The legal industry has changed significantly during the pandemic era in ways large and small. These changes will continue to impact legal practices moving forward. In fact, these changes will translate to the top challenges facing law firms over the next five years.

Several of these industry shifts are described in Clio’s 2022 Legal Trends Report, including the following:

1. The increased adoption of remote work, providing flexibility but also causing work-life balance issues.
2. Lawyers experiencing the “Great Resignation” trend.
3. Ongoing high demand for legal service.
4. The impact of inflation and a potential recession.

All of these issues can be viewed as opportunities to strengthen your firm. Below we discuss these challenges in more detail, along with how to address them. With the right planning and technology implementation, these hurdles could transform into launching pads for your practice.

Balancing work and personal life

The pandemic has transformed both where and how lawyers work, and many of these changes appear to be permanent. Cloud-based technology allows attorneys to perform legal tasks, while staying connected to their firms and clients, from any location.  This has resulted in more remote work, less office use, and more firms shifting toward remote or hybrid workplaces.

One side effect of the shift to remote legal work has been the blurring of boundaries between work and personal life. Many attorneys report working outside of business hours and for more days of the week than they would prefer. This is despite the fact that attorneys working regular business hours experience greater job satisfaction. Clearly, the legal profession needs to take steps to make facts on the ground closer to the preferred reality of lawyers.

This is where cloud-based legal practice management (LPM) software provides a true opportunity. The 2022 Legal Trends Report found LPM users have better relationships with both clients and colleagues, compared to non-LPM users. And by enabling a better balance of work and personal life, LPM could even increase job satisfaction. In fact, Clio’s study found that legal professionals using cloud-based LPM software were 29% more likely to report having a good professional life.

Lawyers and the “Great Resignation”

Many industries have gone through the “Great Resignation,” an ongoing economic trend where employees have resigned en masse in the wake of the COVID pandemic. The legal industry is no stranger to this trend. In 2021, nearly one in five lawyers left the law firm they were working for, and 9% planned to leave their job in the next six months, as found in the 2022 Legal Trends Report.  And why did these attorneys leave or plan to leave? The top responses were better pay, better work-life balance, and job dissatisfaction.

So, how does the Great Resignation provide firms with an opportunity? By giving legal practices the chance to provide lawyers with what they are seeking. This includes competitive salaries and firm cultures that reinforce work-life balance.

When looking at the situation from an employee perspective, firms would do well to remember that many attorneys prefer remote work. In fact, 49% of lawyers prefer working at home, and 45% prefer meeting clients virtually. Accordingly, those firms that offer this type of flexibility will have a competitive advantage in securing the best legal talent.

Growing demand for legal services

The legal industry rebounded from the pandemic in a big way in 2021, with demand for legal services marching higher. The pent-up demand resulted in attorneys nationwide seeing workload increases, with many many firms raising rates, turning down work, or both.

So how on earth could more demand for legal services be a challenge for the legal industry? While it may not currently seem to be a problem, firms that fail to meet the increasing demand for services could face future hurdles. In addition, a legal practice that is currently busy but not attracting new clients could also see issues down the road.

Now may be the time to evaluate whether your firm’s services are in-demand or competitive. Moreover, it’s an excellent time to assess your firm’s work processes and current use of technology. Legal practice management software can help automate many routine tasks, allowing firms to service more clients and capitalize on growing demand.

Inflation and recession

While there is an increase in demand for legal services, there is also looming uncertainty due to high inflation and the threat of a potential recession. It is important that your firm looks at methods of remaining competitive in an inflationary environment while increasing the overall strength of the practice.

In looking at how your law firm can weather inflation and the threat of recession, first look to retain talent with competitive compensation and an attractive work-life balance. Also seek to support your clients with transparent pricing and alternative payment models. Finally, seek to strengthen your firm for the long haul by establishing an emergency fund, managing debt, and adjusting your billing rates to keep up with inflation.

Learn more about automating your law practice with cloud-based legal practice management software—Watch how law firms use Clio. 

The final word on the challenges facing law firms in the next 5 years

All of these challenges arise from industry shifts that also represent opportunities for law firms to improve their processes. The ability to adjust to these trends is what could make your firm stand out as an “antifragile” law firm — a firm that can maintain flexibility, play the long game, and ultimately beat out the competition.

When looking to embrace these opportunities, it pays to know the best resources for knowledge and insights. As a starting point, Clio’s 2022 Legal Trends Report summarizes these latest industry trends, and our Inflation-Proof Guide provides growth strategies while facing recessionary threats. Meanwhile, our Antifragile Law Firm Guide summarizes approaches for maintaining agility, flexibility, and innovation. Combine these insights into a strategy to ensure your firm thrives over the next five years.

Modern law firms require modern solutions. In the new work era, where more and more lawyers work in remote and hybrid environments, having access to all of the information you need to handle a file is critical. Yet, despite the benefits of cloud-based legal practice management (LPM) software (well-documented in the 2022 Legal Trends Report), many LPM software providers continue to offer inflexible, server-based options that lack the agility to support law firms through changing business tides. 

Some server-based LPM software providers are taking notice. For example, PCLaw, a server-based LPM software provider, recently contacted users about cloud-based software options. While PCLaw conceded they wouldn’t be transitioning their PCLaw or Time Matters offerings to the cloud, they recommended users transition to LEAP Legal Software, a hybrid-cloud LPM software provider. PCLaw reports they worked with LEAP’s team to “develop a data transition that minimizes disruption to law firms”. 

However, any switch comes with challenges. That’s why law firms need to ask questions and think critically when switching their LPM software provider. Customers can’t afford to be dragged down by slow-to-innovate software with outdated user interfaces, unclear pricing, and a lack of client communication tools. 

To help you make the best decision for your law firm, we’ve compiled a list of essential considerations below. If you’re a legal professional transitioning  to the cloud, from PCLaw or another LPM software, be sure to ask the LPM providers you’re considering the six questions at the bottom of the page. 

1. True cloud-based software—automatic updates and more

Cloud-based law firms use cloud technology to run key elements of their business. These programs help streamline bookkeeping, client intake, payments, case management, and more. 

So, what’s the benefit of cloud-based software? In our evolving business environment, lawyers work from home, the courthouse, and everywhere in between. Using cloud-based software allows users to access their software through a web browser and an internet connection. Thereby, keeping a firm connected no matter where their staff are. Servers, on the other hand, are an on-premise system that ties firms to a physical office space—limiting the work that your staff can do when they are outside the office. Similarly, desktop-based software is installed on and only accessible on one computer.

The advantage of true cloud-based software is clear: as our customer, Carol Holmes (a former PCLaw customer), says:

“Having been a PCLaw customer for too many years, I truly appreciate the quality of Clio, as well as the ease of using it. With a cloud-based solution like Clio, I have access to all my data from anywhere!” – Carol Holmes, Attorney, Carol Holmes PC

Be aware that some software providers call themselves cloud-based when, in reality, they provide “hybrid-cloud” services. These providers combine the cloud with a desktop system, and the two systems communicate with each other. Often, a hybrid-cloud service means the PC-based, desktop product offers full functionality while their cloud product doesn’t–or vice versa. In other words, you don’t get the same experience in both versions of the same program.Furthermore, the more systems involved, the more likely data sync issues  will occur between the two systems. And, as lawyers know all too well, these can be costly.

Clio is 100% cloud-based. Our automatic updates and upgrades ensure everyone at your firm is on the same page, no matter where or what device they are on. Plus, unlike PCLaw, Clio doesn’t make you buy a separate “annual maintenance plan” to get access to program updates.

Want to learn more about switching to the cloud? Read our guide for law firms.

2. No lengthy contracts or hidden pricing 

It’s integral to find an LPM software provider that values transparency and customer growth. All too often, buyers find themselves dealing with secretive pricing models or locked in to a multi-year contract they never intended to sign up for. 

At Clio, we offer a no-risk free trial, transparent pricing, and compatibility with other critical programs like Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace. Our core value is “Customer Success Comes First”, and we take pride in providing flexible options that enable our customers to be successful. With Clio, you choose whether you want to commit to month-to-month or yearly terms, offering you the flexibility to cancel your contract if needed (though we’re confident you won’t want to!). 

3. Infinite device/OS compatibility

Clio users can access their software from PCs or Macs, and can even use the Clio Mobile App for Android and IOS to stay connected on the go, allowing staff to remain productive wherever they are. 

4. Experience the client-centered difference 

Few things are more frustrating than waiting for customer support when you have a pressing issue. WIth Clio, you get the support you need when you need it. Our support team is available 24 hours a day, Monday through Friday, via phone, chat, or email. 

In addition, Clio provides customers with access to the largest self-serve knowledge base in the industry. We have over 12,000 self-serve articles and videos so you can troubleshoot (or level up your Clio knowledge!) on your own time. 

5. Your data is yours to keep

Things change, and you may find yourself needing to export or migrate your data to another LPM software provider. It’s important to know that, if that time comes, you’ll be able to easily export and access your data. 

Clio respects that firms may need to export their data for a variety of reasons, and we provide an easy and transparent process. Clio will also hold on to your data for 90 days after cancellation so firms can retrieve and export their data even after canceling our services. 

6. Clio is the most connected operating system in legal

Every law firm is different, and software needs can change quickly. Having the option to scale your software and bring in different tools is essential for creating a connected experience for staff and clients. 

With Clio’s open application programming interface (API), you get access to over 200 integrations allowing you to scale and connect tools as needed. Featuring everything from big names like Office 365, Google, and Zoom to specialized tools, you’ll find everything you need to run the law firm of your dreams. 

“As a previous PCLaw customer, Clio is an absolutely user-friendly law office software that makes the job of keeping all of your practice management needs in one easy and convenient place.”Lungile Tinarwo, Principal Lawyer, Tinarwo Law.

6 questions to ask—before you make your next move 

While cloud-based LPM software providers are the clear winners in today’s legal space, what should you consider before you make your next move? Here are the questions to ask yourself before switching from PCLaw to LEAP or committing to a new LPM software provider. 

Are pricing terms clear and transparent?

Some legal practice management companies will entice customers to sign a multi-year contract that’s difficult to get out of. Ensure your next provider offers you the flexibility to pursue other options in case you’re unhappy. This includes inquiring about the fees and exit protocol during the sometimes seemingly “free” or “low-cost” trial period. 

Does your application automatically update?

Cloud-based platforms typically update automatically. Ensure your legal practice management provider doesn’t require you to purchase a separate maintenance plan to get access to updates Missing a system update can lead to serious errors, confusion, and wasted time for law firms. 

Do you outsource your onboarding process?

Some LPM software providers overly rely on third-party consultants to help new users migrate, install, and train on their new platform. This process can be challenging and delay the setup process. 

The Clio Academy, Quick Start Program, and in-house onboarding team help customers get up to speed quickly at no added cost. And, if you need additional migration help, we have a network of Certified Clio consultants that can help you, too. Customers can be assured that they will receive the same world-class service throughout every stage of their journey.

Do you have phone support? 

Whether you’re a new or long-standing customer, you’ll likely have questions or require product support from time to time. Will someone be there to answer your call? Some LPM software providers do not offer telephone support. Others have limited customer support hours. 

Clio’s support team is available 24 hours a day, Monday to Friday, via phone, email, or chat. What’s more, this service comes with your subscription. We’ll never charge you separate fees to help you get the support you need. 

Do you offer a broad licensing structure?

Licensing structure is an important consideration for any prospective LPM software user. For example, if you’re a solo practitioner, you shouldn’t pay the same price as a 15-lawyer firm. 

With Clio, you can choose a plan that fits your needs based on the number of users at your law firm. You can also select between different services—ranging from our EasyStart plan to a Complete plan. This way, you avoid paying higher costs for features you won’t use. 

Can your software connect to my existing tools? 

You’re already investing in new LPM software, so you shouldn’t have to worry about upgrading your computer. It’s important the software you’re considering will work on your current hardware and integrate with your existing tools. 

Clio is compatible with Mac, PC, and mobile devices, so you can use it anywhere you work. Furthermore, you’ll be able to bring all your favorite tools on board—from Quickbooks to Zoom—through our 200+ integration partners. 

Try Clio for Free

Learn how you can do more billable work, deliver the service your clients want, and make it easier for clients to pay with Clio.

Final thoughts on switching to Clio 

Whether you’re planning a switch from PCLaw to LEAP or simply considering your options, it’s important to ask critical questions. Ensure your new software provider not only meets your current needs but can help your firm thrive in the future. System updates, transparency, compatibility, support, data, and scalability should all be top of mind when adopting new LPM software. 

We’re confident that Clio’s many features will wow you, and if you aren’t convinced yet, learn more about how law firms use our software. And, if you’re leaving PCLaw and considering your options, check out this side-by-side comparison to help you choose the best cloud-based legal practice management software for your law firm.

We’re still reeling from the excitement of coming together (in person!) in Nashville for the 2022 Clio Cloud Conference. That excitement was especially palpable during the Reisman Awards, where we celebrated seven firms for displaying excellence in their fields and positively impacting their communities.

The annual Reisman Awards—named after Clio’s very first customer, Catherine Reisman—celebrate Clio customers who have made outstanding contributions to our industry. Past Reisman Award winners have achieved unparalleled growth, delivered innovative customer experiences, broken down industry barriers, and advocated for vulnerable individuals and organizations.

In this blog post, we’re thrilled to share more about the Reisman Awards—and the submission process.

Law firm awards that inspire

From the very beginning, Clio has always taken inspiration from our customers and the crucial work they do. From the humble early days at Clio to hosting our very first  Clio Cloud Conference, our goal has always been to help our customers succeed. After all, your success is our success.

In continuing our legacy to you, our customers, we started the Reisman Awards in 2017. These awards  formally recognize and thank our customers for their influential work and hold the winners up as shining examples for the legal profession at large. We couldn’t be more proud of our past Reisman Awards alums, and their impactful contributions to their communities and the future of legal.

The Reisman Awards consist of seven categories—each featuring law firms that have excelled in a particular area. Like every year, our 2022 winners reflect the best of the best in legal practice. From a law firm that pivoted in the midst of the pandemic and experienced five-fold revenue growth to a solo practitioner providing opportunities for funding, mentoring, and connection to diverse entrepreneurs, their captivating stories are sure to inspire legal professionals.

For 2022, our winners were selected as follows:

• Best Growth Story: Torrey Pines Law Group
• Excellent in Client Service: The Daswani Law Co
• Legal Innovation: Koenig|Dunne
• Community Champion: Creedon Law PLLC
• Best New Law Firm: Rudder Law
• Legal Impact Award: Chartier & Nyamfukudza, P.L.C.
• Diversity and Inclusion: 402 Legal

To learn more about the Reisman Award categories and our 2022 winners, visit our 2022 Reisman Awards page.

Reisman Award criteria

Now that you’ve learned more about the Reisman Awards, it’s time to start thinking about the 2023 nominations process.

The nomination process is based on submissions received from the legal community. There’s no need to be humble or shy, here—nominators can submit their own firm for consideration.

We evaluate submissions based on:

• Relevance to the award category
• The firm’s story
• Relevant statistics and data
• How the firm uses Clio to achieve its goals

To summarize, let us know what makes your firm special, how you’re making an impact, and what Clio is doing to help you. And if you’ve got great data and statistics to share, all the better. For example, if you’ve grown your revenue, increased headcount, or saved a certain number of hours per month, be sure to let us know.

Once the nomination period ends, our judges will review each submission and narrow down a list of finalists in each category. The winners are announced at the annual Clio Cloud Conference (happening in Nashville, Tennessee in 2023).

What do winners receive?

