246:
lawyers in the vital economics and efficiency programs of the
Association. Accordingly, two members of the Committee, Robert S. Mucklestone of Seattle, Washington, the former Chair of the Young Lawyers Section, and Richard A. Williams of Little Rock, Arkansas were joined by William J. Fuchs of Haverford, Pennsylvania; John “Buddy” Thomason of Memphis, Tennessee; and Robert P. Wilkins of Columbia, South Carolina, and commenced efforts to form a section to address the subject of law office economics and management.
238:
hundred inquiries a month from attorneys regarding the application of sound management principles to the law office operation. In addition, a small group of attorneys led by J. Harris Morgan of
Greenville, Texas, Kline Strong of Salt Lake City, Utah, Lee Turner of Great Bend, Kansas and Jimmy Brill of Houston, Texas, traveled throughout the US, presenting programs on law firm management. Their efforts created the need for the Section.
22:
542:
528:
254:
Section chair with 1074 charter members. Those chosen to serve on the initial
Section Council were selected from the members of the ABA Committee on Economics of Law Practice and the Committee on Legal Assistants, other ABA contacts, speakers from the National Conferences and attorneys active at the state level.
203:
to aid members of the ABA in the field of economics of law practice”. He appointed the first
Committee which consisted of five members and was increased in May of the following year to seven by action of the Board. The first Chair of the Special Committee was John C. Satterfield of Yazoo City, Mississippi.
472:
for legal administrators is the
Association of Legal Administrators (ALA), founded in 1971. Over the past two decades, the role of legal administrator has changes as duties have expanded and become more complex, and as more firms hired administrators; the ALA grew from less than a thousand members in
237:
The
Standing Committee on Economics of Law Practice published a bimonthly newsletter, Legal Economics News, and more than 30 books and pamphlets, three educational films, and an audio cassette program. The Committee continued to publish The Lawyer's Handbook. The Committee's staff answered over one
206:
The
Committee was charged with the duty of laying the groundwork for the development of practical suggestions to lawyers, designed to improve their economic status. Combined with this, there was to be an increase in coordination of assistance to lawyers in the business phase of the practice of law,
202:
which traces its history back to the creation of the ABA Special
Committee on Economics of Law Practice by the ABA Board of Governors on July 30, 1957. In August 1957, when Charles S. Rhyne became President of the ABA, he made one of his major objectives the institution of a “comprehensive program
249:
Proponents for a new
Section originally proposed that the Board of Governors recommend to the House the creation of a Section of Law Office Practice and Efficiency, but after deliberation it was determined that the new Section should be called by the Standing Committee name. At the ABA Midyear
245:
As activities expanded and lawyer interest in law office management increased, it became apparent that the committee structure could not meet the demonstrated need of
American lawyers for assistance in law practice issues and limited the participation and contribution of interested and informed
253:
The organizational meeting of the Section was held in April 1974 at the close of the Sixth National Conference of Law Office Economics and Management. Robert S. Mucklestone of Seattle Washington, who had served as the Chair of the ABA Committee on Economics of Law Practice was elected the new
229:
of Richmond, Virginia, was appointed as the first Chair of the ABA Standing Committee on Economics of Law Practice. Shortly after the completion of his term as Chair in 1962, he was elected President of the American Bar Association and subsequently became an Associate Justice of the
241:
Commencing in 1965 when John D. Connor served as Chair, the Committee presented the first of six National Conferences of Law Office Economics and Management in Chicago, which attracted approximately 500 lawyers throughout the country and several foreign countries.
473:
1976 to over 8,000 in 1995. According to the ALA, in 2007 some 76 percent of legal administrators were women in their 40s and 50s. The main duties of legal administrators are the financial, operation, and human resource management of the firm.
250:
Meeting in Houston, Texas in February 1974, the House of Delegates approved establishing the Section of Economics of Law Practice. This action culminated a two-year effort to expand the Committee's work to a much wider lawyer population.
430:
These document automation tools allow any lawyer to create their own workflows, in the same way that companies like LegalZoom and RocketLawyer offer standardized automated document production for individuals and small businesses. Some
787:
468:
Many firms and other organizations employ a professional non-attorney legal administrator, or law firm administrator, to manage non-attorney personnel and the administrative aspects of the firm. The
288:
Law practice management includes management of people (clients, staff, vendors), workplace facilities and equipment, internal processes and policies, and financial matters such as collection,
32:
783:
171:
Lawyers started practicing centuries ago. Law firms as an institution date back to the 19th century, and in the United States began appearing in the period before the
767:
465:
Law firms often employ a number of non-legal personnel or support staff; according to one figure, the average attorney to non-attorney ratio is 1 to 1.3.
