend Slack, a chat tool that integrates with Dropbox, Google Docs and a myriad of other services.Ĥ. Also, don’t underestimate the efficiencies gained by using an easily searchable email account, such as Gmail, which can be branded for your firm. When everyone’s sharing documents on Google Docs there can be no mistake about which version is the right one - the team can even collaborate on the same files in real-time. For example, imagine how much easier evidence turnover could be when parties share folders (and massive amounts of data) on Dropbox. The right tools will upend old workflows, by enhancing collaboration, keeping everyone in the loop and reducing duplication of effort. Instead, you should be evaluating technologies that make things simpler and eliminate or reduce needless work (think scanning, faxing, printing and manually controlling versions). But these days, you shouldn’t tolerate them. Such annoyances might seem only occasional, or inadvertent. Maybe you’ve graduated to “track changes” in Word, but you’re still sending attachments back and forth via email - even though your associate occasionally works on the wrong version or something gets lost in the shuffle. Paper runs counter to many lean practice principles - it’s bulky and inherently non-collaborative. Use tools that streamline collaboration. If you’re still relying on paper, you’re doing something wrong. To keep your focus on clients, outsourcing business functions like accounting, call-answering and marketing services is an option, too.ģ. Other solo and small-firm lawyers rely on freelance help, or virtual assistants, allowing them to bring in extra help when business ramps up without worrying about overhead. With three monitors, an internal server, desktop and laptop computers, and an iPad, he estimates that he’s 10 times more productive than he’d be if he had to go through an executive assistant or paralegal. One solo practitioner told me he relies on technology to compensate for his lack of staff. Sometimes, that’s a good thing, assuring you’ll be personally up to speed on even the littlest details. Don’t sweat the lack of staff. How lean is lean? It may mean you don’t have a paralegal or executive assistant. They’re easy to deploy, updates are seamless, and your monthly costs will be low.Ģ.
And that’s the beauty of relying on cloud-based, or software as service (SaaS) tools. Of course, when using the public cloud, you’ll need to add an extra layer of security - but that’s pretty much it. Dropbox, for example, is a public cloud solution that can be used “out of the box,” meaning you don’t have to train yourself or spend hours retrofitting a solution that wasn’t designed for your needs in the first place. But where’s the happy medium between the technology used by big firms and the stuff you use at home? The truth is, the tools you choose should be as simple (and inexpensive) as the ones you use for your personal life. You probably already know you don’t need an expensive private data center to store and protect your information. But the trap many “would-be” lean lawyers fall into is overthinking the role technology should play in their practice. Focus on the practice of law - not on IT. Of course, you’re focused on providing counsel and service, not on IT. Here are tips for running a lean law practice, rethinking how you can provide the most value to your clients in the most productive way.ġ. Too many lawyers stick with the old ways of doing things simply because it’s familiar. But just because a firm is small doesn’t make it lean - or mighty. We’ve all seen how technology can help level the playing field, allowing smaller firms and solos to compete with larger rivals and scale quickly to meet clients’ needs. That’s good news for small firms and clients alike.