Andrew McDermott

How The Hapke Law Office Builds a Profitable Firm With Bill4Time

February 4, 2019 By Andrew McDermott Leave a Comment

The Hapke Law Office is focused on one thing — Environmental law.

Peter Hapke is the firm’s owner and sole employee. He runs his successful virtual law firm out of his home.

He has low overhead, which means that as an experienced lawyer, he can offer very competitive billing rates to his clients while realizing a good profit. He can provide first rate service to his clients while also enjoying a level of freedom and flexibility most attorneys dream about.

It’s quite a contrast. The vast majority of attorneys at larger firms have a very different story to tell.

What makes the difference? How is Hapke able to achieve such stellar results on his own?

The Challenge

“I came out to Seattle to take a position with the Seattle city attorney’s office where I continued doing environmental law in the environmental law section, and then had a stint at The Boeing Company in their law department doing environmental law. But I wanted to get back to downtown Seattle and into private practice, so I opened a solo private practice in 2005.“

When Hapke opened his own practice, he wanted to ensure that his firm met his expectations, so he set a few specific goals.

Maximal ease-of-use from his practice management software
An automated, contemporaneous timekeeping tool
Tools that eliminate his need for administrative employees, an outside office and the significant overhead that comes with it
An approach to running his practice that allowed maximum time focusing on client issues and minimum time on internal administrative matters

This seems like a tall order doesn’t it? Is it though?

Hapke previously relied on a different timekeeping software to manage his firm’s financials, but it wasn’t a good fit. He found the old software to be difficult to use and far from intuitive, restricting when and how he was able to work with his data.

The Solution

“In my solo practice, I was using a well-known software and I use a desktop PC. I found this software very difficult to use efficiently.

In 2012, I joined Advocates Law Group as a partner, and the firm had a really good bookkeeper who used Bill4Time for all the firm lawyers.

So that’s when I first learned about Bill4Time. When I went out on my own again in 2016, I kept Bill4Time. It’s just been great, because it’s so easy to use; it’s a well-designed platform.“

Hapke wanted to keep his attention focused on the advocacy. He needed to serve his clients, focusing on their interests. He didn’t have the time for unnecessary administrative work, and he certainly wasn’t interested in micromanaging his own firm. He was looking for a way to solve his challenges. A way to create systems and procedures that would semi-automate his firm.

Could it be done? He turned to Bill4Time for help with his list of complex problems.

Here’s what Hapke found:

“I don’t micromanage the practice that much, because I am solo. I don’t have employees, I don’t actually send out the invoices, my bookkeeper does that. Bill4Time is just so convenient for getting information quickly to our accountant at tax time, using the data and generating reports. So I’ve been really happy with it.“

Hapke was able to solve each of the challenges he faced when he decided to go solo. But why were these details so significant? Was it simply because he wanted lower overhead costs and greater flexibility to meet all of the other responsibilities in his life – helping care for three children, maintaining a deep interest in public policy issues, caring for his aging parents, and pursuing a variety of outdoor activities?

Well, sure. But there’s a bigger reason at play here. Clients today are overwhelmingly focused on value creation. They will not tolerate unsupported hours billed, and billing rates are constantly under scrutiny.

“I’ve been fortunate to be referred good clients, who had been paying for a team of lawyers at big firms, without needing all of those resources for the project. As an experienced environmental solo with low overhead, I can provide comparable results, without the high fees.

These clients are much happier now, because they are still getting the guidance of a lawyer with more than 30 years of experience, but they are only getting one bill, and it’s not nearly as high, because it’s not a large firm that has multiple attorneys working on a single matter and so much unproductive overhead.”

Hapke says that clients value and are eager for an individual, one-on-one relationships. With software, tools and resources that manage his firm and keep costs (and hence billing rates) down, Hapke is able to offer excellent value, which attracts clients. The kind of value they won’t receive from bigger law firms.

“Clients nowadays are more sensitive to billing and to cost. I have a spectrum of clients, but you know they all want to see efficient, value-added legal services.”

Hapke is able to meet his clients’ cost and value guidelines efficiently.

