Legal Tweets

Tidbits from the Law Firm Leadership Conference #lflc

nikiblack: #lflc Susskind: As lawyers we tend to romanticize our profession--idealize it. We can continue to uphold dignity of it, but accept reality

Rotenberg: #LFLC Susskind: traditional lawyers will always be needed for deep expertise and complex communication

nikiblack: #lflc Susskind: If you an see ways you can work differently, you should do it bec if you don't, your competitors will

jordan_law21: Susskind: Five-stage progression of legal work: bespoke (customized), standardized, systematized, packaged, and commoditized (free): #lflc

nikiblack: #lflc Susskind: The drive towards commoditization pre-dates the economic downturn

nikiblack: #lflc Susskind: If non-lawyers controlled the delivery of legal services, things would (will) look much different

nikiblack: #lflc Susskind: Disruptive technology--new technologies may not help us as lawyers-they disrupt the way we work-but can't ignore them

ARotenberg: #LFLC: Susskind: need to look at multi sourcing, client facing technology, collaboration, and e-learning

jordan_law21: Susskind: Decomposing legal tasks into divisible blocks, ask: what's best way to execute each block? #lflc

jordan_law21: Susskind: Litigation is: doc review, research, project mgmt, lit. support, e-discovery, strategy, tactics, negotiation, advocacy... #lflc

ARotenberg: #LFLC: Susskind: project management lies at the heart of the legal industry of the future

ARotenberg: #LFLC: Susskind: Axion providing 'lease a lawyer' system. Experienced, cheaper lawyers providing expertise on a contract basis for less cost

ARotenberg: #LFLC Susskind: future of legal services lies in giving access to the firm's internal knowledge systems

nikiblack: #lflc Susskind: Most important business impact 4 lawyers-new ways of delivering legal services-virtual law office, turn knowledge into value

nikiblack: #lflc Susskind: Knowledge management used to be internal issue--now external--sharing knowledge with clients

ARotenberg: #LFLC: Susskind: Firms should take a cue from British Airways- investment in technology is on the client side, not internally

jordan_law21: Lamb: "This will be too hard" is lawyerly response. Ask instead: "How can I be 1st to change and profit therefrom?" #lflc

nikiblack: #lflc Susskind: It's not about pricing differently--it's about working differently. (!!!)

ARotenberg: #LFLC Maclean: innovative law firm fee calculator: http://bit.ly/2h3RJ9

nikiblack: #lflc MacLean: Clients don't care about ur profit, cost--they only care about the cost/value to them

nikiblack: #lflc Susskind: Any lawyer who takes time to research tech agrees that it changes legal practice-those who disagree are reacting emotionally

nikiblack: #lflc Susskind: Lawyers should be responding to new challenges by embracing emerging technologies, not ignoring them

ARotenberg: #LFLC Susskind: new jobs for lawyers will emerge- eg. legal risk managers, legal process analysts, legal knowledge engineers

ARotenberg: #LFLC Susskind: Newbies don't need to do routine tasks hundreds of times in the name of education. Don't confuse exploitation with training

ARotenberg: #LFLC Lamb: Younger third of the firm is less attached to status quo. Give them the opportunity to lead the charge to change

nikiblack #lflc Susskind: e-learning. ... Why don't we use online learning as we should (I say--#SPU anyone?)

nikiblack: #lflc Susskind: Talking about Twitter and its value to lawyers because their clients are on it, if for no other reason.

nikiblack: #lflc Susskind: The enemy who kills you doesn't look like you.

Alternative Billing Session at #ILTA09

VMaryAbraham: At the Alternative Billing Session: Tom Gaines, Jeff Brandt, Jeff Rovner & Eugene ("call me Jeff") Stein. #ilta09

• backofthenapkin: Use tech for profit: still use hourly recording but bill on fix fee. Must chg how associate success is measured. #ilta09

• VMaryAbraham: Brandt: "Technology is rarely the sole cure for any business problem." #ilta09

• VMaryAbraham: Rovner: There are knock-on changes. We used to measure worth by # of billable hours. Now we value results. #ilta09

• VMaryAbraham: Stein: They develop more specialized associates to provided targeted work for clients, rather than jack-of-all-trade associates. #ilta09

• VMaryAbraham: Stein: They changed their staffing model. More paralegals w/ more responsibility. Partners operate like project managers. #ilta09

• VMaryAbraham: Stein: His firm was paid ONLY upon closing = incentive to finish quickly. #ilta09

• VMaryAbraham: Stein: Once they offered a fixed fee, they got more work from the client than was planned. (Work taken from other firms.) #ilta09

• VMaryAbraham: Stein: Once you have a fixed fee arrangement, the firm assumes risk of cost overruns. In exchange, the firm shld ask 4 more work. #ilta09

• VMaryAbraham: Stein: The key is to understand exactly how the work is accomplished, & what discrete pieces R commodities that can B done cheaply. #ilta09

• VMaryAbraham: Stein: Lower fees 2 clients are offset by lower costs of production, so firm retains profitability. #ilta09

• VMaryAbraham: Stein: Ways to reduce client costs = alt billing + lower the firm's cost of production. #ilta09

• bren924: In addition to lost profits on reduced rates, clients are refusing to pay certain disbursements, further reducing prof/partner #ilta09

• VMaryAbraham: Stein: In addition to the discount in rates, there is also a cut in the disbursements clients are willing to pay for. #ilta09

• mikemac29: Speakers talking about subject that hits home as new Lit Supp Mgr, way we've always done things may not be good enough anymore. #ilta09

• VMaryAbraham: Remember: There were flat fees 25 years ago. But clients demanded hourly rates then. Now they want fixed fees. #ilta09

• VMaryAbraham: Gaines: This isn't necessarily the death of the billable hour. We just need to offer alternatives. #ilta09

• mikemac29: Panel sees area of growth for techs with business savvy and leadership skills, right now leadership is in short supply #ilta09

• bren924: Food for thought in the alternative fee discussion? http://bit.ly/3jXFLg (expand) (via @brucecarton) #ilta09

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Alternative Billing for Family Law Matters?

RebeccaLong: @LegalTweets If anyone can figure out a better billing structure for family law cases other than a billable hour- PLEASE share the idea!

• MelisaLRockhill: @legaltweets flat fee per series of lit mot w/res cl if exceeds x app or stage in lit. u usually know what ur in 4 based on who opp atty is.

• MelisaLRockhill: @legaltweets I did something sim as a cert law clerk who found attys for clnts to supervise what i did.

• SpinDr: @nikiblack On straightforward family law cases we charge a flat fee. Makes life simpler for atty & client. Doesn't work in every situation.

• sShap: @rebeccalong & @nikiblack, you need to talk to my colleague, @marstonesq. Chris has a friend doing alt billing for family law.

• andypmiller: @legaltweets I use flat fee billing in my fam law prac. I also am implement "phase" billing.