Business of Contemporary Law Practices


Book Description

The contemporary law practice has fundamentally changed. There has been a power shift from law firms to clients due to economic shifts, the impact of technology, and a leveling of information and metrics. Client focus, understanding, and service are more important than ever. It is clear that recent law graduates need to have an astute comprehension of business fundamentals and appreciation of the business drivers underpinning the practice of law. The Business of Contemporary Law Practices provides students—and practicing attorneys—a solid foundation for understanding, adapting to, and thriving in the world of private or in-house law practice. From business development to human resources to technological platforms, this book will simultaneously build a baseline business-world fluency and inform any reader of the various law firm and non-traditional legal environments many will find themselves in. Professors and students will benefit from: Historical backdrop and orientation to the modern context for the private practice of law Introductory business information including essential vocabulary and financial statement fundamentals An in-depth examination of private practice and in-house legal departments Discussion of emerging business models and technology Enough high-level information to gain an appreciation for unfamiliar subject matter with opportunities for more immersive experience in particular areas of professor expertise and student interest.




Gender Trials


Book Description

This engaging ethnography examines the gendered nature of today's large corporate law firms. Although increasing numbers of women have become lawyers in the past decade, Jennifer Pierce discovers that the double standards and sexist attitudes of legal bureaucracies are a continuing problem for women lawyers and paralegals. Working as a paralegal, Pierce did ethnographic research in two law offices, and her depiction of the legal world is quite unlike the glamorized version seen on television. Pierce tellingly portrays the dilemma that female attorneys face: a woman using tough, aggressive tactics—the ideal combative litigator—is often regarded as brash or even obnoxious by her male colleagues. Yet any lack of toughness would mark her as ineffective. Women paralegals also face a double bind in corporate law firms. While lawyers depend on paralegals for important work, they also expect these women—for most paralegals are women—to nurture them and affirm their superior status in the office hierarchy. Paralegals who mother their bosses experience increasing personal exploitation, while those who do not face criticism and professional sanction. Male paralegals, Pierce finds, do not encounter the same difficulties that female paralegals do. Pierce argues that this gendered division of labor benefits men politically, economically, and personally. However, she finds that women lawyers and paralegals develop creative strategies for resisting and disrupting the male-dominated status quo. Her lively narrative and well-argued analysis will be welcomed by anyone interested in today's gender politics and business culture.




The Business of Contemporary Law Practices


Book Description

The contemporary law practice has fundamentally changed. There has been a power shift from law firms to clients due to economic shifts, the impact of technology, and a leveling of information and metrics. Client focus, understanding, and service are more important than ever. It is clear that recent law graduates need to have an astute comprehension of business fundamentals and appreciation of the business drivers underpinning the practice of law. The Business of Contemporary Law Practices provides students—and practicing attorneys—a solid foundation for understanding, adapting to, and thriving in the world of private or in-house law practice. From business development to human resources to technological platforms, this book will simultaneously build a baseline business-world fluency and inform any reader of the various law firm and non-traditional legal environments many will find themselves in. Professors and students will benefit from: Historical backdrop and orientation to the modern context for the private practice of law Introductory business information including essential vocabulary and financial statement fundamentals An in-depth examination of private practice and in-house legal departments Discussion of emerging business models and technology Enough high-level information to gain an appreciation for unfamiliar subject matter with opportunities for more immersive experience in particular areas of professor expertise and student interest.




The Legal Profession


Book Description

As a part of our CasebookPlus offering, you'll receive a new print book along with lifetime digital access to the downloadable eBook. In addition, you'll receive 12-month online access to the Learning Library which includes quizzes tied specifically to your book, an outline starter and three leading study aids in that subject and the Gilbert� Law Dictionary. The included study aids are Acing Professional Responsibility, Exam Pro on Professional Responsibility, Objective and Legal Ethics in a Nutshell. The redemption code will be shipped to you with the book. With clear and concise explanations of all basic concepts in the law of lawyering and all topics tested on the MPRE, this accessible book allows professors to satisfy the ABA professional responsibility requirement with a course that students find highly engaging and useful. Unlike most professional responsibility textbooks on the market, however, it links ethics issues to portraits of the practice contexts in which they typically arise for real lawyers, helping students appreciate their relevance in contemporary practice. It also introduces students to the rich empirical literature on the profession, teaching them about the profession's overall composition and organization as well as huge variation in the practice settings, types of work, and daily experiences of American lawyers and their clients. It describes powerful economic and cultural forces that are reshaping the legal profession, and it explores current controversies relating to access to justice, globalization, technology, diversity, and legal education. It invites students to reflect on their place in the profession and how they will navigate the turbulent landscape to chart successful, rewarding and responsible careers in almost any type of practice today's law graduates might enter. Every chapter also contains problems that can be used in class discussion or as written exercises. This is the only PR book on the market that provides sufficient explanation of basic legal concepts and the operation of the legal system to make it suitable for first-year students, but it also works very well for second and third year courses.




