The document discusses adopting agile project management techniques for legal work. It begins by noting high rates of stress and substance abuse among lawyers. It then frames lawyers as builders who can visualize legal work as a production process on a kanban board. Various online kanban tools are presented as ways to experiment with implementing agile methods. Resources for continuing to learn about agile approaches for legal work are provided.
Agile project management for the real estate lawyerGreg McLawsen
Busyness is the plague of Lawyerdom. Yet while lawyers claim busyness as a merit badge, our clients don't care if we're busy - only if we're productive. Fortunately there is an entire professional discipline devoted to the art and science of productivity, and that's the field of project management. This presentation will offer suggestions about how lawyers can improve their effectiveness - and reduce the mental clutter of busyness - by borrowing Agile project management systems from the technology sector.
With its roots in the Toyota manufacturing revolution in Japan, the heart of Agile project management is a system of visualizing work in production. Called a kanban board, this system helps knowledge workers identify and prioritize actionable work, as well as identify the "bottleneck" in their workflow.
This presentation will cover how lawyers can implement Agile principles and kanban workflows in their practices. Whether you run a transactional or litigation-focused practice, Agile can help you gain a new clarity and focus with your case load. Best of all, the tools for implementing kanban are either free or virtually free. Check out Agile and see if there is something you can borrow for your own practice.
Part 1 - Tools for Streamlining and Automating Your Law PracticeGreg McLawsen
Take stock of your law practice. Where should you be devoting your time? What common tasks drag you down? And most importantly, what can you do to make your law practice more efficient and profitable? Greg will teach you how can understand the systems that run your law firm, and help you identify the issues holding you back.
How to run your law firm from india (with your 4 month-old)Greg McLawsen
Build your life, not just your law firm. An attorney and founder of an immigration law firm in Washington, Greg McLawsen has found a way to combine his love of travel with his professional life. Join Greg as he offers his top tips on how to work virtually from anywhere in the world, even with an infant in tow.
Using contract lawyers to scale your law practiceGreg McLawsen
In small law firms there is an inherent pickle when it comes to growth. If you hire employees too soon, there may not be enough work to go around. If you fail to build capacity, you lose profitable business that could have been yours. What to do?
An increasing number of law firms are solving this problem by outsourcing labor either temporarily or permanently. Outsourcing to contractors or specialty businesses instead of hiring employees can allow you to expand – that is, to “scale” – your practice. At the same time, this strategy allows you to mitigate the risk that comes with hiring employees or taking on additional tasks in house. Use of on-demand contractors means that they help is there when you need it, and costs you nothing when you don't.
Join us for a conversation to explore whether outsourcing could help you scale your law practice, increase profitability, and restore some much-needed work/life balance
Agile project management for the real estate lawyerGreg McLawsen
Busyness is the plague of Lawyerdom. Yet while lawyers claim busyness as a merit badge, our clients don't care if we're busy - only if we're productive. Fortunately there is an entire professional discipline devoted to the art and science of productivity, and that's the field of project management. This presentation will offer suggestions about how lawyers can improve their effectiveness - and reduce the mental clutter of busyness - by borrowing Agile project management systems from the technology sector.
With its roots in the Toyota manufacturing revolution in Japan, the heart of Agile project management is a system of visualizing work in production. Called a kanban board, this system helps knowledge workers identify and prioritize actionable work, as well as identify the "bottleneck" in their workflow.
This presentation will cover how lawyers can implement Agile principles and kanban workflows in their practices. Whether you run a transactional or litigation-focused practice, Agile can help you gain a new clarity and focus with your case load. Best of all, the tools for implementing kanban are either free or virtually free. Check out Agile and see if there is something you can borrow for your own practice.
Part 1 - Tools for Streamlining and Automating Your Law PracticeGreg McLawsen
Take stock of your law practice. Where should you be devoting your time? What common tasks drag you down? And most importantly, what can you do to make your law practice more efficient and profitable? Greg will teach you how can understand the systems that run your law firm, and help you identify the issues holding you back.
How to run your law firm from india (with your 4 month-old)Greg McLawsen
Build your life, not just your law firm. An attorney and founder of an immigration law firm in Washington, Greg McLawsen has found a way to combine his love of travel with his professional life. Join Greg as he offers his top tips on how to work virtually from anywhere in the world, even with an infant in tow.
Using contract lawyers to scale your law practiceGreg McLawsen
In small law firms there is an inherent pickle when it comes to growth. If you hire employees too soon, there may not be enough work to go around. If you fail to build capacity, you lose profitable business that could have been yours. What to do?
An increasing number of law firms are solving this problem by outsourcing labor either temporarily or permanently. Outsourcing to contractors or specialty businesses instead of hiring employees can allow you to expand – that is, to “scale” – your practice. At the same time, this strategy allows you to mitigate the risk that comes with hiring employees or taking on additional tasks in house. Use of on-demand contractors means that they help is there when you need it, and costs you nothing when you don't.