The Results

“I am able to really keep costs to a minimum. I don’t have the overhead of the downtown office or a lot of mouths to feed. Still, I have a new billing rate that I’ve had for about two or three years.

But clients in the environmental arena with a lot of projects are more year to year, they don’t end quickly.

For the clients that are five, six years old, I haven’t raised my rate and I think they appreciate that. My new rate is $50 higher, but I’ve decided not to say to these clients my billing rate is going up, because this is my current rate. I’m sure they’d be fine with it if I did. But I just felt like it wasn’t necessary given my low overhead.“

Hapke’s low maintenance business model, the right software and helpful support means Hapke can deliver an incredible amount of value at a lower price point than any of his competitors.

The best part?

The vast majority of his revenue is primarily his low overhead which provides a sustainable profit.

This gives him the ability to provide clients with a few must-have but difficult-to-find amenities.

Individualized, one-on-one attention for each of his clients
24/7 access to him via phone, email or text messages
No bureaucracy or red tape on his part
An emphasis on personal relationships

“So many clients here, don’t like to drive into downtown Seattle for a client meeting. I work out of my home, so I don’t have the overhead of an office and I’m in a neighborhood just southeast of downtown Seattle. I meet clients at a local cafe, and they love it.“

Hapke’s business model, the software, systems and procedures running his business give him a lifestyle most attorneys can only dream about.

What has the impact been on Hapke personally?

“Bill4Time just gives you a comfort level, because it’s so easy to use and so efficient. You don’t have to think about it. You don’t have to worry that your time entry isn’t saved. You know you can always go back and edit it, or easily create a new time entry for a prior day if you did not have time to create the entry the day you did the legal work.

We couldn’t live without computers. They’re our lifeline, but they can be frustrating and difficult to use.

Bill4Time eliminates any anxiety you may have with your PC. It’s really nice, especially for small and solo practitioners who don’t have an IT department or ready access to IT people.

It’s nice not having to worry about any of that for your software, now it’s really user-friendly and well designed.“

Systems and software transformed Peter Hapke’s solo virtual law firm.

First, he decided how he wanted to run his firm. Then he found the tools and resources that enabled him to make his vision a reality.

The results?

An exceptional firm where freedom is a given, flexibility and sustainable profits are assured.

Release Notes January 2019

January 31, 2019 By Andrew McDermott Leave a Comment

The Bill4Time product team releases new and enhanced features, system improvements, and bug fixes several times per week. Organized by month, the Release Notes blog series will highlight all the changes we’ve implemented, so you can easily stay up-to-date on what’s new.

If you have a question, feedback, or an idea – please leave a comment below!

Introducing our new … Firm Metrics Dashboard!

“What gets measured, gets managed.”

Now you can visualize data entered into the system in real-time. Beyond a surface-level analysis, we’ve implemented time-saving automations that calculate industry-standard performance metrics like the utilization of time measured against productivity targets established by individual attorneys.

By incorporating this at-a-glance analytical element to our Dashboard, we have empowered you to become master data-scientists of your own practice to not only observe trends, but react quickly when prompted by trends in your data. The Firm Metrics Dashboard allows you to Add, Delete, and Rearrange the various cards in order to customize your dashboard to suit your needs and the needs of your business.

We would love to hear your feedback on this feature. Please click here to provide us with your thoughts.

Click here to view December’s Release Notes

Question or comment about a change we’ve made?

Please contact Bill4Time Support by Email or phone: 877-245-5484

The Ultimate Guide To Attending a Legal Industry Conference

January 30, 2019 By Andrew McDermott 1 Comment

It’s the biggest legal industry conference of the year.

According to their website, the ABA Techshow is the place where lawyers, legal professionals and technology all come together. It’s an incredible opportunity for solo, small and medium firms.

Here’s why.

It’s a chance for firms to identify the people, tools and resources that will help their firm pull ahead.

Here’s the problem.

Most firms aren’t using this.

They don’t supply their team with a specific plan or framework. As a result, they fail to extract the value they urgently need.

Why?

