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  • March 12, 2019 | Member Services
    Practice HQ Resource: Eight Proven Steps to Double Your Referrals

    For many law firms, referrals are an integral part of obtaining new clients. But it takes time to build a referral base, which must be cultivated through meaningful relationships with reliable sources.

    The ISBA’s whitepaper on increasing a firm’s referrals provides five fundamental keys to accomplishing that goal. They include tips such as not trying to be a generalist, actively building relationships with five to 10 new referral sources each year, keeping in touch on a regular basis, rewarding people for referring clients, and not relying on just other attorneys for referrals.

  • March 7, 2019 | Member Services
    Lawyer Referral Service Makes More than 600 Referrals in February

    The Illinois State Bar Association’s Lawyer Finder Service provides referrals to local lawyers Mondays through Fridays. The Service makes referrals in a number of areas of law. For the month of February 2019 there were more than 600 referrals given.

    Here are the results for February 2019:

  • March 4, 2019 | Member Services
    Practice HQ Resource: Closing a Law Firm Checklist

    Closing a law firm can be a daunting task.

    There are many considerations attorneys must take into account, and the process itself takes time due to obligations to protect client information as well as the interest of the clients.

  • February 21, 2019 | Member Services
    Practice HQ Resource: The Case for Adding Document Assembly Technology to Your Templates

    It’s no secret that a document assembly system is a cure-all for document-intensive areas of practice.

    Attorneys in practices such as estate planning, real estate, contracts, banking, and employee benefits can greatly benefit from automating their document production process. It’s one of the few technologies that can actually revolutionize the way you work.

  • February 11, 2019 | Member Services
    Practice HQ Resource: Managing Distractions in the 21st Century

    Studies show that the average American worker is interrupted every two to three minutes while on the job. At that rate, it’s a wonder anyone can finish daily tasks, let alone major projects.

    The ISBA’s whitepaper on managing distractions in a digital age provides four fronts to address distractions and how to overcome them in the workplace. Those fronts include promoting physical and mental health, putting value on workplace and organizational health, creating a time, task and email methodology, and better understanding attention- and distraction-management skills.

  • February 4, 2019 | Member Services
    Lawyer Referral Service Makes More than 800 Referrals in January

    The Illinois State Bar Association’s Lawyer Finder Service provides referrals to local lawyers Mondays through Fridays. The Service makes referrals in a number of areas of law. For the month of January 2019 there were more than 800 referrals given.

    Here are the results for January 2019:

  • January 22, 2019 | Member Services
    Practice HQ Resource: Email Etiquette Checklist

    It’s a common source of workplace anxiety: Did you inadvertently carbon copy the wrong person on that email? Or was a critical piece of information left out that clarifies your position?

    In the fast-paced modern work environment, emails are often sent in a hurry. That’s why it’s especially important that attorneys ensure their email communications are concise, pleasant, and accurate.

  • January 15, 2019 | Member Services
    Practice HQ Resource: Crisis Communications Planning Checklist

    Having a crisis communications plan in place is imperative for all businesses—and especially so for law firms.

    Such plans should incorporate both internal and external communications, so that employees are kept abreast of what is happening and to ensure that firms can control the public conversation.

    1 comment (Most recent January 18, 2019)
  • January 7, 2019 | Member Services
    Lawyer Referral Service Makes More than 500 Referrals in December

    The Illinois State Bar Association’s Lawyer Finder Service provides referrals to local lawyers Mondays through Fridays. The Service makes referrals in a number of areas of law. For the month of December 2018 there were more than 500 referrals given.

    Here are the results for December 2018:

  • January 7, 2019 | Member Services
    Practice HQ Resource: A Guide to Marketing Your Law Firm on Facebook

    Social media is a valuable tool that can drive traffic to a firm’s website.

    For solos and small firms, the goal of social media—and Facebook in particular—is lead generation and business development. To do this, attorneys need to build targeted relationships, create and share valuable content, and consistently add value.