Join us for a conversation to explore whether outsourcing could help you scale your law practice, increase profitability, and restore some much-needed work/life balance
Dee is Head of Client and Legal Project Management at global law firm Pinsent Masons. She has an MSc (Hons) in Project Management from the University of Liverpool and has over thirty years of experience of working in the legal sector.
Dee provides strategic Legal Project Management leadership to Pinsent Masons and their Clients. Legal Project Management is the medium Dee uses to deliver legal services. Her focus is on efficient project delivery and the use of diverse teams to add additional benefits to projects and organisations. A culture of project management is what Dee believes will lead to greater efficiency and to shaping the future of legal project delivery.
Local Open Data - Basis for participative citizens and a transparent governme...Open Knowledge Belgium
Locate Open Data is key when thinking about creating more citizen engagement. That's why Wouter Degadt from Leiedal decided this should be a main break out session during the Open Belgium Conference 2015 in Namur.
FasterCapital Acceleration Program 5th round 2016FasterCapital
www.fastercapital.com | contact@fastercapital.com | UAE Landline: +971 4 2775828 | UAE Mobile: +971 5558 55663 | USA: (512) 400-025
The 5th round of funding started on 18th of Sep, 2016 and ended on 17th of Oct, 2016.
We had 11 startups in this round
In the highly competitive legal market, where $100 Cost-Per-Clicks are a reality, marketers know that every search counts. What they may not know is that improved ad targeting can reduce CPC in ways that will improve lead capture, seemingly, overnight. Legal marketers may also be missing out on cross-channel insights from Facebook. For instance, how to use audience insights to better target search ads or leveraging social to drive high-value traffic back to your site.
So, how will you capture 30 new clients in 30 days? By improving Search and Social programs and driving to high-converting landing pages, of course. How you do THAT - will be presented live via the Internet, April 12th 2018.
Join speakers from PILMMA and WordStream for an exclusive event, where we’ll give you the tools you need to grow your new client list next month and beyond. Specifically, you’ll learn:
How different demographics interact with your ads, site, and services
Creating effective ads and targeted messages for search, social, and display
Segmenting audiences on Search and Social for greater performance
Measuring performance for audiences and demographics on Google and Facebook
Elements and examples of a high-converting landing page
I was invited to speak as an industry expert with the Engineering department at the University of Washington as part of their Human Centered Design & Engineering graduate speaker series. My talk was about how my team at Avvo.com used Design Thinking to support the creation of a new product called Avvo Advisor.
Know Your Market - Know Your Customer: What Web Data Reveals if You Know Wher...Connotate
In this presentation, Connotate will share expertise gained from years of experience extracting data from the Web and making it usable. Connotate’s experts will explain why certain Web data sources are easy to tap into, why others aren’t – what to consider when scoping out a project.
Financial liability under the form i 864, affidavit of supportGreg McLawsen
Virtually every family-sponsored immigration involves a binding financial support contract signed by the U.S. citizen petitioner. That contract - the Affidavit of Support - can be enforced in state or federal court by the immigrant. Family law attorneys must learn how to spot if their client may have one of these claims, or might be on the receiving end of one. This webinar was delivered to the family law section of the State Bar of Texas on April 16, 2021.
The Form I-864 and the right to indefinite spousal support Greg McLawsen
Family law attorneys need to understand that certain immigrants are entitled to indefinite support from their spousal sponsors. This presentation helps family law attorneys understand the scope and nature of the sponsor's obligations.
Understanding the new DHS rule on public charge inadmissibility Greg McLawsen
This training on the new DHS rule on public charge inadmissibility including the new Form I-944 Declaration of Self-Sufficiency. The training is intended for immigration lawyers with knowledge of current law.
Tech Tools to Streamline and Automate Your Law PracticeGreg McLawsen
Take stock of your law practice. Where should you be devoting your time? What common tasks drag you down? And most importantly, what can you do to make your law practice more efficient and profitable? From advertising and intake, to billing and feedback there are lots of tools to help you automate and simplify your legal practice.
Featuring Jordan Couch.
When it comes to getting your clients to the United States you’re the master. But what happens when that conversation turns to the client’s financial planning? Global migration can lead to some tricky tax situations which may not always get the attention they deserve. In this webinar, senior accountants from Moss Adams LLP will address some tax issues that every immigration lawyer should be aware of.
In this presentation, our speakers will discuss planning for entry into the U.S. tax system, including a high-level overview of income, and estate and gift tax considerations. We will address the U.S. foreign disclosure rules and the US anti-deferral regimes. And we will briefly touch on tax planning prior to the surrender of U.S. citizenship or long-term permanent resident status.
Estate and Gift Tax Issues.
Planning for move to U.S.
Estate/gift tax residency.
Estate/gift tax applicability for NRA’s and for U.S. residents.
Planning for U.S. gift/estate tax applicability – considerations of trusts/gifting before a move.