There’s a common retort among legal industry conference attendees

“I hate conferences.”

Regular conference attendees cite a variety of reasons outlining why they hate attending conferences.

Irrelevant content. Taglines, slogans and value propositions that do nothing to show how they can help you improve your practice. The trendy or theoretical technology (VR goggles) that may be helpful in a few years time but isn’t helpful right now.
The booths are terrible. You know what I’m talking about. The campy booths with magicians, jugglers or candy peddlers. They’re doing everything they can to disguise the fact that their competitive advantage is non-existent and their ability to provide value is low.
There’s too much selling. There’s nothing worse than attending a conference where you’re accosted by each and every presenter there. The booth that hits you with the hard sales pitch and refuses to let go. Maybe their product is good, but probably they’re just pushy and aggressive.
It’s really boring. The adjectives vary. It could be drawn out, exhausting, tedious or overwhelming. The point is there’s an unpleasant experience at play here. It’s something attendees prefer to avoid.
A lack of Attendees often cite the lack of value as a serious problem. That’s an issue because attendees (or their firms) typically pay a tremendous amount of money for their tickets. They often arrive with specific goals or an agenda of things to accomplish.

These reasons are pretty unpleasant.

There’s another way to look at these downsides though. How? You treat these downsides as a blessing in disguise.

Whaaat?

It’s true. Here’s why these downsides are actually benefits in waiting. Use these negative experiences you’ve heard about (or experienced yourself) to maximize the amount of value your firm receives from this year’s conference.

1. Ignore worthless or irrelevant content

Here’s the wonderful thing about this year’s Techshow. The two-day event comes with a schedule.

This is fantastic because it enables you to specify and prioritize the goals you have in mind for your firm.

Are you looking for:

Information and education (i.e. CLE related content)?
A chance to connect with key influencers and potential partners?
A software or technology solution to a specific set of problems?
A list of ideas you can use to brainstorm with your team?
Important information, training or data you can bring back to your team?

It’s important to iron out these details ahead of time. Doing so means you’re far more likely to identify content that’s relevant to your needs and valuable to your firm.

Create a plan.

Make sure your plan has the right amount of flexibility and structure. Then, stick to your plan.

2. Outline preferred booths, venues and events

The Techshow has an alternate website for sponsors. This is significant because it gives you the chance to look at the previous year’s exhibitors and sponsors. They also provide additional details on the layout, format and expectations.

Here’s why this matters.

You can create a sales framework that outlines specific details for you ahead of time.

The problems you’re looking to solve (e.g. improving productivity, utilization, realization etc.)
The types of software or technology you’re looking to acquire
Your preferred terms and conditions (e.g. buy now, request a discount or special terms, a specific budget)
Your non-negotiable anchor points (e.g. cannot buy now, monthly fee only, upfront pricing, etc.)
How you’ll say no (e.g. no thanks, not this time, I’m happy with what I have, not interested)
What you will/won’t share (e.g. email address, phone number, business cards)

These details are important.

They give you the confidence you need to browse through exhibitor booths confidently. When you have a plan and you know what you’re looking for there’s no need to worry about pushy or aggressive exhibitors.

3. Focus on value + entertainment

You want to maximize the amount of value you receive as an attendee. It’s easy to do that if you have the checklist. Here’s a list of checklists you can use to maximize your tech show experience.

The learner’s checklist

it’s important to prioritize your learning. If you have a specific educational goal (i.e. CLE) you can use this checklist to prepare.

Before:

Create a list of the problems or questions you’d like to solve.
Use your list of questions to identify the sessions, events or panels you’d like to attend. Identify the speakers or attendees you’d like to talk with.
Add the session, events or panels to your calendar.

During:

Jot down one to three takeaways from each of the sessions you’ve attended. Make sure it’s helpful and/or actionable so others gain value from your notes.
Be an active participant in each session or panel. Ask questions, share thoughtful feedback so the learning sinks in.
If you’re attending with co-workers or friends ask them to take helpful notes as well. Share your list of questions ahead of time to maximize the value gained from each session.

