Boost Efficiency in Your Law Firm with Workflows with Melanie Leonard

Are you trying to improve processes within your company? In this episode, Jim and Tyson interview Melanie Leonard, an attorney and expert in legal practice management software. She is also one of the first certified consultants in Clio. They discuss the adoption of technology among lawyers, in which Melanie gives lawyers a low grade.

Many law firms are behind the times and don't have a well thought out process that will serve law firms well. Melanie speaks to how creating workflows will lead to more efficiency and productivity in a firm. Workflows are simply just steps that people use to accomplish a task. But, not having one or not having a defined one can lead to many challenges.

Many companies do not have defined workflows because no one naturally thinks in systems. No one is going to add something that is obvious to a workflow. But, every step needs to be documented to ensure nothing is missed and the process is the same for everyone. When creating a workflow, don't assume people know the common sense of it. Add as much detail in there so whether someone is new to the company or a veteran, they will be able to accomplish the task.

In a law firm setting, it is best to create workflows for routine parts of the job like client intake or billing. They can even be applied to legal work that seems unique or that changes from case to case. Melanie says that creating workflows for things like filing a complaint or a motion can connect together to ultimately create a system.

Many lawyers truly underestimate how workflows can help them in their practice. Because many lawyers use the same process for different tasks, it makes way more sense to focus on creating that system. The truth is no one wants to recreate the wheel.

Take a listen if you want to use workflows to elevate your firm!

Jim's Hack: For those who want to create more content, listen to Gary Vaynerchuk to get more inspired on distributing and repurposing content.

Melanie’s Tip: Open up whatever project management software you are using and find the workflow feature to document steps in the process of a project. This feature allows for people to be alerted to when it is their turn to work on the next step.

Tyson's Tip: Make sure you get your quarterly meeting scheduled to talk about planning for 2024.

2:25 The overall adoption of technology by lawyers and gives a grade to their progress

8:31 Workflows! and the significance of having clear and documented procedures in law firms

10:58 The process of building workflows, starting with cover letters and tracking everything in the packet, and the importance of taking an organized approach

21:26 Advice on starting with workflows for the intake and sales process, followed by billing, and then focusing on substantive legal work

29:25 Advice to use the workflow feature in practice management software to document processes and alert team members about their tasks

🎥 Watch the full video on YouTube here. 

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