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OFFICE MANAGEMENT

SUBMITTED TO MRS. JHANVI MAHANA

SUBMITTED BY

SAHIL CHOWDHURY

B.A. LL.B. (HONS.) 10TH SEMESTER

5TH YEAR

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Firstly, I would like to express my profound sense of gratitude towards the Almighty

“ALLAH” for providing me with the authentic circumstances which were mandatory for the

completion of my research work.

I am also thankful to Jhanvi Mam, for her invaluable support, encouragement, supervision

and useful suggestions throughout this research work. Her moral support and continuous

guidance enabled me to complete my work successfully. Her intellectual thrust and blessings

motivated me to work rigorously on this study. In fact this study could not have seen the light

of the day if her contribution had not been available. It would be no exaggeration to say that

it is his unflinching faith and unquestioning support that has provided the sustenance

necessary to see it through to its present shape.

Further to that, I would also like to express my gratitude towards our seniors who were a lot

of help for the completion of this project. The contributions made by my family and

classmates and friends are, definitely, worth mentioning. I would like to express my gratitude

towards the library staff for their help also. And at last but not least I would like to thank the

almighty God for his grace upon me and everybody.

Sahil Chowdhury

B.A.LL.B (Hons) 10th

Semester

5th

Year

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TABLE OF CONTENT

1. Introduction to office management 3

2. What are best practices? 4

3. Law office management 4

4. Effective law office procedures 5

5. Location & layout 7

6. Meeting and communications with clients 8

7. Management of cases 10

8. Management of registers & documents 11

9. Management of case diary 12

10. Management of library 12

11. Management of the staff 13

12. Management of accounts 14

13. Utilization of modern equipment like computer, and communication methods internet 14

14. Managing the firm 16

15. My present office 17

16. My dream office 18

17. Beyond the office: take care of yourself 20

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INTRODUCTION TO OFFICE MANAGEMENT

A lawyer‟s time and advice are his only stock in trade. But another important requisite to be a

successful Advocate is a well-maintained Law office and its proper management. A

systematic management of the law office could add to the efficiency and productivity of an

Advocate. A well-managed office will also create a healthy working atmosphere and can

attract many clients. Management of Law-office involves various aspects like location,

layout, library, registers, diary, case management, staff management, meeting and

communication with clients, assignment of work to juniors, utilization of equipment‟s like

computer etc. As a final year student and as a part of practical training, chamber visit to an

Advocate‟s office, who has put up practice at least for ten years, is a requirement. The

chamber visits have assisted to observe closely the various aspects of complexities of the

office management and have given a clear picture of the office management. The following

report is my comprehension and conceptions of law office management.

It is all about maintaining the public‟s trust in the legal profession and your clients‟ trust in

your firm. The onus lies not only with the lawyers and the support staff; it extends to you as

the office manager. In fact, you are the vital cog who makes sure the firm is running

smoothly, that the firm meets its obligation to its clients, regulators and to society as a whole.

A law practice must be properly organized in order to create a basis for the efficient

management of client files and all aspects of a law firm.

The following material outlines the responsibilities of the lawyer and support staff, introduces

law office systems and procedures and examines basic concepts of client file management,

timekeeping and productivity, client relations, trust accounting, and financial management.

Each law office is unique in terms of its composition, its structure, its systems and

procedures, and the responsibilities assigned to each participant. Nevertheless, there are a

number of common practice management concepts and principles which a lawyer can and

must learn in order to maintain a competent practice. In addition, a lawyer must continually

assess and respond to changes in technology, areas of practice, strengths and weaknesses of

personnel, and any other factors that may affect the efficiency of existing systems and

procedures used in the firm. In particular, a lawyer must remain current and explore emerging

technologies to see how they may improve their practice.

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Lawyers enter the legal profession to practice law. Legal work is what they know and enjoy.

In the fast-paced, high-volume environment of a local government legal office, management

responsibilities can easily become secondary to legal responsibilities. In the absence of strong

management and leadership that gives structure and direction to an office, efficiency,

effectiveness, and morale deteriorate over time. Understanding, adopting, and implementing

best practices are a proven strategy for meeting the challenges and responsibilities of

managing the practice of a public legal office.

