Publications

Illinois Bar Journal
Articles on Law Practice and Office Management

Filing System Basics for Solo and Small-Firm Lawyers By Carl R. Draper February 2006 Article, Page 84 Is your filing system - paper and electronic - up to snuff?
Advertising legal services limited - Pa 09 -0659 January 2006 Illinois Law Update, Page 16 Effective January 1, 2006, the Illinois general Assembly amended the Attorney Act, 705 ILCS 205/1 et seq, by changing section 1. 
Putting Your Firm on the Web By Mary Katherine Danna November 2005 Article, Page 572 Should you build a Web site? Buy a listing in an online directory? Here's an introduction to Web-based marketing.
The Truth About Going Solo By Helen W. Gunnarsson October 2005 Article, Page 510 Three ISBA members speak from experience about the joys and challenges of solo practice.
Handling High-Maintenance Clients By Helen W. Gunnarsson August 2005 Article, Page 398 Angry clients, irrational clients, obsessive clients – how do you handle them? ISBA lawyers share their strategies.
Burnout and the High Cost of Turnover By Paul Sullivan August 2004 Column, Page 431 Does burnout have your best employees looking elsewhere? Learn the warning signs and find out how you can create a less stressful working environment.
Communicating Change By Maureen B. Collins June 2004 Column, Page 321 Heads out of the sand, you ostriches; confront change directly and talk about it honestly.
Outsourcing Law Office Management to an Expert By Paul Sullivan June 2004 Column, Page 317 You're a lawyer, not a manager. Why not free yourself to practice law by turning over office administration to an expert?
Is It Time to Grow Your Staff? By Paul Sullivan April 2004 Column, Page 215 If you can't seem to catch up to your workload, it may be time to bring in help. Here are some of your options.
How Long Must Illinois Lawyers Retain Case Files? By Anton F. Mikel February 2004 Article, Page 76 A look at Illinois' murkey law dealing with who owns the contents of client files and how long lawyers have to keep them.
Seven Steps to Better Computer Security By Todd Flaming February 2004 Column, Page 101 Want to make your office less vulnerable to computer viruses, hackers, and the like? Here's a seven-step program.
When Can You Retain Client Files for Failure to Pay Fees? By Patrick Sean Ginty February 2004 Article, Page 97 While retaining liens can be effective, you should understand their scope and effect before you use them.
How to Increase Your Personal Income By Paul Sullivan January 2004 Column, Page 45 The key: make sure you're recognized as an "expert," especially by prospective clients.
Beyond Eat-What-You-Kill: Determining Partner Compensation By John W. Olmstead November 2003 Column, Page 575 Make sure your partner-compensation system encourages behavior that advances, not undermines, your firm's strategic goals.
Marketing Tips for Small Law Firms By John W. Olmstead September 2003 Column, Page 469 Small-firm lawyers can no longer ignore marketing and hope to survive, let alone thrive. Here are tips for ramping up your marketing effort.
Monitors: Choosing a Window to Your Computer By Todd Flaming August 2003 Column, Page 411 You spend much of your day staring at a computer monitor. Here's a brief buyer's guide.
Sale of a Law Practice: Out of the Shadows and into the Rules By John H. Maville June 2003 Article, Page 292 A look at the ISBA's proposed transfer-of-practice rule.
The Wireless Alternative By Todd Flaming June 2003 Column, Page 309 Wireless networking has come into its own, and it might be right for you and your firm.
Use Financial, Management Reports to Increase Your Profitability By Paul Sullivan May 2003 Column, Page 257 Your accounting program can produce reports that help you measure productivity and improve your bottom line. Are you using them to full advantage?
Putting It All Together With Information Organizers By Todd Flaming April 2003 Column, Page 203 The e-mail messages, postal letters, notes, briefs, names and addresses, and other data connected with a case; how do you store it all in one place? Here are some options.
Calculated Overhead to Determine Profitability By Paul Sullivan March 2003 Column, Page 143 Can you truly measure how much each lawyer costs your firm and how much profit he or she generates? Here's a guide to getting an accurate cost/revenue picture.
The "Problem Lawyer" By Karen Erger February 2003 Column, Page 93 The damage that drug, alcohol, or otherwise impaired "problem lawyers" do to your firm lingers long after they leave. Here's how to nip problems in the bud, and maybe salvage a career in the bargain.
Insuring Your Law Practice By Paul Sullivan January 2003 Column, Page 41 What kinds of insurance does your practice need, and how much? Here's an overview.
A Day in the Life of Future Lawyer By Todd Flaming December 2002 Column, Page 665 A technolegal tale from the future. And the future is good.
Creating a Small Office Network, Part II By Todd H. Flaming October 2002 Column, Page 553 Here's the hardware and software you need to network the computers in your office and increase your efficiency and productivity.
Have You Hugged Your Backup Lately? By Paul Sullivan September 2002 Column, Page 489 It's not a matter of whether you'll have a computer failure but when. Here's how to tell whether your backup system is up to snuff.
Creating a Small-Office Network, Part 1 By Todd Flaming August 2002 Column, Page 425 Small-firm computing is no longer about which computer to buy; even the basic models are powerful enough. Now it's about how to set up a network that lets you share programs and files.
The Leak-Free Office: Preventing Accidental Breaches of Confidentiality By Paul Sullivan July 2002 Column, Page 377 Are you doing all you should to make sure confidential client information stays that way in your office?
Is Your Word Processor Telling Secrets to the Enemy? By Todd Flaming June 2002 Column, Page 319 Your word-processing software may be making confidential information available to your adversaries without your knowing it. Here's how it happens and what you can do about it.
Emergency Preparedness Pointers for Lawyers By Paul Sullivan May 2002 Column, Page 265 Let's face it; sometimes you can't prevent fires, floods, violent attacks and the like from wreaking havoc in the workplace. But you can prepare for the worst.
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