Jumpstart Your Practice Workshop

Panel discussion with Sonia Miller-Van Oort, Sarah Soucie Eyberg, Karin Ciano . Discussion will cover topics including: choice of entity; staff vs service; business planning; KPIs/metrics; reactions to Clio's "Missing 6 Hours" and other industry trends data; alternative business models; the justice gap; technology (friend or foe); client relationships; LegalZoom, Avvo, and other "new" players/challenges to the practice of law; recommendations/reviews of software, hardware, services.

Chelsey Lambert , Lex Tech Review
When we think of technology, we may think of our computers, phones and the software that we use. Instead, imagine technology as a source of life and protection for your law firm.
By educating ourselves on the advancements in cloud technology, communication tools such as text messaging, and email marketing we can actually better serve our clients while preventing malpractice or ethical issues.
In this session we will cover the different types of technology that can be used to ethically market your law firm, and secure your client’s confidential information.

Chelsey Lambert , Lex Tech Review
Weighed down from stress, working into the late hours of the night, or finding yourself in the office on Saturdays? A busy law office can be both a blessing and a curse.
It’s common to feel overwhelmed, burdened by the weight of your work, but at the same time hesitant to hire someone to help. You may think to yourself that you have no choice, but to do everything on your own. The thought of hiring someone is daunting. Not to mention the time to train them and then… what if they leave? There is a better way!
It is not always necessary to hire someone full time, and in many case you actually need a small army of part time specialists until your business has the workload to support full time staff. By using services or agencies that understand the way law firms work, the nuances of your practice area and the daily challenges you face a virtual employee can often be more efficient than one sitting in your office.
In this session we will break down the most common virtual assistant, and freelance services available to you. How to use them, and most importantly how to make the relationship work through systems, and accountability.

Justice Anne McKeig , Minnesota Supreme Court
Justice Anne McKeig will discuss the Supreme Court's disciplinary authority over Minnesota lawyers. She will identify some of the most common violations of the Minnesota Rules of Professional Conduct. She will also discuss the challenges to lawyer well-being that underlie some of the violations, as documented by the report of the National Task Force on Lawyer Well-Being.