WHAT ARE BEST PRACTICES?

“Best practices” implies that there is no better way to do something, which is obviously a

false premise. When someone uses the phrase, it is not always clear just what they mean—in

different contexts, it has different meanings. Sometimes, it simply refers to something that

worked for someone else, at another place, and in another time. It can also refer to something

that someone, for some reason, considers to be a standard for measuring success. A better

view of best practices is to consider them to be tools that work: processes, systems,

methodologies, and techniques that have produced specific and desirable results, in actual

experience and in different contexts. Those are the best practices that really matter. The

strategies that follow are that type of best practices.

For local government legal offices, best practices address particular problems that fall into

different categories, each of which pose unique challenges: client service and relations,

practice management, human resources, and technology resources.

LAW OFFICE MANAGEMENT

Management means a process of managing or maintaining a proper methodology depending

on the needs and demands of the nature of work. Law office management, in particular, is the

continuous process of keeping, holding, checking, controlling, contriving, and maintaining

various requirements of the profession. Thus, the requirements of the profession determines

the structure, nature, management largely depends on the financial resources available and

the attitude and devotion of an Advocate towards the profession. Management of Law-Office

involves Management of the following:

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Office‟s location and layout

Meeting and communication with clients

Management of cases

Management of Registers and Documents

Maintenance of diary ü Maintenance of Library

Management of the staff

Management of accounts.

Utilization of modern equipment like computer, and communication methods Internet

etc

Stationery

EFFECTIVE LAW OFFICE PROCEDURES

One indicator of good law office management is the use of sound office procedures. Effective

law office procedures will serve these purposes:

the efficient and economical delivery of client legal services;

compliance with all statutes of limitations and court deadlines;

the protection of client confidences;

positive working relationships with persons outside of the office;

an atmosphere of order and structure in the workplace; and,

smooth working relationships within the office.

It is the use of sound procedures that makes these things possible. It does no good if

procedures are proclaimed but not implemented. A well-managed office will have an office

“policies and procedures” manual that governs the day-to-day practice of law and the related

support operations.

Before accepting a new client, the firm must perform a thorough conflict check to ensure that

there is no conflict of interest created by accepting the new client matter. If a conflict is

discovered, the firm must either decline to accept the new client, or obtain the consent of the

both the old and the new client to waive the conflict. Conflict checks are usually done with

computers, so it is imperative that client names be entered accurately and in various formats

so that no conflict is missed.

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A law office docket is the firm‟s calendar of deadlines and important events. Of greatest

concern are the deadlines established by statute, court rules, and court orders. The most

critical is the statute of limitations, since it can be exceedingly difficult to obtain court

approval to file a belated lawsuit. The docket should also track deadlines for discovery, dates

of depositions and court appearances, dates for closing escrow, etc. The docket also operates

as a tickler system, to alert attorneys and paralegals of an approaching deadline. Law offices

typically maintain at least six types of files, including client files, billing records, personnel

records, and correspondence unrelated to specific client matters. A file is opened for each

new client matter. The same client may have multiple client matters, and a separate file is

kept for each.

There are two basic systems for organizing client files: alphabetical and numerical. The

alphabetical system is well-suited to a sole practitioner and other small law offices. However,

many larger firms find it more useful to assign a unique number to each client matter and

maintain the files in numerical order. The advantage of a numerical system is that it can be

set up to reveal additional information about each client matter: the date the file was opened;

the responsible attorney; the nature of the legal matter; etc. It is very common for the client

and other law offices to request copies of materials in a client‟s file. Law offices should have

a strict policy about the release of client materials—even to the client, herself. Most firms

require that an attorney‟s approval be obtained to release any client materials.

This is intended to prevent the improper disclosure of documents or information to outside

parties. For example, a client may unintentionally, and unwittingly, waive the attorney-client

privilege by showing a document to someone else. Some firms give legal secretaries or

paralegals standing authority to release certain categories on non-sensitive documents (e.g.,

pleadings which have been filed with a court). Eventually, most client files become inactive.