After:

Go over the notes from that session. Segment the wisdom from experience, theory from action. You’ll want to head back to work with a long list of solutions and answers to your problems.
Cement your learning by teaching. Teach what you’ve learned to the company, co-workers, friends and the outside world via the content you create (e.g. blog post, video, podcast, etc.)

The networker’s checklist

Industry conferences are wonderful opportunities for you to connect with key influencers, potential allies and key supporters. Here’s a checklist you can use to find and connect with important people and organizations.

Before:

Create a list of the people (e.g. strategic alliances, partners, influencers, etc.) you’d like to connect with ahead of time.
Strike up a conversation and connect with these people ahead of time before the conference starts. If appropriate, set a time and place to meet ahead of time. Use tools like Calendly, Google calendar or Stanza to send an invite.
Bring business cards, a binder and thank you cards so you’re able to thank the people on your list properly.

During:

Break the ice with strangers during deadtime, downtime or happy hour. Use these three strategies to start a conversation confidently with anyone, anytime and anywhere.
Now’s the time to use your business cards! Exchange cards with people you’ve had a conversation with. Write a personal note on the back of their card to help you remember. Then, add their card to your binder.

After:

Follow up with each and every person afterward. Use online (e.g. Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook) and offline (e.g. thank you cards, phone call) methods to thank them personally. Reference the personal note you made about them on the back of your card.
If applicable, create and share the list of the people you met at the conference with others at your firm.
Look for ways to serve (e.g. interviews, quotes for a guest post, referrals) the people you’ve met to nurture the relationship.

The competitor checklist

Have you ever wondered what your competitors are doing? How they run their firm, the strategies they’re using? The ABA Techshow is filled with attorneys. Join the right conversations, ask the right questions and you may end up with a significant amount of competitive intelligence.

Here’s a checklist you can use to spy on your competitors.

Before:

If applicable, make a list of the competitors who will be attending the Techshow.
Take notes (you + co-workers) on the comings and goings, conversations and details you see.

During:

Be a fly on the wall. Listen more than you speak a good ratio would be 80/20 or 90/10.
Capture everything. Write down everything you hear and observe, anything that pertains to your competitors, during the course of the conference.

After:

Segment fact from fiction, wisdom from experience and theory from action. Take it all back so it can be validated and studied by your team.
Don’t allow your biases to dictate what you save. If it applies to your competitors go ahead and jot it down.

With these checklists, you’ll have a solid plan you can use to maximize the value you gain from this year’s conference.

Wait a minute.

What can you do at this year’s legal industry conference?

Quite a lot actually.

You can…

The vast majority of attendees come to learn. They’re interested in learning about how to use software and technology to attract more clients and improve the performance of their practice.
There’s a significant amount of panels, speakers, influencers and thought leaders. It’s a great place to meet an incredible array of lawyers, technologists, writers, CEOs and thought leaders.
There are hundreds of vendors in the Expo Hall. It’s a chance for attendees to talk shop with the providers who keep thousands of firms like yours afloat.
There are dinners, a variety of happy hours, and lavish after parties. There are also tangential events in and around the conference.

Can you see it?

The values there if you know what you’re looking for. It’s an incredible opportunity for attendees. If you’re looking for a way to take your firm to the next level legal industry conferences are a fantastic way to do it.

It’s the biggest legal industry conference event of the year

The ABA Techshow is the place where lawyers, legal professionals and technology all come together. It’s an incredible opportunity for solo, small and medium firms.

Why?

It’s an opportunity for your firm to pull ahead. Most firms aren’t doing this. It’s the reason why they struggle to see the value.

Want to maximize the amount of value receive as an attendee? Start with a plan. Create the right structure. Add in a few important checklists and you’ll have everything you need to gain the competitive advantage you’re looking for, no hate required.

If you already have plans to attend the ABA Techshow at the end of February, come find the Bill4Time team at Booth 930!

2 Reasons Your Firm Should Attend the ABATechshow

January 28, 2019 By Andrew McDermott 1 Comment

The 2019 ABA Techshow is coming.

