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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
President’s Message 1 Tweets, Links and Likes 2, 20‐23 Business Partners 3‐5 ALA Strategic Plan 6‐8 Business Partner Expo photos 9‐11 Standley Systems 12 Upcoming Events 13 BP Minute—Avansic 14‐16 ALA Online Community 17 eLearning Center 17 Ways to Beat the Afternoon Slump 18‐19 Birthdays 24
Tweets, Links and Likes How firm size, practice areas and client demographics can help to drive a sound social media strategy To effectively reach clients, potential clients, referral sources, the me‐dia or other audiences, law firms and their administrators should be using social media to connect with people whom they don’t see regu‐larly. Which social media to use, and how, depends on your strategy, which in turn depends – to varying degrees – on your firm size, prac‐tice areas, location and personality. “I definitely encourage people to use [social media],” says Karen Kap‐lowitz, a former trial lawyer and President of The New Ellis Group, a business development consulting firm in Los Angeles. “It affords an opportunity for frequent contact with people. … To establish credibil‐ity, lawyers have to be visible in these networks.”
(Continued on page 22)
President’s Message Trent Corken
I don’t know what to say, seriously, no idea. Stared at that line on my
computer for 20 minutes, cursor blinking. May have been longer but
I’m not going to admit it. Still nothing and I began to question my mo‐
tivation. That was my keyword, motivation.
First, I am humbled by the confidence you have shown in me to lead
the chapter. I am honored and I hope that I am able to rise to your
expectations.
ALA is a vast resource for us. One I don’t think we take advantage of
nearly enough. My goal as President this year will be to bring to light
the many different resources we have at our finger tips, thanks to our
ALA membership. I will push the importance of counting on ALA for
(Continued on page 2)
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
President’s Message 1,3 Introducing the New Board 2 Tweets, Links and Likes 1, 22‐25 2018‐19 Board of Directors 3 Business Partners 4‐6 Calendar of Events 7 Standley Systems 8 CLM Informative Article 9‐10 EMSCO 10 Business Partner Expo photos 11‐13 ALA Strategic Plan 14‐16 ALA Online Community 17 eLearning Center 17 BP Minute—MassMutual 18‐19 Ways to Beat the Afternoon Slump 20‐21 ALA’s Code of Professional Respon‐sibility 26‐27 Birthdays 28 Professional Reporters 28 Editor’s Note 29
THE CONNECTION Association of Legal Administrators
Oklahoma City Chapter
April 2018
2
Editorial Policy
The Connection is published by the
Oklahoma City Chapter of the Asso‐
ciation of Legal Administrators (“OKC
ALA”.) Opinions expressed in articles
contained herein are strictly those of
the contributors and do not neces‐
sarily reflect the opinions of OKC ALA
or its members. Preprinting of any
portion of this newsletter by any
means including photocopying, elec‐
tronic or mechanical is prohibited
without written permission from the
author and the Newsletter Editor:
Suzy Klepac, Kirk & Chaney PLLC,
14000 Quail Springs Parkway, Suite
3500, Oklahoma City, OK 73134
405.235.1333
ALA MISSION STATEMENT
ALA is the undisputed leader for the
business of law, focused on the deliv‐
ery of cutting‐edge management and
leadership products and services to
the global legal community.
We identify and provide solutions to
the most strategic and operational
challenges our members and custom‐
ers face today, while we prepare
them for the opportunities and chal‐
lenges of tomorrow.
Contact Trent Corken at [email protected] for
more information! Read about it on page 9.
The OKC Chapter is gearing up our
CLM study classes!
educational and leadership opportunities. I will try to show you how and
where to access all kinds of information. Information that, not only do we
need to know, but that our directors/partners/shareholders will be interested
in knowing. A good way to show that ALA is worth the dues each year.
The ability to meet with our peers and talking about day‐to‐day activities is
always the biggest attraction for us to join ALA. We are going to try to make
that happen more this year. Cathy is already busy thinking about round table
discussion points and ideas. If you have one you might shoot her an email. I
think this elevates our participation within our chapter and really makes peo‐
ple find time to attend the meetings. I’m going to try and bring back a couple
of after work happy hours this year too. Hopefully in areas where our out‐of‐
downtown folks can meet up with us. If you have any other ideas for how to
get together or meeting topic ideas, I’d love to hear/read them.
You have to do a lot of motivating in your job, almost daily. You also have to
motivate yourself to help others. This time let me help motivate you. Let’s get
together, have fun, enjoy the company and learn something, maybe even chal‐
lenge ourselves a little. I look forward to that this year.
Trent Corken is the Firm Administrator at Hall, Estill, Hardwick, Gable, Golden &
Nelson. He has previously served as President of the Oklahoma City Chapter
from 2013‐2014.
President’s Message (Continued from page 1)
3
4
THANK YOU BUSINESS PARTNERS!
