Products & Services
Looking for more information or materials to help make your practice more effective? My workbooks, audio programs and teleclasses may be all the help you need. Click here to read more about my products.
If you know you're not the 'do it yourself' type, you don't know where to start, or you want the extra boost and accountability that comes from working with someone one on one, you may want to consider my consulting services. Click here to learn more about my services and how I can help.
Products and Events
Not ready for consulting? Want to get a taste of what I can offer? Come to a presentation or check out a product. My products that will help law firms identify challenges, devise solutions and move forward on their own. Check back often to see what’s new!
Recent Events
April 14, 2008:
Suffolk County Women's Business Enterprise Coalition Annual Business Expo: "Marketing Basics: The Who, What, When, Where, Why and How of Marketing."
April 30, 2008:
Suffolk County Bar Association Young Lawyers Committee: "Networking for New Lawyers"
How to Grow Your Law Practice On a Shoestring Budget- 8 Part Teleclass Series for Law Firm Associates or Small Practices
This eight part teleclass series is given twice yearly and includes sessions on time management, networking, speaking, writing and focusing your practice on your highest value clients. To learn more about the series, click here.
The series only permits a limited number of participants, so stay tuned for registration information!
Interested in booking me to speak at your event or for your organization? Contact me.
Products
How to Grow Your Law Practice On a Shoestring Budget - Home Study Course
8 Part Audio Series for Solo Practitioners, Law Firm Associates or Small Practices
This is the home study version of the popular teleclass series, including eight downloadable recordings of the individual sessions, PLUS notes and exercises in PDF format to reinforce the lessons learned. To learn more, click here.
7 Mistakes Lawyers Make in Managing and Marketing Their Practices (And How to Avoid Them)
75 minute audio of a live presentation covering these common mistakes made by lawyers and law firms of all sizes, including the simple ways to ‘fix’ these mistakes. More...
Creating Effective Vision and Mission Statements
To take control of your practice, you need to know what kind of future you want from your firm.
This 20+ page e-booklet includes exercises you can do alone or with others to help you create an effective vision and mission statement for your law firm.
Even associates or solos will benefit from identifying their personal mission and creating their own vision for their professional career. Click here to learn more and to order.
If you think you might be interested in working with me one on one, read on. To learn more about me and Legal Ease Consulting, please see About.
Services
Legal Ease Consulting, Inc. offers a variety of consulting services and programs to help solo practitioners and law firm leaders build a successful, effective and enjoyable practice.
Law firm issues aren’t one size fits all, so all of my programs are customized to meet the needs of the individual lawyer or law firm. We'll start by working together to review your systems, structure and culture.
Through collaborative problem-solving, we devise solutions that work for your practice, whether they include changing your niche, creating procedures for greater effectiveness, improving culture and professional development, or developing strategies for practice building and rainmaking.
My services are aimed at identifying goals and objectives, establishing a measure of success, and ascertaining the value of that success to you and your firm. Then we create action plans to move you toward your goals.
I keep you accountable for reaching your own goals and objectives. Often, the problem isn't knowing what to do - it's actually getting it done. Working with me will help you define the precise action steps you need to take, and I'll follow up to make sure you take them. You’ll achieve results much faster than you would on your own.
I can help you plan and achieve the changes you want in your practice by bringing an outside perspective and identifying and eliminating obstacles or problems that you can’t see because you’re 'too close' to the issue. You’ll learn what’s really holding you back, whether it comes from within you, within your firm, or from external sources.
Your information and your clients’ information are always kept in the strictest confidence.
Whether you're a solo or part of a firm, I can work with you
To hear an excerpt of an interview where I discuss working with solos and small firms, click here.
Part of a larger firm with multiple partners? Hear me talk about the unique challenges faced by larger firms here.
