To run a successful law practice, you’ll need to implement policies and procedures. Policies and procedures ensure consistency across your practice, streamline operations, and provide instructions to staff (and in an emergency, to a backup attorney). Here is a listing of the basic policies and procedures you should have for your office:
- Intake Procedures
- Opening File Procedures
- Closing File Procedures (Retention, Storage, Destruction)
- Document Management Procedures (Storage, Organization, Naming, Security, Backups)
- Calendaring System
- Administrative Procedures (Telephone, Email, Computer, Mail)
- Written Information Security Plan (WISP)
- Billing and Collections Procedures
- Financial and Accounting Procedures
- Personnel Manual
- Client Relations Policy
- Sexual Harassment Policy
ONLINE RESOURCES
Office Procedures Manual (Risk Management Practice Guide of Lawyers Mutual)
FURTHER READING FROM OUR LENDING LIBRARY
Law Office Policy & Procedures Manual (Howard Hatoff & Robert Wert, American Bar Association)
Records Management in the Legal Environment: A Handbook of Practice and Procedure (ARMA International)