If you’re like most legal professionals, you have a lot of work to do. Deadlines to meet, clients to serve. You can’t be bothered to attend a conference like this.

But you should attend.

The Techshow is the event for solo and small firm practitioners to attend. Here’s why.

Reason #1 to Attend the ABATechshow: Small firms struggle to work on the right things

It’s a trap that’s easy to fall into.

You work hard to attract and win new clients. Then, once you’ve won them over, you do your very best to take good care of them. Naturally, you do an exceptional job. You’re a professional after all, it’s what professionals do.

Most solo and small firm owners fall into the trap of working in their business rather than on their business. As it turns out, you need both. When I say working in/on your business what does that mean, specifically?

Working in your business refers to client work. Writing, drafting pleadings, appearing in court, negotiating on behalf of your clients, etc. The work your clients pay you for.
Working on your business is the subtle business development work that builds your business. It’s creating a marketing funnel, negotiating joint venture partnerships, appearing on podcasts or writing books.

Most solo and small firms are lopsided.

The vast majority of firms rely on referrals which they’re not sure how to systematize. They’re not sure how to remove themselves from their business adequately so they create traps for themselves.

They struggle to get clients, going through feast and famine cycles or
They struggle with burnout as they attract more clients and more work

This is why you need the ABA Techshow. When it comes to working in your business, you’re probably already an expert. Attending the Techshow is a chance for you to supercharge your work on your business. It’s an opportunity for you to build relationships with key influencers, identify new potential partners and more.

Reason #2 to Attend the ABATechshow: Find software power-ups for your law firm

Attorneys, paralegals and support teams are under a significant amount of pressure. They’re hard pressed to squeeze out more billable time. They’re expected to accomplish more work in less time.

It’s a struggle.

Most attorneys are lucky if they’re able to get three hours of billable work done each day. The majority of attorneys lose six to eight hours of their day to non-billable work.

Is there a solution?

Any solution to the long list of problems you’re already struggling with?

Absolutely.

There’s a very good chance that there’s at least one person with a solution for each of your problems. Here’s why that’s so significant.

They’re grouped together.

There’s a long list of speakers, influencers, vendors, software and solutions to the issues that keep you up at night. You have access to a condensed list of providers who are more than willing to help you solve your firm’s most pressing issues.

Software power-ups if you will.

Tools that empower the employees in your firm. Where every person accomplishes the work of five to ten people in less time. Tools that improve your firm’s performance (e.g. productivity, utilization, realization).

Skeptical?

You should be. Attending the Techshow gives you a chance to collect evidence from providers directly. You’ll be able to test and vet the tools and software that solves your problems.

The ABA Techshow is your chance to pull ahead

The Techshow is the event for solo and small firm practitioners to attend. If you’re like most legal professionals you have a lot of work to do. Deadlines to meet, clients to serve. It’s a conference that can produce extraordinary results for your firm.

But, only if you have the right approach.

Most solo/small firms work in their business, but very few work on their business. The ABA Techshow is your chance to improve both. It’s your chance to find the software and tools that will improve your business and increase your revenue.

If you already have plans to attend the ABA Techshow at the end of February, come find the Bill4Time team at Booth 930!

3 Ways That Paralegals Can Become Indispensable To Their Law Firm

January 25, 2019 By Andrew McDermott Leave a Comment

What makes a paralegal indispensable?

It isn’t hard work specifically, though that’s an important component of the job. If you’re a paralegal you already know how hard you work.

Your firm knows it too.

You’re worth every penny (and more) to your firm. Yet, many paralegals feel they aren’t viewed as the indispensable producers they are. How do you change that? How do you get your firm to treat you as the valuable teammate you are?

The thorny strategy many paralegals ignore

Your job is tough.

No doubt about it. You perform many of the same duties and functions attorneys in your firm perform, but you do it for less pay. It’s not because you’re incapable. Many paralegals know the law better than many other attorneys.

Take Tab Artis.

Artis started off as a paralegal. He sat for the California Bar Exam – without having attended law school. Between November 1997 and November 2007, only eight people had taken the California Bar Exam without a law degree and passed on the first try.