What does a Reisman winner receive (beyond serious bragging rights)? The winner for each of the seven categories will receive the following:

• A 2023 Clio Cloud Conference prize package, including VIP conference passes, a stay at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, and return airfare.
• Recognition at the Reisman Awards ceremony at Nashville’s legendary Grand Ole Opry House
• A 2023 Reisman Award winner trophy.
• A professionally-produced video by Clio showcasing your firm.
• Website badges, social media promotion, and press promoting your achievement.

Finalists also receive a discounted pass to the 2023 Clio Cloud Conference, a chance to be showcased in Clio’s customer success stories, and exclusive marketing assets.

How to nominate your law firm

Ready to throw your hat (or someone else’s) in the ring? Nomination submissions are free, so why not write in. Each submission is evaluated by a panel of judges, except for entries for the Legal Impact Award, our “people’s choice” award voted on by members of the legal community.

Be sure to paint a full picture of the firm’s achievements for your submission—even if it means getting back to the basics, such as why you became a lawyer in the first place or what the nominee did in a past life. We’re so excited to hear about your legal journey and all the great things your firm has achieved over the past year.

The 2023 Reisman Awards

The best news of all: You have ample time to reflect on your nomination, as submissions for the 2023 Reisman Awards haven’t opened yet. Sign up using our email form to be notified when we’re ready for your dazzling nomination.

Final notes on the Reisman Awards

Every law firm has a story, and we want to hear them all. Whether you’re a champion in your community, a ruthless innovator, a thriving new law firm, or a great fit for any of our other categories, we’re looking forward to hearing from you.

Every small law firm has their own unique challenges—whether it’s spending too much time on administrative tasks or dealing with late payments. The good news is small law firm billing software has the power to help firms overcome these barriers. And as a result, unleashing new levels of success for small law firms everywhere.

Let’s say, for example, your law firm is the heart of your small community. Odds are, some clients are looking for alternative payment options to ease the burden of their legal fees. Given the close relationship you have with them, you should offer a more client-centered experience. Or, you might be one of several small firms in your community and looking for ways to separate yourself from the competition.

In both cases, small law firm billing software helps by allowing you to easily accept multiple payment options. After all, that’s what clients want. According to the 2022 Legal Trends Report:

• 70% of legal clients want the option to pay via payment plan
• 53% want the opportunity to crowdfund their legal bills

This barely scratches the surface of the capabilities of small law firm billing software. Read on as we highlight the many payment possibilities and look at the best small law firm billing software solutions in 2022.

The best small law firm billing options on the market

We’ve established that legal e-billing software can make a real difference at a small law firm by streamlining time-consuming tasks. That said, not all solutions are created equal. Let’s explore some of the best options available for small law firms.

Clio Payments

Founded in 2008, Clio brought the first cloud-based practice legal management software for law firms. Clio Payments—which is Clio’s built-in payment solution—offers a fast, flexible, and convenient way to manage a law firm’s collections.

Pros

• It’s affordable. All Clio Manage subscriptions come with the ability to accept online payments. Clio Payments offers competitive rates (2.8% on all debit and credit transactions and $2.00 per eCheck transaction)—and will never charge for hidden or variable card network fees.
• Clients gain flexibility. With Clio Payments, clients can easily pay their legal bills using credit card, debit, or eCheck. They can also set up alternative payment options, such as payment plans.
• It saves time. By offering the ability to easily track time, create invoices, and send electronic bills to clients, Clio Payments reduces the time spent on routine administrative tasks. Plus: Clio integrates with Xero and QuickBooks Online, which means users can say goodbye to error-prone manual data entry.
• You’ll gain true peace of mind. Clients sleep well knowing that Clio Payments is PCI-compliant and follows IOLTA and trust accounting standards. Earned and unearned fees are kept separate, and transaction fees never come out of your trust account.
• World-class support. Clio has cemented a reputation for a bunch of things—its stellar customer support among them. Customers have access to the company’s award-winning team 24 hours a day, Monday through Friday, be it through live chat, phone, or email.

“Clio makes billing simple and task management easy. I am sold and have recommended it to numerous solo and small firm leaders. Clio is very service oriented. Should I have a question, Clio gives me the answer quickly and allows me to get back to serving my clients.” – David Crawford, Owner, Crawford I.P. Law

Cons

• Geographic restrictions. Clio Payments and some integrations are only available in certain countries. Presently, Clio Payments is best for law firms practicing in the US or Canada.

MyCase

MyCase is a practice management platform designed for small and medium-sized firms. Their software doesn’t include payments capabilities which is why they work with LawPay to offer LawPay Payments to their users.

Pros

• Alternative payment options. MyCase allows customers to accept alternative payment options—such as ClientCredit, a legal fee financing solution that lets legal clients pay loans in automated installments.
• Create multiple invoices at once. MyCase’s batch billing feature helps save time by expediting the billing process.

Cons

• Higher transaction fees. Users have to pay higher fees on transactions, which can be a challenge for smaller law firms. Transaction fees are 3% for VISA and MasterCard and 3.9% for AmericanExpress. That’s $300 for every $10k processed using a Visa, MasterCard, or Discover. $390 for AMEX.
• Inability to apply payments to matters. Users complain about payments being applied to clients, not matters, which can complicate the billing process for staff and clients.
• Lack of integrations. Often results in duplicate and manual data entry for users.

PracticePanther

PracticePanther is a law practice management solution that offers case management, billing, time tracking, and automation features.

Pros

• Alternative payment methods. PracticePanther offers the ability to pay through alternative methods, such as payment plans—giving clients the flexibility to choose an option that’s best for them.
• Customizable invoices. With customizable invoice templates, PracticePanther lets users create invoices for a range of matters.

Cons

• High costs for basic features. Users will have to pay a premium for basic features like flat-fee billing, LEDES billing, and integrations that you would otherwise get automatically with other legal billing providers.
• Limited integrations. PracticePanther has fewer than 30 integrations on its platform.

Rocket Matter

Rocket Matter is a legal practice management platform with a payment processing feature.

Pros

• Built for small law firms. Rocket Matter is specifically designed for solo practitioners and small law firms.

Cons

• All or nothing prices. Rocket Matter’s essentials package is very basic, which means you’ll find yourself paying more for features that you would automatically get with other programs.

Smokeball

Smokeball is a “hybrid cloud”-based practice management software offering automatic time and activity tracking, document automation, and legal billing through the same LawPay integration mentioned above.

Pros

• Work efficiently. Smokeball comes with batch editing, finalizing and printing, allowing users to generate multiple reports.

Cons

• Different interfaces. While billing can be managed online, it’s through a separate product and interface.
• Higher fees. With SmokeBall, you’ll be running your billing through a LawPay integration. While this integration comes with PCI and IOLTA compliance, and they help you meet your trust accounting obligations, LawPay charges higher fees than most legal payment processors.
• Missing cloud benefits. As a “hybrid cloud” program, lawyers aren’t able to do much while they’re traveling.
• Compatibility limitations. Only PCs running Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 that meet the minimum technical requirements can run Smokeball. Despite being the most used email service in the world, no Gmail compatibility exists.
• Conflicting programs. Because Smokeball Billing only works with Google Chrome, the local installation may cause issues with other software on your computer.

Try Clio for Free

Learn how you can do more billable work, deliver the service your clients want, and make it easier for clients to pay with Clio.

Final notes on the best small law firm billing software

As small law firms have unique needs, they also have unique considerations when it comes to selecting the best billing software. Among the top criteria, it’s important to choose a solution that’s easy to set up, cost effective, reduces time spent on administrative tasks, offers flexible payment options, and maintains compliance with IOLTA and trust accounting.

Checking off all boxes may sound like a tall order, but it’s not. Today, a wide range of small law firm billing software solutions—including Clio Payments—are making the billing process easier than ever.

Try the best law firm billing software on the market: Sign up for a Clio Payments demo today.

Clio has always been at the forefront of innovation in legal technology. As the leader in the shift towards online legal services, we’re driving change in the way law firms manage their cases, retain clients, and accept payments.

Today, we’re excited to bring Clio Payments to our Canadian customers. Now our Canadian customers will be able to accept online payments through an all-in-one platform, Clio Manage, that provides a transparent and real-time view of transactions.

With Clio Payments, we’re transforming the legal experience for all, and an essential part of that means making payments frictionless for both lawyers and their clients.

While the legal industry has gone through a transformational and positive shift in response to the challenges faced in recent years, getting paid is still the strongest point of friction in the attorney-client relationship. Since launching Clio Payments in the US, we’ve seen the tremendous impact of streamlining this crucial touchpoint for our customers—Law firms are getting paid faster, and the client experience is improved as well—so we’re thrilled to now offer this functionality to our Canadian customers as well. Clio payments will enable our Canadian customers to dramatically improve the financial performance of their firms while helping them to deliver an effortless client experience. Ultimately, this will help make legal services more accessible to Canadians.

Today, with Clio Payments, Canadian customers can:

• Start getting paid online within Clio, all while being fully compliant with legal industry rules for trust accounting.
• Make your services more accessible by offering Payment Plans that allow clients to pay bills in manageable installments.
• Make paying as easy as possible by accommodating your clients’ preferences for how to pay, whether that’s through your website, in-person, or over text message or email.
• Speed up future payments by allowing law firms to safely request and store payment information up front or any point in time.
• Save time with automatic recording of payments and a convenient sync to your accounting platform

It’s time for your law firm to collect payments in a single place, where they’re kept secure and where managing them is effortless. It’s time to give your clients what they want—and they want online, flexible payment options that feel like the low-friction eCommerce checkout experiences they’re used to.

Clio Payments is the gold standard for how legal payments should work. Whether you’re a solo practitioner or whether you’re managing thousands of cases, Clio gets you paid so you can focus on what matters—your clients.

An oral argument is just one part of an overall lawyer argument and the overall trial process. But it’s one that gets the most attention, especially when that argument takes place before the US Supreme Court.

No one knows this better than Neal Katyal. A prolific litigator and former Solicitor General of the United States, Neal has argued 47 cases before the US Supreme Court, a record in US history for a minority attorney. Neal gave an impactful keynote at the 2022 Clio Cloud Conference, and we’re lucky enough to share some of his experiences below.

For Neal, one of the main ways lawyers can improve their arguments is to focus on clients. “Unfortunately there are a lot of lawyers who are lawyer-centered and not client-centered,” he said.

Below are more tips on how to deliver legal arguments persuasively, from our conversation with Neal.

1. Think about client impact

One of the most important parts of any case is the human element. At the end of the day, there are both practical and emotional impacts for any argument and its outcome. “This is true in every case. Even in a corporate case,” said Neal.

Taking a client-centered approach to lawyering will help you to build stronger arguments as you keep what the case truly means to your client top-of-mind.

2. Remember that clients are interacting with the law all the time, whether they know it or not

In the book The Client-Centered Law Firm, Jack Newton talks about the client journey, and how it starts when a client starts looking for a lawyer. However, for Neal, the client journey starts even earlier—because clients are interacting with the law constantly in their daily lives.

“As lawyers think about how to do advocacy, I think the most important thing is to remember that the law is a human endeavor, and so any law has human consequences,” said Neal. “So before any argument I’m always trying to ask the people who it affects for more detail.

For example, for a case involving banking law, Neal would speak to bankers and ask, once they’ve received a cashier’s check, what do you do with it? What laws do you follow?

“I trace them through their daily life in the shadow of the law, and that helps me understand what the case is about—and ultimately, hopefully, helps me be more persuasive to the court because I understand how the law is working in practice.”

3. Listen to what those around you know about the legal argument

Neal is constantly flipping from one field of law to the next as he’s brought into various cases to argue when the case reaches the Supreme Court. How does he succeed? By getting input from people who’ve been on the case for longer, and not letting ego get in the way.

“They may have not gone to a fancy law school or argued as many cases as me, but you know what? They know a lot more about the case than I do, so I better learn from them,” Neal explained.

This was an especially important point when Neal was lead counsel in the Supreme Court case Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, representing Salim Ahmed Hamdan, a man who had worked as a driver for Osama bin Laden. Eventually, as a law professor, Neal was able to secure the support of a law firm on the case.

But for the first two years of the case, he worked on it with about 100 of his law school students.

“Now, they’re students. They’re going to give you a bunch of stuff that’s not very good,” he said. “But that experience taught me that if you could aggregate all these inputs from all these people you can create a very strong product.”

4. Lawyer arguments should be a conversation—not a speech

For Neal, one of the biggest issues with oral arguments today is that they can be less of a conversation and more of a speech, leaving judges frustrated.

“If you’re a lawyer who comes in to argue your case and you’re so 100% sure you’re right, you’re likely to not be very persuasive,” he said.

If you’ve written your brief well, Neal explains, that should be your speech. Oral argument, which comes only after a written submission, should be the place where you address the judge’s concerns and treat it more like a conversation.

“You should be trying to understand ‘what is it, judge, that’s bothering you about our case?’ And try to address the case from their perspective, not as much yours,” he said.

5. Lead with empathy

Neal often says that “confidence is the enemy of persuasion,” and advises that empathy is more important. Empathy helps you see the other side, address things from their perspective, and ultimately reach your goal—rather than forcibly proving a point.

In the law school environment, he sees young students get more argumentative not just when it comes to the law, but with their spouses, their friends and family, and others in their lives. “It’s totally the wrong way to lawyer, and the wrong way to live your life,” he said.

What will help change the future of the legal industry? Speaking of the Clio Cloud Conference, Neal said one solution is “conferences like this where people talk about this and raise these concerns.”

“When people say ‘you won’t be as good of a lawyer if you’re empathetic. You should just be confident,’ I think that’s the wrong way to be. We can do better.” Neal added.

6. Prepare for oral arguments your way

47 Supreme Court Cases and counting later, Neal still prepares to argue cases the same way:

• He wears a bracelet from his father.
• He puts on a tie his mother picked out.
• He writes his children’s names on a legal pad to ground himself.

And, he talks to his children the night before a case. He started when they were two, four, and six. Now, even though they’re 17, 19, and 21, he still speaks to at least one of them. The questions are better now, of course, but he still has to boil the case down and explain it, which helps with clarity.

Neal also strategizes with his children about what to do if he gets nervous. Their suggestions always work, even if the suggestion is “think about sheep.”

Even today, Neal remembers how amazing it felt the first time he won a Supreme Court case. And he believes more strongly than ever in the importance of the American Legal system and in arguing well.

“It was something about, for me, the power of the American legal system that some 35 year old law professor could challenge the president and win. It’s quite an amazing thing,” he said.

What’s even better than reading inspiring advice from Neal Katyal? Being in the live audience at next year’s Clio Cloud Conference keynote presentations.

Don’t miss out: Snag your ClioCon ticket now—before they sell out.

Have you ever had a bad meeting at your law firm? One where you didn’t get to the root of the problem, where you didn’t walk away with clear next steps for your legal case, or where things just fell flat?

Most of us spend many hours of our days in meetings, but we’re also only too familiar with the above scenario.

However, Priya Parker is dedicated to making all sorts of gatherings better, work meetings included. A master facilitator, strategic advisor, acclaimed author of The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why it Matters​, and executive producer and host of the​ ​New York Times​ podcast, ​Together Apart, Priya facilitated an immersive and memorable experience at the 2022 Clio Cloud Conference that left attendees re-thinking how they gather. Her belief is that when a host has the generosity of spirit to care and to try, any gathering can be meaningful and successful.

“To get people to say something that’s authentic or real, to take a risk, that’s something that can be designed for,” she says.  Below, we share a few transformative things to keep in mind based on our conversation with Priya.

Start here to shift meetings at your law firm from meetings that could have been an email to engaged gatherings with a purpose.

In person vs. online meetings

As the pandemic wanes, it’s increasingly clear that we live in a world where hybrid meetings are here to stay. While in-person meetings have their benefits, the 2022 Legal Trends Report found that 25% more clients (35% compared to 28% pre-pandemic) now prefer virtual meetings over in-person meetings—and the rest indicated no strong preference either way.

