Download the Client Intake Checklist! Ah, the client intake process — unquestionably one of the most time-consuming and laborious parts of being a lawyer. Yet, like it or not, it is one of the most critical elements of ensuring your law firm’s success. So don’t screw it up! First impressions are everything in life, and onboarding your new clients is no exception. Why would a client be compelled to hire you if you never get back to their initial phone call or take too long? Exactly. First impressions count. That’s why you need to make sure you have an effective, streamlined intake system in place. Don’t have one in place yet? Don’t panic! The good news is that it’s never too late to take the reins and turn things around. We’ve created this comprehensive Client Intake Checklist to get you started, including tips on how to automate several pieces of the onboarding process. Here’s a quick look at what’s inside (you can download the complete checklist here): 1. Think Like a CEO The first step is adopting the mindset that your law firm is a business. 2. Develop a Process In the absence of a systematic intake process, a law firm quickly becomes chaotic. Leads are never followed up, opportunities are squandered, revenue is lost. 3. Follow Up Right Away For years, studies have continued to show that long response times affect closing deals. A recent survey showed that 42% of the time, law firms take an average of three or more days to get back to a message from a new client. 4. Pre-screen Your Clients Before the initial consultation, it’s important to pre-screen. Not every lead that comes to your firm is going to be the right fit for you, and that’s just the way it is. 5.

In a culture where assignments often come in the form of a late-night email with the subject line “Over to you,” or a partner’s frantic wave to an associate who just happens by, terms like “resource management” and “work allocation” might sound foreign — at minimum, something best left to the accountants. But, as viGlobal’s CEO explains, large firms are looking at more systematic ways to distribute the work for a host of good reasons, including keeping their associates happy. A law firm can be made up of many moving parts: separate offices, numerous practice groups, the partners, the associates, legal support staff, business professionals. Navigating this puzzle to ensure everything runs smoothly can be demanding. As the legal industry continues to identify issues with traditional methods of work allocation, more law firms are turning to new methods of resource allocation, including resource allocation technology. Some firms are motivated to modernize how they schedule associates and allocate matters to promote more equitable work distribution and reduce associate attrition. Additionally, larger firms are looking to better manage early career programs and improve how tasks are delegated to legal and non-legal support staff. Making Sure Every Employee Gets the Right Workload Here are seven best practices for making resource management and work allocation effective for everyone at your firm. 1. Forecast individual availability and workloads To start, firms need a standardized process in place to track associate availability and utilization. Making resource allocation decisions requires real-time visibility into how busy lawyers are and which ones are free to take on work. Depending on the nature of a firm’s work, for example, associates can be reminded to update their availability either weekly or daily, so partners and managers can more easily monitor resource allocation. 2. Track each associate’s skills and development needs Employee

According to the 2021 ABA Profile of the Legal Profession, the COVID-19 pandemic prompted one-third of senior lawyers to change retirement plans — but that doesn’t mean they decided to retire. Instead, 53% of those lawyers decided to push the pause button. Disrupted income may be one reason — but as Camille Stell points out, there are other reasons lawyers avoid retirement. Have you noticed how reluctant lawyers are to discuss retirement? The mere mention of the change causes discomfort. You might recognize these five obstacles to discussing your retirement: Loss of identityReluctance to leaveFears about transitioningInertiaFailure to succession plan Obstacles and Actions for Planning Retirement Being aware of the obstacles is the first step. 1. Loss of Identity (“Who am I if I’m not a lawyer?”)  Our local bar has an annual 50-year lawyer celebration lunch. Many of the lawyers who attend are still practicing. Loss of identity is a big factor in why they continue to do so. It is hard to imagine stepping away from the firm you built, the professional identity you have become. Everyday activities such as introductions likely include the fact that you are a lawyer. Learning to find an identity for yourself outside of law will be a challenge, but you can do it. Action: Begin with an inventory of all the things you are: spouse, partner, parent, grandparent, parishioner, community member, mentor. Then start a list of all the things you can be: volunteer, teacher, mentor, athlete, gardener, hobbyist, author, photographer. The list is endless. 2. Reluctance to Leave the Law Firm It is impossible to imagine not coming into the office. The same is true of leaving behind longtime staff members, as well as clients who need you. You worry about the impact your leaving will have on lawyers remaining in