26 E. Main
Oklahoma City, OK
Adam Brown
ab‐
405.694.3703
www.standleys.com
Greg Brown
405.272.1006
Gene Daniel 405.605.8860
Ron Vaughn 405.226.4503
5
Tom Meagher
405.702.8503
Jodi Jones
405.702.8503
Joni Mingle
877.697.6262 ext 5024
Phil Fraim
405.471.5380
Ronda Oravetz
405.748.4222
Bettye Taylor
405.717.8382
Ian Dauteuil
405.600.1366
Brandy Cuiskelly
214.406.2925
Larry Price
405.640.4121
Jason Sargent
405.708.7000
Troy Boyer
918.894.6781
Gayla Reeder
405.315.2591
6
Christopher Miller
Christopher.c.miller@ricoh‐usa.com
470.225.9680
Pam Bennett
405.235.4399
Marcia Estes
405.272.2128
Drew Austin
405.696.9800
Homer Myers
405.843.4727
Holly Balcom
405.942.6060
Lili Valle
405.525.0176
Jana Gridley
405.942.8551
Stacy Cumpton
405.946.4405
Marcie Plumbtree
405.249.4907
Kassie Danker
405.778.6512
Alis Duran
405.778.8339
7
CALENDAR of EVENTS
APRIL 5 Advanced 401(k) Planning and Strategies 12 Impacting Financial Performance: Key Performance Indicators 12 11:30: Oklahoma City Chapter Board Meeting—Hall Estill 13 12:00: Oklahoma City Chapter CLM Study Group—Hall Estill 18 Proving Cybersecurity Due Diligence For Your Firm 19 11: 30: Oklahoma City Chapter Monthly Luncheon—Petroleum Club
MAY 3 ALA 2018 Annual Conference & Expo 3 Managing Law Firm Growth: A Look into the Science Behind Personnel Analytics 9 11:30: Oklahoma City Chapter Board Meeting—Hall Estill 10 A Transgender Experience: A Personal Account 15 Payroll Mistakes That Can Land You in HOT Water! ‐ How to Avoid Getting Burned by Costly Mistakes 16 How Applied Improv Helps Legal Administrators Become Innovative Thinkers & Possibility Creators 17 Oklahoma City Chapter Monthly Luncheon—Petroleum Club
JUNE 7 Time to Go Back to School—Important Updates for Your Firm’s Handbook 13 11:30: Oklahoma City Chapter Board Meeting—Hall Estill 14 What’s NOT Being Said NEEDS To Be Understood 20 What Makes an Effective Legal Management Leadership Team? 21 Oklahoma City Chapter Monthly Luncheon—Petroleum Club
JULY 5 Operational Excellence: Legal Process Improvement Applied to Business and Administrative Functions 11 11:30: Oklahoma City Chapter Board Meeting—Hall Estill 12 An Overview of eMod DOCX Filing/Viewing and Patent Center Beta Release 18 New Money: Managing Law Firm Revenue at Client Intake 19 Oklahoma City Chapter Monthly Luncheon—Petroleum Club
8
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CLM ‐ CERTIFIED LEGAL MANAGER By Trent Corken
The CLM designation has been around ALA for a while but in the past three
to four years it has made a transformation. The CLM has moved to a fully
credentialed certification. What does that mean? It means a CLM joins
the ranks of the SPHR, SHRM, CP and others. Your CLM designation says
you know how to run a law office. Not just the one you are in and have
been managing for a while, but any law office. I find that intriguing.
The CLM is a program that allows qualified legal administrators to demon‐
strate, through experience and coursework, a mastery of core areas essen‐
tial to the legal professional. A fancy definition but accurate. The CLM is
designed to give you the knowledge and experience to walk in off the street and manage a mid‐size law firm. Couldn’t I
do that right now? I mean I have over 25 years of experience in the legal management field. Sure I could, but I know
that having the knowledge and experience of the CLM would makes things faster and easier and give me an added con‐
fidence to be successful. The coursework and classes expose you to tasks, new ideas, areas you haven’t worked in or
maybe thought about in a while.
The CLM is not an easy credential to earn. There are requirements and steps involved before you can sit for the exam.
You must meet the employment and experience requirements, as well as, education requirements to complete the
application for the exam. Applicants must fall under one of two categories: Applicants who are Principal Administra‐
tors or Applicants who are Functional Specialists. Both of the categories require you to have three (3) full‐time years of
experience in a law firm or legal department in an exempt level position.
A functional specialist must be in a supervisory position. What is a functional specialist? Glad you asked. A functional
specialist is a person who specializes in an area of administration such as HR Director, CFO, Controller, Benefits Coordi‐
nator, etc. Because a functional specialist has an area of strong expertise, the educational requirements to take the
exam are slightly different. A functional specialist has an additional 5 hours of coursework which must be outside the
area of expertise.
To meet the educational requirements for the exam, applicants must provide evidence of having completed, within the
24 months preceding the date of application, at least 10 hours of coursework. The 10 hours must be divided between
the five (5) management skill categories: Writing Skills, Communication Skills, Self‐Management Skills; Information
Technology, and Organizational Development. There is more information about each of these categories on the ALA
web page. Better yet, come to a CLM study group meeting and we can go into more detail with you. There are many
ways to receive the education credits. These are listed on the web page also. Really I just don’t want to give anything
away so people will come the first CLM study session where you may obtain all these details.
Now this article is starting to get a little too long so here are some answers to questions I have received:
The exam is offered twice a year, in May and in November. The testing can take place in many locations,
there are a couple of locations here in Oklahoma City.
Currently the exam fee is $529. A retake fee is $259.
