• Page Loading Speed

Improve the timing of your pages to load. If search engine servers recognize that your pages are taking time to load, your ranking will drop down. Slow website will also have an impact on the user experience. According to the research, it should take less than 3 seconds for the website to load or else 40% of the prospects will be out of hand.

• Reviews

Obtaining more internet reviews is a simple place to begin. The more favourable internet reviews you have, the more probable it is that search engines will rank you higher. Request testimonials from your customers so that you can post them on your website. The more reputable a source is, the more likely it is to assist in increasing traffic to your website. Furthermore, when a potential client visits your website and sees all of the positive feedback you’ve received from previous clients, they’ll trust you as their legal counsel.

• Right Keywords

It’s important to keep in mind that Search engine optimization is all about using effective keywords. You will never get results if you optimise your site for a term that is never searched. As an alternative, look at the companies around you, use tools to get the right keywords, and come up with legal-related keywords that are place specific or field specific.

• Content with Headings

Make sure to break your content in header tags, that is, use headers and have the content in simplistic format which is also appealing to the eyes. The content should be easier to read and enhance the user experience.

• Image Optimization

If the images are bigger in size, it can slow down your website, as a result reducing the user experience and also the rankings. Compress your pictures and maintain the quality. Another thing you can do here is naming the images with keywords, it will enhance your SEO.

• Mobile Optimizations

Make sure your website is easily accessible through mobile phones. It should load fast and all images are properly structured. It is necessary to have justified content format. Use the right font, colored texts, bold and italics where ever needed.

The website should have proper contact details of your firm and the person in charge. You can always add your social media links for people to reach you at different platforms and to link all your accounts at one place. That will also help with the rankings on search engine.

The post Ways to Improve your Law Firm’s SEO appeared first on Legal Desire Media and Insights.

How does it work?

Search engines like Bing or Google collect information from your website and put them in an index. Index is basically a storage box or like a library where you search something and with help of SEO, the search engine brings you the relevant results. Bots are used for such indexing and its like the bots can estimate how well a website is and what suits your query to generate the required results. The search algorithms are intended to bring up relevant, credible pages and provide a quick search user experience. These variables can help your pages rank higher in the search results if you optimise your site and content with them in mind.

There are a number of things you can do to boost your chances of ranking on the first page of search results. It’s simple to break through the industry and attract the attention of prospects if you grasp the basic principles search engines consider when selecting which websites are the most valuable to internet consumers.

Why is it important?

Since individuals make trillions of searches every year, often with commercial intent to collect information about products and services, SEO is a critical component of marketing. Brands’ major source of internet traffic is frequent searches, which is supplemented by other marketing channels. A higher placement in search results than your competitors can have a significant influence on your bottom line. However, during the last few years, search results have evolved to provide visitors with direct information, which are more likely to retain consumers on the results page rather than redirecting them to other websites. To summarise, SEO is the cornerstone of a well-rounded digital marketing strategy.

There are various techniques involved like looking into the right content, back links, off page citations, keywords, etc.

Content- Having the right content on your website is necessary. It should be relevant and well written. Ensure that your website has a good quality user experience, its easily accessed through mobile phones as well as PC’s. The images should be thought about well and be HD.

Back links and Off Page Citations- When your website is compared to other law firm’s websites, the internet impression, credibility, and authority that your firm has matters a lot. The quantity of external website domains and pages referring visitors to your website has an impact on this. For how long the visitor has stayed on your website also matters. When Google ranks your website, the user experience is one of the most important factors to consider. It means that page speed, title tags, and site structure should be taken into consideration.

Keywords- They are used to describe the words and phrases that individuals type into a search engine to get the content they’re looking for. Your website will appear in the search results if a user’s searched keywords match the keywords that are on your website.

Search Engine Optimization is the organic way to go about growing your business. If your law firm is looking to expand, bag more clients and create a presence on the digital platform, it is necessary to take into account the above said points.

The post Importance of SEO for Lawyers appeared first on Legal Desire Media and Insights.

Let’s look into them, shall we?  These pens can be purchased from Goldspot.com!

Pilot Metropolitan

The Pilot Metropolitan fountain pen delivers class and efficiency on a budget. It has an impeccable lacquer finish with stainless steel trims that would stand out in any room. 

Its brass body is great for durability but also makes this pen a bit heavy. Still, the weight is not uncomfortable as it balances fairly well. 

