Tech and new clients top worries for small law firms
Plus: Using text messaging to keep clients in the know.
What keeps small firm lawyers up at night? A new survey explores their business and tech priorities. And a South Carolina lawyer reluctantly chose his client's method of death - could you? Let's dive into today's Raise the Bar.
In today's newsletter:
• New business, remote work top of mind for small firms
• Considering AI tools? Ask these questions first
• Making the case for corporate legal teams
• Texting to bridge communication gaps with clients
Survey: What small firm lawyers value most
A new survey from Above the Law and iManage found that more than 70% of solo practitioners and small firm lawyers see driving growth through new business as their top business priority. When asked about tech priorities, respondents ranked the ability to work securely from anywhere at the top. While many are interested in AI technologies, it appears that small and solo firms are taking a cautious approach to adopting them.
Key questions to ask before using an AI tool
According to Kristel Kurtz, a partner with accounting firm Cherry Bekaert, lawyers considering AI solutions need to get to the heart of why they need a particular tool. In a webinar co-sponsored by the firm on how AI will impact the legal profession, Kurtz encouraged listeners to pose questions like why they would use AI for a particular problem and what the potential risks are. Other speakers touched on what AI might do for the billable hour and how new iPhones and Google software could impact the growth of AI in the legal realm.
- Sept. 23 - 25: Women, Influence & Power in Law in Chicago
- Oct. 7 - 8: Clio Cloud Conference 2024 in Austin
- Oct. 16 - 18: Electronic Discovery Institute Leadership Summit in Fort Lauderdale
How legal teams can prove their worth
In a column for Forbes, legal business consultant and former litigator Mark Cohen writes that legal teams can demonstrate their value to businesses through proactive contributions and added value. This includes actively preventing threats and losses, contributing to corporate social responsibility, and more. "The cornerstones of the legal function are empathy, problem solving, earning trust, competence, creativity, judgment, critical thinking, synthesizing information, and persuasion. These are skills that can be leveraged across the enterprise, business sectors, and society," Cohen wrote.
- Client sues firm over advice in crypto extortion case
- Firm and former employee settle $950,000 suit
- Was law school worth it? Young lawyers' weigh in
- Womble/Lewis Roca continue trend of large firm mergers
What can texting do for client communications?
A new episode of the "Un-Billable Hour" podcast discusses managing client expectations and communications through text communications. Joshua Lenin of Clio said that he is seeing more lawyers use asynchronous tools like texting to keep clients in the loop. "A lot of firms are looking at implementing texting as a part of their communication channels. It allows for those short quick communications," he said.
Thank you for reading Raise The Bar.
Every Thursday, you'll hear from our team about the most pressing issues facing legal practices today. We'll also try to include some quick-hit reads that touch on interesting cases and precedents being set worldwide.
Have anything you'd like us to cover? Send an email raisethebar@mynewsletter.co
Written by Suzi Morales. Edited by Katie Parsons.