To meet client expectations and provide a client-centered experience, law firms need to provide the option to meet virtually, or in a hybrid environment (ideally using a solution that integrates with their practice management software). How can they do this well?

For Priya, it’s important to keep in mind that when it comes to in-person versus online, one isn’t intrinsically better than the other. “Whether a meeting is virtual or in-person is putting the cart before the horse,” she says. “Neither is good or bad; it’s what we make of them.” As an example, Priya pointed to the New Yorker comic from March 2020 referring to all the meetings that really could have been emails.

The key, whether online or in-person, is to have a clear purpose and structure for the meeting, and a clear reason why those attending are there. “What is the actual need here? Why are we actually meeting?” Priya suggests asking. “Make sure the people who can actually achieve that purpose are being gathered in ways that are structured and thoughtful and effective.”

Law firm meetings with staff

Client-centered, antifragile law firms need to be aware of different processes and pain points within their firms and along the client journey. Otherwise, they won’t be able to solve these issues and continue improving and innovating.

But, as Priya notes, in professional services organizations like law firms where there’s a traditional hierarchy, information about a client, process, or team can get stuck at lower levels of the hierarchy due to fear, timing, worries about perception, and a number of other issues. For example, “if your purpose is to be incredibly client-driven, and your clients are interfacing with people who aren’t lawyers, you probably have no idea how you’re doing if you’re not hearing from those people,” says Priya.

How can law firms solve this, and have better meetings with staff where key issues and great ideas are surfaced? Priya says it starts with culture. “You don’t fix the meeting. You fix the culture, and then the meetings take care of themselves,” she explains. “If the purpose is just to compete, there’s no gathering where you’ll make people feel included because that’s not the currency of the culture.”

The most successful organizations Priya has seen are the ones where leaders are able to help everyone feel like owners and contributors, so that everyone, including those with more institutional power, are aligned on what the firm’s common purpose is. “When all sides realize that they have a common purpose and they need to work together in order to achieve it, that’s when things come together,” says Priya.

Meetings with law firm partners

In many professional services firms that Priya works with, including law firms, there’s a partnership model. And with that model, a good amount of decision making about the firm is shared. The stakes are high, and everyone has a lot of power, and a lot of skin in the game. It can be hard to push things through if not everyone in the room is on-board.

“When I work with teams like that, the most important skill to build is consensus building,” says Priya. Getting people to talk about what they actually think, versus tiptoeing around different subjects and opinions, is the key to laying out all the information on the table so partners can come to an agreement. The key is to be direct.

“When we start practicing what we actually think, we start to understand what the real needs are, what the real fears are, and to talk to each other about it. Because a lot of workplaces are inhibited more by unhealthy peace than unhealthy conflict.”

If there are more nodding heads than butting heads in your law firm, that’s not automatically a good thing. Challenge yourself and your partners to bring what you really think to the table so that your team can face challenges head on and grow to new heights.

Meetings with legal clients

Lawyers have a crucial role to play in some of the most important moments in people’s lives. But they might miss out on an opportunity by focusing on the wrong thing.

“I think for better or for worse, lawyers are at the center of incredibly meaningful and sometimes painful life moments. And in a culture that is hungry for ritual, lawyers are often the only individuals that are people in the room at moments of incredible interpersonal and individual transition.” said Priya. “Lawyers are the people who are there to hold the emotional transition of what people are walking through. That’s an incredibly important skill and it’s kind of a sacred act.”

To provide better client experiences, consider the purpose of creating a good experience for clients and helping them reach their goals at every meeting.

Priya recalls an example from The Art of Gathering where The Red Hook Community Justice Center asked “What is the purpose of the justice system we want to see? And what would a court look like if it was built according to that purpose?” The organizers behind the center decided to take a problem-solving approach rather than an adversarial one. They lowered the judge’s bench to be eye level with the defendants and other members of the court. There is a holistic review of the case, looking at substance abuse, mental health issues, trauma, and other factors. And the judge, Judge Calabrese, takes time to get to know the details of each case, and there is a sense he is rooting for the defendants to succeed.

As of 2018, the center had reduced the recidivism rate of adult defendants by 10%, and of juvenile defendants by 20%.

By focusing on those interacting with the justice system and what they needed to succeed, Judge Calabrese and the organizers at Red Hook transformed the legal experience for their entire community. What could your firm do for the client experience if you took a step back to focus on the true purpose of each client meeting?

“When we pause and ask what seems like obvious questions, we get some pretty radical answers,” says Priya.

Final thoughts

When asked what one thing she would change about the way everyone in the world gathers, Priya once again brings it back to purpose. “I’d have them first pause and take a deep breath and ask ‘what is the actual need here, and who within my community or outside it might help me address it?’”

Whether you’re meeting with law firm staff, partners, or clients, having a clear focus, sticking to it, and ensuring the right people are in the room goes a long way towards making any meeting or gathering sing.

Lawyers do vital work, often working around the clock to help achieve positive outcomes for their clients. In these circumstances, struggling to get paid quickly and on time is as frustrating as it is unfair.

According to the 2022 Legal Trends Report, lawyers record only 2.6 billable hours per day on average. The rest of their day goes towards various non-billable tasks, such as:

• Preparing and sending invoices
• Processing payments
• Updating trust ledgers

This is untenable. Lawyers should spend their precious time on high-value client work—not chasing, processing, or managing their payments. That’s why firms are increasingly turning to legal payment software. The best legal software, like Clio’s legal billing app, offers payment solutions and integration partners to help law firms get paid as easily and efficiently as possible.

Let’s explore how it does this.

A typical law firm billing process

The traditional law firm billing process is overly time-consuming and resource-intensive, drawing lawyers’ valuable attention away from other pressing matters. Traditionally, the billing process looks something like this for most law firms:

1. The firm brings on a new client and opens its case.
2. The firm logs billable time and disbursement fees/expenses through the life of the case.
3. The firms put bills and expenses for each client and case in draft at the end of the month.
4. Attorneys add notes and adjust costs as needed and approve the bill.
5. The firm creates a final version of the bill and sends it to the clients for payment.
6. Clients pay via whatever payment methods the firm accepts.
7. The accounting team sends follow-up reminders regarding late payments.

Unfortunately, this billing process leaves much to be desired. There’s plenty of room for bottlenecks and wasted costs. Lawyers are spending too much time on non-billable hours/non-lawyer activities. Truthfully, no one goes to law school so they can spend their days creating bills or chasing down late payments.

Think about it: why waste time completing unpaid work in an effort to maybe get paid for previous billable work? This is nonsensical. Something has to change, fast.

How legal software modernizes the billing process

Leading firms are shifting to modern payment options, implementing legal billing apps that free attorneys from having to create, send out, and chase up invoices. For example, Clio’s attorney billing software allows firms to:

• Improve timekeeping
• Bill consistently
• Send regular reminders
• Provide alternative payment options, such as credit cards or payment plans

Our attorney billing software provides an experience designed for both firms and their clients. Firms benefit from automated timekeeping and billing—while clients gain the flexibility to pay using a range of potential payment options.

Why online payments?

Implementing attorney billing software is just the first step—you also need to ensure you’re keeping clients happy.

Pre-pandemic, we saw digital payments trending, and this truly lifted off during the pandemic. Everyone suddenly had to use online channels to make purchases—there was no alternative. Indeed, consumers now expect flexible online payments across all areas from purchasing groceries online, buying big-ticket items like a new couch, and of course, paying off their legal bills.

Research shows that 65% of legal consumers prefer to pay online, and 57% of bills that include an online payment link get paid on the same day. As Erika Holmes, ELHolmes Legal Solutions, comments, “The concept is simple. The easier you make it to pay, the more likely they are to pay.”

“My intake and collections process is much quicker than before. From sending a bill to getting paid, it is now one day instead of a whole week. I can send a client an agreement with a payment link and get paid that day, which means I get started right away instead of waiting for a check in the mail.” According to Anna Valiente Gomez, Solo Attorney

How law firms can get paid faster

When you provide clients with a range of options, supported by tech that streamlines billing and payments, your firm gets paid faster. This approach can even boost revenue—consider that Clio customers using online payments collect between 5% and 16% more monthly revenue. What’s more, these law firms also see 8% more new cases each month, indicating that clients are leaning into the idea of a completely remote experience.

Using Clio’s legal billing app integration partners to streamline payments

Whether you’re a new law firm or a well-established industry heavyweight, your attorneys need tools to help them streamline their billing and collection processes while providing clients with flexible payment options.

Take Clio Manage, for example. Firms can now use Clio Manage to send bills and collect payments online with the click of a button. It streamlines every aspect of the legal billing process by offering:

• Automatic time tracking
• Fully customizable invoices (based on a range of reusable templates)
• A built-in approval system
• Direct integrations with your firm’s accounting software.

Clio also has an extensive library of partner integrations, with many specifically aimed at easing the billing and payments processes. Pick and choose which integrations will best serve your firm—and your clients—to create a customized billing workflow according to your specific needs.

5 payment integrations to help your law firm get paid faster

1. Text Request

Text Request is a business texting platform that boosts client engagement, allowing firms to meet clients on their most well-used channel: their mobile phone. Firms can trigger text message billing notifications and payment requests, schedule and confirm appointments by text through their Clio account, and sync messages from Text Request directly across to Clio. Clio’s Communication page instantly stores these conversations on the contact’s corresponding page.

2. Split Billing

Split Billing allows firms to bill multiple clients for portions of the same work in Clio. They can save their activities to one matter before dividing it up between any number of clients. Firms can also make use of the entire Faster Suite, which includes Faster Time and Faster Invoicing.

3. Invoice Tracker

By integrating Clio with Invoice Tracker, firms can improve cash flow and efficiency. The tool sends automatic email reminders to follow up on unpaid invoices, which saves an estimated 7+ hours per week in accounts receivables administration and boosts the chances that clients will pay promptly. Win-win.

4. Kolleno

Kolleno has designed an optimal collection strategy that helps firms get paid quicker while preserving client relationships with friendly payment reminders. This program will find the best channel, time, and messaging approach for each client automatically, increasing the likelihood of clients paying on time, every time.

5. Colossus by Legal DNA

Colossus enables firms to manage their matter lifecycles more effectively, like billing status. It automatically color codes bill payment statuses so you can quickly see problems and manage their portfolio, while the software provides automatic recommendations about when to bill and call clients for collections.

Final notes on legal billing apps

Law firms shouldn’t struggle to get paid on time. Not only is this unfair, but it’s also an unwelcome distraction that takes lawyers’ focus away from other, more crucial activities. There’s little point in experienced lawyers spending their days chasing overdue invoices—their time is far more valuable than this.

Take control over your billing and collections process by using Clio Manage, and by taking advantage of our wealth of additional integrations. Implement automation where possible to reduce manual effort and streamline the billing process. Leverage ready-made communication templates to minimize complexity and boost efficiency.

Give your valuable fee-earners the capabilities they need to focus on client matters, instead of on chasing payments. Boost cash flow while preserving client relationships, providing flexible payment options and client-centric collections reminders.

To get started, sign up for a 7-day free trial of Clio Manage.

Is your law firm “digitally mature”? According to Ultimedia’s 2022/23 Digital Maturity Report for the Legal Sector, based on a survey of the world’s top 100 law firms, over half of law firms have increased their use of technology over the past two years. Yet, the world’s top 100 law firms lag behind in digital transformation. While these findings are concerning, they also provide an excellent opportunity for law firms to assess their digital presence and determine what they’re doing right—and what they could be doing better.

We’ll jump into the key findings of the 2022/23 Digital Maturity Report for the Legal Sector below and what this data means for your law firm’s digital transformation.

Why is Digital Maturity Important for Law Firms?

Results from our annual Legal Trends Report consistently highlight the importance of technology for law firms in terms of firm performance and client satisfaction. Beyond the obvious benefits of digital data security for law firms, adopting a tech-forward approach to your practice can help firms generate new leads, save time through automation, and provide a client-centered experience. In our new, digitally-inclined era, becoming digitally mature is non-negotiable.

What does the 2022/23 Digital Maturity Report cover?

Ultimedia defines “digital maturity” as a measure of “how effective and innovative a law firm is based on their adoption and implementation of digital marketing and technology.” The report measures performance across ten areas, including website effectiveness, email marketing, and social media use, to create a digital maturity score for each law firm tested.

Key Findings from the 2022/23 Digital Maturity Report for the Legal Sector

The 2022/23 Digital Maturity Report found that, while the top 100 global law firms have made great strides to improve their digital maturity, they aren’t keeping up with client expectations and the growing digital landscape. Notably, no firm scored above 66% for their digital maturity score, suggesting that the legal industry still has room for significant technological growth.

Some of the key findings from the 2022/23 Digital Maturity Report include the following:

• While 80% of people surveyed are more likely to do business with organizations that provide a personalized content experience, only 3% of the law firms tested show signs of personalization on their websites.
• 82% of people surveyed prefer brands with a “content presence” (e.g., videos, blogs, images, and infographics), yet only 52% of the law firms tested leverage video content on their websites.
• While 80% of people look for law firms online, only 17% of the law firms tested followed search engine optimization (SEO) best practices.
• 58% of website visitors originate from paid searches, yet only 13% of law firms use paid search marketing.

Additionally, most (74%) law firms tested poorly on audience size, targeting a known audience rather than casting a larger digital net to attract new clients. The vast majority of law firms tested also failed basic website load speed tests and accessibility testing.

These findings suggest a disconnect between how prospective customers assess and access law firm services online and what the top law firms are doing to attract clients.

What Ultimedia’s Key Findings Mean for Law Firms

The results of Ultimedia’s study demonstrate many deficiencies in how law firms tackle digital maturity.

For one, many firms invested significantly in website platforms. However, the results suggest that firms often fail to maximize the potential of their existing tech stacks. This is a critical reminder for law firms to leverage their existing technology when developing a digital strategy.

The most important takeaway from this report is the need to put clients first. Optimizing your digital presence and making the client journey as effortless and immersive as possible long before a client finds your website will help you provide a client-centered experience and attract new customers. By looking to the world’s top law firms for digital inspiration—in terms of what to do, or not to do—any law firm can chart a path to digital transformation.

Ready to learn more? Access Ultimedia’s 2022/23 Digital Maturity Report for the Legal Sector.

If you’ve noticed more “buy now, pay later” options at checkout, you’re not alone. This financing method is taking the world by storm, with consumers using it for everything from big-ticket purchases like exercise equipment to necessities such as groceries and rent. Unsurprisingly, legal services are also experiencing a rise in buy now, pay later requests.

Buy now, pay later—or legal fee financing, as it’s commonly called—is one of several alternative payment methods offered through law firms. By easing the burden of large, one-time bills, it’s making legal services more accessible to those who need it most. Rather than risk having legal needs go unmet, client-centered law firms are allowing legal services to be paid through installments. This represents a growing shift toward not only focusing on what legal services are offered, but also, how they’re provided.

Aside from offering clients flexibility, legal fee financing also benefits law firms thanks to its ability to attract a more diverse client base and promote effortless payments. Read on as we explore which alternative payment methods are best for your clients and your law firm.

What is legal fee financing?

Let’s take a deeper dive into what legal fee financing is. In a nutshell, legal fee financing is an alternative funding solution allowing clients to pay for their legal costs in regular intervals (typically monthly) instead of one lump-sum payment. In short: the law firm will receive the full amount up front, and the client will pay a third-party creditor in installments. Clients may be able to obtain a loan from a traditional financial institution in some instances or through a third party. If you’re interested in learning more, the American Bar Association released guidance on how law firms can help clients who use financing for legal services.

The biggest benefit of legal fee financing is that it helps law firms get paid faster. However, it’s worth noting there are additional ways to improve cash flow in your law firm—such as payment plans.

Legal fee financing vs. payment plans: What’s the difference?

