How to start and build a law practice

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Where to find it

Law Library — Reserve Room (4th floor)

Call Number
KF300.Z9 F66 2004
Status
Available

Authors, etc.

Names:

Summary

A classic ABA bestseller, How to Start and Build a Law Practice has been used by tens of thousands of lawyers as the comprehensive guide to planning, launching, and growing a successful practice. Author Jay G Foonberg, now in his fifth decade of practicing law, has always been dedicated to giving other lawyers the benefit of his wealth of experience. This Platinum Fifth Edition is packed with over 600 pages of guidance on identifying the right location, finding clients, setting fees, managing your office, maintaining an ethical and responsible practice, maximizing available resources, upholding your standards, and much more. If you're committed to starting--and growing-- your own practice, this one book will give you the expert advice you need to make it succeed. More than 100,000 lawyers have turned to Jay Foonberg for the secrets to running a successful law firm; now you can, too, with the new Platinum Fifth Edition. Jay Foonberg has organized the book into short, easy-to-read chapters that deal with all the specific challenges you will encounter when you open your office. The answers you'll get are realistic, practical, and based on real-life experience. You'll find a wealth of tips that can improve your practice once it is up and running, as well as dozens of time-saving templates and checklists. In addition, there is all-new material for this edition, covering topics including: New opportunities for serving senior clients and the growth of elder law E-mail and the Internet Law firm mergers and dissolutions The increasing size of student loans Opportunities created by an aging population Nonlawyer consultants The globalization of legal practice When and how to safely close and destroy files The aggressive marketing being done now by firms of all sizes And much more Even if you already have an established practice, you are sure to find information that will help you compete and succeed. This is the one book you'll need to build and grow your practice.