It makes no sense to consume large amounts of office space with file cabinets or boxes of

inactive files.

The solution is to close any file that has been inactive for a defined period of time and is not

expected to become active again within the coming year. Closed files are usually stored in a

different location where they are secure and protected by automatic sprinklers. Eventually,

the firm may offer to deliver the file to the client‟s possession, with notice that the file will be

destroyed if the client declines to accept it. Files are destroyed by shredding. Companies

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which specialize in the storage and destruction of confidential files will provide written

certification of their destruction. When legal assistants use any mode of external

communications (e.g., telephone, e-mail, facsimile or commercial delivery services) three

considerations must be kept in mind:

confidentiality and security;

clarity of the communication; and,

Professional tone of the communication.

LOCATION & LAYOUT

Location of law office depends on various factors like availability of premises in the vicinity

of the court, cost to be incurred for the office premises, convenience of Advocate and clients.

It is always an added advantage to have a law office in the vicinity of the court premises or in

a place like heart of the city where the people could have convenient and easy access.

Location of the office in a peaceful atmosphere is a requisite of an office. The layout of office

covers the areas like:

Chamber of Advocate

Arrangement of furniture, and

Accommodation for client‟s staffs and clients.

A separate chamber to the Advocate is a requirement, which has to provide comfortable

sitting arrangements for an Advocate. This provides for a seclusion wherein the clients and

Advocate could have confidential communications and unnecessary interference could be

avoided. Arrangement of the furniture must be made in such a way that it makes the office

tidy and fits into the space of the office in such a manner that requirement of all is met with.

Accommodation for the staff and clients is very important. Seating arrangements for the

clients and staff have to be provided. Junior Advocates or assistant must be accommodated in

such a way that the Advocate could easily direct them to do any work. An Advocate cannot

attend all the clients at a time and clients may have to wait for him. Hence, providing a

waiting room with proper furniture, newspapers and magazines is a requirement. Even on

access to television could also be provided.

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MEETING AND COMMUNICATIONS WITH CLIENTS

The meeting and interaction must be carried in a closed chamber so that confidentiality could

be maintained and such an atmosphere is necessary to make a client feel so comfortable that

he could communicate material facts upon which Advocate‟s appraisal and further course of

action begins. Communication with the client requires „telephone facility, which would assist

the client in avoiding unnecessary visits to the office. The use of e-mail could also be made

for the purpose of communication. The timing of office should also depend on the

convenience of the Advocate and clients. The office should be accessible at the hours in

which clients could conveniently contact. Generally during evening, from 7 pm to 10pm. The

Advocate‟s working nature also determines the timing of the office. Effective communication

requires proper maintenance of diary and registers keeping a track of the proceedings of cases

so that client could be informed in advance as to the postings of the case, and steps to be

taken by him etc.

Today's legal market is a buyers' market, so clients exercise greater demands than ever upon

their lawyers. Even so, a lawyer must institute procedures that control the client, rather than

allowing the client to control the lawyer. Allowing the client to arbitrarily control workloads

and timelines removes any possibility of time management. At the initial conference, the

lawyer should clarify the client's expectations on such matters as the review of documents

and/or fax transmissions. The latter has become a very abused area, because faxes imply that

immediate attention is required. While prompt attention to a client's needs is good client

management, hasty reactions will not deliver the quality of service that the client deserves.

Worse, such haste will expose the lawyer to the possibility of errors. A cursory review harms

the client and creates potential mistakes. Adequate time for review, reflection, and exercise of

professional judgment is essential to good practice management.

Another client management area involves the use of the telephone. Advise clients of the

firm's policy regarding returning telephone calls at the initial conference. The policy should

promote a timely return of non-urgent calls within 24 hours. When taking a phone message,

office staff should request the best time for the lawyer to return the call. This approach

conveys recognition of the importance of the client's call, but also emphasizes the inability of

the lawyer to be available for all calls.