The OKC chapter will reimburse the exam fee when the exam is passed.
The test is a 150 question multiple choice test.
(Continued on page 10)
10
Content for the test is 31% Financial Accounting, 33% Human Resources Management, 19% Legal Industry/
business management, 17% Operations Management.
Now, for those of you that have been around as long as I have and maybe
you younger nostalgia types, pretend the final song of Breakfast Club is
playing in the background……. In the end, the decision to study and /or
take the exam is a personal one. Some will consider it a challenge, some
an opportunity. You may consider it a necessity or you may look at it as a
way to keep learning and growing.
A quote from the application packet comes from Michael Steiner, CLM
from a firm in San Diego. He states “Regardless of the results, the CLM
process is one that can benefit everyone. Is it hard work? Yes. Is it a chal‐
lenge? You bet. A commitment? For Sure. Worthwhile? Without a
doubt!” AND fist pump !
The CLM Study Group Calendar will be coming out soon. I hope you will come be challenged and learn something with
us. If not, maybe you can help teach us something. I’ll be looking to our membership for those with expertise and
knowledge in the different areas. Please share some of your wisdom with us. Maybe you’ll just drop in when there is a
topic of interest. Hey, I believe the more the merrier. In whatever role, I’ll be looking forward to seeing you and learn‐
ing from or with you.
Editor’s Note: The first CLM study group will be held at Hall Estill on April 13th at 12:00 p.m. Email Trent Corken at
[email protected] for more details.
CLM (Continued from page 9)
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BUSINESS PARTNER EXPO—MARCH 8, 2018
Thank you to all who attended in support of our business partners!
12
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ELEVATE ALA
2017‐20 Strategic Plan
SINCE 2008, the legal industry has experienced dramatic and historic change. We have seen unprecedented law firm mergers and acquisitions; increased demands by corporate clients for greater efficiency, transpar‐ency, and cost control; the rise of new organizations providing legal services; rapid changes in technology; the creation of new legal management roles; and the introduction of the largest living generation into the workforce. To help legal management professionals conquer these new challenges, the Association of Legal Administrators adopted an ambitious strategic plan to position ALA as the undisputed leader in the business of law. The first phase of the plan (2013‐16) resulted in the following:
Throughout 2016, the ALA Board of Directors, Regional Representatives, Committee Chairs and Chapter lead‐ers have been engaged in extensive dialogue and discussion to develop the second phase of the plan, build‐ing on the progress achieved in Phase 1 and setting a strong foundation for long‐term growth. Our vision, to position ALA as the undisputed leader in the business of law, remains the same. Over the next three years, we will focus on five strategic goals: 1. Define Our Identity: As the legal management profession changes and evolves, ALA must clearly define
its role and leadership in the industry. Establishing and communicating a compelling and engaging iden‐tity is essential to achieving our long‐term vision.
2. Increase Member and Business Partner Value: ALA has a long history of delivering essential resources, knowledge and networking to its members and business partners. With increasing competition, ALA must continue to build and enhance its reputation for value.
3. Enhance Industry Thought Leadership: Leadership in the business of law requires that ALA take an active role in addressing key issues facing the profession and advance positions to elevate the critical role legal management professionals play in the industry.
4. Advance Legal Management Professional Development: As legal management professionals face in‐creasingly complex challenges, ALA must develop educational programs, resources and networking op‐portunities to provide them with the knowledge, skills and abilities to succeed.
5. Build Community and Engagement: ALA members and business partners have identified networking and (Continued on page 15)
ALA Online Communities Business of Law eLearning Center Compensation & Benefits Survey, enhanced with digital
dashboards Virtual conferences Webinars: enhanced subscriptions and reduced fees BOLD Bites weekly digital newsletter and monthly print
edition ALA IDEA Awards program ALA conference apps White papers
Legal Management digital magazine Legal Management Talk Podcasts Regional Legal Management Conferences,
with higher education content Exclusive member benefit programs, like
Teladoc, Infinisource, BreachPro, Allied World and National Purchasing Partners
Creation of the Mexico Chapter Creation of the Uniform Process‐Based
Management System
15
community as the most valuable benefits of their involvement in the organization. Building on that strong foundation is essential to our continued, long‐term success.
Each goal is defined by a statement of the current condition, the change we are seeking to effect, and how we plan to measure progress for each of the goals. Specific tactics will be developed each year as part of the association’s budget and plan of work, and progress on the plan will be communicated regularly to the mem‐bership via the ALA website, weekly BOLD Bites newsletters, and other communication platforms. We look forward to working with the entire ALA community – members, business partners, chapters, and other lead‐ers in the business of law – to achieving these goals. ALA Vision ALA is the undisputed leader for the business of law, focused on the delivery of cutting‐edge management and leadership products and services to the global legal community. We solve the most critical strategic and operational challenges our members and customers face today, while we prepare them for the opportunities and challenges of tomorrow. 2017‐2020 Goals and Objectives Goal 1: Define Our Identity Define a clear, compelling organizational identity that reflects who/what the association represents and that effectively focuses its programs, services and activities.
