Attorney and Law Firm Guide to the Business of Law: Planning and Operating for Survival and Growth [Paperback]

Edward Poll (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1570739919 | ISBN-13: 978-1570739910 | Publication Date: June 3, 2003 | Edition: 2nd Edition

Shows lawyers how to manage their practices in a more business-like manner. It explains how to determine both personal and law firm goals.

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

The practice of law has changed since the year I graduated from law school in 1965. Then, our primary concern was becoming better lawyers--technically. We perceived there would always be enough clients, and we rarely were concerned about collecting fees--somehow that would just happen.

I believe that the law was always a business, and that lawyers always had to be business-like if they wanted to succeed. Abraham Lincoln advertised his services; the traditional lawyer still must make more money than he or she spends in order to continue to practice.

In the first edition of this book, I sought to encourage lawyers to think about their future by accepting the concept of business planning. I am gratified that the concept was embraced by so many of my colleagues. In this second edition of the book, I have added to the initial concept by addressing additional issues that face the practitioner today. Sections on marketing, technology, time management and clients trust accounting have been added. The topic of opening a new office or moving your practice, say from a large firm to a sole or small firm environment, is also addressed in a way that I have not seen before; and two, real-life, case studies are included.

Law is still an honorable profession. And it is a helping, caring profession. And lawyers must still be business-like in order to attract and keep clients, without whom there would be no reason to practice law.

Product Details

• Paperback: 642 pages
• Publisher: American Bar Association; 2nd Edition edition (June 3, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570739919
• ISBN-13: 978-1570739910
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,706,968 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ed Poll, J.D., M.B.A., CMC, is a nationally recognized coach, law firm management consultant, and author who has coached and consulted with lawyers and law firms in strategic planning, profitability analysis, and practice development for over 20 years.

Ed has practiced law on all sides of the table for 25 years -- as a corporate general counsel, government prosecutor, sole practitioner, partner, and law firm chief operating officer and been a consultant to small and large law firms for 20 years. He helps attorneys and law firms increase their profitability and peace of mind by...

· Bringing in new business
· Attracting higher quality cases and clients
· Delivering legal services more effectively and efficiently

Ed is a nationally-recognized legal management expert whose advice has helped thousands of lawyers create more rewarding legal practices, and directed hundreds of national, regional, and local law firms towards higher profitability.

A nationally-renowned instructor for law firms, bar associations and universities, Ed has taught:

· Creating New Business Enterprises in the Department of Entrepreneurship, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
· Business of Law Practice for the USC Law Center for Advanced Professional Education
· Institute of Continuing Legal Education (ICLE,) formerly at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.

In 2010, Edward Poll received the first ever Lifetime Achievement Award given by the California State Bar's Law Practice Management and Technology (LPMT) Section. The award, which was named after him, was given due to his extraordinary level of service, enthusiasm, and vocal advocating for small firms and solo practitioners.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars This book will show you how to treat your law practice as a business, April 18, 2011

By 

A. Nye "Al Nye The Lawyer Guy" (Portland, Maine USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Attorney and Law Firm Guide to the Business of Law: Planning and Operating for Survival and Growth (Paperback)

Edward Poll practiced law for twenty-five years and is the author of numerous books aimed at helping lawyers become successful in their practices. He is also a law firm management consultant who uses his vast experience to help attorneys become more responsive to their clients, more efficient in their work, and ultimately more profitable.

While we all agree that the practice of law is an " honorable profession" and should be done with the utmost care for our clients' needs, it's also clear that "law is a business." As such, many young lawyers - and sadly many not-so-young lawyers - are ill equipped to deal with the business aspect of a legal practice. Mr. Poll succinctly points out that to be successful, all businesses have to do three things: 1) get customers, 2) do quality work, and 3) get paid.

Failure in any of the three areas spells disaster. It's no different in the legal field, argues Mr. Poll. The basic structure of a legal business to be successful is very similar:

· Marketing (get the customer)
· Technical (do quality work)
· Financial (get paid).

It is important for lawyers, especially for solos and those in small firms, to not only be technically competent in the law, but also understand business factors such as: marketing, accounting, collections of accounts receivable, insurance, write-offs, branding, cash flow, financial statements, leverage, financial management, banking, technology, hiring and firing, appraisals, managing employees and many other matters essential to the successful practice of law as a business. Luckily, Mr. Poll deals with each of these topics (and more) in an easy-to-understand manner that will be sure to improve your bottom line.

This is a big book packed with practical information on every page. In addition to all the topics already mentioned, Mr. Poll provides checklists for starting a new practice, provides the basic steps of the planning process, discusses setting goals, various marketing plans, use of business cards and stationery to support rainmaking, improving client relationships and creating bills that clients want to pay, bank loans, equipment leasing, client trust accounts and other topics.

The book is strengthened by the assistance in many chapters of numerous contributors with special areas of expertise. This practice of having other experts assist in writing certain parts of the book lends an air of credibility with the reader. It's helpful to know that the ideas presented are not merely theories of good business practices, but are grounded in solid, real-world experiences.

The book comes with appendices containing cash flow projection forms, sample profit & loss statements, revenue and expense forms, payment pattern analysis forms, considerations for purchasing law library materials and other business forms. The appendices are also contained on a 3 ½-inch floppy disk included with the book. However, the materials are presented in pdf format, are non-interactive and fail to contain many of the other forms scattered throughout the book that would be extremely useful. For the disk to contain any added benefit, these concerns should be addressed.

If your practice is not generating enough income, if your receipts seem to be devoured by your expenses, if you need some new ideas about obtaining and keeping clients who pay their bills on a timely basis, or if you just want a refresher course on running your legal practice like a business, this book is for you. Practical, instructive, clever and informative - this book will pay for itself many times over.

3.0 out of 5 stars A decent law practice text, February 21, 2011

By 

CoachMan - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Attorney and Law Firm Guide to the Business of Law: Planning and Operating for Survival and Growth (Paperback)

Bought the text to support a law practice management class. Find that it is overall pretty good. Seems a little archaic for the modern law practice, particularly because it lacks in social media marketing.