Artis was one of those eight people.

Paralegals are hardworking, capable and proficient at what they do. However, these ingredients alone won’t make you indispensable. These ingredients are the starting point.

They’re the foundation.

Here are the three ingredients you’ll need to become an indispensable paralegal.

Ingredient #1: You solve problems in (at least) one of three ways

You already know it.

Problem-solving is a fundamental part of a paralegal’s job. What you may not know is this. How you go about solving problems for your firm matters just as much as the solution itself. There are three ways to solve problems effectively at your firm.

You develop the ability to solve a problem, any problem immediately or at the very least, faster than anyone else in your firm.
You solve problems in such a precise or complete way that these specific problems are permanently and completely fixed (e.g. recommending a process, tool or battle-tested approach that fixes billable leakage or time tracking issues permanently).
This is as obvious as it sounds. You consistently solve simple, complex and recurring problems cheaply.

The core values here?

This needs to be done consistently. The results should be incredible yet routine. You want to spoil your firm with your outstanding performance because this is the key that produces dependence.

It gets better.

Do one of these consistently and you become indispensable (over a long period of time). Do two of these and you become indispensable in a much shorter period of time.

Ingredient #2: Specialize in a tangential niche

You’re probably already a specialist.

If you’re a paralegal you probably have a specialty. Some specialize in a specific practice area (e.g. tax, estate, bankruptcy or corporate law). Others specialize by bringing more experience or education to the table.

That’s not what I’m talking about.

The specialization I’m talking about is more foundational. It’s something that flows directly from your personality. I’m talking about your social gifts. In The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell points out several types of people with rare and unique social gifts.

Connectors are the paralegals who seem to know anyone and everyone. Saying they know lots of people is an understatement. They’re in the habit of creating or making introductions and connecting with people up and down the status chain. Drop them off in a new city and these connectors will have hundreds of new friends by nightfall.
Mavens are information specialists who collect, harvest and share new information. These paralegals have a deep set of t-shaped knowledge and are almost “pathologically helpful.” A maven uses their incredibly deep reservoir of knowledge to solve other people’s problems, usually by solving their own.
Salesmen are charismatic persuaders with a knack for negotiation. These paralegals are adept at getting others to agree with and believe in them. They’re also great at gaining access to incredibly difficult to reach people or places.

These skills are extremely valuable.

Why?

They’re extremely difficult to find in the general population. The vast majority of people simply don’t want to do the work involved to cultivate these skills and tendencies.

But this is the secret.

This is how you become indispensable to your firm. It’s also how you consistently command an above average salary in a highly competitive market. Master these skills and you can write your own ticket. Eventually, you’re simply too valuable for your firm to lose.

Ingredient #3: Say Yes to the impossible

Partners often ask for the impossible. Their demands are often times, foolish, ridiculous and unrealistic. Often times they don’t know what it takes to do what they want.

Which is exactly why you should say Yes…

… With conditions. The jaded or mistreated paralegal often responds to these requests with an emphatic “That’s not my job!” That’s not what your boss wants to hear. You know it, I know it.

So you add conditions to your Yes.

“I’m supposed to be doing X; did you want me to drop that and focus on Y?”
“I can get it done if I have X, Y and Do you want me to talk to purchasing about getting that?”
“Let me give it a shot. X could prevent me from getting it done but I’d like to try and work around it. Is that alright?”
“Would you give me a day or two to figure out how to do this right?”

See what I mean?

These answers show you’re loyal, committed and at the very least, always willing to try. When you set the tone for this kind of behavior you’re building trust in your firm. Here’s an important bonus. When you tell the partners No, They’re far more likely to trust your judgment.

“Moriah rarely says no. If you get a No, you can be sure there’s a very good reason.”

Most paralegals ignore this, because they don’t know

You’re worth every penny (and more) to your firm. Yet, many paralegals feel they aren’t viewed as the indispensable producers they actually are. How do you change that? How do you get your firm to treat you as the valuable teammate you are?

The secret is out.

This post shows paralegals a simple strategy you can use to become indispensable to your firm.