Condition: As the legal industry has changed, so too, has ALA’s membership, member and business partner needs, and ALA’s role in the profession. As we have tried to respond, our identity has become unclear. Change: To develop a clear, compelling and well‐recognized organizational identity. Level: Achieve annual rate of 90% or higher brand alignment among members, business partners and other legal management professionals in surveys measuring brand perception vs brand promise.
Goal 2: Increase Member and Business Partner Value Develop relevant, actionable, timely, responsive resources to increase value of ALA to members, business partners and other legal management professionals.
Condition: Facing increased and more complex challenges, members and business partners are seek‐ing greater value for their investment. To attract and retain members, business partners and custom‐ers, ALA must provide modern resources, expert insight, and invaluable connections for its constitu‐encies. Change: Increase value and perception of value received by members and business partners from membership and engagement with ALA.
Level: a) Increase net promoter score by .3/year through 2020[1]
b) Increase non‐dues revenue by 5%/year through 2020
Goal 3: Enhance Industry Thought Leadership Become recognized as a thought leader in the legal industry by conducting critical industry research and de‐veloping new ideas, innovations and solutions to guide the legal management industry.
Condition: Market research indicates that ALA is not perceived as a thought leader in the industry. Change: Enhance ALA’s image as a thought leader through original research, trend analysis and inno‐
ALA Strategic Plan (Continued from page 14)
(Continued on page 16)
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vation. Level: a) Increase unique web hits by 5%/year through 2020 b) Increase number of ALA media impressions (Meltwater/Cision) by 10% per year c) Increase speaking and content requests from external audiences (other associations, media, attor‐ney associations, for profit groups) – 2 new per year through 2020 d) Secure endorsement of ALA UPBMS from ILTA, LMA, AALL, ARMA, ABA, ACC by Dec. 31, 2020 e) Increase sales to solo and small law firm practitioners by 5%/year through 2020
Goal 4: Advance Legal Management Professional Development Advance the knowledge, skills and leadership of legal management professionals and strengthen the role of legal management professionals in the legal industry.
Condition: The legal industry is experiencing rapid, transformational change. The skills and training necessary for success is increasingly complex. ALA must provide resources to help legal management professionals achieve continued career growth and raise awareness of the critical role they play in the industry. Change: Increase the value of legal management professionals in the industry by developing relevant, insightful, actionable resources to advance their skills and leadership. Level: a) Improve average session evaluation scores by .05 /year through 2020 b) Increase the number of CLMs by 5% per year through 2020
c) Increase the number of professionals obtaining micro‐credentials[2] (50 new per year through 2020) Goal 5: Build Community and Engagement Build a stronger sense of community and shared purpose and increase engagement among members, chap‐ters, business partners, and other stakeholders.
Condition: Member and business partner engagement in ALA is declining. Limited resources are cre‐ating increased competition for financial support, time and talent. Change: Increase cooperation and collaboration among ALA components. Increase member and busi‐ness partner participation in ALA programs and governance. Level: a) Increase in‐person attendance across all conferences 3%/year through 2020 b) Increase number of business partner participants across all conferences 3%/year through 2020 c) Increase participation in member online communities 3%/year through 2020 d) Increase number of qualified applicants for volunteer opportunities
[1]*”Net promoter score” is a member loyalty metric and is determined by asking members “How likely are you to recommend ALA to a friend or colleague?” and having them respond using a 0‐10 point rating scale, with 0 being not at all likely and 10 being extremely likely. Promoters are those who respond with 9‐10, detractors are those who respond with 0‐6. Passives are those who respond 7‐8. The score is determined by taking the percentage of members who are promoters and subtracting the percentage who are detractors.
[2] Micro‐credentials are competency‐based recognitions that students can earn to boost their résumés and showcase their growing skills. Micro‐credentials focus on mastery of a singular competency
From http://www.alanet.org/about/about‐ala/ala‐strategic‐plan Copyright ©2018 by the Association of Legal Administrators. All rights reserved.
ALA Strategic Plan (Continued from page 15)
17
Welcome to the ALA Online Community
The ALA Online Community is a place to connect
with fellow members, share ideas and best practices,
samples and more. Be sure to visit the Reference Li‐
brary for information on a broad selection of topics.
Connect at community.alanet.org.
ALA’s Business of Law eLearning Center provides multiple
resources to hone your skills or expand your knowledge.
Podcasts, e‐courses, and webinars cover multiple topics
ranging from finance to HR to benefits to the basic opera‐
tion of a law firm. The eLearning Center also offers a Vir‐
tual Conference, where members can purchase and view
sessions from the National Annual Conference and Expo.
Find out more at alanet.org/elearning.
18
BP MINUTE with MassMutual Oklahoma
WHAT DOES RETIREMENT MEAN TO YOU? There are many ways to think about retirement – and your dreams and goals may not appear on anyone’s list but your own. Some people see retirement as a time to kick back, relax and slow down. Others look forward to rein‐venting themselves. No matter how you envision your retirement, having the freedom to live life your way will depend, at least in part, on having a secure source of income you can’t outlive. WHERE WILL YOU BE AT AGE 70? Or 80, or 90 – or beyond: The question is relevant for any‐one thinking about life after age 50. Although science can’t prove that “70 is the new 50,” the evidence is clear when it comes to life expectancy. Ongoing advances in medical care have resulted in an unprecedented increase in life expectancy over the last few decades. The average American today is living a longer and healthier life than his or her counterpart of a generation ago. This means the average person leaving the world of full‐time work at age 65 can reasonably expect to spend 20 to 30 years or more in what has traditionally been called “retirement.” No matter how you imagine retirement, it’s very likely that your savings will have to go further and last longer. Running out of money is the number one fear of many people approaching retirement. A good place to start is with a sound retirement income plan.