When it comes to paying legal fees, clients want options. Clio’s 2022 Legal Trends Report found that payment plans are among the top factors in hiring a law firm, with multiple billing options receiving the fourth-highest impact score for law firm hireability. Although there’s no question that choice is a positive thing, some payment methods are better than others.

Legal fee financing

Legal fee financing helps firms grow their client base while delivering the flexibility clients need. But on closer examination, there are pitfalls—chief among them cost. Missing a payment might burden a client with interest. This can increase their legal payments at best and spiral them into debt or collections at worst.

It’s not just clients who experience downsides, either. Legal fee financing often comes with monthly processing fees. These fees can be as high as 3.95% per transaction (by comparison, Clio Payments charges 2.8% on all credit and debt payments).

Payment plans

Payment plans allow clients to pay through a suite of options, such as subscription models, that don’t charge additional fees in exchange for the flexibility gained. They typically involve an agreed-upon amount that clients pay on a regular basis toward their balance. But unlike legal fee financing, firms have the flexibility to charge zero interest and set their own terms. At Clio, we refer to our payment plans as “alternative fee arrangements.”

It goes without saying that payment plans are a much more client-centric solution. They allow clients to pay large bills through a cadence that works for them and their law firm. And with the right legal software, you can automate payment plans and avoid additional steps or overhead.

Why should you offer alternative payment plans for your law firm?

When it comes to alternative payments, the advantages of some options outweigh others. Ultimately, the best choice depends on the law firm and what works for its unique needs. No matter which option you choose, your clients benefit—and so do you. So, what are some key reasons to integrate alternative payment plans in your law firm?

For one, it makes getting paid significantly easier. Law firms with well-off clients and businesses usually have their invoices paid in full and on time—which is great. But legal fees can be a hefty investment for some clients, especially during mounting inflation and rising interest rates. Not everyone has the means to pay for legal services outright. Breaking payments into more manageable installments results in more consistent income for your firm.

As payment plans give clients the convenience to pay in a way that suits them, offering alternative fee arrangements can set you apart from other law firms and, ultimately, attract more clients. In fact, Clio’s 2022 Legal Trends Report found that most clients want a range of options: 70% want the option to pay via a payment plan, 65% want the option of legal insurance, and 53% want the opportunity to crowdfund their legal bills. The more choice you offer, the more diversified your client base will become.

Benefits of alternative fee financing

There are many perks of providing alternative fee financing for your clients. By offering this flexibility, you can:

Maintain positive, client-centered relationships

Providing payment options empowers you to focus more on helping your clients with their ongoing legal matters. This flexibility is essential for relationship building as clients will appreciate the mutual trust and respect that comes with payment plans. When they’re happy, there’s a good chance that they’ll let other potential clients know about it, too.

Increase collections

The average law firm collects only $748 for every $1,000 of billable work, according to Clio’s Legal Trends Report. With alternative fee financing, you can collect more outstanding balances by allowing clients to break large bills into manageable installments. Over time, this can add up to significant cash flow each month.

Save time

Late payments can place a heavy burden on a firm. And if there’s one thing lawyers need more of, it’s time. Since lawyers complete only 2.6 hours of billable work each day, every effort needs to be made to become more productive. Flexible payments reduce the likelihood of having to devote a large chunk of time each month to following up on late payments.

Diversify your client base

Clients are key to your success whether you’re a solo practitioner or a small law firm. Diversification of your client base is equally critical. As you’ve no doubt experienced, people leave roles, needs evolve, mergers happen, and companies go out of business, which is why you shouldn’t put all of your eggs in one basket. When you offer multiple options for payment, you open the door to more clients and expand your reach. Providing diverse options ultimately translates into increased revenue for your firm.

How to implement payment plans at your firm

Payment plans are simple to manage and execute when using the right legal software. For instance, online payment solutions like Clio Payments make it easy to offer various billing options. You can also set up and track automated payment plans for customer bills or retainer deposits and top-ups.

Below are a few specific payment features that will improve the process of implementing legal fee financing for your law firm.

• Seamless invoicing: The best software solutions allow you to create invoices in a few easy clicks—and get paid through Pay Now buttons in your electronic bills, along with QR codes, secure click-to-pay links embedded in emails, or over the phone.

• Integrated financial reporting: When a transaction is made, leading payment solutions will automatically post it to the appropriate matter or client account and sync records with your accounting platform. So you can rest assured that your information is always up to date.
• Flexible online payments: It’s also important to make it easier than ever for clients by offering the option to pay using any device through credit card, debit, or eCheck.

Along with checking the boxes above, Clio manages the entire legal client journey through one secure, compliant, and trusted system. This spans from the very beginning of client intake, all the way through payment collection.

Putting it all together

Flexible payments don’t just help your clients—they can also make a world of difference within your law firm. With flexible payments, you’ll see a jump in revenue while bringing in more consistent revenue. What’s more, you’ll make a difference in the lives of clients who can’t otherwise afford your legal services.

The 2022 Clio Cloud Conference (ClioCon) was, without a doubt, our biggest and most exciting event yet. With thousands of attendees flying in from around the world and over 1,000 attendees tuning in virtually, the tenth annual—and first-ever hybrid —ClioCon was an inspiring event that legal professionals will remember for years to come. 

Read on for a high-level recap of our 2022 conference.

Jack Newton’s opening keynote

To kick off the tenth annual ClioCon, Clio CEO and Founder Jack Newton delivered a compelling keynote. Jack reflected on the past 10 years and Clio’s exponential growth. A decade ago, Clio was a 70-person team. Now, 900 Clions are supporting legal professionals worldwide and transforming the legal experience for all. 

Jack spoke to the changing economic conditions that have put even more pressure on law firms and legal professions. In an effort to continuously help law firms thrive, Jack introduced The Building Blocks of an Antifragile Law Firm, a framework to guide firms into a recession-proof business approach. 

Read more about Jack Newton’s opening keynote and The Building Blocks of an Antifragile Law Firm. 

2022 Legal Trends Report

The 2022 Legal Trends Report explores how lawyers are adapting to the spread of remote work, how legal professional work is fundamentally changing, and what this means for lawyers’ well-being. With this data, legal professionals can chart a flexible and balanced course.

This year’s report shows how legal professionals are leveraging technology to remain competitive in a changing market. You can read the report’s highlights or dive right in and download your very own copy of the 2022 Legal Trends Report. 

Celebrating Clio customers and the 2021 Reisman Award winners

Every year, we’re proud to honor our customers and their industry-leading work. Jack was thrilled to announce this year’s Reisman Award winners in his opening remarks. Since the awards’ inception five years ago and many impressive, inspiring applicants, it’s getting harder and harder to select the winners!

And now, a big virtual round of applause for this year’s winners—firms that found opportunities to transform the legal experience for all by creating new and dynamic ways for firms and clients to work together:

• Best Growth Story – Torrey Pines Law Group
• Excellence in Client Service – The Daswani Law Company
• Community Champion – Creedon PLLC
• Legal Innovation – Koenig|Dunne
• Best New Law Firm – Rudder Law Group
• Diversity & Inclusion – 402 Legal 
• Legal Impact – Chartier & Nyamfukudza, P.L.C

Learn more about winners of The Reisman Awards.

$100,000 Launch//Code Contest Winners: Clearbrief and Legalboards

The Launch//Code Developer Contest celebrates the best integrations in Clio’s App Directory—featuring new innovations that will inspire the future of legaltech. Finalists are invited to pitch their app to a panel of judges at ClioCon for the chance to win one of two $50,000 grand prizes.

This year, Clearbrief, a patented AI platform, was named Best New App, and Legalboards, a visual workflow automation platform, was named Most Improved App. Both were awarded a $50,000 grand prize by this year’s acclaimed panel of judges at the 10th annual Clio Cloud Conference. 

• Clearbrief, winner of the Best New App,  is a patented AI platform for Microsoft Word that allows users to check their written work and save an average of seven hours per week on tedious litigation tasks. With Clearbrief, Clio customers can apply powerful AI technology to any document to automatically make the text searchable. As well, using Clearbrief’s “Add Cite” functionality, they can directly access and cite relevant documents in Microsoft Word.
• Legalboards, winner of the Most Improved App, is a visual workflow automation platform that helps legal practitioners create and organize repeatable processes to reduce the time spent on orchestrating tasks along a case’s lifetime. Through its integration with Clio, Legalboards streamlines time tracking and organizing tasks. It also improves the client experience by also automating things like email updates and communicating with clients.

Inspiring keynote speakers

Three extraordinary keynote speakers delivered transformative presentations at this year’s conference. Read more about each of these global experts and a bit of the magic they brought to the 2022 ClioCon.

Neal Katyal

Neal Katyal, the former Acting Solicitor General of the United States and recipient of the Edmund Randolph Award, is a renowned human rights attorney. He delivered a keynote address on how to structure winning legal arguments. As an award-winning and prolific lawyer, as well as a notable speaker, Neal’s insights were both fascinating and engaging.

Priya Parker

Priya Parker helped us take a deeper look at how anyone can create collective meaning in modern life, one gathering at a time. She is a master facilitator, strategic advisor, acclaimed author of The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why it Matters​, and executive producer and host of the​ ​New York Times​ podcast, ​Together Apart​. Parker ​has spent 15 years helping leaders and communities have complicated conversations about community and identity and vision at moments of transition. 

Robert Cialdini

Dr. Robert Cialdini has spent his entire career conducting scientific research on what leads people say “Yes” to requests. The results of his research, his ensuing articles, and New York Times bestselling books have earned him an acclaimed reputation as a respected scientist and engaging storyteller. His books, including Influence and Pre-Suasion, have sold more than five-million copies in 41 different languages. Dr. Cialdini is known globally as the foundational expert in the science of influence and how to apply it ethically in business. 

Masterclass sessions from legal and business experts 

As if the keynote speakers weren’t enough to wow attendees, there were also dozens of sessions and workshops. Each were tailored to unique business and practice needs. These included: 

How to Advocate for Lawyer Mental Health and Wellness

Principal and Founder of Kara Hardin Mental Health Consulting, Kara walked lawyers through gentle strategies they can use to create healthier workplace boundaries and avoid burnout. 

How to Generate More Business with Email

Milly Tsui, Clio’s Marketing Automation Manager, and Patricia De Fonte, Founder of De Fonte Law, showed attendees how to create email campaigns that nurture existing relationships, generate more referrals, and drive repeat business.

How to Optimize Your Billing Process 

Attendees learned how to use Clio’s billing features to streamline their billing process from Envolta’s Workflow Manager, Indy Kaur. Allowing them to review bills faster and share client invoices easily. 

How to Succeed with Social Media Marketing

Attendees learned how to use social media to strengthen their firm’s brand, nurture prospects, and drive business. This session was led by two lawyers who are also social media experts: Michelle Fonseca-Kamana and Adam S. Juratovac, and hosted by Clio’s very own Social Media Manager, Fanny Lau. 

Inclusive Law Firm Marketing

Participants learned how to identify their desired clientele and dial into their unique needs. The goal? To better market legal services in a way that lets clients know you see them and want to help them. This session was led by Katie Koleszar, Clio’s Director of People Business Partnerships, and Rukayatu Tijani.

The Way of Influence: Communicating for Maximum Impact

Legal coaches Terry DeMeo and Allison Wolf introduced attendees to a three-step process to transform challenging workplace interactions into impactful and influential engagements. This session was designed for the high-stress legal workplace. It equipped participants to communicate with maximum effectiveness while improving their workplace relationships and maintaining their personal well-being.

Innovative companies partnering with Clio 

Below are a few of our exciting new partners providing incredible tech solutions for law firms. 

Lawyaw

Last year, we celebrated our acquisition of Lawyaw, a sophisticated document automation platform set to revolutionize the delivery of legal services by digitizing document creation for law firms. 

Fidu

2021’s Clio Launch//Code + Viewer’s Choice Winner, Fidu, has quickly become a revolutionary addition to the Clio tech stack. Working with Clio Manage, Fidu helps you automate the delivery of subscription legal services. Fidu saves you time, money, and makes it easier to deliver an exceptional client-centered experience. 

Legalboards 

Legalboard and Clio allow firms to follow matters visually, enhancing collaboration and awareness across the organization, without having to open and read each case file. 

Proof 

The service of process is often highly fragmented and time consuming for legal professionals. However, with Clio and Proof, you can quickly create requests, serve court documents to contacts, and track everything in real time. 

Clio product updates 

Ready-to-fill court forms 

Cloud-based court form libraries are now available in five new states, saving even more law firms’ time and money. 

“We’re proud to say that the firms who have been able to use Lawyaw court forms have been able to complete two hours of document drafting in just 20 minutes.” – Jack Newton, Clio Founder

Updated Outlook add-in

As announced in Jack’s keynote, our updated Outlook add-in removes the friction out of everyday email management and time tracking with. This allows you to work ten times faster than the prior version. 

Improving legal calendaring software

During a case, one unexpected change to your “to-dos” can set up a long series of subsequent changes. To enable you to more quickly pivot when the inevitable occurs, we’ve enhanced our tasks and calendar rules features to streamline the process. Clio users can now easily drag and drop court dates across the Clio calendar. Due dates for tasks can now also be updated in bulk, saving users time along with future stress and confusion.

ClioCon 2022: Keep the conversation going 

Share your key takeaways from the 2022 ClioCon in The Law Community (TLC) and on social media—follow us @GoClio on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. 

Couldn’t make it to the 2022 ClioCon? Save the date now—we’ll be back in Nashville on October 9 and 10 for the 2023 Clio Cloud Conference! 

Since 2016, legal professionals have relied on Clio’s annual Legal Trends Report for objective, comprehensive analyses of legal industry trends. As the legal industry’s most in-depth analysis into the state of the legal practice, the 2022 Legal Trends Report brings together critical insights about how law firms have adapted their services to meet the challenging circumstances of the past three years. In addition, this comprehensive report  sheds light on the forces set to  shape these services in the future. Law firms can use the 2022 Legal Trends Report to learn how to thrive in this new legal environment of rapidly shifting consumer expectations.

Introduction to the Legal Trends Report

Now in its seventh year, the 2022 Legal Trends Report includes aggregated and anonymized data from tens of thousands of legal professionals in the United States and survey responses from legal professionals and general consumers on what they deem most important today. This data provides essential insights into how legal professionals use technology, as well as technology’s impact on firm performance.

This analysis builds on our findings from the 2021 Legal Trends Report, which recommends adapting to changing consumer expectations (including the desire for more flexible legal services and remote services) as a critical consideration for law firm success.

The 2022 Legal Trends Report explores how lawyers are adapting to the spread of remote work, how legal professional work is fundamentally changing, and what this means for lawyers’ well-being. With this data, legal professionals can chart a flexible and balanced course.

This blog post will cover key points from the 2022 Legal Trends Report. We’ll also highlight steps firms can take now to prepare for what may be a challenging year ahead.

How business has changed for law firms since 2019

We know the legal industry has grown since the pandemic—but by how much? To better understand trends in market demand for legal services, we used aggregated and anonymized Clio data to look at how casework has increased since early 2021, using 2019 data as a baseline for comparison.

The 2022 Legal Trends Report finds that demand for legal assistance has grown throughout the pandemic. Since March 2021, lawyers have been opening new files at a rate averaging 10% higher than the 2019 baseline. In March 2022, these numbers spiked to 24%. Not only that, but the amount collected by lawyers has increased to a whopping 45% compared to 2019. The legal industry has not only recovered from the pandemic—it’s actually grown.

A “gold rush” for legal services

We are in an unprecedented era of plenty for legal professionals. Despite the significant increase in demand for legal services, however, time will tell whether the current “gold rush” is sustainable. With inflation and predictions of recession on the horizon, lawyers will need to prepare for the possibility of a “bust and boom” cycle.

Who’s winning the new work era?