This is how you do it.

This is how you consistently command an above average salary in a cut-throat and highly competitive market. Master these skills and you can write your own ticket. You’re simply too valuable for your firm to lose to a competitor.

All it takes is practice.

With consistent effort and a focus on providing the right kind of value, your firm will realize the truth. You’re the indispensable paralegal they desperately need.

A Profile of the Ideal Paralegal in the Modern Law Firm

January 23, 2019 By Andrew McDermott Leave a Comment

What’s behind every great attorney? The ideal paralegal.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, paralegal employment is projected to grow at 17 percent from 2012 to 2022. That’s twice as fast as the rest of the legal industry.

Savvy firms know why.

Clients want more. No, they’re demanding more. Law firms are under a significant amount of pressure to produce higher quality work. Firms are expected to produce results in less time and with less money, even as rates increase nationwide.

Law firms are struggling to keep up

According to the 2018 Report on the State of the Legal Market, growth in demand for law firm services is sluggish. Rate progression is climbing as realization rates continue to fall.

This is the state of the modern law firm. Competition is fierce as firms battle for a smaller slice of the pie. It’s a buyer’s market and clients know it. As a result, they’ve decided to increase their demands.

It’s harsh but understandable.

This is the environment paralegals are expected to perform in. More and more, paralegals are expected to perform many of the same duties as attorneys (with supervision of course). As far as expectations go, this isn’t new. What is new is the fact that paralegals face resistance on all sides.

We’re getting ahead of ourselves.

Before we can create a profile of the ideal paralegal we need to answer a basic question. What exactly is a paralegal?

Seriously?

I know, I know. This seems like a ridiculous question to ask. Any legal professional worth their salt knows the answer to this question, right?

Wrong.

Remember my previous post about paralegal best practices? There’s a significant amount of confusion regarding a paralegal’s roles and responsibilities.

Are they simply administrative assistants who take phone calls and handle routine tasks like transcription? Or are they proficient legal professionals expected to handle the overflow attorneys simply don’t have the time to do?

The answer is subjective.

It varies depending on the firm. Paralegals, in general, are treated as a…

“Highly qualified administrative assistant” who spends a significant amount of time on low-value tasks (i.e. coffee) a single intern can handle.
“Highly skilled legal professional” who’s able to manage a significant amount of legal work (with the appropriate levels of supervision and support).
“Highly skilled legal professional” who doubles as an administrative assistant in a pinch. This has a negative impact on utilization rates.

Here’s why this matters.

Some firms expect paralegals to juggle these expectations. In firms where paralegals wear multiple hats, they’re forced to manage mutually exclusive demands.

It’s frustrating.

Here’s how that plays out.

Attorney A views Paralegal A as a “highly skilled legal professional“
Attorney B views Paralegal A as a “highly qualified administrative assistant“
Attorney A and Attorney B both ask Paralegal A for “help” at the same time.
Attorney A needs help preparing a legal document. Attorney B wants coffee in 15 minutes.

See the problem?

Admittedly, this isn’t a problem for healthy law firms but they’re the exception, not the rule. If we’re going to create a profile of the ideal paralegal we need to define what a paralegal actually is.

What’s a paralegal?

If you’re a paralegal you’re a highly skilled legal professional.

“Paralegals perform substantive legal work that would otherwise be done by attorneys. Clerical work is not substantive legal work.”

The answer seems obvious but there are quite a few attorneys who treat paralegals as if they’re administrative assistants.

What’s an ideal paralegal?

The ideal paralegal provides attorneys and law firms the opportunity they need to spring ahead. To keep up with the external demands placed on them by clients and the industry.

This is what’s needed.

It all comes down to personality. The big five personality traits also known as the OCEAN model provides firms with a template for the ideal paralegal.

Here’s how it works.

