Today's challenge is to create a more thoughtful out-of-office ('OOO') message, also called an automatic email responder, to better serve and delight your clients.

An Easy Way to Extend Your Customer Service. Picture this...it's the end of the day the Friday before your week-long vacation. You're about to shut down your computer when you remember - shoot! - I need to let everyone know I'll be out next week. So you log back into Outlook/Gmail, spend 60 seconds updating your last (generic) OOO message with next week's dates, and 2 minutes later you're out the door.

Sound familiar? If so, you're not alone.

And while just the basics will suffice, it's certainly not taking advantage of the opportunity to create a positive memorable experience for the reader. You've worked hard to develop client relationships and deliver exceptional service while you're in the office. It's time to extend that to your client touches when you're out of the office as well.

The Bare Necessities. A professional OOO message should at minimum cover the following 3 items:

Don’t miss ISBA’s final installment of the Family Law Table Clinic Series! Join us in Chicago on May 18, 2017 as our speakers offer informal table top presentations on a number of key family law topics, including how to understand financial statements, personal returns, operating agreements, and LLC returns; proving marital and non-marital characterization; maintenance issues; property division; issues with pension and retirement asset division; and more. This interactive innovative CLE format gives you ample opportunity to ask questions, clarify issues, and discuss concerns with faculty members at the end of each presentation. Attendees move from table to table throughout the day, gaining the perspective of both experienced and newer attorney speakers throughout each 30 minute table clinic. The series is open to all levels of practice experience, but designed with attorneys new to family law (or who need a refresher) in mind.

The program is presented by the ISBA Family Law Section and qualifies for 6.0 hours MCLE credit.

Click here for more information and to register.

Save 25% on ISBA books, Fastbooks and merchandise* from May 8-19.

ISBA books are a great resource to help save you time and money. Covering a wide range of subjects, all books are written by recognized authorities and are focused on Illinois law.

Each title is available in a convenient paperback format, and most are also available as a downloadable Fastbooks PDF. Because Fastbooks are downloadable and searchable, they make it easy to always have the law at your fingertips.

What's more, most ISBA books are bundled with a complimentary Fastbook PDF that you can download after placing your order.

Welcome Desk4Success-ers to Week 2: Polishing Your Professional Presence! Today we're exploring proper LinkedIn etiquette for better business networking.

LinkedIn is for Business (Only). LinkedIn differs from other social networking platforms in that it's only meant for business. So those family photos, political comments, and videos of you puking rainbows — all that should stay off of your LinkedIn profile.

Not on LinkedIn? Check out these YouTube videos on creating a LinkedIn account and updating your account for 2017.

The Golden Rule. The most important thing to remember when using LinkedIn is to treat your connections online the same way you would IRL. Build rapport. Be respectful. Don't overstep.

Making and Accepting Connections. 'Connecting' is to LinkedIn what 'Friending' is on Facebook. Once you've 'connected' to another person — either by their invitation or yours — you are considered a 1st-degree connection. And, like the 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon, you have an extended network of connections made up of people that your connections know. (Learn more here.)

Here are our some common do's and don'ts when it comes to connections:

Nearly two dozen volunteer attorneys helped answer hundreds of questions that came in by phone, e-mail, and Skype at the 36th Annual Ask A Lawyer Day last Saturday, April 29, in Springfield and Chicago. Attorneys were qualified to answer questions on over 30 areas of law, and the majority of the questions fielded were about domestic/family, personal injury, and criminal law. The calls helped members of the public resolve their legal issues with additional information or gave them the next steps toward resolving those issues, such as a lawyer referral. The endeavor also garnered positive media coverage throughout Illinois.

On hand to answer calls in the Chicago office were ISBA President-Elect Hon. Russell Hartigan, Zachary Hunsinger, Vanessa Hammer, John Zrnich, Nathan Neff, Shannon Heilman, Scott Fintzen, John Donlevy, Alice Dolan, James Coogan, Samuel Cannizzaro, Kristi Verti, and Huan Cassioppi Tran. At the Springfield office, Thomas Carlisle, Hon. Michael Robinson, Brendan Harris, Rex Gradeless, Jason Adams, Don LoBue, and John Taylor answered calls. 

The ISBA would like to extend a sincere thank you to the volunteers who worked out of both offices.