Step 1: Build a solid framework. The three building blocks for a sound retirement: Growth potential: Assets set aside for the pursuit of growth offer the best possibility of keeping pace with infla‐tion, although the potential for growth also entails market risk. Examples include stocks, bonds, mutual funds and variable annuities. Access: These liquid assets are readily available for emer‐gencies or for discretionary spending. Examples of liquid assets include money market accounts and simple savings accounts. Predictable income: This is the foundation, or “floor,” of your retirement income plan. It’s income that isn’t ex‐posed to market ups and downs and is guaranteed to be there when you need it. There are three key sources for this kind of income: Social Security, a defined benefit pen‐
sion plan (if you are lucky enough to have one) and the lifetime income options provided by many annuities.
Step 2: Estimate future income and ex‐penses The 4‐Box Strategy of income planning is a simple way to identify projected income and expenses in retirement. With this strategy, predictable income is used to cover your necessary expenses, while income from other assets is used for discretionary expenses.
Step 3: Assess the risks Most successful plans include an assessment of potential risks‐ and that’s true for retirement income planning, too. Risk #1: Inflation
90.6%: the cumulative inflation rate for the 27‐year period from January 1990 to January 2017.
Risk #2: Market Factors 56.4%: Percentage loss of the S&P 500 during years 2007‐2009 of the Great Recession
Risk #3: Excessive withdrawals 97% vs. 26%: The likelihood of sustaining a portfolio comprising 75% bonds and 25% stocks over a 25‐year retirement, assuming a 4% withdrawal rate vs. a 6% withdrawal rate, respectively. What is a “safe” with‐drawal rate? The higher the withdrawal date, the lower the likelihood of sustaining retirement assets over time.
Risk #4: Health Care Costs $265,000: The estimated savings a 65‐year‐old couple would need for a 90% chance of covering out‐of‐pocket health care expenses throughout their retire‐ment. The trade‐off for increased life expectancy may be having to spend more money on healthcare.
Risk #5: Housing expenses 32.9%: The percentage of a retired household budget spent on housing‐related expenses.
Risk #6: Tax Liabilities 70 ½ : Required minimum distribution (RMD) rules generally require that owners of non‐Roth qualified assets must begin receiving income distributions at age 70 1/2.
(Continued on page 19)
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Risk #7: Longevity 72%: The likelihood that one or both spouses who are currently age 65 will live until age 90. Longevity can exacer‐bate potential risks. That’s why having sufficient guaranteed income is so important. It’s income that’s reliable, no matter what happens in the financial markets, and is available for as long as you need it.
Step 4: Get the Details Acknowledge that risk isn’t about getting stuck in negative thinking. It’s about empowering yourself to make informed decisions that can help you make the next phase of your life more comfortable and secure.
Step 5: Consider your goals Goal #1: Create a pension‐like stream of income Goal #2: Transfer your risk Goal #3: Plan for income later in retirement Goal #4: Consider a QLAC strategy When a deferred income annuity is a set up as a qualified longevity annuity contract (QLAC) you can allocate a portion of your eligible qualified assets into the QLAC and delay receiving distributions on those assets up until a maximum age of 85
Step 6: Take Action Are you ready to take the next step? Do you want to supplement social security or pension benefits? Are there any income floor? Are you concerned about running out of money?
©2017 Farrell Dolan Associates. The 4‐Box Strategy is used by MassMutual with the express written consent of Farrell Dolan Associates.
Article submitted by Marcie Plumbtree and Cassie Wilson of MassMutual Oklahoma, 2018 Sponsors of the Oklahoma City Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators. Marcie and Cassie can be reached at mplumb‐[email protected] and [email protected], or at (405) 486‐1486.
BP Minute (Continued from page 18)
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Ways to Beat the Afternoon Slump By Dr. Jo® You’ve been so productive all morning long, knocking out emails and finishing projects, but shortly after the noon hour your productivity plummets to zero as dense brain fog rolls in. Bam! All of a sudden, you’re feeling fuzzy‐headed and groggy.
Does this sound familiar? While a sugary treat or large cup of coffee may offer a brief re‐prieve from the brain fog, these tips to beat the afternoon slump may prove more helpful: TAKE A BREAK Recovery breaks increase productivity, recharge alertness, and im‐prove mood and decision‐making. Just like your muscles need to rest between workouts, your brain needs a rest period to continue at the same level of productivity.