The fine nib would be ideal for clear signature lines but you could always opt for the medium or broad nib options too if you please. The pen comes with a Pilot ink cartridge and converter for refills.

Waterman Hemisphere

The Waterman Hemisphere could be the pen for you if you are on the hunt for a light writing instrument. Its sleek metal body has a slim barrel and weighs only about 24 grams thereby making it easy to wield. You can also use the pen unposted to make it even lighter.

Waterman Hemisphere nibs are available in fine and medium. The ink delivery in both is smooth and does not overflow. So, either choice could serve you well. The pen can be refilled using either an ink cartridge or a converter. 

Waterman Expert

True to its name, the Waterman Expert may be a great pen choice if you have used fountain pens before. It is slightly heavier and has a thicker barrel. It may, therefore, require just a touch more experience for you to use it with ease. 

The comfortable grip section and the firm stainless steel nib make for sturdy penmanship. Even the medium nib that runs a little wet still delivers legible strokes on standard paper. 

Matte Black Forest Fountain Pen

The Matte Black Forest fountain pen is made of stainless steel. The matte black finish gives it a sophisticated look and a non-slip feel that makes writing (even for long sessions) quite steady and comfortable. 

This budget pen glides along well on paper without bleeding or feathering. The 0.5mm nib, in particular, comes highly recommended.

The weight and dimensions of the pen are also remarkably balanced. They make it a delight to use for almost any kind of writer.  

Beiluner Luxury Fountain Pen

The Beiluner Luxury fountain pen may stand out for you if you prefer pens with refined eye-catching finishes. It has a silver stainless steel body accentuated with contrasting trims and an outstanding 24k gold plated nib. 

The iridium nib is steady and delivers a consistent flow of ink. It achieves fairly even strokes (despite it being medium size) and is fed by an ink converter. The converters are available in 0.5ml and 0.85ml just in case you plan to use your phone for longer spells. 

Notably, this pen’s design is optimized for both right-handed and left-handed writers which is something that not all other pens offer.

Sailor Professional Gear

The Sailor Professional Gear line of pens offers an abundance of options. It is available in a variety of color choices from black to ivory and more with silver or gold trims.

In terms of functionality, you can opt for the king-size, regular, or slim size based on whichever pen dimensions you prefer. The selection of nibs is also more diverse and includes extra-fine, fine, medium, broad, zoom, and music options. 

If all the choices seem overwhelming, the regular size with a medium nib is often a winning combination for most people. It is easy to handle and the medium nib delivers definitive writing strokes almost as though you are using a fine nib. 

Pilot Namiki Falcon

Namiki is a high-end brand of fountain pens that live up to their price. The Pilot Namiki Falcon earns its place on this list because it strikes a great balance between top-notch features and value for money. 

It has a medium-size barrel that is neither too light nor too heavy and balances well whether posted or unposted.

The 14K gold-plated nibs are available in flex and firm options as well as fine, medium, and broad sizes. Ink flows quite well on all nib designs but the flex and broad nibs are a bit of an acquired taste. 

Kaweco Dia 2

The Kaweco Dia 2 is a classic pen that is simple yet suave and dependable at the same time. It has a compact and light acrylic body but its stability and durability are enhanced by its aluminum components.

You can fill the Kaweco Dia 2 using a converter or an ink cartridge. Its superior steel nibs provide an easy flow of penmanship with no scratchiness. The nib sizes go as high as a double broad but the fine and medium sizes may allow you to write more freely.

Montegrappa Fortuna Silver

The Montegrappa Fortuna Silver could be an ideal everyday writing companion. Its stainless steel body is resilient and its finishes are not prone to chipping. 

The weight distribution on this pen is even and unlikely to tire you even if you have a mountain of admin paperwork to authorize. The barrel and grip section sizing is also carefully designed to keep your hand comfortably poised. 

Montegrappa Fortuna Silver nibs are firm but deliver very measured strokes. A medium nib, for example, may write like fine nibs from other pens. So, where possible, it is advisable to test a few nib sizes before settling for one.

Mont Blanc 146

The Mont Blanc 146 a.k.a the Montblanc Meisterstück Le Grand is the kind of pen you gift yourself for making partner or winding up a game-changing matter. It is a pricey but efficient fountain pen. 