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If possible, plan to return calls at times when the length of the call can be controlled. Even

when the client is billed on an hourly basis, unnecessarily lengthy calls can adversely impact

the lawyer's ability to perform other work. The best times to call? Just before lunch and at the

end of the business day. In both cases, the client will be motivated to limit the call to

essentials. Ensure that the firm fee agreement or letter of engagement indicates that the client

will be billed for all time, including telephone calls. Billing for all calls, preferably with a fair

minimum charge for every call, will assure that telephone calls are managed by both the

client and the lawyer.

Often, a telephone call does not require the personal involvement of the attorney. If

appropriate, delegate telephone calls to legal assistants or others in the office, if that

delegation helps you manage your time and also benefits the client. Naturally, do not put the

legal assistant in the role of having to deflect requests for legal advice.

Often, clients will "drop in" for a meeting with their lawyer. Certainly all clients should feel

welcome in the firm's office, but clients must understand that appointments will help ensure

that the lawyer is available for a meeting with the client. Discourage drop ins and encourage

appointments, even if the appointment request is on relatively short notice. In general, meet

with drop ins only if it is a bona fide emergency, which makes the setting of an appointment

impossible, or if the meeting will assist the lawyer in some pressing matter for that client.

Establish an office procedure that will allow all appointments to be scheduled relatively

promptly (ideally within a week), unless it is an emergency. Such prompt response may

eliminate the drop in problem.

Much of the stress that affects lawyers can be attributed to troublesome clients. It is good

management to assess current clients and determine if any should be "fired." At minimum,

this assessment should determine whether to deny any client future representation. If "red

flags" pop up when meeting with a prospective client, trust your gut reactions and send the

person to another attorney with whom a better professional representation might be possible.

In every case, listen to your inner signals--if it doesn't feel right, it probably isn't.

Set reasonable expectations

Manage the telephone

Discourage drop ins

Fire troublesome clients

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MANAGEMENT OF CASES

Unfortunately, the work flow in the practice of law is uneven. For example, in a litigation

practice, there are times of intense activity and periods of relative calm. Planning will assist

the management of resources so that peak, "crunch" periods can be met without undue

frustrations. Lulls or lesser periods of activity can be used to accomplish some of the tasks

necessary to meet critical future deadlines. General project management approaches,

including use of "at a glance" wall calendars with critical dates and blocks of time, will assist

in the visualization of "crunch" periods. While not specifically designed for law practice,

generic project management software can help plan for allocation of resources. Minimizing

the peaks and valleys of the work flow removes stress for the entire law office staff.

Use of legal specific case management software will help lawyers maintain greater caseloads

with less effort and staff assistance by providing convenient monitoring of the status of every

case. This broad category of software usually includes components for controlling calendars,

deadlines, tracking the names of involved parties and counsel, and uniform generation of

correspondence and documents. For practices with high volumes or a few limited areas of

practice, this type of software merits review and consideration. Recent U.S. job growth

projections indicate that generalists in any occupation are declining. The general practice

requires special skills to survive and prosper. Identify the characteristics that make the

general practice attractive to your firm and your clients, and then market them.

Use project management

Use case management

Sell the general practice

An Advocate throughout his career has to deal with cases and keeping a proper track of the

proceedings of every case from the part of case management. It is very vital since an

Advocate has to deal with multiple cases and there will be lot of scope for confusion if proper

management is not made. From the date of filing of a case, keeping a record of the

proceedings in a register, which could maintained based upon the nature of the case and in an

alphabetical order, have to be maintained and entries have to be made every day. A junior

counsel could be assigned the work of maintaining the register under the supervision of the

Advocate. It is also necessary to make entries of postings of every case in the Advocate‟s

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diary. The maintenance of documents is an important aspect of case management. The

maintenance of safety and confidentiality of the documents is a duty cast upon the Advocate

and its proper management enhances the trust of a client in the Advocate. Thus, proper

arrangements for almera with locking facility for storing them are inevitable. A cabin for

placing files of the cases is also a must for the office in order to prevent unnecessary search

for the case files. A cabin or ward robe with 31 pigeon holes or blocks has to be maintained

so that case files could be placed as per the dates. It is a common most device used by every

Advocate. The above aspects are maintenance of records and entries of a case file. Along

with the above aspects case management also involves proper appraisal of the case, study and

research of appropriate provisions of laws and case laws for which an Advocate could create

his image and set standards for. Timely action in consultation with the client at every stage of

the proceedings is a must.