MOVE IT, MOVE IT People who exercise on a regular basis report more energy, even with the same amount of sleep. When you feel that slump coming on, stand up and move — walk up and down a few flights of stairs, walk over to a colleague’s desk in‐stead of sending them an email, or take a walk outside. CATCH SOME RAYS Natural daylight improves mood, energy and performance. If you can’t get outside, talk to your doctor about using a therapeutic bright light at your desk. CONNECT WITH OTHERS Take a break to catch up with your colleagues, or switch to a group activity by gathering the team for an energizing brainstorming session. WALK AND TALK Invite a colleague for a walking meeting with a specific agenda in mind. You’ll get the benefits of movement and ac‐complish some work, too. SWITCH TASKS Our body naturally goes through a low point every 90 minutes, so rotate between high‐focus tasks (writing an article or working on a project) and low‐focus tasks (cleaning off your desk or inbox). STAND UP Sitting at a desk and staring at the computer screen for hours on end is likely to lull anyone to sleep. Find a way to move or at stand up for at least part of the workday. REHYDRATE Even slight dehydration can hurt mood and productivity. It’s easy to stay hydrated when you’re sipping on water all day, so keep water at your desk at all times. Don’t like water? Try adding fresh fruit or squirts of flavor, or buy no‐calorie flavored carbonated waters.
(Continued on page 21)
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SIP — DON’T GULP — YOUR CAFFEINE It takes 30 to 45 minutes for caffeine to peak in your bloodstream from that first sip, so if you gulp it, you’re likely to overdo it. MAKE BREAKFAST NON‐NEGOTIABLE Skipping breakfast leads to overeating at lunch, making the afternoon slump worse. Not hungry for breakfast? Realize that we tend to lose our appetite when we’re overly hungry!
MAKE CARBS COUNT Carbs are essential as brain fuel. But let’s face it — most of us are overindulging in this category. For lasting energy, select just a couple of carbs at lunch. If you want the bun, skip the chips. Go bunless if you want the chips. POWER UP WITH PROTEIN For satiety and lasting energy, it’s critical to include protein at all three meals. Options include eggs, a cup of Greek yo‐gurt, a scoop of protein powder in your shake or a portion of meat about the size of a deck of cards. DON’T OVEREAT AT LUNCH Big meals make the midafternoon slump even worse. Since most restaurants offer enough proteins, carbs and calories for two meals, share with a colleague or take half of it home. MANAGE STRESS Every stress response begins with a sharp state of alertness that leaves you exhausted afterwards. Realize that stress results not from what happens to us, but how we react to what happens to us. We can’t control people and situations, but we are in full control of our thoughts, actions and reactions. CRANK UP THE MUSIC Music has been shown to influence mood as well as the perception of effort involved in an activity. There’s some re‐search to indicate that soft music can alleviate stress. The key is to slip on your headphones and find the music that doesn’t distract you. While energy slumps are natural during the day, they don’t have to be so severe that productivity suffers. Hopefully, these tips give you plenty of options to keep your productivity up all day long. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jo Lichten, PhD, RDN, speaks to professionals who have achieved great success in their career at the expense of their
health and personal life. She is the author of five books, including Reboot: How to Power Up Your Energy, Focus, and Productivity. www.drjo.com
Copyright ©2016 Association of Legal Administrators. All Rights Reserved. www.alanet.org.
Ways to Beat the Afternoon Slump (Continued from page 20)
Realize that stress results not from what happens to us, but how we react to what happens to us.
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Stephen Fairley, President and Chief Executive Offi‐cer (CEO) of the New Hope, Pennsylvania‐based Rainmaker Institute, has done research showing that 56 percent of clients use social media when looking for legal help, but he estimates less than 10 percent of law firms “have any meaningful pres‐ence” on social media. “That was shocking to me,” Fairley says of the for‐
mer number. “That’s huge. A few years ago, that [percentage] would have been single‐digits. It’s growing rapidly.” He adds, “The first word in social media is ‘social.’ The point is to connect with people who you wouldn’t see on a day‐to‐day basis. One common mistake is only to connect with people you see. You’re missing the whole point … if that’s where you end up.” STRATEGIZING SOCIAL MEDIA EFFORTS The smaller the firm, the more difficult it is for legal administrators and their staff to find the human bandwidth to ef‐fectively utilize social media, says Trish Lilley, Chief Marketing Officer for Fox Rothschild in Philadelphia. “It can be over‐whelming – another thing to add to legal administra‐tors’ to‐do lists. They really are jacks of all trades,” she says. “To minimize your time and resource allocation, be very focused and have a plan – Tuesday at 5 o’clock, put out a press release,” for example. Michael Stephens, Director of Human Resources Operations at Alston & Bird LLP in Atlanta, says smaller and midsized firms typically lack someone like Jeff Cordle, his Marketing Technology Manager. “Larger firms have a Jeff, who has be‐come an expert in this area,” he says. Smaller firms “have to figure out who’s going to manage the process.” Whatever you do, be consistent about it, says Peter Moeller, Director of Marketing at Scarinci Hollenbeck, based in Lyndhurst, New Jersey. “It’s about making sure that we put real, relevant content on different social media channels on a consistent basis,” he says. “Consistency doesn’t just mean producing new content, it also means being touched with the content. So if someone replies to the content, it doesn’t just sit there stagnant, but there’s someone there to re‐engage.” Having that said, the stream of content can become a flood if attorneys and administrators uncritically post everything that comes across their desks, Moeller says. “If every day, it’s new post, new post, new post, that’s bad,” he says. Moeller recommends posting educational content and being ready to engage with and respond to people who com‐ment on those posts. Smaller firms and those engaged in business‐to‐consumer practices should use social media to brand the attorneys, not
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“The point is to connect with people who you wouldn’t
see on a day‐to‐day basis. One common mistake is only
to connect with people you see. “
