Many law firms can provide better, more error-free service to their clients and bring in more money to their firm by embracing time-tested productivity and efficiency principals. In this CLE, we examine excellent productivity methods to reduce mistakes and wasted time and improve the operations of law firms. In addition, modern office work can be incredibly difficult, with myriad electronic devices competing for our attention. Email, tweets, Facebook - all of these distract us from the work at hand and can leave people feeling anxious and overwhelmed. We’ll examine how to minimize these interruptions, prioritize work, communicate clearly with others, in an enjoyable and hour-long session.

1. 7
WAYS TO MAKE
YOUR LAW FIRM
MORE EFFICIENT
Larry Port
CEO and Chief Software Architect
Rocket Matter, LLC

2. Billable work 30
Office administration 7
Client development or marketing 4
Keeping current on non-billable law 3
Non-billable bar association activities 1
Planned pro bono <1
Other legal matters 5
Average Weekly Hours 50
Source: Florida Bar Economics and Law Office Management Survey
@larryport

3. Billable work 31
Office administration 6
Client development or marketing 4
Keeping current on non-billable law 3
Non-billable bar association activities 1
Planned pro bono <1
Other legal matters 5
Average Weekly Hours 50
Annual Increase in Revenue:
$12,500
@larryport

4. Billable work 32
Office administration 5
Client development or marketing 4
Keeping current on non-billable law 3
Non-billable bar association activities 1
Planned pro bono <1
Other legal matters 5
Average Weekly Hours 50
Annual Increase in Revenue:
$25,000
@larryport

5. 1 GO TOMATO
USE THE POMODORO TECHNIQUE TO
FOCUS AND PREVENT INTERRUPTIONS
@larryport

6. Work for 25 minutes
@larryport

7. The tomato is sacred!
Easy, right?
No interruptions
Can’t get up.
5 minute breaks
@larryport

8. @larryport

9. NO INTERRUPTION POLICY
12.5 MINS ON AVERAGE IS ACCEPTABLE
TIMER BELL SENDS SIGNAL
FOLLOW UP POST-TOMATO
@larryport

10. 2 GO PAPERLESS
DITCH THE PAPER FILES
@larryport

11. 1 TON = 200,000 Sheets of Paper
@larryport

12. 2 GB = storage for 200,000 docs
This thumb drive can store
2 million documents
@larryport

13. 10 %
Of payroll hours
spent unsuccessfully
searching for
information
Source: Butler Group
@larryport

14. @larryport

15. Fujitsu ScanSnap 1500
‘Nuff Said.
@larryport

16. Online Backups...GOOD!
@larryport

17. Evernote...EPIC!
@larryport

18. Sign Electronically
Custom Stamps iAnnotate
@larryport

19. 3 ACT LIKE A GEEK
FOLLOW COOL SOFTWARE INDUSTRY PROCESSES
@larryport

20. AGILE
SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT
@larryport

21. WHY DOES AGILE WORK?
@larryport

22. DAILY STANDUP
... YESTERDAY
... TODAY
... IN MY WAY
@larryport

23. RETROSPECTIVE
... START
... STOP
... CONTINUE
@larryport

24. 4 BATCH PROCESSES
DON’T HANDLE COMMUNICATIONS CONSTANTLY
@larryport

25. @larryport

26. Multi-taskers are
“suckers for irrelevancy.
Everything distracts them.”
@larryport

27. ANXIETY
SCATTERED THOUGHTS
INABILITY TO FOCUS
TENSION RISKS
OVERLOOK INFORMATION
MISINTERPRET INFORMATION
@larryport

28. Things You Can Batch
@larryport

29. http://www.slideshare.net/merlinmann/inbox-zero-actionbased-email
@larryport

30. Things You CAN’T Batch
@larryport

31. 5 Go GTD
DAVID ALLEN’S SYSTEM HELPS YOU
GET ORGANIZED & DE-STRESS
@larryport

32. @larryport

33. CAPTURING
@larryport

34. @larryport

35. Inboxes
Inboxes can be virtual...
@larryport

36. WELL-WRITTEN
NEXT ACTIONS
@larryport

37. capture the very next step...
@larryport

38. WEEKLY REVIEW
@larryport

39. close all open loops...
@larryport

40. 6 EMPLOY MINDMAPS
GET IDEAS OUT OF YOUR HEAD AND STRUCTURED
@larryport

41. @larryport

42. @larryport

43. 7
STANDARDIZE
DON’T REPEAT YOURSELF
@larryport

44. reliability, efficiency, accountability
@larryport

45. Invoices should be done
consistently, every month
Lexicon, phone handling
should be identical
@larryport

46. THANK YOU!
www. LEGALPRODUCTIVITY .com
larry@rocketmatter.com
@larryport
@rocketmatter