The barrel is made using resin and has gold-plated trims. Its grip section takes some getting used to but it is much easier to adapt to than that of the much thicker Mont Blanc 149. 

The filling system is a piston converter. It feeds a 14K gold-plated nib with a silver-plated in-lay which is offered in extra-fine to oblique broad sizes. Any pick between fine and medium may be a safe bet in terms of helping you achieve legible penmanship. Especially in situations where you may not have control over the quality of paper.

Aurora 88

The Aurora 88 is a superbly designed pen with understated elegance. 

The grip section of this pen has a raised lip and a streamlined shape that takes to fingers like oars to a boat. You can also order the pen in a matte finish for an enhanced non-slip grip.

Aurora 88 nibs are made of solid rose gold and are adorned with signature Aurora markings that gleam as you write. They dispense ink very efficiently and so you could achieve well-defined strokes with a medium nib. To top it all off, the pen has an ink window to help you keep track of when to refill the pen. 

Platinum 3766

The Platinum 3766 would be a good compromise if you fancy pens like the Mont Blanc 146 but do not want to splurge. However, it still offers the cigar shape, some heft, and good weight balance

Platinum pen caps have a slip and seal feature that keeps nibs from drying. As such, this would be a good writing instrument to keep if you tend to type more than you write. 

On nibs, the extra-fine and fine nib options can be a bit scratchy. So, the medium nib may be a better fit if you prefer smoother, slightly wetter penmanship. 

Sailor 1911

The Sailor 1911 resembles the Sailor Pro Gear but could be a much better pick if you prefer a slightly longer and weightier pen with the same comfy girth.

This pen comes with a cartridge and converter. It has an engraved 14K nib which, like most Sailor pens, has a medium nib that writes like a fine nib. This is not a bad quality rather just something you may need to be aware of as you choose a nib. 

Pelikan M400

The M400 is another top contender for an everyday pen that is both dependable and envy-worthy. It is light, compact, and has a beautiful finish with a tortoiseshell pattern. 

Posting this pen gives it just the right length and back weight to enhance your writing experience. As expected of Pelikans, the ink flow is superb and the nibs are of great quality. You may also enjoy the freedom to switch the M400 nibs with those of previous Pelikan fountain pens like the M120.

Lamy 2000

One of the most common words used to describe the Lamy 2000 is ‘workhorse’ and it certainly fits the bill. It is possibly one of the top fountain pen options that you can keep in your briefcase for day-to-day use.

The minimalist design of this pen focuses more on function than pomp. It has a slender-ish girth that handles well and allows you to write with no fuss. The larger ink capacity equally comes in handy if you need to write for long durations.

The Lamy 2000 nibs are of good quality but you may want to consider the fine nib as it takes to paper generally better than the medium or the broad. 

To Sum It Up

The beauty of fountain pens is that no matter what your writing style or budget is, you can certainly find a pen to match your needs. So, take the leap and discover a whole new world of writing experiences. 

The post Best Pens For Lawyers: 15 Great Pens to Choose From appeared first on Legal Desire Media and Insights.

In fact, you should consider specializing in tax law. Here are 8 reasons you should choose to become a tax lawyer.

1. Tax Lawyers Are Always in Demand

Everyone is affected by taxes, whether it’s business or personal. Whatever happens in the economy, taxes are constant.

Moreover, tax laws can be intricate, especially in the midst of tax reform. Therefore, the demand for tax lawyers always exists.

Plus, the more specialized you become, the more expertise you gain. This makes your skill set even more valuable. Seeking professional thesis writing help can further augment this value, as it ensures your specialized knowledge is effectively communicated in your academic work. Overall, the demand provides for better job security.

2. You’ll Earn a Competitive Salary

Because of the demand for tax lawyers, you’ll earn a consistent, competitive salary. For example, according to Payscale, the average base salary for a first-year tax lawyer is $85,000. That doesn’t even include bonuses.

In fact, tax lawyers rank among the more competitive paying types of law practice. Plus, tax lawyer salaries have increased in the last several years, according to Indeed.

3. You’ll Experience Job Satisfaction

On top of a good salary in an in-demand field of law, you’ll also experience job satisfaction. Tax law provides you with an opportunity to make a difference. Because of the expertise involved, clients listen to your advice.

Also, because of the diversity of tax law clients, you can choose who you want to work with. Working with clients you choose brings you even more job satisfaction.

