Lawyers are like horses; there are many breeds available, each with its own strengths. But are you riding, racing, or roping at the rodeo? As with horses, each legal specialty fills a specific need. There are 814,000 lawyers in the United States – what exactly do they all do? Here are some ideas on […] The post Different types of lawyers for the most common legal problems appeared first on Smokeball.…

2020 was full of unexpected challenges. We redefined where and how we worked, attorneys finalized cases remotely, and if you’re reading this in December 2020, there’s a good chance you’ve recently attended at least one virtual holiday party. Whatever new challenges await in 2021, we can be sure that the legal industry has been changed forever.   To help your law firm hit the ground running in the […] The post Legal trends to look out for in 2021 appeared first on Smokeball.…

Any attorney who’s manually tracked their billable hours knows it can be a thankless task. Between constantly setting and resetting timers, compiling that information into timesheets – and trying to calculate how much time was spent on tasks you weren’t able to set a timer for – attorneys need to be meticulous with their billable hours.   That’s why implementing legal case management software with automatic time […] The post Why automatic time tracking is essential for more than billing appeared first on Smokeball.…

Quarantining brought on by COVID-19 this year has had effects on seemingly everyone: single adults have reported increased instances of emotional and mental health issues, parents have struggled with working while virtually schooling their children, and friends and families everywhere have had to rethink their holiday gathering plans.   What was an unprecedented Thanksgiving is […] The post Are divorce rates in 2020 driving business for Family Law firms? appeared first on Smokeball.…

Where does the time go?  The phenomenon that we perceive that time is passing more quickly as we age is well-documented. Theories for why this feeling is so common abound, from slower release of dopamine as we age, to the fact that we add fewer new experiences as we age. What is for sure, […] The post How lawyers can get the most out of their time appeared first on Smokeball.…

The Bureau of Labor Statistics is out with their 2020 Occupational Outlook for Paralegals and Legal Assistants. Bottom line – it’s not a bad time to be in, or to be getting into, a paralegal or legal assistant position*. Consider these findings: Median annual pay is $51,750, compared with $39,800 for all occupations in […] The post Why it’s a great time to be a paralegal appeared first on Smokeball.…

It is no secret that trust is one of the most important parts of the attorney-client relationship, yet survey after survey have reported the relative standing of attorneys on “trust” and “ethics” perceptions to be among the lowest occupations tested. (Although ratings significantly improve when respondents are asked to rate “my lawyer.”) How can […] The post Maintaining trust and credibility in the legal profession appeared first on Smokeball.…