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their firms, Moeller says. “You’re branding the people whom the people are coming to; you want to have that sense to make somebody comfortable to give you a call,” he says. Whereas with larger firms, “People can feel proud that, ‘Wow, I’m hiring somebody from that firm.’ ” LINKING IN Fairley recommends LinkedIn as the best starting point for law firms and their administrators, followed by Facebook, Google Plus and Twitter, in that order. He sees LinkedIn – with 238 million connections, more than 750,000 senior ex‐ecutives and 64 percent of general counsel as weekly users – as the best place to find potential referral sources through attorneys in other practice areas, in addition to accountants, financial advisors and other professionals. “You’re going to look for groups that have influence on CEOs, general counsel, decision makers in your target market, then reach out, connect with them,” he says. “Start looking at what they’re posting, commenting on it, liking it, sending them an article occasionally and asking if they would like to receive a monthly e‐newsletter” rather than just spamming it to them. Once you have developed rapport, the relationship can move on to email, phone and potentially a lunch meeting, Fairley says. “Then it’s a matter of staying in touch,” he says. “Referrals often don’t come from the first meeting, but the third or fourth or fifth meeting.” LinkedIn also has 2 million professional groups, with another 8,000 added every couple of weeks, Fairley says. “Groups are where it happens for a lot of people,” he says. “It’s a fast‐growing area, and people who are active in groups, their profiles are seen four times more than (those of) people who are not active. It’s an easy way to connect with potential referral sources of business.” To establish those connections in the first place, Fairley advises having your LinkedIn profile filled out with a clear de‐scription of what you do and for whom, and uploading a picture. “There’s no excuse for not having a picture on LinkedIn unless you have a purple horn growing out of your head,” he says. “Put in a keyword title; don’t use obscure terms like ‘shareholder’ or ‘member.’ People don’t know what that means, and I’m not looking for a shareholder – I’m looking for a litigator. … Talk about the kinds of cases you work with or the kinds of clients you love to connect with. Use it like a digital calling card.” With 800 attorneys in nine offices, Alston & Bird has focused more on LinkedIn than other social media, viewing Face‐book as more personal, Cordle says. The majority of attorneys have LinkedIn profiles, he says, and the firm’s LinkedIn page amplifies content that it has on its website and blogs. “We figure if the attorneys have gone through and made connections the way they should, they will find those who are going to be most interested in their activities, speaking engagements or practice areas,” he says. “Some may be pros‐pects, some may refer them to others, some may be clients, and it helps to drive those relationships. One of the great things about social media is as [firms] do share information, they are showing up in [connections’] inboxes, as com‐pared to posting something and hoping everybody will come to them to see it.” Alston & Bird also uses LinkedIn and other social media for recruiting purposes, says Michael Stephens, Director of Hu‐man Resources Operations. “We haven’t paid for an online ad for years,” he says. Between the firm’s website and so‐cial media, “That seems to be enough for us to attract the candidates we need.” Fox Rothschild posts general firm news about significant new hires, firm expansions and the like, attempting to connect with journalists and industry groups. Lilley encourages individual attorneys to use the site, but only if they’re going to be active. “It’s better not to be there than to be stale,” she says. “It offers an opportunity to engage with people in
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ways you might not otherwise be able to do.” She recommends that smaller firms with limited resources focus primarily on LinkedIn and Face‐book for starters. LIKES AND TWEETS Attorneys will need administrators’ guidance in deciding whether or how to use Facebook, Fairley says. He recommends a “fan” page for the firm and separate individual pages for attorneys that they can use for personal or professional reasons, so long as they don’t mix the two. “If you’re not using it for personal reasons, to connect with family and old college friends, use both to promote your law firm,” he says.
In doing so, don’t promote your political or religious beliefs, as some people tend to do on Facebook, unless you have very strategic reasons for doing so, Fairley says. For example, he knows of a divorce attorney in Texas who has pro‐moted his pro‐gun stance, “which is very controversial in our society, but he lives in Texas, and it works for him,” he says. On the other side of the aisle, trial attorneys are often strongly committed to the Democratic Party. “It will turn some people off, but help you connect with your core constituency,” Fairley adds. “Don’t just do it on a whim.” Fox Rothschild has only recently gotten active on Facebook, Lilley says. The site automatically generates a company page once a certain number of people identify it as a place of employment, so the firm had monitored what went onto the page, which Lilley recommends to others. “The most important thing for any firm or practice is to know what’s out there about you in the cybersphere,” she says. “That’s the starting point because it’s policing your brand and making sure whether there’s any problematic or incor‐rect, outdated information.” In becoming more active with its page, Fox Rothschild has begun including information about charity work, awards given to its lawyers and “the cultural flavor of the firm; a more personal flavor,” Lilley says. The firm includes broader news and features on its LinkedIn page. She adds that many larger firms aren’t on Facebook because they see it as more social and personal, “but they miss an opportunity as far as recruiting and also from an employee morale standpoint,” she says. “It definitely breeds a positive feeling about the firm. For a firm like ours, with so many attorneys and so many offices, that point of connection be‐comes more and more important.” Fairley places Twitter lower on his list because it has too much “noise” and too many “spammers and scammers. And there’s a lot of people talking about nonsen‐sical items like what they had for dinner last night,” he says. “But in some cases you can connect directly on Twitter with people you could never reach on email or phone. You can reach some pretty powerful people.” Alston & Bird and its individual attorneys use their respective Twitter accounts to send out information shared on the website or LinkedIn, perhaps adding a comment and then sending to their followers or connections. “In terms of response, we’ll get some likes and maybe a few comments. It’s typically very limited,” Cordle says. But more important is that “we get them picking up the phone and calling one of our attorneys,” he says. The firm is exploring more focused use of Twitter and other social media by practice area, Cordle says, so that followers who are mostly interested in, for example, environmental law can receive items on that subject only. But Stephens notes, “The only down side to that is the firm Twitter account has 2,000 or 3,000 followers. A one‐off environment
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“The most important
thing for any firm or
practice is to know what’s
out there about you in the
cybersphere.”