4. Tax Law is Influential

There’s more to tax law than just figures. Taxes are always a hot topic because taxes affect the economy. Ultimately, people pay attention to matters that affect their pocketbook.

As a result, by choosing tax law, you’re choosing an influential field.

5. Tax Law is Challenging

Tax laws are always changing. Along with this, there are so many different pieces to the puzzle. For example, you have federal, state, and local laws to consider.

You have to stay read up on tax law. The constant need to learn makes tax law challenging. In addition, tax problems require mental agility. If you like a good mental challenge, then tax law is right for you.

6. You Get to Work With Different Types of People

As a tax lawyer, you’ll come in contact with different people, like accountants and financial planners. In addition, you’ll team up with niche law specialists like securities law. Moreover, you’ll get to work with various entities.

Being amongst all of these players provides growth potential for you. You’ll have an expanded knowledge base to tap into to increase your own knowledge.

7. Tax Law Provides Even Further Specialization

There are many different areas in which you could specialize within tax law. For example, you can become a litigator. If that’s not for you, you might consider mergers and acquisitions or estate planning.

If you’re looking for something that’s innovative with potential, consider international taxes. With the push for globalization, the demand for international tax lawyers has increased. By specializing in this, you’ll increase your sphere of influence and knowledge base as you expand your expertise internationally.

8. Tax Law Provides Variety in Work

Along with working with different types of people, as a tax lawyer your time will be occupied with different tasks. You may go from conducting research to writing a tax opinion.

Tax Law Is Far From Boring

When most people hear about tax law, they think it is boring, but they couldn’t be any more wrong. Tax law is a challenging, in-demand field that provides job security and a competitive wage. Most of all, it provides a satisfying career with the potential for growth and influence.

These are the reasons you should consider becoming a tax lawyer.

The post 8 Reasons Law Students Should Choose to Become Tax Lawyer appeared first on Legal Desire Media and Insights.

Supreme Court clerkships are an excellent path to the judiciary. Clerkships are prestigious and offer one of the best ways to learn about the inner workings. If you are thinking about applying for a Supreme Court clerkship, this article will help you know what it takes to be considered.

Networking is the key

At first, you should only seek help from knowledgeable people and follow their advice. This way, you can have a pretty good idea to manage everything even before applying for the clerkship. You will get to know such persons in your law school. Even in this way, you will come closer to your law school, which will be helpful while getting a letter of recommendation. You have to work until you can manage a recommendation mentioning something like, “one of the top students I have taught in my 30 years as a professor.”

Write, write and write

Secondly, there are no alternatives to publications. Whenever you get the chance to write papers, you should do it. It will make your resume good, and it is a ninja technique of getting comments from professors. Similarly, you can attend small classes or seminars related to domestic battery, class c misdemeanor, etc., to attract their attention. It is the way to let professors know how well you write.

Work for a recommendation letter

Thirdly, you can try for lower federal court clerkships first. It is the way to connect with senior professors who might be good recommenders. Being old professors, they usually have a relationship with judges. Now, if they write in detail on your writing, that would be a huge bonus. Without personal attachment, you cannot achieve a great recommendation letter. So, a lower court clerkship might be a golden opportunity.

School history matters

Fourthly, if you are from a renowned law school that produced Supreme Court clerks earlier, you are way ahead of others. However, if your law school is not famous, then you may need a recommendation from the Dean saying something like, “This is the greatest one we have ever had, and that is why he or she would be the first Supreme Court clerk from this school.”

Do not make yourself exclusive

Fifthly, if your target is Supreme Court clerkship, you should apply with all the Justices. You may think this is not an ideal practice as someone cannot become equally strong in every chamber. However, this is a cultural expectation for what intelligent candidates do.

Personal affairs works

Sixthly, some referees have a personal connection to Justice. If you can manage such recommendations, you move ahead 80% of the competitors. Justices usually rely on these recommendations from close contacts.

Minimum requirement

The minimum qualification for a Supreme Court clerk is a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from a law school ranked in the top 10 of the U.S. Therefore; you must have an outstanding academic record, good writing skills, and impeccable personal character to get the job done well.

To summarise, it is not about your qualification; sometimes it is about luck. The stars have to align even for the Yale and Harvard candidates. There is a saying that there is a sort of committee of support behind each successful candidate. If you do not make it, it might not be your fault; instead, it is the weakness of the informal committee.

