http://myshingle.com/2007/08/articles/ethics-malpractice-issues/do-ethics-committees-pick-on-solos-yes-yes-and-yes/ Great Things Come in Small [Law] Practices! Thu, 09 Feb 2012 04:09:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://myshingle.com/2007/08/articles/ethics-malpractice-issues/do-ethics-committees-pick-on-solos-yes-yes-and-yes/comment-page-1/#comment-2777 Spamhater Mon, 20 Aug 2007 17:28:39 +0000 http://174.120.83.8/~sh1ngl3/2007/08/articles/uncategorized/do-ethics-committees-pick-on-solos-yes-yes-and-yes/#comment-2777 You gotta be kidding me Rjon. You gotta be kidding me Rjon.

]]> http://myshingle.com/2007/08/articles/ethics-malpractice-issues/do-ethics-committees-pick-on-solos-yes-yes-and-yes/comment-page-1/#comment-2776 RJON@HowToMakeItRain.com Sat, 18 Aug 2007 08:19:39 +0000 http://174.120.83.8/~sh1ngl3/2007/08/articles/uncategorized/do-ethics-committees-pick-on-solos-yes-yes-and-yes/#comment-2776 Back when I was a Practice Management Advisor with The Florida Bar's Law Office Management Assistance Service I had the opportunity to become involved in the disciplinary proceedings concerning many dozens of lawyers. More specifically, when the disciplinary committee determined a violation of Bar Rules had occurred but believed the violation emanated from poor office management practices (as is the case in a full 54% of Bar Disciplinary Cases in Florida)I was often asked by the Bar to go out into the field and conduct a review, analysis, audit and provide a report with recommendations. Accordingly, in my relatively brief career spanning back only 10 years, I have probably crawled through the innards of more small law firms than perhaps any other lawyer alive today. And here's what I've found. . . The Bar DOES in fact discipline more solos than it does lawyers in larger firms. But there are some perfectly innocent reasons for this statistical reality: First of all, contrary to what everyone apparently thinks, solos make up a 6:1 majority when compared to lawyers in large & medium firms (see the "Press Room" on my site for exact numbers). So it should come as no surprise that most disciplinary cases involve solos. Secondly, consider that fully 54% of Bar disciplinary cases find their roots in poor law office management practices & procedures. Now factor-in the fact that large & medium sized firms are usually managed by professionally trained administrators (see www.alanet.org to get an idea of what I mean). These professionally-trained law firm business managers are very often able to prevent or resolve the kinds of problems that cause disciplinary problems in the first place - how may courses does the average solo have the chance to take in law school about how to manage the business of a law firm?!!? Thirdly, from what I have seen first-hand and heard about anecdotally in many hundreds more cases from fellow PMA's from around the Country, a huge percentage of disciplinary problems trace their roots to poor Rainmaking Skills. Most larger law firms by comparison, got that way and are able to stay that way because of a few skilled Rainmakers who know how to make it rain without inadvertently creating the kinds of problems that lead to disciplinary trouble for so many solos. Respectfully, RJON ROBINS www.HowToMakeItRain.com Helping Lawyers In Small Law Firms Make ALOT More Money (and avoid disciplinary problems) Back when I was a Practice Management Advisor with The Florida Bar’s Law Office Management Assistance Service I had the opportunity to become involved in the disciplinary proceedings concerning many dozens of lawyers.
More specifically, when the disciplinary committee determined a violation of Bar Rules had occurred but believed the violation emanated from poor office management practices (as is the case in a full 54% of Bar Disciplinary Cases in Florida)I was often asked by the Bar to go out into the field and conduct a review, analysis, audit and provide a report with recommendations. Accordingly, in my relatively brief career spanning back only 10 years, I have probably crawled through the innards of more small law firms than perhaps any other lawyer alive today.
And here’s what I’ve found. . . The Bar DOES in fact discipline more solos than it does lawyers in larger firms. But there are some perfectly innocent reasons for this statistical reality:
First of all, contrary to what everyone apparently thinks, solos make up a 6:1 majority when compared to lawyers in large & medium firms (see the “Press Room” on my site for exact numbers). So it should come as no surprise that most disciplinary cases involve solos.
Secondly, consider that fully 54% of Bar disciplinary cases find their roots in poor law office management practices & procedures. Now factor-in the fact that large & medium sized firms are usually managed by professionally trained administrators (see http://www.alanet.org to get an idea of what I mean). These professionally-trained law firm business managers are very often able to prevent or resolve the kinds of problems that cause disciplinary problems in the first place – how may courses does the average solo have the chance to take in law school about how to manage the business of a law firm?!!?
Thirdly, from what I have seen first-hand and heard about anecdotally in many hundreds more cases from fellow PMA’s from around the Country, a huge percentage of disciplinary problems trace their roots to poor Rainmaking Skills. Most larger law firms by comparison, got that way and are able to stay that way because of a few skilled Rainmakers who know how to make it rain without inadvertently creating the kinds of problems that lead to disciplinary trouble for so many solos.
Respectfully,
RJON ROBINS
http://www.HowToMakeItRain.com
Helping Lawyers In Small Law Firms Make ALOT More Money (and avoid disciplinary problems)

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