The Experiential Guide to Law Practice Management


Book Description

What separates this manual and textbook from others in the field of law practice management is the experiential component. The course takes students step-by-step through the process of opening their own law firm. The textbook incorporates breakout boxes with experiences from the authors' own law practices to illustrate points in the text. The book's appendix includes a comprehensive collection of sample forms that law school clinics and new attorneys can use as a reference for the various types of cases that they may be called on to handle. And, finally, the new edition of this book includes an exploration of the issues involved in deciding whether or not to open a virtual office. The teacher's manual lays out exercises in detail, week by week, for the entire process of opening a law firm. It also features simulations, class discussions, and written reflections to give students the experience of handling the kinds of dilemmas, struggles, and emotionally charged situations that are common when starting and running solo and small-firm practices.




Profit and the Practice of Law


Book Description

An examination of why law firms in America have shifted from professional service organizations to profit-orientated businesses, and the effect it has had on lawyers and clients. This book offers remedies for dissatisfaction amongst lawyers and the public, and reform for everyone's benefit.




Beyond Smart


Book Description

Everyone is familiar with "IQ"--intelligence quotient. Most lawyers put their IQ scores up there with their SAT and LSAT scores as generally acknowledged evidence of their competence. But what is your emotional intelligence quotient? And why should you care?"Emotional intelligence" (EI) is the ability to recognize, understand, and regulate our own and others' emotions. Industries worldwide have incorporated EI into their education, hiring, training, and management programs to maximize performance. BEYOND SMART: LAWYERING WITH EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE is the first comprehensive guide to understanding and raising emotional intelligence in the unique context of law practice. It explains the origins of EI, a lawyer's historic role in developing the concept, how lawyers compare in EI to other professionals and how to determine your level of EI. Beyond Smart also outlines how: - Emotionally intelligent lawyers are smarter, better practitioners--as negotiators, litigators and judges, make more money, and are physically and mentally healthier;- Emotionally intelligent law departments and law firms profit from more effective leadership, greater performance, enhanced teamwork, and increased client satisfaction, as well as lower attrition, healthcare and professional liability costs;- Emotionally intelligent practices can thrive in an increasingly competitive and technologically complex marketplace, even outperforming artificial intelligence; and- Individuals, workplaces and law schools can take steps to raise emotional intelligence.This user-friendly, practical resource is designed for today's legal professional who desires to improve their communication, client service and leadership skills and create a high performance, high functioning workplace.




Legal Ethics and Legal Practice


Book Description

Lawyers in common law systems today sense that they are subjects of unprecedented investigation, criticism and attack. Yet finding responses to public criticism is not easy. This is the first collection of essays on legal ethics which addresses the subject from a comparative perspective. It aims to reflect on some of the key issues, suggest possible arguments which might lead to solutions, and to provide readers, particularly those involved in practice, with strategies for devising more "ethical" practices.




Lawyers in Practice


Book Description

How do lawyers resolve ethical dilemmas in the everyday context of their practice? What are the issues that commonly arise, and how do lawyers determine the best ways to resolve them? Until recently, efforts to answer these questions have focused primarily on rules and legal doctrine rather than the real-life situations lawyers face in legal practice. The first book to present empirical research on ethical decision making in a variety of practice contexts, including corporate litigation, securities, immigration, and divorce law, Lawyers in Practice fills a substantial gap in the existing literature. Following an introduction emphasizing the increasing importance of understanding context in the legal profession, contributions focus on ethical dilemmas ranging from relatively narrow ethical issues to broader problems of professionalism, including the prosecutor’s obligation to disclose evidence, the management of conflicts of interest, and loyalty to clients and the court. Each chapter details the resolution of a dilemma from the practitioner’s point of view that is, in turn, set within a particular community of practice. Timely and practical, this book should be required reading for law students as well as students and scholars of law and society.




Contemporary Law Office Management


Book Description

Practical and engaging introduction to Law Office Management for paralegals. Features: Comprehensive overview of the basics of law office management in today's legal environment. Features real-world examples of law office management issues faced in the law office today. Includes helpful vocabulary, constructive discussion starters, and useful case excerpts underscoring core concepts. All of these help instructor's engage students with the material. Discussion questions and case studies are provided at the end of each chapter to reinforce the material. Each chapter includes review checklists and additional resources to help students master the concepts. Students are taught the ethical requirements of the legal business but are also challenged to understand their real-world underpinnings. New to the Second Edition: Updated to reflect changes in the legal profession as clients demand economically viable solutions and technology increasingly allows lawyers to provide them Coverage of The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in Chapter 5. Coverage of sustainability in facility management in Chapter 6 More focus on developing demonstrable skills useful in law office management, in the legal field, and beyond Greater emphasis on client relationship management and legal project management by all members of the legal team Career preparation tips in every chapter Chapter outcomes added to the beginning of every chapter Coverage of texts and instant messaging in Chapter 7 New section on Marketing the Law Firm in Chapter 8 Enhanced discussion of social media and its usefulness in law firm marketing