The post How to Get a Supreme Court Clerkship: Tips and Advice for Applicants appeared first on Legal Desire Media and Insights.

Law firms are growing and covering more and more sectors – take Brodies LLP, for example, which provides legal support in everything from the construction sector to Data and IP.

While it is important to have specialists, offering a broad range of legal support will provide you with more varied clients and opportunities.

With that being said, What’s next? There are many industries that have experienced rapid growth and development over the past years; many of which are still having legislation formed through trials that could guide the industry’s direction.

Covering these industries will allow your firm the unique chance to help in shaping an evolving legal sector which could have a huge effect on your reputation.

The Environment

While environmental law has been present for some time now, it is now becoming more beneficial than ever to have environmental specialists in-house.

With so many countries working towards net-zero, the UK has cracked down on environmental policies. There are now fines that are reaching just short of hundreds of millions of pounds. Because of that fact, businesses’ environmental responsibility is more important than ever.

Many businesses will seek legal counsel regarding their practices to ensure that they fall in line with the ever-tightening environmental legislation.

Now is a fantastic time to bring on a professional who specialises in environmental law as sectors like construction and engineering will benefit from regular guidance.

Cryptocurrency

Cryptocurrency is booming. As with any fast-growing sector comes legal specifications and technicalities that offer financial lawyers an intriguing new challenge.

From the development of regulation to the requirements that will be needed for broker-dealers and advisors, there is ample opportunity for legal growth in the crypto space.

As well as this, legal professionals specialising in finance and assets could provide more general guidance and advice for those trading in cryptocurrency.

It offers more diversity in legal financial consultancy services. As you may well know there is still much left to be determined legally in the sector. Significant legal battles may shape legislation surrounding cryptocurrency – so now is the time to pay attention and get involved.

While it is still undetermined, cryptocurrency could have a huge effect on a range of industries, could revolutionise contracts, and influence how trade is conducted.

Intimate knowledge of the developing cryptocurrency-based legislation and prominent cases may become an essential tool for financial legal professionals moving forward.

Artificial Intelligence

This is the big one. AI has the potential to significantly affect intellectual property law, what is IP if not thought up by a human?

Does AI have a right to intellectual property or does its creators? With machine reasoning it’s debatable that they are coming to conclusions themselves, these murky waters may offer layers an interesting new challenge.

While AI is still very much in its infancy, it is rapidly developing and there will be questions surrounding agency and rights that may have broad implications for the legal landscape.

For legal professionals, AI is still a fairly new and uncontested field where there is still much that is left to be defined.

It may be worth getting onto the cutting edge of AI legislation as there may be opportunities to shape the field as it develops.

The post What Next? 3 areas legal professionals should be focusing on for the future appeared first on Legal Desire Media and Insights.

Before applying to law school, aspiring law students must attain specified GPAs and pass tests like the LSAT. Additionally, universities and law schools may have individual admission procedures that students are expected to adhere to. It is recommended you do detailed research on law school admission procedures if the question “ what do i need to get into law school ” is constantly on your mind.

Complete Your Bachelor’s Degree

Most Chicago students applying for law are on the final stretch of their pre-law degrees. However, students are not mandatorily required to possess a graduation-level degree to apply to law school. 

Most universities in Chicago allow students to apply without a bachelor’s degree. However, the university may prefer students who already have a bachelor’s degree for JD programs. A graduation certificate is mandatory if you are applying for advanced law programs like LLM and SJD. 

Alternatively, you could consider applying for a program that integrates pre-law programs. If you are passionate about pursuing a career in law, you probably consider asking yourself, “What do I need to get into a law school?”. 

High GPA levels can improve your chances of getting in. You will need to submit UG certificates, transcripts of relevant academic documents, and test scores to apply for admissions.

Qualify LSATs

Reports show that students who graduate from noted law schools in Chicago earn an average of $191,000 annually. Therefore, education and career consultants recommend opting for a reputed law school to complete your education. 

A good LSAT score is the most vital requirement to get into a good law school in Chicago. Students usually enroll in LSAT courses or seek the help of private tutors to crack their LSATs. You will need to score at least 120 to be considered by good Chicago law schools. 

However, you may note that the average score is around 150. International students must qualify for TOEFL, IELTS, GRE, or other specified global level entrance tests. 

