Asked and Answered
By John W. Olmstead, MBA, Ph.D, CMC
Q. We are a 24 attorney firm in Northwestern Wisconsin. We have recently been discussing the feasibility of hiring our first legal administrator. How large should a firm be when it is time to hire an administrator?
A. There is no magic size. We just completed an engagement recruiting an administrator for a 14 attorney firm. A couple of months ago we recruited one for a seven attorney firm. We also have law firm clients with over 40 attorneys that don’t have an administrator. I believe that an administrator, or office manager, is appropriate in firms of all sizes. It is a matter of attitude and commitment on the part of the partners and whether they are willing to delegate responsibility and authority to an administrator to run the day-to-day operations of the firm. The firm should start with a job description and then decide whether the firm is willing to delegate responsibility and authority. If not, the firm should not hire an administrator.
John W. Olmstead, MBA, Ph.D, CMC, is a past chair and member of the ISBA Standing Committee on Law Office Management and Economics. For more information on law office management please direct questions to the ISBA listserver, which John and other committee members review, or view archived copies of The Bottom Line Newsletters. Contact John at jolmstead@olmsteadassoc.com.
Practice News
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June 23, 2010 |
Practice News
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June 22, 2010 |
Practice News
The ISBA YLDNews has a great now-and-again feature by Anna P. Krolikowska of Northbrook. Called "What can I be with a J.D.?," it's devoted to law-related but nonlawyering jobs. The latest installment spotlights Laurel Hajek, who talks about her role as assistant dean for career services at John Marshall Laurel describes her job (she loves working with law students, whose “enthusiasm and energy is contagious") and offers pointers to people who think they might like to do what she does (for starters, "maintain strong ties with [your] law school"). Read the interview.
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June 22, 2010 |
Practice News
The Illinois Supreme Court has appointed Brendan A. Maher as Circuit Judge of the 17th Judicial Circuit, Third Subcircuit, Judgeship A. This appointment is effective Aug. 2, 2010 and terminates on Dec. 3, 2012.
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June 17, 2010 |
Practice News
By Shamla Naidoo Some of you may have read an article published in the June 2010 issue of the ABA Journal, “A Scam by Any Name.” In it, the author discusses the growing number of online scam artists targeting law firms and legal professionals, including a single scam that cost six firms in Hawaii over half a million dollars. This type of scam is an unfortunate fact of life in our increasingly interconnected world. Advice from the FBI that “most attorneys are smart enough to just delete these emails, or regard them with suspicion” is like saying don’t open email with viruses – if we knew about the virus, we wouldn’t open the email. In the physical world, we pay attention to clues that help alert us to dangerous situations. We know better than to walk down dark alleys at night or flash cash in cities known for high crime. However, not all of us apply the same “street savvy” while online; even if we do, malicious emails look like normal emails to a casual viewer. A website set up by criminals may look exactly the same as that of a legitimate organization and sometimes is even a copy of a real website with a few technical differences invisible to the naked eye. Rather than telling them not to become victims, it is more helpful to educate lawyers on “red flags” that often characterize suspicious electronic correspondence.
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June 16, 2010 |
Practice News
More and more clients want to make sure their beloved pet is provided for after they die. They'll be coming to you for help. Fortunately for you, Melissa Maye takes you step by step through the process of creating a pet trust in the latest ISBA Animal Law newsletter. (For starters and in case you didn't know, Illinois has a Pet Trust Act -- to find it, go here and scroll down to 760 ILCS 5/15.2). Read her clear, informative article. Rrruff!
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June 16, 2010 |
Practice News
Asked and Answered By John W. Olmstead, MBA, Ph.D, CMC Using RULES to Improve Profitability and Cash Flow Q. Our seven attorney firm is struggling with poor profitability and cash flow issues as well. How have other small firms fared during the past year? What should we focus on? A. In general – small firms have fared pretty well during the recession. Some actually had best year ever. Many experienced flat or 10% revenue declines in 2009. Small firms that had biggest problems were those that had issues before the recession. Successful firms play by the RULES to improve profitability, make more money & improve cash flow. Here is the general idea. R = Rate & Realization U = Utilization L = Leverage E = Expense Control S = Speed Realization Rate The percentage of your time that turns into cash over a specific time period
- Time Write Downs
- Accounts Receivable Write-offs
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June 15, 2010 |
Practice News
In the latest ISBA General Practice, Solo & Small Firm newsletter, Jewel Kline has a good summary of the dangers posed by the Illinois Supreme Court's 2008 decision in Hudson v. City of Chicago. "One would think that if [an] attorney who takes [a] voluntary dismissal puts the words 'without prejudice' in the dismissal order, the plaintiff’s claim would be safe [if filed again within the deadline]," she writes. "Not any more. The words 'without prejudice' in a voluntary dismissal order will not automatically prevent a re-filed case from being dismissed based on res judicata." How did we come to this point, and how can you avoid this trap? Read her article and find out.
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June 15, 2010 |
Practice News
Justice Rita B. Garman of the Supreme Court of Illinois has begun an application process for a Circuit Court vacancy in the Seventh Judicial Circuit. The vacancy was created by the appointment of Justice Thomas R. Appleton to the Fourth District Appellate Court on June 4, 2010. Justice Appleton has been an at-large Circuit Judge in Springfield since 1992. Under the Illinois Constitution, judicial vacancies are filled by Supreme Court appointment. The application process will lead to final Court approval. The applicants will undergo an evaluation and screening process. Notices of the vacancy has been posted in courthouses throughout the Circuit. The application form and instructions may be obtained by visiting the Illinois Supreme Court’s website at www.state.il.us/court and follow the instructions on the “Latest News” scroller announcing the Seventh Judicial Circuit vacancy. Applications must be submitted via mail to:
- Supreme Court of Illinois
- 3607 North Vermilion, Suite 1
- Danville, Illinois 61832
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June 10, 2010 |
Practice News
Illinois Supreme Court Justice Lloyd A. Karmeier announced Thursday that an application process has begun for a Circuit Court vacancy in the 20th Judicial Circuit. The at-large Circuit vacancy is being created by the announced resignation of Circuit Judge Michael O’Malley, effective Aug. 1, 2010. Under the Illinois Constitution, the Supreme Court holds the authority to fill interim judicial vacancies. Justice Karmeier uses an application, evaluation and interview process to make recommendations to the Court for vacancies in the Fifth Judicial District. Notice of the vacancy will be posted in courthouses throughout the 20th Judicial Circuit. Applicants must submit a cover letter with the Requested Information of an Applicant Form to:
- Justice Lloyd A. Karmeier
- Supreme Court of Illinois
- P.O. Box 266
- Nashville, IL 62263
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June 10, 2010 |
Practice News
Earlier this year in Hertz Corporation v. Friend, the United States Supreme Court ruled that for diversity-jurisdiction purposes a “principal place of business” is “the place where the corporation’s high level officers direct, control, and coordinate the corporation’s activities” -- in other words, the corporate "nerve center." So note Chicago lawyers Laura L. Milnichuk and William J. Perry in the new issue of Trial Briefs, newsletter of the ISBA Civil Practice and Procedure Section. Read their summary and analysis.