Planning for the U.S. foreign disclosure rules – streamlining/consolidation of foreign assets/entities before a move.
Considerations Prior to moving to U.S.
Considerations related to negotiating compensation arrangements/benefits/tax equalization agreements/etc. before moving to the U.S.
Determining taxation and differences of taxation for U.S. residents vs. non-residents.
U.S./State taxation of foreign nationals.
U.S. residency vs non-residency for income tax purposes.
U.S. taxation of U.S. persons vs NRAs.
Substantial Presence Test.
Closer Connection Exception.
Dual Status Returns.
First Year Elections.
Whew – your client has finally made it through the lengthy immigrant visa process. Or she’s nailed the adjustment interview and at long last has her green card in hand. What’s the first thing the client wants to do? Often, they want to pack their bags and go on a trip.How should you advise your clients?
How should you advise your client?
LPRs are permitted to travel abroad. But as is often the case, the devil is in the details. A blasé approach to foreign travel can jeopardize the client’s future ability to naturalize, or even lead to abandonment of LPR status altogether. Moreover, foreign travel can seek especially risky given the current immigration environment.
In this seminar we will cover:
Continuity of residence for purposes of naturalization.
Understanding LPR abandonment – substantive and procedural aspects.
How to advise on the risks of foreign travel in the changing environment of the Trump administration.
This presentation was organized for the Snohomish County Bar Association. We discuss current immigration events, and highlight immigration issues that may arise in non-immigration law practices.
Visa "Administrative Processing" - Alternatives to WaitingGreg McLawsen
Your client has waited for over a year to bring a loved relative to the United States. The last hurdle has come, the day of the immigrant visa interview. The interview passes and you get a panicked call, “the consular officer said we have to wait for a decision!” A week passes, no news. Two weeks pass, no news. You write the immigrant visa unit and ask what is going on and get the dreaded response, “the case is pending administrative processing. When administrative processing is required, the timing will vary based on the individual circumstances of each case.” Rather than pulling out your hair and gnashing your teeth, this webinar will go over techniques to identify the problem, calm the client down, and speed up the process.
How to avoid administrative processing (e.g., preloading your case).
When to wait and for how long.
How to identify the potential problem.
Exploring and exhausting your remedies.
Possibilities for litigation.
Featuring guest speaker. Jay Gairson
Dee is Head of Client and Legal Project Management at global law firm Pinsent Masons. She has an MSc (Hons) in Project Management from the University of Liverpool and has over thirty years of experience of working in the legal sector.
Dee provides strategic Legal Project Management leadership to Pinsent Masons and their Clients. Legal Project Management is the medium Dee uses to deliver legal services. Her focus is on efficient project delivery and the use of diverse teams to add additional benefits to projects and organisations. A culture of project management is what Dee believes will lead to greater efficiency and to shaping the future of legal project delivery.
Local Open Data - Basis for participative citizens and a transparent governme...Open Knowledge Belgium
Locate Open Data is key when thinking about creating more citizen engagement. That's why Wouter Degadt from Leiedal decided this should be a main break out session during the Open Belgium Conference 2015 in Namur.
FasterCapital Acceleration Program 5th round 2016FasterCapital
www.fastercapital.com | contact@fastercapital.com | UAE Landline: +971 4 2775828 | UAE Mobile: +971 5558 55663 | USA: (512) 400-025
The 5th round of funding started on 18th of Sep, 2016 and ended on 17th of Oct, 2016.
We had 11 startups in this round
In the highly competitive legal market, where $100 Cost-Per-Clicks are a reality, marketers know that every search counts. What they may not know is that improved ad targeting can reduce CPC in ways that will improve lead capture, seemingly, overnight. Legal marketers may also be missing out on cross-channel insights from Facebook. For instance, how to use audience insights to better target search ads or leveraging social to drive high-value traffic back to your site.
So, how will you capture 30 new clients in 30 days? By improving Search and Social programs and driving to high-converting landing pages, of course. How you do THAT - will be presented live via the Internet, April 12th 2018.
Join speakers from PILMMA and WordStream for an exclusive event, where we’ll give you the tools you need to grow your new client list next month and beyond. Specifically, you’ll learn:
How different demographics interact with your ads, site, and services
Creating effective ads and targeted messages for search, social, and display
Segmenting audiences on Search and Social for greater performance
Measuring performance for audiences and demographics on Google and Facebook
Elements and examples of a high-converting landing page
I was invited to speak as an industry expert with the Engineering department at the University of Washington as part of their Human Centered Design & Engineering graduate speaker series. My talk was about how my team at Avvo.com used Design Thinking to support the creation of a new product called Avvo Advisor.
Know Your Market - Know Your Customer: What Web Data Reveals if You Know Wher...Connotate
In this presentation, Connotate will share expertise gained from years of experience extracting data from the Web and making it usable. Connotate’s experts will explain why certain Web data sources are easy to tap into, why others aren’t – what to consider when scoping out a project.