Prepare Your Essay

The University of Chicago ranks no.4 among the best law schools in the US. Besides personal statements, you may also have to submit personal statements, addendums, and diversity statements as part of your law school application procedure. 

Your personal statement and essay should be well researched, relevant, and impressive. Check if the universities and schools you’ve shortlisted require thesis statements as part of your college essay. 

The essay should be clear, profound, and understandable. Most students who apply to top law schools have good LSAT scores. A well-drafted essay could help you capture the admission committee’s attention. 

Costs Involved

Test fees and other payments form part of the University admission process. The cost involved will vary based on the schools you are trying for. You may also assess scholarships and other financial aid options offered by the universities you are applying for.

Obtain Recommendation Letters

Recommendation letters can help boost your credibility. These letters are usually written by reputed professionals who have taught you or worked with you—the third-party vouches for your academic capabilities, talents, and personality through recommendation letters.

Submit your Application

The final step in the university admission process is application submission. You can submit your university application by mail or by applying online. Evaluate your application in detail before the final submission.

Wrap Up

International students make up over 17% of Chicago’s student population. Law is a highly competitive field, and it is vital to do your best when applying to a reputed Chicago law school.

The post What Do I Need to Get into Law School in Chicago? appeared first on Legal Desire Media and Insights.

Below are some of the useful online tools for modern law offices. 

• Online Faxing 

Online faxing is a very useful tool for law offices. This online tool eliminates the hardware and software requirements of traditional fax machines because law offices can receive fax via email. It means that law offices can now choose the convenience of checking their fax right at their email inbox. 

Online faxing comes with the following features and benefits: 

• Mobile App Usage: You can download the mobile app of online faxing on your smartphone or any internet-capable mobile device, allowing you to access, send, and receive fax by email. 

• Fax Archiving: You can access all the faxes for your law firm with online faxing anytime and anywhere. 

• Local or Toll-Free Numbers: Online faxing providers offer both local and toll-free numbers. 

• Shareable: Online faxing enables you to share the fax number to several email addresses. 

• Online Dispute Resolution Tool 

With Information and Communication Technology (ICT), resolving disputes online is now possible, which is called online dispute resolution (ODR). In India, online dispute resolution is a strengthening mechanism to simplify resolving the dispute with both parties while just sitting at the comfort of their home. 

Video sharing applications provide reasonable alternatives to face-to-face meetings through online video meetings. Lawyers can communicate and see clients or colleagues in real-time. This function is suitable during emergencies when parties can’t leave their locations.  

ODR comes with the following advantages for law offices: 

• Resolves Data Storage Problem: Having an ODR system ensures secure data storage, in which law firm personnel can transfer the information as necessary seamlessly. 

• Improves Time and Cost Management: With ODR, all parties can talk online, eliminating the need to travel. This innovative approach boosts procedural efficiency. 

• Law Firm Website  

Lawyers need to create and improve their digital marketing strategies. Therefore, every modern law office should have a website, which is the most useful tool to help boost digital marketing. 

A great law firm website should have the following characteristics: 

• Professional Looking: Law firm websites should maintain their professional look. However, you need to make sure that your website isn’t too stiff.  

• Informative: Law firm websites should be informative. Adding a blog section is a great idea to share your legal expertise and gain more potential clients. 

• Fast Loading: Online visitors are potential clients. That’s why their user experience on your website should be satisfactory by ensuring that you have fast-loading web pages. 

• Legal Research Software 

Law offices should also have legal research software to support case law. Lawyers can dig through old records using legal research software.  

Here are some of the features and benefits of online legal research software programs: 

• Artificial Intelligence (AI): Lawyers can identify relevant statutes and cases to help draft a brief with AI legal assistants. 

• Natural Language Search: This feature helps in faster query search by entering a normal language question instead of keywords. 

• Citation Checking: Find out whether a statute or case has been modified, reversed, or overruled with a citation checker. 

• Filter Search: It allows you to restrict a search to certain parameters such as date, jurisdiction, or judge.   

• Alerts: You can flag key cases to get email notifications if a new statute, case, or secondary source is cited. 

• Digital Legal Pads  

Modern law offices use digital pads instead of paper pads, which are a type of pen-enabled computing device. Lawyers handle tons of data and files on paper and servers, making information search a big hassle. With digital pads, paperless legal practice is possible. These pads are equipped with a secure software program to maximize law office productivity. 

