ABA Law Practice Management Section

I recently joined the ABA's Law Practice Management Section in an effort to support our graduates who will start solo practices because of the lack of opportunity in law firms and other traditional employers of lawyers in this recessionary economy.  I blogged about the day-long solo practice workshop the Appalachian School of Law offered this past spring here.  I blogged about the employment prospects for new grads here, here, and here.

This past week, I received the section's welcome packet and its May/June 2013 issue of the Law Practice Magazine.  The section focuses on the following four core areas: marketing, management, technology, and finance.  It provides section members with six issues of its "award-winning" hard-copy magazine, a monthly webzine, a bimonthly e-newsletter, and a legal technology blog.  It also focuses on the challenges women face as rainmakers and sells an impressive collection of books.

The May/June issue of the Law Practice Magazine provided excellent content.  I plan to read nearly all the articles.  The ones I have read so far were well written and covered very timely topics in a thoughtful and clear way.  This issue includes the following articles:

• Accelerated Strengths Development (riffing off Tom Rath's "Strengths-Based Leadership" concepts)
• Helping New Grads Be Better Lawyers Faster
• Alternatives to the Partnership Track
• Can we Talk? (about communication in law firms)
• Millennials: What Other Generations Say About You (and What You Can do About it)
• Solving the Multimillion-Dollar C Player Problem, and
• The Secret to Writing Persuasively

The issue also covered "rainmaking circles," engagement letters, promoting the professional development of others, the latest version of a voice recognition technology called Dragon, the use of apps to support courtroom evidentiary presentations using an iPad, tips for teleseminars and webinars, managing receivables, "future-proofing" your law firm, and your firm's governing structure. 

I am especially impressed with the diversity of covered topics and the expertise of the authors.  These folks are keeping up with the important trends in the profession.  I have to say, I look forward to picking it up, when possible, to digest the next bit of advice it offers.  

New grads:  I strongly recommend that you find the money to join the ABA and then this section, if at all possible.  This section can keep you from making many mistakes.  It can also help you become a firm innovator, which will propel your career.  I will post on that topic next.