So, who will succeed in these uncertain times? For many firms, success begins from within. Our results show that many legal professionals are looking for new jobs or have recently left firms. Nineteen percent of lawyers reported leaving a job in the last year and nearly 10% of lawyers plan to leave their job in the next six months. The primary reasons identified for making a switch included better pay, work-life balance, and job dissatisfaction. While the so-called “Great Resignation” has impacted businesses across the board, our research suggests that the legal industry may have experienced its own resignation push earlier than others.

Furthermore, while more lawyers are working remotely (or working between home and the office) and embracing newfound flexibility, this shift comes with challenges. On a deeper level, this shift signals potential friction between lawyers and their firms with respect to the ideal balance between office and in-home work, which could have implications for attracting and retaining legal talent in a hot employment market.

Between increased demand for legal services, looming inflation and recession, and record resignations, we are in an uncertain era. What we do know is that the winners in this arena will be firms who embrace the spirit of “antifragility” by developing new capabilities that make them more capable and resilient to the shocks of today while preparing them for the potential stressors of tomorrow. A key component of antifragility, we discovered, was embracing cloud-based legal practice management software.

Cloud-based lawyers run better law firms

Embracing cloud-based legal practice management (LPM) software has a demonstrable effect on client satisfaction, lawyer satisfaction, and firm performance. While these effects aren’t necessarily surprising, the data reinforces the need for law firms to invest in technology to not only run better firms but to increase satisfaction amongst clients and colleagues.

Some of our key findings include that lawyers using cloud-based LPM software were:

• 60% more likely to have positive relationships with their clients
• 44% more likely to have positive relationships with their colleagues
• 29% more likely to be happy with their professional life
• 11% more likely to have strong revenue streams

More importantly, cloud-based LPM software offers law firms—and their clients—flexibility. We found that cloud-based LPM users are more likely to want to work throughout the day rather than a traditional 9-to-5 schedule. Having the option to stay in touch with colleagues and clients remotely helps lawyers work with their schedules—not against them—and offer a better work-life balance by letting them work when they want to, while staying connected.

Further insights discovered in the 2022 Legal Trends Report

In addition to our key findings in the 2022 Legal Trends Report, we’ve uncovered a number of insights that will help law firms address the challenges of today and thrive in the future.

Planning for the “new normal”

Understanding trends is paramount to running a successful practice. We have gathered comprehensive information for firms to consider when planning for the “new normal”, including the following:

• A state-by-state breakdown of hourly billing rates by practice area.
• A state-by-state breakdown of utilization rates, and further breakdown of realization and collection rates by practice area.
• A description of four innovative approaches to modern office spaces.
• A breakdown of client communication and payment preferences.

Ensuring your rates are competitive

With inflation at a 40-year high  and speculation regarding an impending profession, and as the “boom-bust” cycle of demand for legal services shifts, firms need to prepare for a challenging year ahead. Start your preparation early by assessing your hourly rate against other law firms in the United States with our Legal Rates Calculator to consider whether you’re charging a competitive rate. Make sure you also review our recent guide on Lawyers and Inflation for more information on the impact of inflation and what you can do to prepare.

Lawyers can handle increased demand

Regardless of what the future holds, what’s clear is that lawyers can handle increased demand for legal services—particularly with the assistance of cloud-based legal practice management software. In addition to the many other benefits to work and life that come with using cloud-based LPM software, this technology can help lawyers take on more clients by automating administrative work that would otherwise take them away from the practice of law. What’s more, adopting technology and a future-forward mindset will help law firms become antifragile and thrive in the future—whatever it may hold for them.

Ready to dive in? Download the 2022 Legal Trends Report for free. 

Where does the data come from?

The Legal Trends Report uses a range of methodological approaches and data sources to deliver the best insights about the state of legal practice and strategies for future improvement.

Clio app data

We’ve analyzed aggregated and anonymized data from tens of thousands of legal professionals in the United States. This data provides important insights into how legal professionals use technology and the impact it has on firm performance.

(Note: Clio only records and reports on application usage. We do not record or report on any details relating to cases and do not identify individual law firms.)

Legal professional and consumer surveys

For the 2022 Legal Trends Report, we surveyed 1,134 legal professionals, 458 professionals from other industries, and 1,168 consumers in April and May 2022. The consumers included in this survey represent the US population by age, gender, region, income, and race/ethnicity based on the most recent US census statistics. This data offers insights into how legal professionals can become more aligned with consumer preferences in 2022 and beyond.

Longitudinal Analysis

The 2022 Legal Trends Report includes a multi-year study of over 1,600 law firms grouped into three cohorts:

• Growing: Law firms that grew their revenue by 20% or more over five years.
• Stable: Law firms with revenue that didn’t change by more than 20% over five years.
• Shrinking: Law firms that saw their revenue decline by more than 20% over five years.

This study helped us identify the factors that support sustained revenue growth and define best practices for other law firms.

The 2022 Clio Cloud Conference (ClioCon) marks our tenth annual conference, and the energy at Jack Newton’s opening keynote was palpable. With over 2,000 in-person attendees and over 1,000 tuning in virtually, we shattered ClioCon attendance records —a remarkable achievement for the first-ever hybrid ClioCon.

This year, Clio CEO and Founder Jack Newton delivered an inspiring keynote covering Clio’s vision for the future of legal services. Read on for highlights from this monumental presentation.

Celebrating where it all started

This year, Clio celebrates the 10th anniversary of the best conference in legal. So, naturally, Jack opened his keynote with a nod to 2013, reflecting on the first-ever ClioCon and how far the company has come. A decade ago, Clio was a 70-person team. Now, 900 Clions are supporting legal professionals worldwide and transforming the legal experience for all.

While much has changed over the past decade, Jack explained that ClioCon is still about coming together to imagine and build a better future for the practice of law.

The ClioCon community

The magic of ClioCon is the community built and fostered by attendees  long after the conference ends. Legal professionals have gathered at ClioCon for 10 years, creating special bonds that wouldn’t exist otherwise. As Jack noted, the next two days are a celebration of this community and its ongoing commitment to support one another and push the legal industry forward.

Industry trends over the past two years

While the disruption in operations at the beginning of 2020 shattered many businesses, some standout firms pivoted and thrived. So, what did these resilient firms have in common? They’re antifragile law firms.

The phenomenon of antifragility

Antifragile law firms adapt, get stronger, and thrive after facing business-related adversities. More specifically, the way law firms respond to stressors can be a source of competitive advantage. So, how can law firms successfully respond to adversity?

In his book, Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder, Nassim Nicholas Taleb describes those that thrive under stressors as “antifragile,” or being in the category of things that not only gain from chaos but need it to survive and flourish.

Jack explained how Taleb’s philosophy beautifully articulates the law firms we see succeed in the face of hardship. While it might be antithetical to how the legal industry has traditionally operated, forward-thinking lawyers, many of whom attend ClioCon, want to change how law is practiced.

“In an ever-changing legal environment, it’s critical for firms to become antifragile.” – Jack Newton, Clio Founder

What is an anti-fragile law firm?

The antifragile law firm is one that is protected from prediction errors, market volatility, and adverse events. In short, if your law firm is well-positioned to embrace unexpected change, it will not only survive but thrive in times of uncertainty.

The Building Blocks of an Antifragile Law Firm

As Jack explained, firms exposed to stressors are actually in a unique position to evolve and thrive in a way they otherwise wouldn’t have—These law firms could save time and money if a  framework existed to help smooth the process of change. Lawyers must build their firms in a resilient way to survive changing business and societal climates. These insights led to the development of our guide to support solo attorneys and small law firms: The Building Blocks of an Antifragile Law Firm.

Modern law firms should be antifragile and client-centered

While The Building Blocks of an Antifragile Law Firm builds off of the work of Nassim Nicholas Taleb, there are many important connections to Jack Newton’s book, The Client-Centered Law Firm. Both frameworks provide lawyers with winning strategies for today’s complex business and legal climate, encouraging law firms to put clients at the center of their decision making and remain open to change.

Moreover, these frameworks support law firms dealing with disruptive stressors in today’s world, including:

• Shifting client expectations
• An ongoing global pandemic
• A looming recession
• Substantial regulatory reform

When it comes to being client-centered, no one exhibits this framework better than the Daswani Law Company (DLC), the Reisman Award Winner for Excellence in Client Service. The DLC goes above and beyond what is expected from a traditional law firm. They’re an approachable and personable team that works hard to meet the needs of their clients.

3 pillars of the antifragile law firm framework

As Jack explained, Netflix, Amazon, and Uber, among others, have exponentially raised the bar in terms of what customers can expect from their service providers. Legal clients are no different. Consumers expect a quick delivery of services (including legal services) wherever they are. Law firms who don’t offer frictionless services with intuitive onboarding, billing, and payment steps will fall behind.

Today’s law firms age require an antifragile framework to avoid being leapfrogged by the changing competitive landscape. Jack went on to unpack the idea of what it means to be an antifragile law firm by identifying three key pillars:

Connection

What do transformative connections look like? This will vary depending on your practice area, geographic location, and other factors. What we know to be universal: lawyers need community and connection to succeed. Connections are essential to charting a path forward and building an antifragile law firm. Finding ways to build and reinforce these bonds with colleagues is essential for any law firm to develop to their full potential—but these bonds also exist between lawyers and clients.

For example, lawyers engage with clients throughout their entire legal journey. At every stage, you can encounter stressors and need to be ready to respond to them. Taking a client-centered approach is at the heart of connection. Understand what your clients want by building deep empathy for and knowledge of them—and then, of course, give them what they want.

Winner of the Legal Impact Reisman Award, Chartier & Nyamfukudza, P.L.C, understands the importance of creating meaningful connections with clients. They are firm believers in criminal justice reformation and see it as their responsibility to defend those who are labeled as indefensible. As stated on their website: The most important part of every case is working to help the client get his or her life back free from the government’s accusations and intrusions. Their commitment to developing these connections helped them exonerate three individuals in the last year alone. Clio is honored to have such passionate and accomplished customers. Learn more about the Reisman Awards.

Creativity

In order to run a successful, antifragile law firm, lawyers need to embrace their creativity. This means being willing to look at established systems to find opportunities to improve. It also means looking to the future and asking “what could be” rather than accepting “what is.” Whether your firm has existed for decades or you’re about to open up a solo practice, it’s never too early—or too late—to question the status quo.

Technology

The rise of cloud-based technology is a game changer for law firms. Tech provides a strong foundation for antifragile law firms.

Being a great lawyer and knowing the law isn’t enough: Law firm owners and legal professionals need to run an efficient business while providing a good client experience too. The impact law firms have is profound, but you’ve got a lot on your plate and you’re already doing everything you can to keep up.

It’s not about simply doing more—it’s about finding solutions that allow you to do more with what you already have.

Data from the 2022 Legal Trends Report showed that law firms who use practice management software were 33% more satisfied with the relationship they had with their clients, 24% more satisfied with their relationships with colleagues, and 15% more satisfied with their personal lives.

As legal professionals continue to expand the range of solutions at their firms, they must find ways to adapt their existing systems and processes. This is where it’s important to be proactively selective about which solutions to invest in.

Antifragile law firms should be agile, flexible and innovative

Jack asks: “When you think of the future of law firms, what do you see?”

• Agility: Firms that are set up to succeed amongst changing needs.
• Flexibility: The ability to survive when things don’t go according to plan.
• Innovation: Embracing creativity and trying new things, even if they don’t work out the first time.

Jack explained that the goal of the antifragile law firm framework is to help law firms minimize single points of failure. “The more you can do this, the more you will thrive in uncertainty”. An example of this is Torrey Pines Law Group, Best Growth Story Reisman Award winner. Kevin Buckley, an international patent attorney focusing on biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical device, and artificial intelligence innovations, helped clients see the big picture and eliminate single points of failure in the process. He saw an opportunity to not just help clients bring their therapeutics, diagnostics, and other technologies to market to help solve the pandemic—but also expand their impact into other healthcare areas. This includes cancer, immunological conditions, and preventable diseases. In doing so, he expanded both his clients’ opportunities and grew his firm from a patent shop with four staff members to a 22-member firm with three practice areas.

Jack encouraged attendees to break out of habitual ways of thinking that can otherwise hinder growth, profitability, and the ability to make a difference.

Legal innovation

Innovation makes you unique and marketable in a way that no one else can be.

“Innovation is all about weighing, balancing, and identifying what risks you’re comfortable taking on. Innovation is the lever that will make your business profitable and grow. Innovation becomes your differentiator.” – Jack Newton, Clio Founder

Koenig|Dunne, the Law Firm Innovation Reisman Award Winner, is a shining example of innovation. Forming a committee of team members, they met with legal aid and the Nebraska Volunteer Lawyer Project to study current trends in the legal profession over a period of two years to uncover and identify access to justice gaps. Right before the pandemic hit, they launched Untie Online: the first and only online limited-scope divorce service in Nebraska. By maximizing technology to innovate how legal services are delivered, they developed an online platform to increase access to affordable divorce legal services in all counties in Nebraska, including 12 counties with no lawyers.

402 Legal, winner of the Reisman Diversity & Inclusion award, is another firm leveraging innovation to provide a competitive advantage and better client-centered experience. 402 Legal is an Omaha-based business, family, and immigration law firm offering professional services that are client-centered, result-oriented and cost-effective. The firm’s commitment to maintaining a high standard of ethics and professionalism is the foundation of established relationships with clients and the community. They offer the sophistication and resources commonly associated with larger law firms with the personalized attention and accessibility of a small law firm.

The power of influence

Innovation doesn’t work in a vacuum—you need others to buy into your solution for it to be successful. Jack explained that creativity and innovation involve rocking the boat. The norm is not good enough. So, what else is possible? Can we get the buy-in and can we make our grand ideas a reality?

Influence is about being able to persuade others to buy into your idea or vision—persuading them that things can and should be done differently. It’s essential to bring creative ideas from the conceptual stage all the way through to reality.

Creedon Law PLLC, our Community Champion Reisman Award winner, understands the power of influence. In October 2021, Creedon Law PLLC joined Conscious Capitalism Dallas and launched their One Future initiative, donating 5% of gross revenues to good works, 2.5% of company time to service projects in the community, and another 2.5% of company time to pro bono legal services. Through this initiative, they’ve helped transition homeless families out of poverty and provide children with long-term programs as they grow and their needs change. They’ve also offset their carbon footprint, helped nonprofits expand their reach, and support global communities on the path toward sustainability and economic success. As a result, Creedon Law PLLC is the first B Corp certified law firm in Texas. By leveraging the right mindset, they’re not only driving innovation in their own firm, but also influencing the broader legal industry to become a part of the change they want to see.

The need for flexibility

Jack went on to talk about how the great resignation has hit legal. Nearly one in five lawyers left a job in the past year and another 9% are planning to leave within the next six months.

Interestingly, dissatisfaction with work-life balance held equal weight with salary dissatisfaction. Closely behind was a dislike for one’s company or manager. This is a big shift that illustrates the role law firm culture plays in the hiring and retention of employees. Much of this could be attributed to the stressors triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jack refers to these results as a rallying cry to create work environments that support legal professionals’ well being. How can we do that? One way is to provide legal professionals with the flexibility to work on their own terms. Seventy-six percent of lawyers want to be able to choose the hours they work. The legal industry must accept that attracting and retaining top talent is not solely about providing top pay: It’s also about creating a law firm culture that reflects the needs of clients and colleagues.

Antifragile legal technology

Jack pointed out that Clio customers have the upper hand in the legal industry. While it’s one thing to innovate and become antifragile through one’s own actions, firms also need the right technology to support them on their journey. We’re always thinking about what the future holds and how we can help lawyers build better firms. Clio customers have a tech stack that will support them in becoming future-proof, antifragile law firms.

