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Question of the Month

Center For Practice Management, Document Generation, Ethics, Question of the Month

Documenting File Destruction

Are you documenting your file destruction based on record retention requirements? Depending on the number of variables there are several methods to make sure that you have the necessary information to verify what has been destroyed and when. How Long Do I Have to Keep Client Files? As is the case with so many things having to do with the…

Center For Practice Management, Ethics, Management, Productivity, Question of the Month

Tools to Monitor Texts with Clients

Many clients want to text with their attorneys, but firms may be wary for many reasons. However, there are ways to meet in the middle. Texting reminders of deadlines and appointments, directions, and other short messages may make it easier for clients to be responsive. Attorneys also want to keep a record of these texts, especially to monitor communication between…

Center For Practice Management, Email Management, Microsoft Office, Productivity, Question of the Month

Silo Busting: Sharing Client Emails within the Firm

A lot of valuable information is passed to and received from clients via email. The problem is that the email communication a.) may need to be shared among others in the firm b.) is stored in each recipient’s mailbox. The good news is that there are a variety of ways to ensure client communications are stored with the client file…

Center For Practice Management, Ethics, Management, Question of the Month, Security

Rock, Paper, Scissors: Shredding Options for Old Files

Whether you are preparing for retirement, already retired, or just cleaning up old files that have long passed the retention period you probably have some documents that need shredding. What are the ethical requirements and the practical realities of shredding old legal documents? Read on! Keep, Toss, or Shred? In a private law firm records include, but are not limited…

Center For Practice Management, Email Management, Productivity, Question of the Month, Technology

CPM Question of the Month Roundup

Many of the questions answered by the Center for Practice Management inspire blog posts for From the Center. Here is a compilation of blog posts that answer specific questions or are inspired by NCBA members’ queries. Got a question for CPM? Get in touch! Q: If I get Microsoft 365 for Business (formerly Office 365) do I have to use…

Center For Practice Management, Productivity, Question of the Month, Technology

Help Me, Help You: Getting Clients to Do Their Homework

In most practices, your ability to successfully represent your client depends on the willingness of your client to help you. You will need information and documentation from your client. They will need to take action and meet deadlines for you to move their matter forward. However, many attorneys express frustration because their clients will drop the ball and then are…

COVID-19, Question of the Month

CPM Question of the Month: January 2021

Q: I need to replace my now obsolete Hasler WJ20 postage meter. I have a low volume of mail. I am working from home and have some occasional contract paralegals. However, I do need a record, in the form of a postmark, as proof of mailing. Would you please point me in the right direction to research the best options…

Center For Practice Management, Question of the Month

CPM Question of the Month: August 2020

Q: I have some office space I would like to lease to another attorney. What is the best way to do that? A: Consider posting to your NCBA section communities forums to get the word out. There is a company called LawSpaceMatch that provides listings on a national scale for lawyers to list space for let (and offer searching for…

Center For Practice Management, Microsoft Office, PDF, Productivity, Question of the Month

CPM Question of the Month: July 2020

Q: I need an app on my iPhone that converts images (such as photos I take of filed documents in the court house) into a PDF.  Do you have any suggestions? A: You may already have something on your phone to do that. See: Top 4 Ways to Convert Any Photo to PDF on iPhone and iPad Also, Adobe Scan…

Backup, Center For Practice Management, Cloud Computing, Document Generation, Microsoft Office, Question of the Month, Technology

CPM Question of the Month: May 2020

Q: If I get Microsoft 365 for Business (formerly Office 365) do I have to use OneDrive to store my files in the cloud? A: No, you don’t. You can continue to store your files on your local device, on a file server, in a document management or practice management system, or with the cloud file storage provider of your…