Similar to Agile project management for lawyers (14)
Financial liability under the form i 864, affidavit of supportGreg McLawsen
Virtually every family-sponsored immigration involves a binding financial support contract signed by the U.S. citizen petitioner. That contract - the Affidavit of Support - can be enforced in state or federal court by the immigrant. Family law attorneys must learn how to spot if their client may have one of these claims, or might be on the receiving end of one. This webinar was delivered to the family law section of the State Bar of Texas on April 16, 2021.
The Form I-864 and the right to indefinite spousal support Greg McLawsen
Family law attorneys need to understand that certain immigrants are entitled to indefinite support from their spousal sponsors. This presentation helps family law attorneys understand the scope and nature of the sponsor's obligations.
Understanding the new DHS rule on public charge inadmissibility Greg McLawsen
This training on the new DHS rule on public charge inadmissibility including the new Form I-944 Declaration of Self-Sufficiency. The training is intended for immigration lawyers with knowledge of current law.
Tech Tools to Streamline and Automate Your Law PracticeGreg McLawsen
Take stock of your law practice. Where should you be devoting your time? What common tasks drag you down? And most importantly, what can you do to make your law practice more efficient and profitable? From advertising and intake, to billing and feedback there are lots of tools to help you automate and simplify your legal practice.
Featuring Jordan Couch.
When it comes to getting your clients to the United States you’re the master. But what happens when that conversation turns to the client’s financial planning? Global migration can lead to some tricky tax situations which may not always get the attention they deserve. In this webinar, senior accountants from Moss Adams LLP will address some tax issues that every immigration lawyer should be aware of.
In this presentation, our speakers will discuss planning for entry into the U.S. tax system, including a high-level overview of income, and estate and gift tax considerations. We will address the U.S. foreign disclosure rules and the US anti-deferral regimes. And we will briefly touch on tax planning prior to the surrender of U.S. citizenship or long-term permanent resident status.
Estate and Gift Tax Issues.
Planning for move to U.S.
Estate/gift tax residency.
Estate/gift tax applicability for NRA’s and for U.S. residents.
Planning for U.S. gift/estate tax applicability – considerations of trusts/gifting before a move.
Planning for the U.S. foreign disclosure rules – streamlining/consolidation of foreign assets/entities before a move.
Considerations Prior to moving to U.S.
Considerations related to negotiating compensation arrangements/benefits/tax equalization agreements/etc. before moving to the U.S.
Determining taxation and differences of taxation for U.S. residents vs. non-residents.
U.S./State taxation of foreign nationals.
U.S. residency vs non-residency for income tax purposes.
U.S. taxation of U.S. persons vs NRAs.
Substantial Presence Test.
Closer Connection Exception.
Dual Status Returns.
First Year Elections.
Whew – your client has finally made it through the lengthy immigrant visa process. Or she’s nailed the adjustment interview and at long last has her green card in hand. What’s the first thing the client wants to do? Often, they want to pack their bags and go on a trip.How should you advise your clients?
How should you advise your client?
LPRs are permitted to travel abroad. But as is often the case, the devil is in the details. A blasé approach to foreign travel can jeopardize the client’s future ability to naturalize, or even lead to abandonment of LPR status altogether. Moreover, foreign travel can seek especially risky given the current immigration environment.
In this seminar we will cover:
Continuity of residence for purposes of naturalization.
Understanding LPR abandonment – substantive and procedural aspects.
How to advise on the risks of foreign travel in the changing environment of the Trump administration.
This presentation was organized for the Snohomish County Bar Association. We discuss current immigration events, and highlight immigration issues that may arise in non-immigration law practices.
Visa "Administrative Processing" - Alternatives to WaitingGreg McLawsen
Your client has waited for over a year to bring a loved relative to the United States. The last hurdle has come, the day of the immigrant visa interview. The interview passes and you get a panicked call, “the consular officer said we have to wait for a decision!” A week passes, no news. Two weeks pass, no news. You write the immigrant visa unit and ask what is going on and get the dreaded response, “the case is pending administrative processing. When administrative processing is required, the timing will vary based on the individual circumstances of each case.” Rather than pulling out your hair and gnashing your teeth, this webinar will go over techniques to identify the problem, calm the client down, and speed up the process.
How to avoid administrative processing (e.g., preloading your case).
When to wait and for how long.
How to identify the potential problem.
Exploring and exhausting your remedies.
Possibilities for litigation.
Featuring guest speaker. Jay Gairson
Part 2 - Tools for Streamlining and Automating Your Law PracticeGreg McLawsen
Attorney Jordan Couch offers tools to improve your law firm's systems. From advertising and intake, to billing and feedback there are lots of tools to help you automate and simplify your legal practice.
