Home | Feedback | Contact Us
Book Review  


Altman, Mary Ann, and Robert I. Weil, ‘How to Manage Your Law Office’, Volume 1 & 2, Indian Reprint 2009, Lexis Nexis (Rs. 1995/-)

Diljeet Titus reviews ‘How to Manage Your Law Office’ and explains how the way you manage your law office could be the difference between success and failure of your firm.
'How to Manage Your Law Office' is a practical guide and is one of the few classics providing readers cutting edge information on effective techniques in law office administration. This guidebook has stood the test of time which has been regularly revised from its first publication in 1973 and updated to cover the most miniscule of details relevant to running a successful law office.

The book discusses issues like time keeping, pay scales and retreats for both lawyers and paralegals with a further discussion on support staff who are equally important to optimizing work output and generating better revenue in budget timelines in a law office. The book discusses how clearly structured incentives push Lawyers to perform above commonly accepted standards of quality and competition in an organization.

'How to Manage… ' dwells on aspects, mostly ignored in law offices like close supervision of both partners and associates delivering sound and correct advice and a real service to clients, giving clients value for their money. This book is one of the most comprehensive and well researched manuals I have read.

The authors also elaborate strategies for effective management of accounts and finances in a law office to minimise investment and capitalise on a firm’s output, giving leverage to innovate and reduce expenditure of the office to improve profit margins by easy and effective ways to utilise finances, allowing to charge the clients less, and keeping an edge over rivals. The authors have also discussed ways of utilising the latest technology to one’s advantage to reduce time in achieving tasks.

The book details ways to manage the In-house library, important files and documents and the use of fire proofing for secure and safe storage. This book is one of the few which also discusses the importance of right space in a law office and how it can affect the efficiency of a law office.

The book analyses future trends and aspects which will prove critical in keeping ahead of competition in coming times and ways to maintain a niche in the market for a quality marathon run and not just run a seasonal practice.

Although, this book is not a one time read, this book serves as a handy referencer which can time and again be relied upon by lawyers for advice and ideas to start or improve upon an active legal practice. This book certainly sets the standards right and I would recommend 'How to Manage Your Law Office' to everyone who is eager to learn about law practice management and follow their dream of starting and building a successful law office.

DILJEET TITUS is the Managing Partner of Titus & Co., Advocates. He can be reached at dtitus@titus-india.com.
 
© 2007 India Law Journal   Permission and Rights | Disclaimer