Lawyers can access all their files and office case data whenever they need them. This means they can get finish case note updates and work orders in court while waiting for a call for their next case. Digital legal pads also promote digital presentations, which are far better than bulky paper presentations. 

Conclusion: 

Modern law offices use online tools to produce and process legal documents faster and easier now more than ever. Online faxing by email enables you to manage your faxes using your mobile device so you can access them anywhere and anytime. Indeed, law offices can attain their fullest potential by embracing the above online tools. 

The post 5 Useful Online Tools For Modern Law Offices appeared first on Legal Desire Media and Insights.

Technology is now at the heart of almost everything we do.

This applies to virtually every industry, law firms included. Legal work has been greatly impacted, of course, with even the Supreme Court shifting to remote hearings. Law firms embraced technology in 2020 because they had to. 

Automated technology is the next innovation up and should be adopted because of the return on investment firms receive. Automating manual tasks has wide ranging impacts on how firms operate. Staff burdens are eased and operating costs are reduced. That means an administrative staff is freed to do more impactful work, while the costs of doing business decrease.

What is Automated Technology?

Automated technology takes manual tasks and shifts the burden to a technology solution. You’ll find it in any industry, from manufacturing to healthcare to government. The higher the degree of automation, the less humans need to be involved. It allows work to proceed around the clock, without human intervention.

Automation has changed the face of Industry. Workers are freed from doing repetitive and mundane tasks and productivity is increased.

Why are Law Firms Adopting Automated Technology?

There was a trend towards automating manual processes pre-pandemic, but the shift to remote work has kicked this into high gear. While some firms viewed technology solutions as a “nice to have”, the pandemic made them essential.

With the digital transformation thrust upon even late adopters, law firms are now required to view business through a tech lens. They’re looking for ways to increase productivity while reducing non-billable hours. Automation makes this possible.

How can Automation help my Firm?

For law firms, automation often takes the form of software platforms that remove the burden of daily tasks. Think of the small tasks that need to be done on a regular basis that, when aggregated, equal a significant workload for lawyers or administrative staff. They may not seem like much, but as a whole, they can equal the work of multiple FTEs.

Forward-looking firms are focusing on three specific areas where automation has the biggest impact.

Accounts Receivable

One of the most common uses of automation in the legal field is billing and collections. Accounts receivable (A/R) comes with its own set of complexities for law firms, where clients may be billed under one set of rules and another billed under different rates. Being able to easily track who is under a retainer agreement and who is billed by the hour removes a significant opportunity for human error.

You will also be able to automate cash flow processes to ensure that your firm is financially healthy at all times. A good automated A/R platform gets bills sent on time and gets your paid quicker, reducing the possibility of cash crunches. It also frees up your administrative staff to do more meaningful work that positively impacts the business. Instead of spending hours manually invoicing, they can work to discover new ways of optimizing operations.

Client Intake

Having a healthy client list is good, but failing to efficiently onboard them means more time spent on administrative tasks and fewer billable hours. Each client has unique needs and requires strong relationship building. It requires a significant amount of data entry and tracking.

An automated client intake solution makes this simple. A robust form builder can create the right document for the right client and then integrate it seamlessly with your practice management platform. A single setup for each type of case – divorce, personal injury, fraud, etc. – will create a tailored form that captures all the data you need, without involving your or your staff.

This puts time back in your calendar that is better spent working for your clients.

Document Automation

Authoring legal documents takes an inordinate amount of time. This can be reduced, however, by using an automation solution that merges data with templates. Combined with an automated client intake solution (see above), documents can import data and have fields filled out in seconds instead of manually entering data. The data is reliable, human errors are reduced and billable time is saved.

A Lasting Trend

Legal work has been impacted greatly by technology since the pandemic started. As the world returns to normal and in-person interactions return, the need for some will subside. However, automation will only see greater adoption in the future. The benefits (reduced work burden and costs) are lasting and provide a compelling case for why law firms should be embracing this technology. Automation helps you do more for less and the end result is a more efficient business and better service to your clients.

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While you can’t predict whether you’ll be named partner, you still have significant ability as an associate to steer your career in the right direction. Because it’s now more difficult than ever to make partner, you’ll want to know if you are on the right track, so you can come up with a game plan to reach that goal more quickly—or decide whether you want to pursue other options. Here’re signs you won’t make Partner at your law firm and what can you do about it.