MANAGEMENT OF REGISTERS & DOCUMENTS

Another important aspect of law office management is maintenance of registers and ensuring

the safety of documents. Followings are the important which have to be maintained:

Case Register

Attendance Register

Legal Notices Register

Stock Register of Library Books

Stock Register of furniture

Case Diary

Accounts Book

Receipt Book

The maintenance of these registers can also be made through the computer programming. The

management of the documents has an important role in office management. In law office

each case shall have separate file and such file should be in a position to explain whole

matters relating to such case, like, title of the case, parties to the suit, status and information

about suit and proceedings (both previous and present), etc. such file shall also contain all

necessary documents relating to the case, like plaint, written statement, notice, replay to such

notice, I A‟s, etc.

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MANAGEMENT OF CASE DIARY

An Advocate‟s diary is the schedule manager of an Advocate‟s work. A case diary keeps the

entries of postings of cases based upon the calendar. This assists the Advocate in preparing

for the net day‟s work. A standard form case diaries are generally provided by the Bar

councils to Advocates on its roll.

MANAGEMENT OF LIBRARY

Every Advocate is in need of a good library of his own. The library of an Advocate should

contain both local and national acts reference books; law reports and books related to social

sciences. These books will be helpful to the Advocate in knowing the law and precedents.

The law reports enable him to know the decisions of both Supreme Court and High Court on

different cases of both civil and criminal matters. Maintenance of library is a must for any

Advocate. So, he must have the knowledge of scientific way of maintaining a library. The

general procedure of maintaining a library is the same to all the libraries. The library should

be maintained basing on subject classification. An Advocate should maintain a catalogue

register of library books with call numbers. He should allot some pages for each category of

books. At the beginning of the register he should prepare an index of subjects.

Following are the important books, which an Advocate requires for his practice: · Reference

Books The reference books are necessary for the knowledge of statutory laws. General and

specific dictionaries, encyclopaedias, yearbooks, directories and bibliographic dictionary are

some of the reference materials that are constantly useful for Advocates. When an Advocate

finds a dictionary of legal terms and phrases, he should place it in his library among the

reference books.· Acts and Statutes He should keep all the important Acts of Central

Government and State Government along with the relevant rules. He should make them up to

date by including the amendments when and where they are made. By keeping all the

relevant Acts in his library, he can save his time and at the same time he can refer them

immediately without going to any place. ·

Periodicals and Law Journals Articles in law journals are important and indispensable sources

of information for an Advocate. The law reports enable him to have the knowledge of the

judicial decisions and views of the courts on different issues relating to different laws. The

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Journal of Indian Law Institute, Indian Journal of International Law, Academy Law Review,

the Administrator, Civil and Military Law Journal, Criminal Law Journal, Labour Law

Journal is some of the Journals that an Advocate should contribute. Index to Legal periodical

and index to Foreign Legal periodicals are very useful to find the relevant articles useful for

his cases and locate the name of the journal, volume and number in which that has been

published. Generally all current legislative material such as Bills, Acts, Rules, Notifications,

etc., is published in the Gazettes of India and the States. These are very much required to

bring the Acts up-to-date. The All India Reporter (AIR) is one of the reputed legal

periodicals. The publishers of All India Reporter have published AIR manuals in multiple

volumes. The volumes containing Central and State legislative material should find place in

the library of an Advocate. The Supreme Court Reports (Since 1950), The Federal Court

Reports (1939-1950) published the cases decided by them. Private publications like All India

Reporter, Supreme Court Journal, Supreme Court Cases and some other publications report

the case decisions of the Supreme Court and High Courts.

The library can have the literary periodicals of regional languages for the refreshment of

clients who have to wait for the Advocate‟s counseling. Some local newspapers should also

find place in the library for the use of clients. Thus the library should be arranged section-

wise by keeping all the reference books at one place and the books according to the catalogue

numbers. The journals and law reports should be arranged year-wise. The criteria for the

maintenance and management of good library are that any book or journal be traced easily

within short.