Across the line - Advocacy at U.S. ports of entry Greg McLawsen
When it comes to legal advocacy, United States ports of entry are an unfamiliar ballpark. There’re not even the same game. Foreign nationals have no right to legal representation. Attorneys have no right to be heard. In this unique niche of immigration law, outcomes may be determined by obscure memoranda and local practices. In this webinar we will learn the ropes of this advocacy from some of the country’s leading border advocacy experts; including how to prepare your client for successful border crossings, and how to advocate for your client when things have gone wrong. Featuring Greg Boos, Margaret Stock and Heather Fathali of Cascadia Cross-Border Law.
Today's attorneys are exhorted to move beyond the billable hour and embrace flat fee billing. But two Washington attorneys have taken this evolution a big step further. Brett Sullivan and Spencer Stromberg created Lucent Law around the idea that legal services could be reimagined as legal products. In this webinar, Brett will discuss the whys and hows that went into creating their online shop of legal products.
Our webinar will cover:
I. Intro to Lucent Law.
II. What Does Legal Productization Mean?
A. Basic Theory of Productization.
B. Intersection with Fixed Fee Pricing.
III. Examples of Productization Applied in a Law Practice.
A. Real Estate Transaction.
B. Business Entity Formation Transaction.
C. Estate Planning Matter.
IV. Reasons to Consider Productization.
A. It’s a Retail Word.
B. Easy Onramp to New Client Engagement.
C. Reduce Attorney Burdens in Explaining Pricing/Service.
V. Conclusion.
Immigration lawyers frequently need psychological evidence in support of waiver cases. But mental health professionals have importantly distinct areas of focus. This webinar will explain the role of forensic psychologists, who provide expert testimony and reports to guide legal decision making. We will discuss what you should expect in a high-quality report, and the evaluation and testing that should support the report's analysis and conclusions. We will specifically discuss hardship evaluations of qualifying relatives, as used in I-601/601A waiver applications.
This webinar will address:
~ Understanding the role of the forensic psychologist.
~ How is a forensic psychologist different from a “regular” psychologist, therapist, counselor, or social worker?
~ What are the training qualifications of a forensic psychologist?
~ What is the difference between a therapist’s letter of support and a forensic evaluation?
~ What goes into creating a strong forensic evaluation?
~ What are objective psychological testing instruments, why are they useful, and what instruments are typically used in forensic evaluations?
~ Best practices for immigration attorneys working with forensic psychologists.
Psychological reports in I-601/601A waivers, VAWA applications, U-visa applications, Drug and Alcohol Abuse/Rehabilitation, Mental Health Inadmissibility
Ethics of Online Forms and E-Signatures for AttorneysGreg McLawsen
Did you really ever think you’d see the day when a pen-
and-ink signature on a document, or even an original document, wasn’t required? Well, that day has come – and you need to insure you are not only in compliance with court rules, but also ethics rules. We’ll examine:
• The RPCs relevant to documents and signatures (RPC 1.6 on confidentiality of information), and touch upon on the attorneys duty to supervise associate attorneys, legal support staff, and LLLTs (5.1, 5.2, 5.3, and 5.10)
• The competent use of various e-signature services
• The ethical and technical requirements for safeguarding client signatures
• How to competently and safely complete and submit on-line forms
This presentation was given at the January 22, 2016 annual CLE of the Washington State Bar Association's Solo and Small Practice Section
Day after I got back from a month in India, happy to talk with the Military Spouse JD Network (http://www.msjdn.org/) about working remotely as an attorney.
WINDING UP of COMPANY, Modes of DissolutionKHURRAMWALI
Winding up, also known as liquidation, refers to the legal and financial process of dissolving a company. It involves ceasing operations, selling assets, settling debts, and ultimately removing the company from the official business registry.
Here's a breakdown of the key aspects of winding up:
Reasons for Winding Up:
Insolvency: This is the most common reason, where the company cannot pay its debts. Creditors may initiate a compulsory winding up to recover their dues.
Voluntary Closure: The owners may decide to close the company due to reasons like reaching business goals, facing losses, or merging with another company.
Deadlock: If shareholders or directors cannot agree on how to run the company, a court may order a winding up.
Types of Winding Up:
Voluntary Winding Up: This is initiated by the company's shareholders through a resolution passed by a majority vote. There are two main types:
Members' Voluntary Winding Up: The company is solvent (has enough assets to pay off its debts) and shareholders will receive any remaining assets after debts are settled.
Creditors' Voluntary Winding Up: The company is insolvent and creditors will be prioritized in receiving payment from the sale of assets.
Compulsory Winding Up: This is initiated by a court order, typically at the request of creditors, government agencies, or even by the company itself if it's insolvent.
Process of Winding Up:
Appointment of Liquidator: A qualified professional is appointed to oversee the winding-up process. They are responsible for selling assets, paying off debts, and distributing any remaining funds.
Cease Trading: The company stops its regular business operations.
Notification of Creditors: Creditors are informed about the winding up and invited to submit their claims.
Sale of Assets: The company's assets are sold to generate cash to pay off creditors.