1062:
963:
833:
225:
By action of the Board of Governors at the ABA Annual Meeting in August 1961, the Special Committee was made a standing committee of the Association and
664:
1091:
Ellen Freedman, How Many Non-Lawyers Does It Take to Run a Law Firm? (2005). Freedman Consulting, Inc. (version of article originally appearing in the
979:
Ellen Freedman, How Many Non-Lawyers Does It Take to Run a Law Firm? (2005). Freedman Consulting, Inc. (version of article originally appearing in the
435:
and lawyers' organizations have their own software; for example, the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys' CounselPro program is designed for
318:
Software applications have become increasingly important in modern law practice. Picking the best software for a law office depends on many variables.
462:(managing personnel) is an important aspect of law practice management, and many books and other resources offer advice to firms on this topic.
257:
The current chair of the American Bar Association Law Practice Division is Tom Bolt, a St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands lawyer with BoltNagi PC.
280:
have a law practice section or division which they allow non-attorney members due to the technical, non-legal basis of law office management.
1174:
1155:
1136:
1117:
934:
884:
585:
501:
66:
871:
380:
325:
321:
313:
1186:
Can You Stiff Your Divorce Lawyer? Tales of How Cunning Clients Can Get Free Work, as Told by an Experienced Divorce Attorney
1001:
328:
software, is among the most important, and features and functions of such management software often include case management (
187:
743:
533:
484:, but often with some expanded duties. Depending on the size, needs, and type of law firm, the firm may employ a separate
555:
183:
163:
Many lawyers have commented on the difficulty of balancing the management functions of a law firm with client matters.
44:
1240:
764:
231:
198:
The leading organization focused on law practice management in the United States is the Law Practice Division of the
48:
1028:
993:
606:
850:
459:
816:
1235:
1203:
469:
266:
215:
199:
948:
751:
133:
1079:
570:
337:
739:
735:
489:
207:
achieved by ABA through its staff, committees and sections and by the state and local bar associations.
591:
373:
333:
1045:
269:, which was founded in 1971 is another organization that is concerned with law practice management.
513:
1199:
601:
493:
481:
345:
172:
145:
901:
1170:
1151:
1132:
1113:
560:
341:
176:
157:
149:
509:
497:
485:
400:
369:
293:
141:
1167:
Lives of Lawyers Revisited: Transformation and Resilience in the Organizations of Practice
1032:
952:
791:
771:
580:
575:
436:
432:
404:
365:
357:
277:
273:
226:
115:
1150:. West Legal Studies Series (4th ed.). Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Cengage Learning.
964:
Resources for Managing Law Firm Personnel - Shape Up! Practice Management Tips for 2010
611:
477:
448:
424:
412:
384:
349:
1229:
803:
677:
565:
416:
301:
95:
867:
596:
222:
was first published and distributed to all attorneys who joined the ABA that year.
91:
902:
An Overview of Five Internet Legal Research Alternatives to Westlaw and LexisNexis
541:
361:
129:
has occurred for over a century; a number of observers believe that it is both.
1110:
The Medieval Origins of the Legal Profession: Canonists, Civilians, and Courts
707:
Master of Professional Studies and Graduate Certificate in Law Firm Management
547:
523:
505:
440:
408:
392:
122:
87:
868:
Google Scholar: A New Way to Search for Cases and Related Legal Publications
706:
1025:
444:
289:
153:
111:
107:
1080:
Practicing Business: Professional Managers Gain Wider Presence at Law Firms
1046:
Role of legal administrators changing as duties expand, become more complex
527:
388:
353:
329:
137:
126:
106:, of several attorneys, or of many attorneys, plus support staff such as
99:
420:
396:
395:, and often other legal resources. The two largest legal databases are
297:
731:
630:
1148:
Fundamentals of Law Office Management: Systems, Procedures and Ethics
665:
Law Is Both a Profession and a Business—Forget That at Your Own Peril
103:
935:
Article:Don’t buy legal documents online without reading this story
647:
945:
885:
Exclusive: Inside the New Westlaw, Lexis & Bloomberg Platforms
1013:
718:
1129:
Managing the Modern Law Firm: New Challenges, New Perspectives
1026:
Deciding When And How To Effectively Use A Legal Administrator
15:
747:
31:
deal primarily with the United States and do not represent a
648:
Is Law a Business or a Profession-And Does it Really Matter?