“...if you want to rank well [on search engines], you have to have a Google Plus account.”
25
group might have only 100. How do you tie the two together?” Given the noise on Twitter, Fox Rothschild has taken steps recently to create separate handles for its top‐tier enter‐tainment and labor/employment practices, Lilley says. Otherwise, for most connections, the firm knows that not eve‐ryone will care about its wide range of news stories. USING OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA Fairley doesn’t see a strong reason to use Google Plus, but places it ahead of Twitter, anyway, due to one fringe bene‐fit: having a Google Plus account helps your website or blogs rank higher on search engines. “When you compare levels of activity to Facebook and LinkedIn, it’s a ghost town,” he says. But if you want to rank well [on search engines], you have to have a Google Plus account.” Avvo.com is another resource that Fairley recommends for attorneys and law firms, but he doesn’t necessarily catego‐rize it as a social media platform because it doesn’t provide two‐way interactions. With 6 million unique visitors per month, though, and basic profiles automatically uploaded, “You can’t get away from it,” he says. “You might as well use it as a marketing tool.” Fairley doesn’t suggest spending a lot of time on Avvo, but do “claim your profile and make sure it’s complete and correct.” Lilley sees Avvo as a better venue for smaller and more business‐to‐consumer firms because reviews tend to be from individuals rather than corporate counsel. “Corporate in‐house attorneys aren’t going to Avvo to find lawyers or do due diligence,” she says. Fox Rothschild is a heavy publisher of blogs – Lilley has been told the firm has more than any other. “Blogging can be an inexpensive way for smaller firms to boost their online presence and boost their reach and geographic platform,” she says. “You want to think about: Who is the target audience? And then ensure that what you’re writing speaks to that audience. Our lawyers have found it very effective. It has led to media opportunities, introductions and new mat‐ters in the door.” When considering the gamut of social media available, Moeller advises firms to bite off what they can chew, and no more, depending on their size and resources. “It’s time‐consuming. It’s a marathon,” he says. “If you dedicate yourself, know what you want to target and slowly grow, and fix things as you go along, you’ll find yourself becoming more suc‐cessful. … If you try to bite off more than you can chew, it will create too many errors, you’ll get burnt out, and you’re not going to fulfill the consistency aspect that is probably the most important part of all this.” ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ed Finkel is a full‐time freelance writer and editor who covers law, technology, medicine, education and youth, and
other issues. His legal writing background includes work for the ABA Journal, Student Law‐yer magazine, the Illinois Bar Journal and Chicago Lawyer.
Copyright ©2016 Association of Legal Administrators. All Rights Reserved. www.alanet.org.
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april
01 j. david snider
may
11 richard cathcart
12 jennifer johnson
22 danita jones
28 rebecca adams
june
13 sam lincoln
july
22 bette bialis
23 trent corken
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To submit a topic suggestion, question, article, photo, or story to the Association of Legal Admin‐istrators Oklahoma City Chapter newsletter, please contact:
Suzy Klepac
ALA OKC Newsletter Editor [email protected]
Your contribution is greatly appreciated!
editor’s note Spring has sprung! Finally! And so has a brand new year for
the Oklahoma City Chapter. With a new year comes new
members, a new board, new business partners, and new op‐
portunities. Let’s welcome this year with open arms, but also
remember a few things about our wonderful organization
that we might’ve learned long ago but have since forgotten.
In this issue, I remind everyone of the ALA Mission state‐
ment, the Code of Professional Responsibility, and the ALA
Strategic Plan. As we see our organization moving forward,
let’s not forget these few important basics that make up the
foundation of our organization.
Now, you might have noticed that a few of these articles are
copy written by the ALA. That is because I gleaned them
from Legal Management Magazine, the ALA’s own magazine
that is published every month. Legal Management reports on
topics within ALA’s five knowledge areas: Legal Industry/
Business Management; Human Resources Management; Fi‐
nancial Management; Communications and Organizational
Management; and Operations Management. ALA Members
are encouraged to submit articles to Legal Management or
to earn a CE credit by taking a test after reading a certain ar‐
ticle. I highly recommend checking out Legal Management
Magazine at http://www.alanet.org/education/publications/
legal‐management‐magazine‐current‐issue and seeing what
it has to offer!
—Suzy Klepac, Editor