Payment of Debts: Creditors are paid according to a set order of priority, with secured creditors receiving payment before unsecured creditors.
Distribution to Shareholders: If there are any remaining funds after all debts are settled, they are distributed to shareholders according to their ownership stake.
Dissolution: Once all claims are settled and distributions made, the company is officially dissolved and removed from the business register.
Impact of Winding Up:
Employees: Employees will likely lose their jobs during the winding-up process.
Creditors: Creditors may not recover their debts in full, especially if the company is insolvent.
Shareholders: Shareholders may not receive any payout if the company's debts exceed its assets.
Winding up is a complex legal and financial process that can have significant consequences for all parties involved. It's important to seek professional legal and financial advice when considering winding up a company.
How to Obtain Permanent Residency in the NetherlandsBridgeWest.eu
You can rely on our assistance if you are ready to apply for permanent residency. Find out more at: https://immigration-netherlands.com/obtain-a-permanent-residence-permit-in-the-netherlands/.
Responsibilities of the office bearers while registering multi-state cooperat...Finlaw Consultancy Pvt Ltd
Introduction-
The process of register multi-state cooperative society in India is governed by the Multi-State Co-operative Societies Act, 2002. This process requires the office bearers to undertake several crucial responsibilities to ensure compliance with legal and regulatory frameworks. The key office bearers typically include the President, Secretary, and Treasurer, along with other elected members of the managing committee. Their responsibilities encompass administrative, legal, and financial duties essential for the successful registration and operation of the society.
A "File Trademark" is a legal term referring to the registration of a unique symbol, logo, or name used to identify and distinguish products or services. This process provides legal protection, granting exclusive rights to the trademark owner, and helps prevent unauthorized use by competitors.
Visit Now: https://www.tumblr.com/trademark-quick/751620857551634432/ensure-legal-protection-file-your-trademark-with?source=share
Debt Mapping Camp bebas riba to know how much our debt
Agile project management for lawyers
1. Agile project management
for lawyers
October 23, 2017
Washington State Bar Association – Solo & Small Practice Section
Greg McLawsen
Managing Attorney
2. w w w . s o u n d i m i g r a t i o n . c o m
Stress in the legal profession.
Substance abuse: 36%
page 2
3. w w w . s o u n d i m i g r a t i o n . c o m
Stress in the legal profession.
Depression: 28%
page 3
8. w w w . s o u n d i m i g r a t i o n . c o m
Outline
Against efficiency
It’s not the goal
01
The lawyer as builder
A different framework
02
känbän
Visualize your work-in-production
03
Online kanban tools
Start experimenting
04
page 8
11. w w w . s o u n d i m m i g r a t i o n . c o m
What is the goal?
Attorney
See my client achieve her goal and
be fairly paid for my work
Client
Close the deal on my property
page 11
23. w w w . s o u n d i m m i g r a t i o n . c o m
känbän
page 23
How to kanban
24. w w w . s o u n d i m m i g r a t i o n . c o m
känbän
page 24
25. What’s on your
plate?
What isn’t?
To do Doing Waiting Done
Client 1 Client 6 Client 8 Client 15
Client 2 Client 7 Client 9 Client 16
Client 3 Client 10
Client 4 Client 11
Client 5 Client 12
Client 13
Client 14
26. w w w . s o u n d i m m i g r a t i o n . c o m
känbän
page 26
Waiting on
client
Waiting on 3rd
party
To do Doing Done
27. w w w . s o u n d i m m i g r a t i o n . c o m
känbän
page 27
Waiting on
client
Waiting on 3rd
party
To do Doing Done
Client 8 Client 20 Client 1 Client 6 Client 15
Client 9 Client 21 Client 2 Client 7 Client 16
Client 10 Client 3
Client 11 Client 4
Client 12 Client 5
Client 13
Client 14
28. w w w . s o u n d i m m i g r a t i o n . c o m
känbän
page 28
Prospects Waiting on
client
Waiting on
3rd party
Doing Delegated to
legal process
outsourcing
team
Filed Holding
pattern
Done
Example Kanban columns
at Sound Immigration
29. w w w . s o u n d i m m i g r a t i o n . c o m
känbän
page 29
Sample Property Purchase/Sale Kanban
Client
questionnaire
Paralegal draft Senior attorney
review
Property
inspection
Appraisal Waiting on other
party
30. w w w . s o u n d i m m i g r a t i o n . c o m
Transcend Legal – Noah Lewis
page 30
31. Litigation is tricky
1. What’s the
next action?
2. Where is the
case in its
lifecycle?