732:
Law Practice Management and Legal Administrators Section
451:, as well as other documents such as thank-you letters.
784:
Practice and Case Management Software: Comparison Chart
40:
678:
Preoccupations: The Tightrope of Managing a Law Office
817:
Open Source in Law Firms - Unimaginable or Brilliant?
340:
checking), time tracking, billing, document storage,
132:
Law practice management is the study and practice of
1206:- includes article from the section's publications:
190:and Graduate Certificate in Law Firm Management.
411:, but other databases also exist, such the free
186:College of Professional Studies (CPS) offers a
136:in the legal context, including such topics as
834:Improved Google Scholar More Useful to Lawyers
748:Law Practice Management and Technology Section
667:(January 27, 2011). Legal Rebels, ABA Journal.
265:The Association of Legal Administrators (ALA)
946:American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys
676:Anita J. Cicero, as told to Elizabeth Olson.
29:The examples and perspective in this article
8:
851:How to Use Google Scholar for Legal Research
210:An early publication from the Committee was
1169:. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.
1063:Evolution of the Professional Administrator
214:. Satterfield was elected President of the
693:Geoffrey C. Hazard, Jr. and Angelo Dondi,
919:Westlaw Versus Lexis: The Debate Rages On
697:(2004). Stanford University Press, p. 37.
67:Learn how and when to remove this message
1004:, Committee on Law Practice Management.
998:Law Practice Management Tip of the Week
622:
476:A legal administrator is similar to an
1016:, Association of Legal Administrators.
765:Picking the "Best" Law Office Software
721:, Association of Legal Administrators.
372:. Some firms use modified versions of
175:. predating the development of modern
7:
804:Open Source and the Virtual Law Firm
631:The Law: A Business or a Profession?
1146:Everett-Nollkamper, Pamela (2008).
379:Most law firms also subscribe to a
284:Elements of law-practice management
261:Other organizations and consultants
212:The 1958 Lawyer and His 1938 Dollar
14:
695:Legal Ethics: A Comparative Study
586:Interest on Lawyer Trust Accounts
439:lawyers and assists in producing
427:) and several smaller databases.
1078:Jennifer Smith and Ashby Jones,
872:Bar Association of San Francisco
866:Courtney Minick and David Tsai,
540:
526:
381:computer-assisted legal research
326:customer relationship management
314:Law practice management software
20:
1200:Law Practice Management Section
1112:. University of Chicago Press.
740:Law Practice Management Section
709:, George Washington University.
637:, Vol. 107, No. 7, pp. 602-610.
352:. Other software used includes
272:A large number of law practice
1002:New York State Bar Association
994:Role of Law Firm Administrator
502:information technology manager
188:Master of Professional Studies
1:
1035:, John P. Weil & Company.
744:Massachusetts Bar Association
534:Business and economics portal
786:. American Bar Association.
556:Alternative fee arrangements
322:Practice management software
184:George Washington University
102:may be composed of a single
1131:. Oxford University Press.
1108:Brundage, James A. (2008).
774:. Oklahoma Bar Association.
308:Software and legal research
232:United States Supreme Court
108:paralegals/legal assistants
43:, discuss the issue on the
1257:
1218:bimonthly newsletter, and
1165:Kelly, Michael J. (2007).
966:(November/December 2009).
607:Sole practitioner (lawyer)
311:
806:(May 3, 2011). Lawyerist.
652:Los Angeles Daily Journal
460:Human resource management
387:. Such databases provide
194:ABA Law Practice Division
1204:American Bar Association
1184:Porter, Portia. (2016).
1095:March/April 2001 issue).
1050:Memphis Business Journal
983:March/April 2001 issue).
470:professional association
267:professional association
216:American Bar Association
200:American Bar Association
118:), and other personnel.
883:Jill Schachner Chanen,
752:State Bar of California
134:business administration
80:Law practice management
1127:Empson, Laura (2007).