MANAGEMENT OF THE STAFF

Staff in a law office of an Advocate consists of clerk(s), an assistant, typist or computer

operator or stenographer and junior Advocates. The work has to be allotted to fellow

Advocates on the basis of their abilities, experience, and their working style. In practice each

junior/fellow Advocate shall be allotted a court where every day he has to attend cases and

other assigned works like filing of cases, applications etc. The Advocate should constantly

supervise and monitor the junior Advocates and other staff„s work and give them directions

as and when required.

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MANAGEMENT OF ACCOUNTS

An Advocate should keep accounts of the client‟s money entrusted to him and the accounts

should show the amounts received from the client or on his behalf, the expenses incurred for

him and the debits made on account of fees with respective dates and all other necessary

particulars. Where money are received from or on account of a client, the entries in the

accounts should contain a reference as to whether amount have been received for fees or

expenses, and during the course of proceedings no Advocate, shall, except with the consent in

writing of the client concerned, be at liberty to divert any portion of the expenses towards

fees. Where any amount is received or given to him on behalf of his client the fact of such

receipt must be intimated to the client as early as possible. After the termination of the

proceedings the Advocate shall be at liberty to appropriate towards the settled fees due to him

from any sum remaining unexpended out of the amount paid or sent to him for expenses or

any amount that has come into the hands in that proceeding.

UTILIZATION OF MODERN EQUIPMENT LIKE COMPUTER, AND COMMUNICATION METHODS INTERNET ETC

The practice of law involves the capture of information and its storage, manipulation, and

recall. Computers are ideal for all forms of information management. Shift the burden of such

information management to computers, and remove that stress from the practice.

The lawyer may recognize that the practice can be improved by changes such as integrating

new technology into the office, adopting new processes or procedures, or mastering new law.

Unfortunately, even with that recognition, the lawyer may feel constrained by what I call the

"time treadmill." Lawyers on the time treadmill feel that the press of meeting current practice

needs restricts the possibility of stopping that work to adopt changes. The firm must commit

to providing the time and support for lawyers attempting to bring change into their

professional lives. In the case of technology, another lawyer might take on additional

caseload responsibilities for a day or two while the lawyer receives training in new

technology. Without that level of commitment, the lawyer will never be able to get off the

time treadmill.

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Use technology to become your "memory" in docketing and calendar control so that work

flow remains even and critical deadlines are met.

Similarly, effective billing procedures can be supported by technology. Use technology to bill

in a timely fashion, rebill as needed, and provide the information that assists the firm in

management decisions. It does not enhance quality of life to be unpaid for hard work.

Voluntary work is to be commended, and is essential to the effective delivery of legal

services to those who otherwise could not afford them. However, refuse to get involved in

"involuntary pro bono."

Use technology to capture and preserve the firm's most valuable asset--the existing work

product. This technology should include document management software so that the

preserved work product will be retrievable. Technology allows the firm or lawyer to track

important client information and offer "personalized" service without additional strain and

effort.

Technology can also preserve the firm's culture. Memory fades, so using computers to keep

track of institutional memory can be helpful. A computerized firm manual will preserve

decisions about the functioning of the firm, avoiding "ad hoc" inequities. In addition, this

technology can capture important dates such as birthdays.

Consistent, quality work product will ensure happy clients, and will remove stress for the

lawyer. Document assembly programs for the repetitious work of the firm aids in quality

control. In all cases, review the firm's technology to evaluate if it allows the firm to deliver

services better, faster, and cheaper.

Break the time treadmill

Use computers for information management

Use technology to bill effectively

Generally, Computers assist the law practitioners by timing, and costing interviews with

clients, besides storage of the case records. Internet facility brought the whole knowledge of

the world into a laptop computer. Information Technology has developed a lot and e-mail

facility helps the Advocates in communication. An Advocate can get information through

websites and he can also refer national and international statutes, agreements, and details of

case laws relating to a particular issue through different websites. With the help of the printer,

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Advocates can get the printed copy of the documents needed within no time. The computer

plays the role of typewriter. Now-a-days use of computer is a must to any legal practitioner.