Being flexible enough to pivot and meet growing changes is imperative to being antifragile. And the Reisman winner (Best New Law Firm), Rudder Law Group, knows this well. Rudder Law Group provides high quality legal services at a fraction of the cost of big law firms. They specialize in assisting clients with the environmental review and permitting processes.

Supporting Clio customers

We know how incredibly hard our customers work, which include working non-traditional hours. That’s why Clio offers 24/5 support, available by phone, email, and through their Clio software.

Our support team assisted customers over 143,000 times this past year. Whether customers wanted to talk about new ideas, ask for advice needed on a new process, or simply explore Clio together, our support team was there for them with an average response time of just one minute and 32 seconds.

Based on customer feedback, we’ve launched a reimagined help center experience. Now, Clio users can navigate more easily within our search and support articles. We’ve also added more intuitive articles to help answer questions quickly along with even more video tutorials.

Success and security

When you place your trust in Clio, you get a dedicated team of 17 in-house security professionals to support you. Our security team has implemented a behavioral detection system that uses heuristics to investigate billions of data points detecting suspicious activity and alerting our team before it’s too late. In other words, our team can tell if someone other than you is trying to log into your account. We will notify you immediately and work with you to rectify the situation.

We’re also proud to report we recently completed an external audit and are now compliant with the System and organizational control standard two (SOC2). SOC2 is developed and overseen by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and is the standard for secure business practices and protection of customer data.

Lastly, we’ve completed an internal HIPAA attestation examination. This means Clio customers have the option to store and process protected health information in a HIPAA-compliant manner using Clio.

Enhancing the client journey

Clients are looking for signals that you are flexible and able to meet them where they’re at. With this in mind, Jack announced a number of new Clio features centered around enhancing the client experience.

Clio Grow websites

Prospective clients want quick, easy ways to learn more about your law firm and decide whether they want to work with you. Clio Grow users can now build a professional, single-page website to put their best foot forward with prospective clients using Clio Grow websites. As Jack noted, your Clio Grow website can function as your “Link in Bio” for seamless social discovery while providing prospective clients with an easy way to find, book, and pay for their consultation.

Available for all subscriptions.

Text messaging

Clio customers now have the ability to text with clients—without sharing their personal phone number. With this feature, customers can set up text reminders for important events, and clients can text photos, files, and GIFs. What’s more, your text messages are saved in Clio Manage so you can keep track of important conversations and updates.

Available: for Clio Manage customers. 

Clio for Clients

Since its launch last year, Clio for Clients has become an incredibly popular app. To make it more valuable, we’ve added push notifications, which provide live updates and also update your clients on their case. We’ve also added billing and payments to Clio for Clients. And very soon, clients will be able to upload documents in bulk.

Productivity

Clio’s product team has introduced a number of features to help lawyers work smarter, not harder.

Archived void and deleted bills

Our product team identified bottlenecks and streamlined processes in Clio Manage to provide continued value to customers. For example, when we look at month-end billing, users can now hide deleted and voided bills under an archive tab. Now, you can bill for time and expenses separately, which was flagged as a wish-list function specifically by our customers who bill on the contingency model. Additionally, more flexible fee reconciliation processes were added.

Available for all subscriptions.

QR codes in Clio Payments

QR codes provide Clio Payments customers even more convenient, inexpensive, and fast ways for their clients to pay—in person and online. To pay, clients can either scan a printed QR code or one embedded on a law firm’s website using their mobile device. Learn more about this feature here.

Available: for Clio Payments customers. 

Ready-to-fill court forms

Last year, we celebrated our acquisition of Lawyaw, a sophisticated document automation platform set to revolutionize the delivery of legal services by digitizing document creation for law firms. We’re thrilled to announce that Lawyaw is now available in all 50 states.

“We’re proud to say that the firms who have been able to use Lawyaw court forms have been able to complete two hours of document drafting in just 20 minutes.” – Jack Newton, Clio Founder

Improving legal calendaring software

During a case, one unexpected change to your “to-dos” can set up a long series of subsequent changes. To enable you to more quickly pivot when the inevitable occurs, we’ve enhanced our tasks and calendar rules features to streamline the process. Clio users can now easily drag and drop court dates across the Clio calendar. Due dates for tasks can now also be updated in bulk, saving users time along with future stress and confusion.

Clio’s connected product suite

Technology plays a significant role in improving the work experience for individuals across your firm. When they can get more done in the time they have, they feel more satisfaction in what they’ve accomplished. And, while Clio acts as a central hub, each firm runs on a variety of technologies according to their unique needs. That’s why we’re continuing to invest in the way different technologies and products integrate with one another.

Among the enhancements made to our integration suite, we’ve enabled our partners to bring the best of their solutions right into Clio. We’re excited to announce three apps who have already taken advantage of this enhancement: Fidu, Legalboards, and Proof.

• Fidu works with Clio Manage to help you automate the delivery of subscription legal services.
• Legalboard and Clio allow firms to follow matters visually, enhancing collaboration and awareness across the organization, without having to open and read each case file.
• The service of process is often highly fragmented and time consuming for legal professionals. However, with Clio and Proof, you can quickly create requests, serve court documents to contacts, and track everything in real time.

We’ve also launched a Clio Certified App program. This designation means that the app has extreme capabilities in terms of user experience, security, uptime, and customer value.

Looking for more information? Check out what’s new and improved in Clio.

The need for change in law firm culture

What you do matters, and it has a profound impact on society—but you can only do so much. Legal professionals are under more pressure than ever before with increased workloads and longer work days. This isn’t sustainable. The rate of inflation has also surpassed law firm rates for the first time, which will put economic stress on the legal industry in coming years.

The future of law is now

Together, we’re shaping the future of law. It’s time for law firms to embrace this concept and become antifragile so they can adapt to our changing environment, thrive as businesses, and best serve their clients.

We’re living in an era where technology is rapidly changing where we live and work, but it’s also creating new risks. From cybersecurity breaches to loss of privacy rights, it’s critical we build our practices to respond to these new challenges without sacrificing our values or our clients’ trust. The right technology provides the right foundation, and acts as an innovative partner for law firms.

Antifragile firms are able to deliver client-centered experiences long-term by creating balance between the needs of their clients, the industry, and themselves. Their innovation and sustainable mindset makes them resilient to market changes while providing them with the influence to set the course for the future.

Download the Antifragile Law Firm Guide now.

Your law firm website is often the first interaction prospective clients will have with your brand. Are you making an excellent first impression? The below website packages for lawyers can help.

While upgrading your law firm’s website might not be your top priority (as a legal professional, you generally have more pressing matters to worry about!), having a great website is an integral part of your firm’s marketing strategy. Not only do law firm websites help generate leads, but they also help establish your brand, provide new and prospective clients with information about your firm, and so much more.

Nowadays, with so many do-it-yourself website packages for lawyers on the market, you don’t have to spend a lot of time or money to create a website that will impress both new and existing clients. And, if you’re a Clio Grow user, we’re very excited to report that you can now create your online presence in minutes with an easy website builder!

In this post, we’ve rounded up the top five website packages for lawyers to help you with your long-overdue law firm website facelift. Read on to learn more about what law firm website builders can do for you.

Why every law firm needs a website

In the digital age, more and more prospective clients are turning to the internet to find what they need—including legal services! For example, according to the 2019 Legal Trends Report, 57% of consumers looked for a lawyer independently. The most common research methods were using an online search engine (17%) and visiting a lawyer’s website (17%).

Keep in mind, however, that the internet also increases competition for legal services. Most law firms have an online presence of some kind, and with the click of a “Search” button, clients can find the name of every lawyer in town. Given how easy the internet makes research, it’s not surprising that according to the 2019 Legal Trends Report, 57% of clients reported that they reach out to more than one firm when looking for a lawyer.

So, what does this mean for your law firm? It’s important for law firms not to just have an online presence but to use their website as an opportunity to set themselves apart from the competition.

How much does a lawyer website cost?

Lawyer website costs will vary depending on whether you’re hiring someone to create your website or doing it yourself. Hiring a website developer could cost upwards of $20,000, depending on the level of customization you’re looking for. However, using a do-it-yourself option can cost you nothing—or as little as approximately $10.00 per month.

The 5 best website packages for lawyers

Ready to give your online presence a revamp? Check out our list of the five best website packages for lawyers below—including Clio’s brand-new website builder!

Clio Grow Website Builder

Clio Grow’s website builder helps law firms create a simple, single-page website integrated with existing Clio features.

Pros

With Clio Grow’s website builder, you can create a professional, mobile-optimized website without learning to design or code. Simply select your theme and build your website using a straightforward form. Your website has built-in connections to the Clio tools you already have access to. With the click of a button, you can add appointment booking, contact forms, payment links, and client portal access to your website. Everything syncs directly back to Clio, so you won’t miss a beat.

Once published, your firm’s website makes it easy for clients to find your services, book and pay for consultations online, and collect prospective client information. Every prospective client that fills out a form or books a meeting from your website is automatically tracked in Clio Grow. The connection between your website and intake solution means that you can manage everything from one place.

If you’re already a Clio Grow user, the Website Builder comes at no additional cost. And, unlike the other website packages for lawyers on our list, Clio Grow’s website builder is tailored specifically for law firms.

Cons

Clio Grow’s website builder may not be the best option for law firms looking for a highly-customized page.

Pricing 

Clio Grow’s website builder is included in Complete plans at no additional cost. If you aren’t using Clio Grow yet, learn more about our software and how you can automate your client intake process. With flexible plans and pricing, it’s easy to find the right option for your needs.

SquareSpace

Pros

SquareSpace is a popular do-it-yourself website builder for small businesses. You start your website by selecting a website template and customizing the design to fit your needs. If your law firm has a blog (or you’d like to start one), you can use SquareSpace’s blogging tools to categorize, share, and schedule publishing. In addition, you have access to built-in SEO tools and analytics so you can track your website’s performance. Finally, SquareSpace offers several app integrations so you can connect with other online tools and social media profiles.

Cons

SquareSpace is not designed for legal professionals. In fact, many SquareSpace users seem to focus on retail or creative endeavors, so it may not be a great fit for your law firm.

Pricing

Starting at $16.00 per month (when billed annually), SquareSpace is an affordable option for an entry-level, do-it-yourself website.

Wix

Pros

Wix is another popular do-it-yourself website builder. Unlike SquareSpace, which uses structured templates, you can drag different “elements” anywhere you want on a page with Wix. So, for example, if you want to move a text box around on the page, you can simply click and drag it to the location where you want it to appear.

Cons

However, many users report frustration with the unstructured nature of Wix’s design elements. While it’s great to have the ability to truly customize your website, this freedom can cause difficulty for users who aren’t comfortable with website design.

Pricing

If you’re on a budget, know that you can start your Wix website for free. Upgraded plans start at $16.00/month (billed annually), making it another great, affordable option.

Zyro

Pros

Zyro offers yet another do-it-yourself website builder option. With Zyro, you can easily create a website using straightforward templates and a drag-and-drop tool. You also get access to SEO tools to track website performance. One really interesting feature is Zyro’s AI Writer, a tool that creates site content for you. So, for example, if you’re writing an “About” page, you can select the relevant topic and the AI Writer will generate a paragraph that you can then edit.

Cons

Users note that you can’t change your website template once you’ve selected one—if you want to change the look of your website, you’ll have to create a whole new website.

Pricing

Zyro starts at $11.99 per month. While it is one of the more affordable website packages for lawyers, it lacks many features that other website builders offer.

Site123

Pros

Site 123 allows you to create your own website in three steps. By providing your business name,  some basic information about your business, and selecting a category, Site 123 generates a quick template for you (including important details, like your phone number and location automatically). You can also add additional features like a blog.

Cons

However, your Site123 site will include ads unless you upgrade to the “Advanced” plan. In addition, the layout options are fairly basic. This may be fine if you want a very simple website. However, for most law firms it may not be enough.

Pricing

Site 123 includes a free option, and the basic plan begins at $10.80 per month.

Creating the best online experience for your clients

Clio Grow’s website builder is a terrific option for law firms who want to create a simple, integrated website. You can create a professional website with built-in connections to Clio, meaning that new and existing clients can book appointments, pay bills, and access all the information they need from one website. And, using Clio Grow, the connection between your website and intake solution seamlessly connects you to all of this information.

Providing a client-centered experience is all about making things easy for your clients. With Clio Grow’s website builder, clients and law firms enjoy a pain-free, seamless connection for everything from intake to billing.

Final thoughts on website packages for lawyers

Law firm websites are integral to attracting clients and providing a client-centered experience. Ensure your law firm website isn’t working against you. Consider your clients’ needs and take the time to upgrade with a law firm website package. The options on our list are extremely affordable and easy-to-use. Plus, if you’re a Clio Grow user on the Complete plan, our website builder designed specifically for legal professionals is included in your subscription! Get ready to give your law firm website a much-needed facelift and enjoy the benefits of a Clio Grow-integrated website today.

Lawyers know better than anyone that education is a life-long pursuit, extending far beyond the four corners of a legal textbook. And, in our ever-changing digital world, data literacy—and, unfortunately, data security—is becoming essential for lawyers.

While all lawyers need to be aware of the risks associated with our new digital environment, these new challenges also come with opportunities for particularly data-proficient lawyers. If you’ve put in the work to develop your data privacy knowledge or practice in the area of privacy law, pursuing data privacy certification is a great way to test your skills and demonstrate your expertise  to colleagues and clients.

The best way to pursue certification is through the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP), the world’s largest, most comprehensive global information privacy organization. Their certifications are considered the “gold standard” for validating privacy expertise for professionals.

In this post, we’ll cover the importance of data privacy. Along with some of the data privacy certifications for lawyers offered by the IAPP, and how you can start your journey to certification today.

For example, a U.S. general practice attorney will benefit from CIPP/US certification as it demonstrates stringent knowledge of workplace privacy, state privacy laws, and limits on private-sector collection and use of data, all of which can regularly come up in cases.

A U.S. corporate attorney whose firm works with European clients, on the other hand, might be looking to demonstrate proficiency in GDPR, and would be better off pursuing a CIPP/E certificate. This certification encompasses pan-European and national data protection laws, key privacy terminology, and practical concepts relating to the protection of personal data and trans-border data flows.

The increasing need for data privacy

As technology advances, data grows—and the risk of data breaches increases.

Many of us have seen first-hand how devastating data breaches can be—for example, the 2021 Facebook data breach, which resulted in over 500 million users’ personal information being leaked. Greater awareness of the risk of data breaches has led to increased calls for better protection worldwide. In 2016, for instance, the European Union passed the General Data Protection Regulation—a privacy law that organizations that collect data related to EU citizens are required to follow.

What does this have to do with data privacy certification for lawyers? Despite an increased awareness of data breaches, law firms are still falling victim to data breaches at an alarming rate. According to the American Bar Association’s 2021 Cybersecurity Report, 25% of reporting firms claimed they had experienced a data breach at some point. Statistics like this beg the question: what more can lawyers do to protect themselves from data breaches?

Why it’s important for lawyers to get certification

Knowledge or awareness is an important first step in strengthening your law firm’s security. How can you hope to protect yourself if you don’t know what you need to be looking out for or what compliance requirements you need to meet?

This is where privacy certifications come in. By seeking data certification, lawyers will learn the ins and outs of data privacy and the steps they need to take to secure their law firm. This process comes with the added benefit of a certification that can help you stand out from the competition.

Benefits of data privacy certification for lawyers

Data privacy certification for lawyers can come with many benefits. Read on to learn about how a data privacy certification can help you.

Become a Privacy Law Specialist™

Impress your clients and colleagues alike by becoming an American Bar Association Privacy Law Specialist™. This prestigious designation, available in certain states, allows the IAPP to certify lawyers who have met “stringent experience and knowledge requirements” as privacy law specialists. Qualifying for this designation endorses you as a trusted professional. Since data privacy is one of the fastest-growing areas in the legal industry, it’s a great opportunity to establish yourself as a lawyer on the cutting edge of legal trends. As a bonus, you’ll be able to advertise your specialization to clients and set yourself apart from the competition.