The OCEAN model lists five dimensions of personality which are defined as:

Openness reflects intelligence and the degree of intellectual curiosity, creativity and desire for novelty a person has. Paralegals who are high in trait openness are curious and well suited to be mavens, professionals who are able to take in a tremendous amount of information.
Conscientiousness reflects a tendency towards trustworthiness, self-discipline and reliability instead of spontaneity. Highly conscientious people are hardworking, reliable and focused. Paralegals who are conscientious will either be industrious, hard working and focused on performance and competence or orderly more organized and less cluttered (e.g. highly organized, efficient and neat).
Extraversion refers to attention seeking, dominance and an outgoing personality. Paralegals who are high in extraversion are [typically connectors or salespeople]. These paralegals are fantastic connectors and are able to build connections to and network with, key influencers.
Agreeableness measures a person’s trusting and helpful nature. Highly agreeable people are seen as compassionate and cooperative. Paralegals who are high in agreeableness are easy to get along with and easy to please. They do their best to avoid conflict.
Neuroticism points to a person’s tendency towards psychological stress. It refers to emotional stability and psychological well-being. Paralegals with very high levels of neuroticism tend to have worse psychological well-being. Neuroticism trends towards avoiding risk.

Are you seeing it?

The profile of your ideal paralegal?

No?

Each of these personality traits points to a particular strength or weakness. It’s something you’ll need to determine for your firm. These personality traits can be a blessing or a curse depending on a variety of factors such as:

Practice area. High-stress practice areas are hard on paralegals who are high in trait neuroticism.
The amount of research involved. Paralegals who are high in trait openness will enjoy heavy research and analysis.
Relationships and connections. Extravert paralegals will thrive in environments where they spend a significant amount of time working, negotiating and interacting with people. Low conflict practice areas are ideal for paralegals who are high in agreeableness. High conflict practice areas are perfect for paralegals who thrive on strenuous negotiation and conflict.
Firm size. If you’re running a large firm use extraversion as a measurement to identify paralegals that are best for your firm.
Problem areas. This can include client demands, firm challenges (e.g. billable leakage, document management issues or time tracking woes) or any other issues that create problems.
High-risk environments will break paralegals who are high in neuroticism. Those low in neuroticism thrive in any environment as they’re more stress resilient.

See it now?

The ideal paralegal depends on a variety of factors, including your practice area, circumstance, proximity to people and the type of work that’s being done.

What does that look like?

How can paralegals use this data to improve their profile inside of their firm? Here are a few examples to show you what I mean.

More and more, clients refuse to pay for research. However, research is an indispensable part your work. How can paralegals help you solve this problem? You hire a paralegal who is high in trait openness and demonstrates maven-like qualities.
Your law firm focuses on one or two practice areas. The work clients request is fairly routine (wills and trusts). Your firm relies on a subscription or fixed fee AFA. The partners want to find a way to make this billing model work financially. You increase your attorney to paralegal ratio (e.g. 3:1), hiring agreeable and highly conscientious paralegals to handle the routine paperwork (with attorney supervision of course).
You’re running a small one or two person firm. You’re looking for a way to take on more work without hiring an additional attorney. You recruit a paralegal who’s high in agreeableness and trait conscientiousness (orderliness) to help you grow your firm. Your paralegal helps you build your firm from the ground up in exchange for a sizable future reward.

The possibilities are endless.

And specific.

There isn’t just one profile of the ideal paralegal in the modern law firm. There are lots of profiles and they all depend on you. Are you a paralegal? Your personality is your greatest strength. Running a solo, small boutique law firm? Finding the right paralegal can be simple and straightforward.

What’s behind every great attorney?

A paralegal.

Clients want more. Law firms demand more as well. This is the state of the modern law firm. Competition is fierce as firms battle it out for a smaller piece of the pie. It’s a buyer’s market and clients know it.

Paralegals are the answer.

Paralegals perform substantive legal work that would otherwise be done by attorneys. They’re highly skilled legal professionals. It’s the reason demand is growing at 17 percent.

It’s more than that.

Paralegals give law firms the chance to compete in a dynamically shifting market. Paralegals give law firms the breathing room they need. It isn’t about a single profile, it’s about your profile. Choose thoughtfully and you’ll find the ideal paralegal is one that fits perfectly in the most important law firm, yours.