The compact discs (CDs) and VCDs are available to know the statutory laws and precedents.

With the installation of the computer, an Advocate can work in his office room, which is

sufficient to keep a drawer, an Almery and a chair.

The information given by his client can be stored in his computer. He can find the model

pleadings and fill them and get print copies to file in the court. Telephone is a must in Low

Office. The clients often ring up the office to get appointment of the Advocate and to get

information about his case. Advocates can use telephone to give information to their clients

and receive information from them to speed up the professional work. The telephone saves

the time, money and physical strain of the Advocate. For quick communication telephone

proves very useful. It is suggestible that in each office they should own a Xerox machine;

there shall be other modern facilities like, Fax, advanced telecom system etc. J. Stationery

The law office of an Advocate should consist of stationery articles required for office use

such as white paper, wrapper paper, pens, pencils, pins, tags, pinning machine, twine, gum,

envelops, cards, money order forms, postal acknowledge forms, cards, telegraph forms,

postal stamps, pads, case filing documents, different printed forms, which are to be filed in

courts. All these should be kept in stock and one should not go elsewhere in search of these

needed office articles.

MANAGING THE FIRM

As much as lawyers hate the concept, strategic planning allows the lawyer or the firm to plan

for the future. Make sure that expectations are reasonable; no matter how well intended, if

they are unreasonable, expectations will not be met.

Does the firm have a mission statement? It should be a short (less than one page) written

statement that defines what the firm wants to be. Every law firm should craft a mission

statement. This process will help the firm focus on what is important.

Target an acceptable number of "billable hours" for the firm that can be reached without loss

of the joys of life. It is probably foolish, dangerous, or dishonest to assume that lawyers will

work in excess of 2,000 billable hours per year--the equivalent of billing fifty 40-hour weeks

and taking two weeks a year as vacation.

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If the strategic plan does not allow for a reasonable number of billable hours, consider

alternative methods of billing or value billing to see if goals can be accomplished with less

hours. Time is only one ethical measurement of the value of the service provided to a client.

It is fair to factor in the firm's unique skills, knowledge of the law, and experience when

setting a fee. If an alternative billing method is adopted, make sure that firm representation

agreements are modified to reflect the billing arrangement.

How does the firm administer the office? If you have more than five people in the office,

hiring an office manager or an administrator might make sense. What is your time worth? Do

you like to perform administrative tasks? What is the value of your time if applied to client

work instead?

Delegation is an effective law office management technique that reduces stress and enhances

the quality of life for everyone. Not all legal work must be performed by an attorney, so

spread around the workload. It is a difficult skill to master, because most lawyers have been

schooled that he or she is indispensable to every aspect of the process, but this is just not true.

Learn to delegate and strive to be effective at it.

Create a mission statement

Evaluate billing expectations

Consider administrative assistance

Delegate, delegate, delegate

MY PRESENT OFFICE

As a of part of Practical Training III, every student is supposed to visit an Advocate‟s office,

who has put up practice at least for 10 years to observe and understand the nature of the pre-

trial preparations made by the Advocate, art of client interviewing and also the various

aspects of office management. For the last one year I had the privilege of visiting the office of

MR. ABDUL MUHIB MAZUMDAR, SENIOR ADVOCATE, GUWAHATI HIGH

COURT. His office is one of the well- furnished, well organized, and well equipped. The

office layout is divided into two portions:

A. Chamber of the Advocate and

B. Waiting room for the clients

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The chamber of the Advocate is a closed chamber with proper sitting arrangement for the

Advocate and clients. It is also air-conditioned. A portion of it is also accommodated for the

computer and the stenographer. The chamber also has wardrobe for the placing case files,

documents, registers and ledgers and stationeries. The waiting room is spacious and has

sufficient sitting arrangements for the clients, junior Advocates and students. A Library is

also maintained in the sitting room. The Advocate has maintained one of the best Libraries

with thousands of books covering various subjects and branches of law. He also subscribes

the reporters like The All India Reporter (AIR), Supreme Court cases and reports of the past

years have also been maintained. There is a junior Advocates taking apprenticeship under the

guidance of the Advocate. A stenographer cum typist is also engaged. The Advocate allocates

the work to the junior on the basis of their abilities, experience, and their working style. The

following registers are maintained and regular entries are made:

Case Register

Legal Notices Register

Stock Register of Library Books

Case Diary

Accounts Book

My Advocate‟s office is one of the well-established and a popular office and it‟s been my

pleasure to visit the as student trainee.

