7.5 MCLE Credits:  6.5 Law Practice Management; 1 Ethics

Agenda

Registration (8:30-9:00)

Welcome (9:00-9:15)

Stephen Younger, Robert Ostertag, Debra Whitson, Teresa Schiller

Grow, Merge, or Stay the Same -- Where Do You Go From Here? (9:15-10:30)

• Reconsidering the legal identity of your practice
• Time to take on a partner?
• Issues to consider in merging your practice
• Opening a satellite office
• Hiring associates

Anthony Fletcher, Arthur Greene, Angela Barker, Shamsey Oloko

Refreshment Break (10:30-10:45)

Using a Website and Social Media to Build Your Practice (10:45-12:00)

• Website basics:  simple versus bells and whistles:  how much will it cost?
• Website content:  how to provide information without giving away the store and opening yourself up to liability
• Using Facebook and Twitter and other social media effectively

Carolyn Elefant, John McCarron, Warren Redlich, Midwin Charles

Box Lunch with Speaker (12:00-1:00)

Carolyn Elefant, Gary Munneke

Running Your Practice Efficiently:  Best Practices for Solos (1:00-2:15)

• Reducing, organizing, and controlling paperwork
• Improving billing and collection methods to ensure the even flow of money
• Using the technology at hand to save time and communicate more effectively with your clients -- e-mail, Outlook, and your Blackberry or iPhone

Camille Allen, Michael Rakower, Cenceria Edwards

Avoiding Misteaks:  Practicing Solo Safely and Ethically (2:15-3:15)

• Firing the client -- doing it right
• Avoiding malpractice claims and disciplinary complaints
• Knowing when to seek outside help when the going gets too rough:  consulting Lawyers Assistance Project for help with stress and other issues

Vincent E. Doyle, Thomas Rice, Marian Rice

Refreshment Break (3:15-3:30)

Refining the Employer/Employee Relationship (3:30-4:45)

• Preparing an employee handbook
• Relevant labor laws and employment contracts
• Revisiting the hiring, firing, and retaining of staff
• Creating exit procedures
• Incentives for satisfactory employees
• Dealing with employee substance abuse

Debra Whitson, Joan Rothermel, Maureen Reid

Concluding Comments and Adjournment (4:45-5:00)

Gary Munneke

Wine and Cheese Networking Reception (5:00)

Co-Sponsors

• NYSBA Law Practice Management Committee
• NYSBA Solo/Small Firm Coordinating Council
• NYSBA Continuing Legal Education Committee
• NYSBA General Practice Section
• Asian American Bar Association of New York
• Association of Black Women Attorneys, Inc.
• Black Bar Association of Bronx County
• Capital District Black and Hispanic Bar Association
• Dominican Bar Association
• Hispanic National Bar Association -- New York, Region II
• Long Island Hispanic Bar Association
• Metropolitan Black Bar Association
• Muslim Bar Association of New York
• Nigerian Lawyers Association, Inc.
• Puerto Rican Bar Association
• South Asian Bar Association of New York

NYSBA passes and coupons will not be accepted for this program.

For questions about registration or to receive more information about this program, please contact the Registrar’s office @ 800-582-2452 (in Albany & surrounding area dial 463-3724)