To learn more about whether you qualify to apply for the ABA Privacy Law Specialist™ designation, visit IAPP’s interactive Privacy Law Specialist™ map.

Boost income

Some clients want to work with law firms that have a proven commitment to data security. Others need law firms with a background in data privacy certification or privacy law to adequately assist them with their legal needs. Data privacy certification not only sets you apart from the competition—it also helps law firms boost their income streams. By acquiring data certification, you’re opening your law firm up to a wider client base—and, in doing so, increasing your revenue.

Stay up-to-date

A foundational understanding of privacy and data protection law is integral for any modern law firm. Expanding your skills and developing a deeper knowledge of these topics helps your law firm diversify and thrive as privacy laws change and demonstrates an ongoing commitment to your clients’ needs in an increasingly digital environment. By putting your clients’ needs at the center of your thinking, you can provide a better client-centered experience.

How to get data privacy certified

IAPP offers many types of privacy certifications in addition to Privacy Law Specialist™ certification, including the following:

• Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP): for privacy laws and regulations
• Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM): for operations managers
• Certified Information Privacy Technologist (CIPT): for IT professionals

Each certification comes with different objectives. Depending on the size of your law firm, though, all of them could be valuable. If you’re a lawyer, obtaining CIPP certification is likely your best option. This program focuses on privacy laws, regulations, and frameworks. It also verifies that you have demonstrated stringent experience and knowledge requirements related to privacy law.

CIPP certification for lawyers

If you decide to pursue CIPP certification, you will select one of four CIPP concentrations. All of which are focused on a specific region:

• Asia (CIPP/A)
• Canada (CIPP/C)
• Europe (CIPP/E)
• U.S. private-sector (CIPP/US)

Applicants prepare for their CIPP exam through independent study. Then, when you’re ready, you can purchase a Certification Exam. Once you have purchased your exam, you must schedule and complete your exam within one year. Assuming you pass your exam, you’ll be required to pay a certification maintenance fee. This will provide coverage for two-years. More importantly, you will be CIPP-certified!

For more information on the specific steps involved in the CIPP certification process, review the IAPP’s Privacy Certification Candidate Handbook 2022.

Next: Becoming an ABA Privacy Law Specialist

If you really want a gold star, you can leverage your CIPP certification and become an ABA Privacy Law Specialist. To obtain this certification, you will first need your CIPP certification as well as either a CIPM or CIPT certification.

In addition to having at least two IAPP certifications under your belt, you’ll need the following to apply:

• A member in good standing with at least one U.S. state bar
• At least 36 hours of continuing legal education in privacy law for the three-year period preceding the application
• A personal statement, along with at least five peer references attesting to your privacy law experience
• Successful completion of the IAPP’s Privacy Law Specialist Ethics Exam administered by the IAPP, or a recent Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam score of 80+
• Demonstrated “ongoing and substantial” experience practicing privacy law (defined as at least 25% of your full-time practice over three years)

While the requirements for obtaining an ABA Privacy Law Specialist designation are extensive, the benefits are numerous. Your efforts will undoubtedly pay off in the long run.

Final notes on data privacy certification for lawyers

By now, the importance of understanding data security issues should be clear for lawyers. If you’re looking to take your education one step further, however, consider data privacy certification for lawyers. Several of the certification options will help you build a solid understanding of data privacy issues. As well as help diversify your practice, highlight your skills in a competitive market, and win over clients.

Data is everywhere. And as it continues to grow in our increasingly digital world, so does the risk that it’ll fall into the wrong hands.

The threats to the security of data appear to be at an all-time high; according to the ABA’s 2021 Legal Technology Survey Report, 25% of law firms reported that their firm had experienced a security breach at some time.

Data privacy is more than just a business issue – lawyers have an ethical obligation to safeguard client information. Which is why continuously staying up-to-date on data privacy is so crucial.

Continuing legal education (CLEs) on data privacy not only helps satisfy professional development obligations, but help you learn about relevant topics and the kinds of steps you can take to safeguard your law firm. After all, security is a continual process, not just a “set it and forget it” type effort.

Why data privacy is important for lawyers

More and more law firms today are turning to technology to work more efficiently and securely. From streamlined case management, online document storage, to running the day-to-day, legal technology benefits all law firms.

But as more work is conducted online, the more data becomes susceptible to cyberattacks. Law firms are often viewed as  targets due to the confidential data kept and used by attorneys and law firms. And the attacks are constantly evolving.

Data breaches expose law firms of all sizes to:

• Unauthorized access to sensitive data
• Loss of data
• Downtime/loss of billable hours
• Repair fees or replacement of hardware

Clients trust you with their most confidential information, and many ethics laws require lawyers to keep pace with technology to protect their client’s information. That makes data privacy a top priority for every law firm.

The good news? There are numerous ways to safeguard your firm and your firm’s data. And one of the best ways to start is to arm yourself with the most relevant, up-to-date information on data privacy laws. That’s why CLEs are so beneficial.

Data privacy CLE resources for lawyers

CLEs consist of professional education for attorneys that takes place after their initial admission to the bar. CLE credits are earned by completing legal training presented by experienced attorneys.

In the U.S., there is no nationwide rule for CLE requirements; each individual jurisdiction exercises discretion on how to regulate attorneys, and attorneys must complete a certain required CLE in order to maintain their license to practice law. For instance, New York recently became the first state to require attorneys to complete one hour of cybersecurity, privacy, and data protection training.

With cyberattacks constantly evolving, it’s important to learn everything you can about data privacy laws so you can mitigate risk and keep your client’s information safe. We’ve put together a list of resources to help get you started.

Note: The amount of CLE online courses you can take for CLE credit will vary by state.  It’s very important to confirm with your state bar association whether a particular course or activity is eligible for CLE credit.

American Bar Association

The American Bar Association (ABA) is the largest voluntary association of lawyers in the world. Founded in 1878, it’s considered to be the national representative of the legal profession and provides practical resources for legal professionals, law school accreditation, model ethics codes and more.

There are more than 1,500 online CLE programs—most of which are on-demand—and 350 live, in-person events. Some of those on-demand CLE resources on data privacy include:

• Data privacy in a Post Pandemic World
• Navigating the Information Universe
• What Business Lawyers Need to Know About Data Security
• Managing Cyber and Privacy Risks

CLE programs typically start at $150, and are discounted when you’re an ABA member.

Lawline

Lawline is another useful resource for data privacy law CLEs. They provide online CLE courses for attorneys looking for engaging, relevant CLE and professional growth content.

There are over 1,700 online CLE courses, many of which are on-demand. You can filter by state for CLE-eligible courses, and prices vary, starting at $99 and going up to $199.

We went ahead and searched for the privacy and cybersecurity CLE-eligible courses, some of which include:

• Cyber Risk Insurance
• Dealing with New Technologies in the Legal World
• Data Security Incident Response

State bar associations

State bar associations also offer CLEs, and we highly recommend looking through their program catalogs to understand what’s available.

Many bar associations have great data security resources that are also CLE-eligible. Below are a few examples:

• Cybersecurity for Lawyers: Is Your Firm Safe?: A webinar on cybersecurity from New York Bar Association
• Conflicts Client Contracts and Cybersecurity On-demand: An on-demand webinar from Texas Bar CLE
• Digital Security and Ethics: An on-demand webinar from Washington State Bar Association.

Legal tech conferences

Attending a legal conference is another way to satisfy your professional development obligations and learn about relevant topics.

The best conferences for lawyers give professionals an opportunity to stay up to date on the latest legal news and regulations, all while getting CLE credits and upgrading your skills.

For instance, every year, Clio Cloud Conference seeks CLE accreditation for many presentations and workshops for lawyers who have licenses to practice law in the US and Canada. It’s the world’s biggest legal conference, bringing together thousands of like-minded professionals, and an exciting option for those looking into legal CLE conferences.

And good news—there’s still time to register and attend virtually!

Other CLE-eligible activities

Depending on your state bar, you may also be eligible for a CLE credit for data privacy activities.

Other data privacy CLE-eligible activities include:

• Data security group study at your law firm
• Taking law school/graduate level courses on data security

Again, there is no guarantee that these items will be CLE-eligible—it always depends on your state bar. Be sure to check with them for more information before you move ahead.

Further data privacy reading for law firms

To comply with the obligations of the ABA, there must be reasonable efforts to protect your law firm’s data. And the easiest thing for you to do is to have some of these readings on data privacy requirements on-hand:

• ABA 2021 Cybersecurity Report
• How to Keep Your Law Firm Secure
• HIPAA compliance for law firms
• PCI Compliance for Law Firms

Another great resource, though not available for CLE credit, is this webinar on Law Firm Security from Tom Brennan, who leads the U.S. arm of CREST International, Steven W. Teppler, of the ABA’s Information Security Committee, and our Lawyer in Residence, Joshua Lennon.

Take advantage of data privacy CLEs today

Data privacy is changing rapidly and new laws are popping up constantly. Understanding your responsibilities and best practices can help mitigate your risk of data breaches. CLEs help lawyers stay up-to-date on relevant topics that are crucial to their profession and critical to their clients and firms. Paired with legal technology that provides industry-leading security, you can take your data privacy even further while also improving your firm’s overall efficiency.

The Clio Cloud Conference (also known as ClioCon) is just around the corner, and we’d be remiss not to mention the impressive lineup of keynote speakers ready to dazzle the Nashville ClioCon stage. With a former Acting Solicitor General of the United States, a master facilitator and podcast host, a respected scientist, and many others (along with Clio’s own CEO and Founder, Jack Newton!) ClioCon attendees can expect a conference experience unlike any other.

With so many reasons to attend the best event in legal,  there’s no surprise this year’s ClioCon will be the largest in-person conference in Clio’s history. Read on to learn more about the extraordinary speakers who will be sharing their wisdom and insights at ClioCon 2022. And, if you haven’t grabbed tickets yet, be sure to register now!

Neal Katyal

Neal Katyal, the former Acting Solicitor General of the United States and recipient of the Edmund Randolph Award, is a renowned human rights attorney. He will deliver a keynote address on how to structure winning legal arguments. As an award-winning and prolific lawyer, as well as a notable speaker, Neal’s insights are both fascinating and engaging.

Find out more about Neal and what to expect at his keynote at the 2022 Clio Cloud Conference.

Priya Parker

Priya Parker is helping us take a deeper look at how anyone can create collective meaning in modern life, one gathering at a time. She is a master facilitator, strategic advisor, acclaimed author of The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why it Matters​, and executive producer and host of the​ ​New York Times​ podcast, ​Together Apart​. Parker ​has spent 15 years helping leaders and communities have complicated conversations about community and identity and vision at moments of transition.

Find out more about Priya and what to expect at her keynote at the 2022 Clio Cloud Conference.

Dr. Robert Cialdini

Dr. Robert Cialdini has spent his entire career conducting scientific research on what leads people say “Yes” to requests. The results of his research, his ensuing articles, and New York Times bestselling books have earned him an acclaimed reputation as a respected scientist and engaging storyteller. His books, including Influence and Pre-Suasion, have sold more than five-million copies in 41 different languages. Dr. Cialdini is known globally as the foundational expert in the science of influence and how to apply it ethically in business.

Find out more about Robert and what to expect at his keynote at the 2022 Clio Cloud Conference.

Jack Newton

Jack Newton, the CEO and Founder of Clio, will give the opening conference keynote at the 2022 Clio Cloud Conference. He will address the state of the legal industry today and paint a picture of what’s ahead.

A pioneer in cloud-based legal technology, Jack Newton has spearheaded efforts to educate the legal community on the security, ethics, and privacy issues surrounding cloud computing. He has become a nationally-recognized author and speaker on these topics and Jack’s tremendous vision has already made a deep impact on one of the world’s oldest professions. He’s been recognized with some of the highest honors in the business world, including Canada’s Most Admired CEO by Waterstone Human Capital, EY’s Entrepreneur Of The Year award, and BIV’s Forty under 40.

In addition, Jack is the author of The Client-Centered Law Firm,  a #1 bestseller that’s helping law firms thrive in today’s experience-driven era. He’s also the host of Matters, a podcast dedicated to conversations with legal professionals, industry leaders, and subject matter experts about the future of law.

In his opening keynote, Jack Newton will address:

• The industry changes we’re seeing across legal, and what your firm needs to know to thrive.
• Clio’s2022 Legal Trends Report, including first looks and insights into what they mean for your practice.
• Key Clio product announcements and where we’re headed next.

Find out more about Jack Newton and what to expect at his keynote at the 2022 Clio Cloud Conference. You can also watch Jack’s keynote from the 2021 Clio Cloud Conference.

Clio Cloud Conference 2022 Session Speakers

Below are more highly-anticipated ClioCon speakers who will share their experiences, insights, and motivation to help other legal professionals succeed. For more information on these sessions, be sure to check out the ClioCon 2022 agenda.

Patricia De Fonte

Patricia is an estate planning attorney and the founder of De Fonte Law PC. She was featured on the 2021 San Francisco Super Lawyers list. She also won the 2021 BBB Torch Award for Ethics in the Bay Area. Patricia will speak about leveraging Clio Grow to create email campaigns that nurture existing relationships, generate referrals, and drive business.

Lindsey Egan

Lindsey E. Egan, Esq. is an attorney and the founder of Egan Law Center in Manchester-by-the-Sea, practicing family law and estate planning. She is the Vice President of Starting Out Solo, LLC, Board of Directors, a director at large of Essex County Bar Association, a council member for the Massachusetts Bar Association Solo/Small Firm Section Council, the co-chair of the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce Businesswomen’s Committee, and a director at large of the Massachusetts Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division. Join Lindsey at ClioCon as she speaks about the important lessons she learned after starting her own law firm.

Michelle Fonseca-Kamana

When life gives you lemons, she’ll get you justice. Michelle Fonseca-Kamana is the Founder and Principal Attorney at West Coast Lemons APC, a law firm specializing in California lemon law. Having started her firm three weeks before the pandemic hit, she successfully utilized social media to not only build a six figure law firm in her first year as a solo, but also build a community with attorneys all over the world. Join Michelle on Tuesday, October. She’ll explain how to use social media to strengthen your firm’s brand, nurture clients, and more. This will be a panel discussion with Adam S. Juratovac hosted by Clio’s Social Media Manager, Fanny Lau.

Matt Homann

When former lawyer Matt Homann founded his meeting facilitation company, Filament, he knew that many organizations needed help holding creative, effective meetings. However, Matt never could have predicted the roadblocks business would face adopting virtual meetings in light of COVID-19. He has tons of useful insights for law firms striving to succeed in a remote collaboration environment. Matt will speak with Jack Newton on Tuesday, October 11 about how lawyers can design a client-centered law firm experience.

Adam S. Juratovac

Adam S. Juratovac, Esq. (@AdamJTheLawyer) is a California Employment Law Attorney. Adam represents employees and small businesses in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is a Trustee of the Santa Clara County Bar Association and Former President of the Barristers Committee of the County Bar. Adam has been creating legal content on Instagram in 2015. He leveraged social media and his 500,000 TikTok followers in 2021 to organize a #StopAsianHate rally in San Jose which saw more than 1,500 attendees. Join Adam on Tuesday, October 11. He’ll be discussing social media marketing with Michelle Fonseca-Kamana, hosted by Clio’s Social Media Manager, Fanny Lau.

Justie Nicol

Justie Nicol is a feisty, red-headed, nerdy, dog and toddler mom. She has varied legal experience and is actually a PERSON (human first, then attorney) who wants to GENUINELY HELP clients. She practices primarily criminal defense work but is also well-known for innovation, systems -design, and use of using legal tech to achieve great results for herthe firm and her clients. You won’t want to miss Justie’s ClioCon session on how to convert more leads into clients.