1069:Vol. 34, No. 3, p. 35.
970:Vol. 35, No. 7, p. 30.
821:3 Geeks and a Law Blog
571:Book of business (law)
348:, and calendaring and
338:statute of limitations
996:(February 18, 2010).
908:. Virginia State Bar.
736:State Bar of Michigan
490:network administrator
218:in 1961 during which
121:Debate over law as a
1220:ABA Women Rainmakers
1210:bimonthly magazine,
887:(January 24, 2010).
836:(January 18, 2011).
592:Law Practice Manager
403:, which is owned by
334:conflict of interest
220:The Lawyers Handbook
146:financial management
49:create a new article
41:improve this article
1093:Pennsylvania Lawyer
981:Pennsylvania Lawyer
680:(January 3, 2009).
516:clerk, and others.
514:accounts receivable
344:, task management,
1241:Management by type
1222:monthly newsletter
1212:Law Practice Today
1065:(April/May 2008).
1061:Robert W. Denney,
1048:(April 29, 2007).
1031:2012-01-10 at the
951:2009-10-18 at the
917:Tami Kamin-Meyer,
900:Alyssa Altshuler,
855:Lawyer Tech Review
849:Geri L. Dreiling,
790:2017-03-26 at the
770:2009-12-29 at the
646:Jeremy M. Miller,
629:Champ S. Andrews,
602:Retainer agreement
494:marketing director
482:executive director
346:contact management
294:financial controls
1214:monthly webzine,
1176:978-0-472-06963-7
1157:978-1-4018-2463-1
1138:978-0-19-929674-3
1119:978-0-226-07759-8
1044:Karen Ott Mayer,
364:, desktop notes,
342:document assembly
276:also exist. Many
177:management theory
158:legal advertising
150:office management
116:legal secretaries
77:
76:
69:
51:, as appropriate.
1248:
1216:LawPractice.news
1189:
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904:(October 2011).
898:
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875:
864:
858:
853:(May 11, 2011).
847:
841:
830:
824:
819:(July 8, 2009),
813:
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761:
755:
728:
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710:
704:
698:
691:
685:
674:
668:
661:
655:
654:Vol. 107, No. 7.
644:
638:
635:Yale Law Journal
627:
550:
545:
544:
536:
531:
530:
510:accounts payable
498:computer systems
486:database manager
433:bar associations
415:, and the newer
370:email management
278:bar associations
274:consulting firms
142:staff management
72:
65:
61:
58:
52:
24:
23:
16:
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1236:Practice of law
1226:
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1188:. Porter Books.
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1177:
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1120:
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1104:
1102:Further reading
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1033:Wayback Machine
1024:
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953:Wayback Machine
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906:Virginia Lawyer
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861:
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792:Wayback Machine
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772:Wayback Machine
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730:See, e.g., the
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692:
688:
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671:
662:
658:
645:
641:
628:
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620:
581:Document review
576:Contingency fee
546:
539:
532:
525:
522:
457:
449:legal documents
437:estate planning
405:Thomson Reuters
366:word processing
358:disk encryption
316:
310:
286:
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227:Lewis F. Powell
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73:
62:
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1194:External links
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1082:(May 6, 2012).
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832:Bruce Carton,
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815:Greg Lambert,
808:
802:Steph Kimbro,
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763:Jim Calloway,
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699:
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682:New York Times
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478:office manager
456:
455:Firm personnel
453:
425:Wolters Kluwer
413:Google Scholar
393:case reporters
385:legal research
312:Main article:
309:
306:
302:trust accounts
285:
282:
262:
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195:
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168:
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35:of the subject
33:worldwide view
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423:(operated by
422:
419:, as well as
418:
417:Bloomberg Law
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383:database for
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663:Paul Lippe,
659:
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642:
634:
625:
597:Legal ethics
475:
467:
464:
458:
447:, and other
429:
378:
324:, a form of
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92:law practice
83:
79:
78:
63:
54:
30:
992:Joel Rose,
889:ABA Journal
374:open source
362:mindmapping
182:Today, the
114:(including
112:secretaries
1230:Categories
746:; and the
618:References
548:Law portal
506:bookkeeper
409:LexisNexis
376:software.
356:security,
336:checking,
123:profession
88:management
1014:About ALA
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397:Westlaw
298:payroll
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