Successful Small Firm Practice

How Solo and Small Firm Lawyers Can Compete, Thrive and Be Ethical in the 21st Century

The D.C. Bar is presenting an in depth, thirteen week program for its members on managing and growing the solo/small law firm in the District of Columbia. This unique program will aid the lawyer who is thinking about or who has launched a solo or small firm practice.

From core concepts of office-management, ethics issues, and money management to advanced techniques in marketing, client-relations and cloud-based case management systems, this multi-week program not only will lay out the ground work for starting your own law practice but also can help you reach the efficiency, productivity and balance possible in the solo/small firm practice.

The program begins September 10, 2012, from 6 to 8 p.m. and continues on thirteen successive Monday evenings, except for holidays, through December 17, 2012. All sessions will be at the D.C. Bar headquarters, 1101 K Street NW, Washington, D.C.

The program is free for but is limited to D.C. Bar members and their staff. Register at dmills@dcbar.org or by calling 202-626-1312.

Attendees at this thirteen week program are encouraged to actively participate in all thirteen sessions and create significant work product during and between sessions including a detailed law firm business plan, extensive marketing program, newsletter series, website content, social media program, law firm manual, risk management analysis, fee agreements, standardized client communication procedures, law firm account management systems, and a law firm backup and security plan.

Highlights of the thirteen week program include:

Choosing a practice that is best for you and for your ideal clients: Analyzing what kind of problem solving fits best with your personality, interests and, ultimately, what will make you as successful as you can be in the legal profession.

Business plan: We all know we are supposed to have one of these, but how often does it get written, much less implemented? You will have a unique, detailed and functional business plan at the end of this course to guide your growth.

Creating client relationships that will be productive, avoid problems and allow for an enjoyable professional practice.

Risk analysis and management: How to avoid problems and how to conduct a law firm assessment and risk analysis.

Money management: From paper ledgers to cloud computing - simple steps that will help you stay organized, profitable and in compliance with the D.C. Rules of Professional Conduct.

Maintaining maximum productivity in a digital world. How to be as productive as you can be with the technology now available.

Staffing and management issues: How to effectively manage a growing office and create a firm manual.

Smart marketing: Learn and create working, functional marketing actions that brings you your best clients.

Back-up plan issues: Create a system to manage your firm in the event you are unavailable for the short or long term.

This program will be presented by Daniel M. Mills, assistant director of the D.C. Bar’s Practice Management Advisory Service. Mr. Mills has over 28 years of experience managing a small firm practice and four years of experience leading the D.C. Bar’s Basic Training & Beyond program and D.C. Bar Continuing Legal Education sessions on trust accounts and fee agreements. E-mail dmills@dcbar.org for more information or to register.

Sessions are from 6 – 8 p.m. on: September 10, 17 and 24; October 1, 15, 22 and 29; November 5, 19 and 26; and December 3, 10 and 17. There will be no sessions on October 8 (Columbus Day) or on November 12 in observance of Veterans Day.