MY DREAM OFFICE

I would like to set up an office, which is an ideal and unique one in all respects. It shall be

laid out and managed as per principles and requirements discussed above. A place of work is

considered also place of worship .I would like my office as holy and as divine as a place of

worship. My dream office will have following aspects:

RECEPTION: Reception is the place where the outside persons are received

and appointments are given.

WAITING ROOM: It shall consist proper furniture and the clients should feel

comfortable and newspapers, magazines of all kinds should be

available along with the Television.

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LIBRARY: A library is the core part of the law office. It shall be the best

available in the place not only in respect of the number of

books on varied subjects but also in maintenance and up

gradation.

DOCUMENTS SECTION: The documents, which are pending in the court, are present

documents; it shall be arranged in date wise in racks as it is

pending. The same information shall be stored in the computer

also.

COUNSELING ROOM: The counseling hall shall be the best one and a closed chamber

so that the confidentiality of the discussion could be

maintained. The client should really feel at ease and

comfortable.

REST ROOM: It is exclusively for Advocates, in my dream office those who

feel tired should be given rest, for that purpose, there will be

rest room.

FELLOW ADVOCATES-CABIN: There will be separate cabins for fellow and junior

Advocates, each will be connected by intercom phones,

and however, each will be liberal to do the assigned

work. If the personnel are computer literate, they will be

provided a computer or laptop.

COMPUTER HALL: In my dream office, there will be a separate room which will be

left for accommodating the computers. It shall consist, internet

facility, Tele conference facility, etc. Each personnel of the

office will have access to that computers and communication

with clients could be made on line. Conclusion The „legal

profession‟ being one of the challenging professions requires

unflinching devotion and dedication along with discipline and

systematic working. The management of his office where he

has to carry on his major chunk of the work especially the

research, pre-trial preparations and meetings with clients

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assumes vitality and needs attention. The office of an Advocate

is part of his professional personality and the clients form their

opinion as to an Advocate not merely on Advocate‟s ability but

also on the management of his office. Thus, an Advocate has to

apply his mind in the management and this report being an

attempt to understand the vistas of office management helps in

creating a mental make-up in a student of law as to his office of

the future.

BEYOND THE OFFICE: TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF

Work when you are at your best. Some people are "morning" people; others are "evening"

people. Everyone has an inherent circadian rhythm, which dictates the body clock responses.

Plan to complete critical work during your best time of day. Arrange appointments and

important tasks for your peak productivity periods. Relegate routine or ordinary tasks to your

"low" periods. Remember that the most skilful negotiators use every tool at their disposal to

obtain the optimum results.

Professional and intellectual well-being can be enhanced by a consistent program of exercise

and health care. When considering health matters, remember that moderation in all things is

old but solid advice. If your health or life seems out of balance, you have violated this tenet.

Identify and isolate the stresses in your life. It is naive to assume that all stress can be

exorcised, but remember that stress shortens life.

Vacations or breaks in work help mental health. Budget for everyone to step back from the

firm for rest and relaxation. Identify two critical personal goals for each year and commit to

accomplishing at least one every year.

Exercise can be therapeutic. Exercise regularly at a reasonable and moderate level. Usually,

the greatest success will come from exercise programs that become a habit. In addition,

choose exercise that you enjoy. For example, if you hate racquetball, it is unlikely to become

a habit. Do not allow your strategic planning to be limited to professional goals. Use strategic

planning for personal goals as well.

Finally, remember the adage, "You didn't create the world and you're not running it." As

much as we would like to assume that the world will bend to our needs and direction, it does

not, and it will not.

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