Olivia Vizachero

Founder of The Less Stressed Lawyer, Olivia is a certified life coach and lawyer. She works one-on-one with attorneys who are “over the overwhelm” to start living lives with less stress and more fulfillment. Join Olivia at her ClioCon session. She’ll provide practical tips for implementing time management tools and strategies that promote healthier workplace boundaries.

Get excited for the 2022 Clio Cloud Conference

We hope learning about our keynote and session speakers gets you excited about attending the 2022 Clio Cloud Conference. And if you want to attend virtually but have never attended an online legal conference before, learn more about what to expect at a virtual legal conference.

Join us at the best conference in legal. You’ll gain insights to power your firm’s success and skills to drive your legal practice forward. You’ll also have plenty of opportunities to refresh and recharge with legendary online social events, including after dark events and unforgettable live performances. And, if you haven’t gotten your passes yet, it’s not too late to join us—we’re looking forward to seeing you (in person or virtually) in Nashville! 

Attorneys handle a wealth of sensitive information daily. Confidentiality is a core tenet of the legal profession. Clients need to know that whatever they say to their lawyer is protected via client-attorney privilege.

Unfortunately, data breaches are becoming increasingly common, threatening both the privacy of clients’ sensitive information and firms’ reputations. Consider data from ABA’s Cyber Security Report, which states that 25% of law firms have previously suffered a data breach.

Cyber security must be an ever-present priority for law firms. This article explains why lawyers have a duty to protect their clients’ information, highlights the main risks to the average law firm, and offers top tips on optimizing your firm’s cyber security approach.

Consider when Grubman Shire Meiselas & Sacks was the victim of a $42 million ransom in 2020.

When such breaches occur, law firms are put in a tricky position: Acquiesce with the ransomer’s demands (and lose a significant amount of money), or risk having their clients’ dirty laundry aired publicly.

Firms might also have additional obligations to protect certain types of information, such as personal health information under HIPAA, or New York’s SHIELD, which stipulates that law firms must implement “reasonable” security safeguards to protect their clients’ information.

Unsurprisingly, data breaches can have a devastating effect on both law firms as well as their clients. The firm might face fines, legal action, and their reputation will obviously take a massive hit. The takeaway is clear: No firm—regardless of its practice area, size, or location—can afford a data breach.

What duties do lawyers have to protect their information?

At the ABA Annual Meeting in August 2014, the ABA adopted a resolution on cybersecurity that “encourages all private and public sector organizations to develop, implement, and maintain an appropriate cybersecurity program that complies with applicable ethical and legal obligations and is tailored to the nature and scope of the organization and the data and systems to be protected.” This resolution covers all law firms.

That said, beyond resolutions alone, firms understand it’s their ethical and professional duty to protect their clients’ data—and if a breach occurs, to report it as soon as possible to the relevant bodies. Consider Rule 1.6: Confidentiality of Information of the American Bar Association (ABA), which states that lawyers should “make reasonable efforts to prevent the inadvertent or unauthorized disclosure of, or unauthorized access to, information relating to the representation of a client”.

However, the precise nature of your firm’s responsibilities might vary depending on the nature of the information—for example, if it falls under HIPAA. Your firm must also consider state-specific requirements, such as those outlined in BakerHostetler’s Data Breach Charts guide.

What cyber security risks does my law firm face?

There are various ways in which sensitive information could fall into the wrong hands. Human error is often the main culprit—for example, when attorneys accidentally lose their computer, smartphone, or briefcase (or if these are stolen from them). Meanwhile, firms may also suffer from an online hack, their website might be exploited, or they might be on the receiving end of a physical break-in.

It’s worth considering that the larger the firm, the larger the risk (generally speaking). ABA statistics shows that in 2021, 17% of firms with 9 or fewer employees suffered a data breach, 35% of firms with under 10 – 49 employees, and 46% of firms with between 50 – 99 employees. This is hardly surprising—the bigger the firm, the more sensitive data it likely holds.

Top tips for cyber security for law firms

Right, enough of the theory—let’s explain how firms can optimize their cyber security approach and safeguard their clients’ sensitive data going forward.

Conduct a risk assessment

Conduct regular risk assessments to identity if your firm has any key vulnerabilities/weaknesses that could risk your clients’ data privacy. No firm wants to discover it’s at risk of a breach—but it’s far better to know your blindspots before one occurs so you can take the necessary steps to prevent it.

Consider hiring a third party to conduct an independent audit, helping you identify cyber security gaps, create an Incident Response Plan, implement security measures, and train your staff on the latest best practices.

It’s also worth obtaining security certifications to understand your firm’s risk and prove your security credentials. For example, ISO 27001 certification teaches firms everything they need to know, while also demonstrating their data security prowess to potential clients.

Get law firm cyber security insurance

Cyber security insurance provides an additional level of security for firms that suffer from a data breach. While insurance does little to protect the data that was stolen, some policies do recompense certain financial impacts of a breach, such as any fees associated with restoring the data, loss of income due to downtime, crisis management, or forensic investigations.

Alternatively, you could opt for third-party cyber liability insurance, which protects firms from liability claims in the event of a data breach.

Develop a robust law firm cyber security policy and incident response plan

Unfortunately, too many firms lack robust cyber security policies and incident response plans. ABA reports that 53% of firms have policies to manage the retention of information/data held by the firm, while 36% have an incident response plan. 17% of firms lack any policy whatsoever, with 8% stating they didn’t even know about cyber security policies.

Firms can’t simply adopt a copy-and-paste approach to implementing a cyber security policy. Each policy must be designed around the firm’s unique, specific needs—therefore, no two policies will be alike. It’s important for firms to thoroughly audit their potential risk areas. Additionally, create a customized policy taking these weaknesses into account, and ensure everyone on their staff is aware of their cyber security duties.

There’s little point in implementing a robust cyber security policy if nobody is aware of it, understands it, or knows their own role within the framework.

Use cyber security tools

Firms must use comprehensive, up-to-date tools to safeguard their data security. These tools range in complexity from the spam filter, to software-based firewalls, to hardware-based firewalls. But adopting the right tools is just the first step—firms must also implement robust encryption and protection, such as by using multi-factor authentication and encrypting data in storage.

Work with practice management providers who prioritize security

Cyber security must be a key consideration when firms choose a practice management provider. Indeed, the best providers understand its importance and bake cyber security best practices into everything they do.

Take Clio, for example. Our internal security team is available 24/7/365 to respond to security incidents. The platform leverages in-transit and at-rest encryption. Moreover, Clio uses industry best practices (such as HTTPS and TLS), and the web interface is verified by DigiCert, a trusted certificate authority. Clio complies with GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI legislation. On top of this, Clio’s data hosting facilities are audited annually for security certifications (such as SOC 2 and ISO27001).

Conclusions on cyber security for law firms

While you can’t guarantee a breach won’t occur, you can optimize your firm’s cyber security approach. Remember to prioritize cyber security before it’s too late. Focus on working with vendors who are also committed to keeping your data safe and secure (such as Clio). Take your cyber security approach to the next level with this 2022 law firm data security guide.

Using CallRail and Clio to Increase Marketing ROI & Client Engagement

While many lawyers may not have a business degree or seasoned entrepreneurial experience, they do have an unwavering passion to serve their clients with best-in-class legal representation. Though, with the current consumer demands in this modern era of business, alone, that might not be enough to keep the lights on.

Thankfully, with the 2022 Clio Cloud Conference coming up, there are ample opportunities for legal professionals to learn the business ropes, in between touring Music City of course.

And as a fully integrated partner with Clio, CallRail will be at the best conference in legal, to support Clio users in successfully acquiring leads, no matter the size of their marketing budgets.

After all, lawyers in private practice have to do some form of marketing and business development in order to find clients. Starting with your intake process, all the way to billing and receiving payment, it’s essential to provide a client-centered experience. This ensures the representation goes smoothly and your reputation in the community as a lawyer is strengthened.

How the CallRail integration helps lawyers everyday

Clio has long provided legal professionals with comprehensive tools to manage existing clients and cases. By connecting the marketing source from CallRail with case revenue data in Clio Manage, law firms can truly understand which marketing efforts are driving revenue. Allowing lawyers to optimize marketing spend and drive more leads that convert to high-value clients.

Below are three ways you can not only track your leads, but improve marketing processes at your law firm.

Increased marketing visibility

Very few businesses are more reliant on phone calls for new clients than lawyers and law firms. Yet, while tools that track your digital marketing efforts are plentiful, it seems near impossible to track real-world marketing that drives phone calls rather than link clicks.

CallRail’s industry-leading call tracking and attribution software allows legal professionals to understand exactly where their leads are coming from. This includes visibility into the source, medium, campaign, and Google click identifier that led a prospective client to contact the firm.

Without this visibility, it’s difficult to know which marketing activities produce results and which don’t. With call tracking and Clio Manage data, you can assess which marketing efforts drove clients with the highest billables. Once that information is known, firms can reduce spending on certain marketing activities and increase it on those that produce the highest-value clients. Thus allowing lawyers to get in touch with those who need their expertise the most. Furthermore, this optimization of marketing spend allows for the best possible return on the lawyer’s investment.

Access to a more accurate client journey

The benefits of marketing analytics don’t just stop when a client signs with your firm. Once someone becomes a client, the tasks and communication needed to zealously represent them can be overwhelming.

Integrating with CallRail gives Clio users a connection to the beginning of their client’s journey and the ability to understand where they came from. Inbound call data flows automatically from CallRail into Clio Manage. Law firms no longer need to manually enter inbound call details into their practice management software. The software matches the call to the client’s profile in Clio Manage and shows phone duration to determine if it’s a billable call or not. That automation means fewer missteps between billable activities and the actual bill. Plus, it allows legal and non-legal personnel to quickly and easily access all relevant records during the course of representation.

Use fewer resources to get more leads

Given capacity and billable hour constraints, it’s essential for a lawyer to utilize tools that can minimize the time and expenses required to find clients and maximize the impact of those you do find. It’s also vital that those clients a lawyer does represent are satisfied with the representation and become beacons of the lawyer’s brand in the community. Creating happy clients will help support future referrals for years to come. Thereby receiving more impact for your original marketing investments.

Final thoughts on leveraging call tracking and attribution software

The integration of CallRail’s lead intelligence platform with Clio’s practice management software provides an unparalleled business impact for legal professionals. Stop by CallRail’s booth at ClioCon 2022, October 10th and 11th, to discuss growth opportunities for your firm.

If you won’t be at the most talked about legal tech conference of the year, no problem—Clio Manage users can try the CallRail integration for free.

If you’re setting out on the path to be a lawyer, what are the educational requirements you will have to meet? Determining the education required to be a lawyer can be a confusing process, especially considering variations among different states. In this article, we provide a general overview of the education required to become a lawyer in the United States.

It’s important to note that requirements vary widely between states. Accordingly, the best way to ensure you are meeting your legal education requirements is to consult with your state’s bar association. Nonetheless, this overview can give you a sense of what your legal journey will look like.

The apprenticeships typically require a minimum number of weekly hours worked in a legal practice for a specified period of time, some of which must be under the direct supervision of an attorney. This also requires a certain number of study hours. In California, legal apprentices must pass the First Year Law Students’ Examination, or “Baby Bar,” before continuing their studies and eventually taking the bar exam.

How to become a lawyer

Assuming you take the traditional route of becoming a lawyer, including going to law school, below are the steps involved in that process.

Obtain your bachelor’s degree

Law schools generally require a bachelor’s degree before admission. However, most law schools will allow you to apply without having received your degree yet. Some law schools may not even require an undergraduate degree, although you should check with the school of your choice.

What type of education is required to be a lawyer? At the undergraduate level, the answer is fairly simple—none in particular.

For the vast majority of attorneys, there are no particular undergraduate study requirements. Nonetheless, the American Association of Law Schools (AALS) recommends that prospective law students focus on experience and coursework that helps them develop essential skills for law school—critical reading and writing, oral communication, problem-solving, research, and organization. The AALS specifically points to some majors which might fit that bill, such as political science, criminal justice, history, and philosophy.

One important exception here is for patent attorneys, who must be admitted to practice before the United States Practice and Trademark Office (USPTO). In order to take the USPTO’s registration exam, known as the Patent Bar exam, you will generally need at least a bachelor’s degree in a specified field of engineering or science. You may qualify without such a degree based on the completion of engineering or science-related coursework.

Regardless of your exact path, the keys to undergraduate success are to earn a high GPA and consider extracurricular activities and volunteer work, in order to broaden your horizons and develop a strong law school application.

Take the LSAT

Another essential element of a legal education is taking the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT). The purpose of the LSAT is to test for skills necessary for law school success, including reading comprehension, reasoning ability, and writing skills.

The primary part of the LSAT is a four-section multiple-choice test with questions intended to measure reading comprehension, analytical reasoning, and logical reasoning. Each section takes 35 minutes, with all four sections taking three hours to complete for the standard test-taker.

The second part of the LSAT is a written essay, known as LSAT Writing, which is administered online using the test taker’s computer. One can complete LSAT Writing up to eight days prior to the multiple choice test. The essay—which is not scored—measures your ability to make a written argument.

For law schools considering applicants, undergraduate grades and the LSAT score are the primary factors. Accordingly, the higher your LSAT score, the better your chances of acceptance into a prestigious law school. Writing the LSAT multiple times is possible if you aren’t happy with your score.

The LSAT is administered on a monthly basis at different locations throughout the world. Registration is required to take the test, and it is advisable to register as early as possible once you know you will be sitting for the exam.

Finish law school

If you are able to maximize both your undergraduate GPA and your LSAT score, you should be able to get into law school. It typically takes three years of law school to obtain your law degree, known as a Juris Doctorate (JD).

The law school curriculum generally covers some core areas of law for the first year and a half, such as criminal law, civil procedure, property law, and contracts. During this time, law students can also expect to learn the basics of legal writing and research. After the midpoint of the three-year law school journey, law students can then choose to take more specialized courses, such as bankruptcy, tax law, or environmental law.

Many law students will seek to earn placement on their school’s law review or other legal journals, to develop and demonstrate their writing and research skills. Students can also apply for externships and legal clinics that will allow them to observe real-world legal activities. Getting high grades in law school, as well as obtaining reputable positions such as law review membership, will generally be an advantage in gaining legal employment after graduation.

It’s also important to seek a well-rounded education that exposes the student to the realities of practicing law. Many facets of the profession, such as working at law firms, will be vastly different from your law school experience. Accordingly, take advantage of any experiential opportunities that interest you while you are still in school.

Sit for the bar exam

You must take and pass the bar examination before you’re licensed to practice law in a state. Bar exams tend to be comprehensive, difficult, and a test of endurance. Depending on the state, the exam will take two or three days. Moreover, bar exams are generally only available twice a year. This raises the stakes for each exam. Accordingly, you will need to study hard and should take a bar preparation course.

Even after passing the bar exam, there will likely be other requirements that will vary from state to state. For example, you may need to pass a professional responsibility exam. Many states also have character and fitness requirements. For example, they might require prospective attorneys to allow background checks or explain any criminal histories.

A final word on the education required to be a lawyer

The education required to be a lawyer is difficult and arduous, but it can also be quite rewarding. There are many reasons that lawyers enjoy their work and even come to love the practice of law. It is important to plan and prepare for each step of the way. It’s also good to have contingencies in place for any unexpected delays, such as not passing the bar exam.

The lengthy legal education process can also tend to be discouraging at times. Whether it’s an unexpectedly low LSAT score, or failing the bar exam, these are temporary setbacks.

Keep your chin up and keep moving forward, even through adversity. This attitude will pay off many times over in your legal career. After all, the legal profession can be stressful, but the stress is manageable with the right strategies and attitude. Why not start developing those beneficial strategies and attitudes during the course of your legal education?