I work with clients in these four crucial areas:
Planning and Strategy
- Vision and mission
- Business plans
- Marketing plans
- Time management
- Goal setting
- Coordination of marketing and business development efforts
Procedures and Systems
- Office procedures and procedure manuals
- Definition and assignment of roles
- Dealing with paperwork
- Effective systems
- Billing issues
Business Development and Client Experience
- Business development planning
- Identification of target clients and creation of client profile
- Managing client expectations
- Enhancing client experience and increasing referrals
- Creating and conducting effective client surveys
- Client follow up programs
- Fee structures
Culture and Professional Development
- Employee satisfaction and retention
- Recognition and rewards
- Identifying and getting the most from key employees
- Compensation plans
- Training and education
- Communication
Some of the tools that we can use include:
Needs analysis. By observing your firm ‘in action,’ I can focus on those areas where there’s inconsistency and inefficiency. I’ll recommend changes to your systems and procedures to eliminate those problems, and together we’ll create strategies that work for your practice.
Assessments and surveys can pinpoint communication and management styles and to identify the individuals within the firm that will be the most successful in specific roles. We can also assess your current strategies to determine where you may be falling short, and what can be done about it.
Compensation systems that reward what you want to reward. Most firms want to encourage innovation, creativity, networking, mentoring, marketing, and a host of other ‘non-billable’ activities, but their compensation systems don’t reflect the value of anything but ‘billable hours.’ We’ll identify ways that your firm’s compensation and benefits systems can foster the behaviors the firm wants to foster.
Performance evaluations. Use performance evaluations to show your employees their importance within the firm, identify strengths and correct weaknesses that hold them back from achieving their own career goals. 360 degree feedback programs get all employees involved. Even partners can learn from associates and staff how to be a better leader and manager.
Strategic planning. Stop running your practice in 'reactive' mode and plan instead for the future you want for your firm. Protect your firm against the unexpected: injury, illness, disability, natural disasters, and technology malfunction, and prepare for the inevitable: retirement and the continuation of your firm.
Procedure and systems development. Design and implement changes in culture, structure and systems so that your firm works more effectively.
Client management and development. Identify and profile your ideal clients. Learn how to attract them to your firm - and take action to get those clients in the door . Ascertain shortcomings and develop strategies to manage clients’ expectations from the outset of the engagement so that there are fewer surprises – and fewer complaints about your bills. Pinpoint key issues, measure satisfaction, identify new ways to help clients, and recommend strategies for improvement to build client loyalty.
Services can be offered through a variety of structures, including intensive sessions, projects, scheduled services, and retainer agreements.
Intensive Sessions
Intensive half day or full day programs conducted in your office. The intensive session helps to define the priorities that will enable you to move the practice forward in the quickest and most efficient fashion. In one ‘blockbuster’ session, we can explore many issues and make much more significant progress than we can with shorter sessions stretched over a long period of time.
Projects
Working on a project basis is most successful when there is one specific, finite area that you’d like to work on, or would like me to work on. Examples include creating website copy, performing a website analysis or deconstruction, conducting a client survey, designing and implementing a particular system, such as a system for handling accounts receivable, etc.
Scheduled Services
Scheduled services can be performed in person, virtually, or a combination. When you opt for a scheduled program, we designate specific time when we will work together. Knowing that you’ve got a scheduled session with me makes you much more likely to actually sit down and do what it takes to move your plans forward.
Retainer Services
The monthly retainer provides access to me, my advice and counsel by telephone, email and, where agreed, on-site visits with your office to aid in the progress of your goals, without restriction on the number of hours we work together. You will have access at all times, not only by email and telephone, but in person, without time restrictions.
To learn more about my services, please see How I Work. If you’d like to ask a question or schedule an appointment for a consultation, please contact me.
Don’t forget to take a look at the Free Articles on the site, or subscribe to the FREE Lawyer Meltdown Newsletter.
Allison C. Shields
Legal Ease Consulting, Inc
Preventing "Lawyer Meltdown" and Restoring Sanity to the Profession
P.S. Found a mistake or a bug? If there’s anything that bothers you about this site, I want to know! Send me an email at Allison@LegalEaseConsulting.com. I want this site to be not just a resource, but a refuge for lawyers. I want you to be comfortable here. So if there’s something that bothers you, please tell me!