To do Doing Waiting Done
Client 1 Client 6 Client 8 Client 15
Client 2 Client 7 Client 9 Client 16
Client 3 Client 10
Client 4 Client 11
Client 5 Client 12
Client 13
Client 14
Investigation Discovery Motion
Practice
Trial prep
Client 1 Client 6 Client 8 Client 15
Client 2 Client 7 Client 9 Client 16
Client 3 Client 10
Client 4 Client 11
Client 5 Client 12
Client 13
Client 14
1
2
32. w w w . s o u n d i m m i g r a t i o n . c o m
känbän
page 32
One litigation solution: add a dimension
Investigation Discovery Motion Practice Trial prep
Partner
Associate
Paralegal
Waiting on client
Waiting on opposing
party
Waiting on third party
Waiting on court
Opposition has
provided discovery,
now ball moves to
partner to set motion
practice strategy
Where’s the
next action?
Where is the case in its lifecycle?
33. w w w . s o u n d i m m i g r a t i o n . c o m
Palace Law – litigation progression
page 33
34. w w w . s o u n d i m m i g r a t i o n . c o m
Palace Law – daily workflow
page 34
35. w w w . s o u n d i m m i g r a t i o n . c o m
känbän
page 35
Not “just” for case work
36. w w w . s o u n d i m m i g r a t i o n . c o m
känbän
page 36
Managing new client onboarding (sales)
39. w w w . s o u n d i m m i g r a t i o n . c o m
Mike Polk (www.belserpa.com)
page 39
40. w w w . s o u n d i m m i g r a t i o n . c o m
Online kanban tools
page 40
Trello
41. w w w . s o u n d i m m i g r a t i o n . c o m
Online kanban tools
page 41
Trim, intuitive interface
42. w w w . s o u n d i m m i g r a t i o n . c o m
Online kanban tools
page 42
Checklist
Comments/
case notes
43. w w w . s o u n d i m m i g r a t i o n . c o m
Online kanban tools
page 43
LeanKit
44. w w w . s o u n d i m m i g r a t i o n . c o m
Online kanban tools
page 44
Favorite feature: board within board
45. w w w . s o u n d i m m i g r a t i o n . c o m
Online kanban tools
page 45
Odoo
ERP + CRM
ecosystem
@axon_partners
46. w w w . s o u n d i m m i g r a t i o n . c o m
Online kanban tools
page 46
Lawcus
47. w w w . s o u n d i m m i g r a t i o n . c o m
Online kanban tools
page 47
Lexicata
48. w w w . s o u n d i m m i g r a t i o n . c o m
Online Kanban tools
page 48
LPM build around kanban
49. w w w . s o u n d i m m i g r a t i o n . c o m
AgileAttorney Slack Group
agileattorney.com/join-the-agile-
attorneys-slack-group/
Materials from this talk
soundimmigration.com/agile
The Goal
Eliyahu Goldratt
(Painful but helpful read)
Resources
JohnGrant
agileattorney.com / @JEGrant3
Font of all things Agile-Law
Lawyerist podcast
John Grant, again
http://bit.ly/1NCXd7d
The Lean Startup
Eric Ries
Business as experiment
page 49
We focus in an era when lawyers are facing unprecedent challenges to maintaining profitable practices. Lawyers are asked to do more with less, to frim costs. The buzz word of the day is efficiency, efficiency, efficiency.
Now there’s nothing wrong with efficiency. But when it comes to project management, we need to make sure we’re not losing track of the true purpose of our work. That purpose is to get a specific thing done; to accomplish a goal. Whether it’s planning an estate or resolving a property dispute. Let me illustrate with an example.
In this environment, perhaps more than ever, lawyers owe it to themselves to focus on the things that matter in life, and that matter in their law practices. Today we’ll be talking about a simple system for decluttering the management of a legal case load. This system – known as Kanban – is free and easy to implement, and gives you a focused, visual representation of the tasks that you need to focus on, and those you don’t.
Both client and attorney want to see case successfully closed out.
Karol needs paper to print contract but it’s inefficient to drive to store, will wait until paralegal is available next week.
End of month, can’t get paid rest of fee because case isn’t closed.
Doesn’t matter if paper will be efficiently obtained sometime; that paper became blocking problem that means Karol gets $0 for this case this month.
Historically we’ve viewed ourselves as artisans. We offer a highly customized, client-tailored service – like a bespoke suit from a tailor.
There’s tremendous craft to our profession, and what I’m talking about today has nothing to do with detracting from that view of lawyers.
But I want to offer a different and additional framework for viewing how we deliver value to our clients.
That framework is the paradigm of manufacturing. Or more broadly, it’s the framework of building things.
Today we’re going to try looking at what we do as building a product for our clients.
We’re going to think about our law firms as manufacturing plants that build legal products.
Or – if you prefer – we’ll view our work the way software developers think about completing projects.
It turns out that the project management systems used all throughout the tech industry – that we can apply to law – grew out of car manufacturing.
We start our journey far from the assembly room floor in rural Vermont.
That’s where my sister, Kay, works on an organic vegetable farm. They grow cabbages that sell for $20 in New York (no kidding).
But in the winter things are slow, so Kay moonlights at various odd jobs.
Last year she worked in a manufacturing plant building these:
The 50 Shades of Grey teddy bear.