Contents

  • Preface to the First and Second Editions p. xi
  • Preface to the Third Edition p. xiii
  • Preface to the Millennium Fourth Edition p. xv
  • Acknowledgments p. xix
  • Part I Getting Started
  • Why Has This Book Been Written? p. 3
  • Have Confidence--You Can Do It: An Historical Perspective p. 6
  • Should You Start Your Own Practice? (You Can Do It) p. 8
  • Should You Work on a Job "for Experience" before Starting Your Practice? p. 14
  • Being a Contract Lawyer to Get Experience and Money While Building Your Practice p. 16
  • Earning a Living between Graduation and Opening Your Practice p. 21
  • Should You Start with Another New Lawyer? p. 31
  • Practicing with Your Spouse p. 34
  • Should You Practice Another Business or Profession While Starting Your Law Practice? p. 35
  • Should You Specialize? p. 38
  • Naming Your Law Firm p. 40
  • Sole Practice v. Partnership v. Shared Office p. 42
  • The Written Business Plan p. 44
  • Managing Your Student Loan p. 48
  • Part II Getting Located
  • Where Is the Best Place to Open Your Office? (From a Client-Getting Point of View) p. 55
  • Where Should You Locate Your Office for Your First Year or Two? (From a Cost Point of View) p. 59
  • Should You Trade "Space for Services"? p. 62
  • How Do You Get the Best Space Arrangement? p. 65
  • Practicing in a Law Suite p. 67
  • Practicing from Your Home p. 72
  • Part III Getting Equipped
  • How Much Cash Do You Need to Start Your Practice? p. 81
  • How to Get a Rich Relative or Friend to Finance Your Start-up Costs by Offering Tax Advantages p. 84
  • Checklists of Needs for New Law Office p. 86
  • Office Supplies and Procedures p. 90
  • Personal Computers, Word Processing, and Office Technology p. 99
  • Should You Do Your Own Word Processing? p. 121
  • Should Your Office Furnishings Be Lavish? p. 123
  • Announcements, Stationery and Professional Cards, Christmas Cards, and "Mailing Lists" p. 125
  • Part IV Getting Clients
  • How to Handle Friends and Relatives p. 135
  • How to Market Your Services p. 138
  • Cost-Effective Media Advertising p. 140
  • The Importance of Accepting and Promptly Returning Telephone Calls p. 147
  • Managing Written Communication p. 151
  • Can You Get Clients from Organizations? p. 161
  • Cold Calling to Get Clients p. 162
  • Insurance Claims Adjusters: A Source of Clients p. 164
  • Shmooze Your Vendors p. 166
  • How to Accept Personal Injury Cases p. 168
  • How to Communicate Settlement Offers to Clients p. 174
  • Can You Get Clients by Running for Political Office? p. 176
  • Getting Paid Work from Lawyer Referral Services p. 178
  • Getting Legal Fees and Work from the Government p. 180
  • Getting Legal Work and Fees from Other Lawyers p. 182
  • Minority Work and Money p. 185
  • How to Get More Legal Work from Existing Clients p. 188
  • How to Recognize and Handle Conflicts of Interest p. 191
  • How to Keep Clients p. 199
  • How to Lose Clients p. 201
  • Cases and Clients That Should Be Turned Down p. 202
  • The Prospective Client File p. 206
  • How to Say "No" to a Client or Case p. 208
  • Damage Control If You Are Fired p. 213
  • Part V Setting Fees
  • The Fee and Representation Letter (The Engagement Letter) p. 219
  • Engagement Letters, Nonengagement Letters, and Disengagement Letters p. 225
  • Balancing the Public's Need for Legal Services and the New Lawyer's Need to Eat p. 230
  • How to Set Your Fees p. 232
  • Don't Quote Fees or Give Legal Advice over the Telephone to New Clients p. 239
  • Getting Money Up Front from New Clients p. 241
  • Cash Fees p. 243
  • Client Costs p. 244
  • The Importance of Cash Up Front for Survival (Also Known as "Foonberg's Rule") p. 246
  • Getting Paid by Client Credit Card p. 247
  • Financing Your Practice with Bank Credit Cards p. 249
  • How to Get Cash Up Front to Reduce Bad Debts and Increase Cash Flow and Avoid Going Under p. 256
  • How to Word Invoices That Clients Are Happy to Pay p. 258
  • The Importance of Monthly Billing p. 263
  • Final Billing on Completion of a Matter p. 265
  • How to Make Clients Happy to Pay Legal Fees by Selling Them Stationery p. 268
  • How to Make Money by Reading Advance Sheets and Technical Journals p. 271
  • Typical Client Costs p. 273
  • Can You or Should You Pay or Receive "Forwarding Fees" or Referral Fees? p. 274
  • "Bedside Manner" in Setting Fees p. 278
  • Alternate Dispute Resolution p. 280
  • When and How to Withdraw from a Nonpaying Matter p. 282
  • Part VI Managing the Law Office
  • Management of the Law Office--General Comments p. 291
  • Organizing Your Day to Make More Money p. 292
  • Managing Telephone Communications p. 297
  • Organizing Your Desk to Make More Money p. 304
  • How to Keep Time Records to Make More Money and to Preserve Evidence of Work Done p. 307
  • Getting Ready for Your First Clients p. 312
  • Typical Court Forms p. 319
  • Sample Generic Checklists and Forms p. 325
  • Your First Court Appearances p. 332
  • How to Interview a Client p. 339
  • How to Conduct a Meeting p. 345
  • Preceptors and Internships p. 349
  • The MacCrate Report p. 352
  • Negotiating Skills p. 354
  • How to Maintain Bank Accounts p. 357
  • How to Maintain a Trust Account to Avoid Disbarment p. 361
  • Insurance Needs of the New Lawyer p. 366
  • Don't Forget Taxes and Licenses p. 374
  • Why You Need a Personnel Manual p. 376
  • Bookkeeping and Accounting Systems p. 380
  • The Office Cash Flow Survival Budget p. 384
  • Paper and Computer Document Management p. 387
  • Organizing Your Computer Files p. 392
  • Simple Hard-Copy Filing Systems for the New Lawyer p. 395
  • When and How to Close a File p. 400
  • Fondling the Files p. 404
  • How to Build a Good Form File p. 410
  • Library Needs and Costs p. 416
  • How to Buy Law Books (If You Buy Them at All) p. 429
  • Saving Money on Postage and Express Delivery Services p. 431
  • Squeezing Extra Hours into the Day to Make More Money p. 434
  • Timely Delivery of Work p. 440
  • Should You Use a Telephone Receptionist, Telephone Exchange, Mechanical Answering Device, Telephone Company Service, or Voice Mail? p. 442
  • Why You Should Use Investigators p. 444
  • Part VII Ethics and Professional Responsibility
  • Professional Responsibility and Practice Management p. 447
  • Fifty-One Ways to Win or Avoid the Ethics War p. 450
  • What Are the Consequences of "Violating" the Canons of Professional Ethics, the Code of Professional Responsibility, or the Model Rules of Professional Conduct? p. 477
  • Ten Rules for Avoiding Disciplinary Complaints p. 480
  • Practicing Professional Responsibilities p. 483
  • A Short History of Our Ethics p. 485
  • The ABA Model Code of Professional Responsibility and the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct p. 487
  • Ten Commandments of Good Trust Accounts p. 491
  • Part VIII Resources and Advice
  • Where to Go for Help p. 499
  • Getting Free Management Help from Your Local Law Practice Management Advisor p. 502
  • The Importance of Continuing Education p. 507
  • The Wheel Has Been Invented p. 511
  • How to Manage and Collect Accounts Receivable p. 513
  • Where to Get Cost-Effective Help to Build and Expand Your Practice p. 520
  • Foonberg's Short Course in Good Client Relations p. 524
  • The Importance of Doing It Right p. 528
  • Checklist for Opening Your First Law Office p. 530
  • Part IX The Foonberg Management Checklist
  • The Foonberg Management Checklist p. 543
  • What Every Law Office Should Have to Be a Functioning Law Office p. 544
  • Part X Quality of Life
  • Quality of Life--Dealing with Difficult People p. 587
  • Quality of Life for the Lawyer Starting a Practice p. 589
  • Epilogue: Proof That This Book Works p. 593
  • Index p. 595
  • About the Author p. 607

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