1. You’re not busy. Sure, cases settle, partners go on vacations, and slow days happen. But typically, you should be working your tail off. If you are doing well as an associate, you will be in high demand. But if you’re not busy, don’t wait for issues to be revealed. Ask the partner you work with for feedback, even though the conversation might be a bit uncomfortable. Also, make sure you are actively seeking challenging assignments that will help you grow as an attorney. One of the smartest things that any ambitious associate can do is to get close to a partner who has a ton of business, and then do everything possible to impress him or her and show your loyalty. “

2. You’re not meeting deadlines. The biggest challenge for associates is learning how to game plan and communicate about their workload. If you’re not meeting internal deadlines, you are going to have very unhappy partners. Associates need to learn to say ‘no’ effectively, so they can continue to do the things they already do great. If you can’t set boundaries to meet deadlines, that’s a red flag. Ask a mentor for advice on how to determine the best assignments to accept and those to decline, and how to articulate boundaries in respectful ways.

3. There’s no glam in your tasks. Associates are assigned a variety of tasks. Some, such as taking depositions and drafting briefs, require substantial preparation and creativity; others, such as document reviews, require high-level thinking, but don’t provide similar room for original thought. If an associate isn’t advancing beyond less creative tasks, it’s a sign he or she is not being groomed for the full buffet of legal work. If you aren’t getting choice assignments—even when you ask for them—you’ll need to explore why.

4. You have mentors, but no sponsors. Mentors are people who give you informal counseling, such as how to manage your workload. Sponsors, though, are your chief advocates in a firm. A sponsor will talk highly of you to other partners and consider you to have real talent—someone who deserves a seat at the table. You can have all the mentors in the world, but if you don’t have sponsors, it will be very difficult to make partner.

5. You don’t think like a partner. Associates who demonstrate an ability to think ahead and act proactively tend to be seen as being on a partner track. Smart associates think like the partners. They make my life easier as a partner because they understand what is happening in cases and push to move cases along. If you sense you’re not on track, ask what you can do to get there. Even if the feedback is not entirely positive, use it to turn things around.

Intelligence and drive go a long way in assisting partners efficiently and effectively. When partners see an associate acting on the feedback and working hard to contribute on a high level, it is impressive. Not that many associates take those steps. If you are a contributing team member, the partner will recognize that and want to work more closely with you. Partners are human—they enjoy seeing associates develop under them.

6. You are not trusted with clients or important stakeholders. If you’re working on a team, and the partners always assign high-profile meetings to other associates, then you’re probably not viewed as trusted partner material. Frankly, sometimes a partner doesn’t trust the work of one associate. And that can be awful, because once opinions are formed, they are hard to change. But a partner’s distrust might not be due to a lack of talent or experience.

Sometimes it’s not about skill sets—it’s about expectations that aren’t aligning. It could be that a partner is hard at work at 7 a.m., but the associate prefers to work until midnight. If that’s the case, consider looking for a better fit someplace else in the firm.

But if you strongly sense a partner really doesn’t trust you, it’s important to get to the root of the problem quickly by seeking feedback, and then quickly make changes. Ask to attend hearings or depositions, and prepare briefs. Tell the partner your personal goals. You’ll soon find out if it’s a trust issue or something else.

Consider All Your Options

If you feel you’re not on track for partnership, it’s not too late to re-assess your career aspirations. The good news is, as you gain experience, you also become more attractive to the market. Most associates are pretty marketable by the third or fourth year. So, if things aren’t clicking at a firm by then, they might want to look for the door.

As you plan your next move, remember to think about your brand. more broadly, rather than just how you fit into your firm. Associates who not only understand that they are in the driver’s seat of their careers, but also acknowledge their brand value, benefit when marketing their leadership and networking skills. They can strategically build their brand by getting involved in bar associations and young lawyer clubs to meet lawyers in other types of jobs. Unfortunately, law schools are bad about communicating to students about what jobs exist, other than the jobs offered by large firms that recruit on campus. So get out and ask questions!

There are many rewarding career advancement options for lawyers with firm experience, including joining a different firm, becoming a solo practitioner, or working in-house for a government agency, a nonprofit entity, or a private business. Ultimately, partnership in a law firm isn’t the only way to advance your career—it’s just a fraction of the many legal career opportunities available next.

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