Better yet, when you order one, you can get a customized love note to accompany.
Kay’s job was to hand write these customized notes to be packed with the Teddy.
Let’s say that the Boss Man has been getting complaints from customers – people say that sexy bears aren’t getting shipped fast enough. How does Boss Man figure out what’s causing the delay? (Walks around factory…)
In the teddy bear example the hand-writing station is what’s called the bottle neck. If the Boss puts another person on the packing station, what happens? Nothing. Because speeding up the packing station won’t solve anything. It’s not the problem – the hand-writing station is.
The only way for the boss to speed ship times is to solve for the hand-writing station.
The first way he can do that is by subordinating the rest of the factory to the system constraint. Essentially, that existing resources go first and foremost to the hand-writing station. So, for example, if the worker on the hand–writing station takes a break, pull someone off another station to start writing notes.
Second, if this doesn’t work, you may have to pull in additional resources to elevate the constraint. If speed isn’t increased by filling in slack time on the hand-writing station, you might need to hire an additional worker for that station, or but a faster pen.
Now what does any of this have to do with the practice of law? Remember that clients are paying us not for our time, but to get something done for them. To ship a legal services deliverable, whether it’s a contract or resolution of a litigation dispute. Well, let’s say a corporate client calls its firm and asks why contracts are taking so long to turn around? The managing partners storms out of her office and starts marching around the firm…
Now here’s the fundamental problem. Unless you’ve implemented an intentional system, there’s no reliable way to see where work is piling up. This goes double for the digital era where there are no piles of paperwork. The good news is that there is an intuitive, easy system the you can implement, and it’s called Kanban.
Think of Kanban as a visual management tool for controlling all of your work in progress.
At it’s simplest, a Kanban board consists of three columns. Each work item is represented by a card or sticky note that moves from left to right across the board.
The first distinction that a Kanban forces you to make is between items that you need to do sometime – that’s the “to do” column – and the one that you are currently committed to be actually working on – the doing column. An undifferentiated task list can feel crushing and overwhelming, because it feels like there are a zillion things that require your attention. A Kanban board forces the user to say: okay, there’s a lot to do, but here’s what I’m focused on and committed to right now.
As we all know, many lawyers feel constantly mired in stress. I want to suggest that part of this reason for this is that we don’t have a clear since of when we actually need to take action on a client matter, and when we don’t.
Hence, the all important “waiting” column that you will see on virtually every Kanban board. For virtually any type of legal work, there will be stages in the workflow when you are waiting on your client to get you some documents, or waiting on a property appraisal, etc. When that happens, the Kanban card goes into the waiting column, and a weight is lifted from your shoulders. Yes, the case is still active, but all of the cards in the waiting column represent mental energy you don’t need to invest in angst over those matters. Sure, you’ll need a system to check in to ensure the client is actually getting back to you, etc., but the case isn’t waiting for your time and attention.
When we first implemented Kanban at our firm years ago, I had a sense that client matters weren’t shipping as fast as I would like. Clients weren’t complaining, I just though we could be delivering results faster than we were. So we created a giant Kanban board, literally on the wall of our office. We used one stick note for each client matter, and organized them into these columns.
Here’s roughly what the distribution looked like.
Now tell me, where’s the bottleneck in this system? It’s the clients. So I could rush into work early, or put pressure on the paralegal, but none of that is going to clear out our work backlog, because we’re not the system constraint – the clients are.
Now this is neither a good nor a bad thing. It’s simply that if we want to speed the cycle time for a case at our firm, we have to find a way to speed turn-around from our clients.
Here’s roughly what our current Kanban board looks like.
It’s relatively easy to think about how to adapt a Kanban board for different practice areas. You simply have to think critically about each of the work stages that a case goes through in its cycle. Who owns all of the plates that the case lands on before it’s done?
Here’s an example from an attorney who does name changes for post-transition transgendered clients. Like my firm’s board, this tracks the case from beginning to end.
In transactional work tracking “what next” and “who is responsible for the next action item” are the same questions.
In litigation, not so. Within a particular stage of the case life-cycle, the ball may pass to associate, paralegal, attorney, opposing party, judge, etc.
Pat Palaces office uses Kanban for all sorts of projects. Here, they keep track of the litigation life cycle of cases on one board.
Any they use a different board to – this one is for an associate – to track daily work flow.
John Grant, an attorney based in Portland, is basically the guru on all things Kanban related in legal. He strongly recommends starting with a physical board on an office wall, using painters tape and sticky notes. In addition to the fact that this is a virtually free way to get your feet wet with Kanban, I agree with John that there’s something very helpful about the tactile experience of engaging with a physical board.
Here’s an example of a Kanban board you could create in probably a few hours.
If you do move into the world of virtual Kanban board, Trello is most folks’ first stop. It’s what we use for most of the boards at our firm, with the exception of sales.
Far more feature-rich, also more confusing
Still pretty buggy. Some CRM capability and integrates with Clio.