The Practice Management Advisory Service of the D.C. Bar presents the Small Firm Lunch and Learn Series. Each program in this series will explore a topic of particular interest to members who are starting, managing, or growing law firms in the District of Columbia.
Sessions take place at noon via Zoom videoconferencing.
New programs will be added soon! Please check back.
April 9, 2026 - Lunch and Learn: Legal Design for Small & Medium Firms - Clarity, Compliance & Client Trust
Presented by Tessa Manuello of Legal Creatives
Lawyers spend significant time explaining documents that are legally sound but difficult for clients to use. For small and medium firms, unclear communication often leads to follow-up calls, misunderstandings, delays, and avoidable risk.
This 60-minute practical session introduces legal design as a thinking and communication discipline, not a visual makeover. Through before-and-after examples from contracts, client-facing documents, and online terms, participants will see how structure, hierarchy, and plain language can improve client understanding without altering legal substance.
The program also introduces international plain language standards, including ISO 24495-1 (Plain Language - Part 1: Governing Principles and Guidelines) and ISO 24495-2 (Part 2 - Legal Writing and Drafting), and explains how plain legal language extends beyond word choice to include document structure, information hierarchy, navigation, and visual presentation. The session briefly addresses how generative AI can support this work, where it adds value, and where it introduces risk.
Participants will leave with practical techniques and a simple checklist they can apply immediately in their practice.
This program is a joint production with the Law Practice Management Community of the D.C. Bar.
April 30, 2026 - Lunch and Learn: Six Months Later| Navigating the Move from Government to Private Practice
Presented by Kaitlin McGee and Sharon Greenbaum of the District of Columbia Bar
In August 2025, the D.C. Bar’s Practice Management Advisory Service (PMAS) and Lawyer Assistance Program (LAP) hosted a conversation for government lawyers who were considering a transition to private practice. Many attorneys attended to explore whether leaving government service might be the right next step.
Now, more than six months later, many lawyers are at different points in that process. Some are still considering whether to make a change. Others have recently entered private practice—sometimes by choice, and sometimes due to circumstances beyond their control. And some are working to build a sustainable practice after making the transition.
This follow-up Lunch and Learn will focus on where lawyers are now. Through an interactive discussion, we will explore common challenges that arise when moving from government service to private practice, including:
- building a client base and developing business
- adjusting to the business side of law practice
- managing uncertainty and maintaining resilience
- navigating the early stages of private practice
Whether you are still considering a transition, navigating an unexpected change, or working to establish yourself in private practice, this program will provide an opportunity to reflect on where you are and connect with other lawyers facing similar challenges.
This program is a joint production with the Law Practice Management Community of the D.C. Bar.
For more information on this program and other services offered by the Practice Management Advisory Service you may contact Daniel M. Mills or Kaitlin McGee, practice management advisors, at [email protected].
