
Learning How to Pivot in the Legal Industry
You all know Holly Pulido and Eric Hightower. Their enthusiasm and radiant smiles are hard to miss, but that isn’t everything they have to offer. Share some laughs and grab a takeaway or two as Holly and Eric dive into the challenges and obstacles that come with career changes and how to navigate moving to a new law firm.

How to Navigate the World of Law Firm Accounting
Most law firm leaders do not enter the legal industry with an accounting background, but a basic understanding is important to ensure the proper management of your firm’s finances. Decisions about billing processes, the acceptance of payments, and trust accounting form the foundation for a firm’s financial success. Therefore, it is critical for law firms of all sizes to properly position their financial systems. It will not only save time and boost profitability but will also prevent several potentially serious compliance issues.
A lot goes into navigating the world of law firm accounting. Let’s explore some of those vital components:

Getting Your House in Order: Building a Law Firm Strategy
Chris Sims and Chrissie Eastin (shoutout to Chrissie for being our fill-in for Tina Terrian) share their thoughts on law firm strategy and the change that has come to the industry due to the pandemic. From recruiting hurdles, getting your house in order, to finding the spotlight, Chris and Chrissie give us a lot to think about.

The Evolving Dynamics of Recruiting and Retaining Law Firm Talent
The landscape of law firm recruitment is changing dramatically. Whether seeking to attract new attorneys out of law school, entice lateral hires, or retain current members, law firms are taking unprecedented steps away from tradition in hopes of engaging and keeping top legal talent.
Conventional considerations like compensation, promotion potential, and bonuses remain part of the equation, along with some new metrics of comparison. Let’s take a closer look:

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Susan L. French Emerging Leader Fellowship Program 2019 Recipients
The Susan L. French Emerging Leader Fellowship Fund was established by GLJ Benefit Consultants in memory of former ALA President Susan L. French. In 2019, Jess Beyer and Emily Spehar were bestowed the honor of the Fellowship and for the last two years, have had the privilege of experiencing the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Join co-hosts Rob Joyner and Amanda Koplos as they sit down behind the mic with Jess and Emily and get a first-hand look at what the Fellowship meant to them and how their career trajectory changed.

Centerbase Welcomes Bob Freeburg as Chief Technology Officer
Centerbase is pleased to welcome Bob Freeburg as Chief Technology Officer. The hire follows Centerbase’s recent growth equity investment from Mainsail Partners and underpins the company’s commitment to aggressive growth and strategic expansion.
A performance-driven leader with over 25 years of innovative technology experience, Freeburg comes to Centerbase from Curantis Solutions, where he started as Chief Technology Officer in March 2017 before being promoted to Chief Operating Officer/EVP of Technology earlier this year.

Is Your Law Firm Effectively Maximizing Its Current Legal Technology?
It’s been a challenging couple of years for the legal industry, requiring law firms to make unprecedented administrative shifts and difficult decisions about adopting new technology. Every firm, regardless of size, can maximize its current technologies, but it takes strategy and analysis to make that happen. With evaluation, training, identification, and planning, you can get the most out of your current systems. Read on to learn how.

Centerbase Donates $5,000 to Foundation of ALA
Over the course of season 1, we began amassing a donation to present to The Foundation of The Association of Legal Administrators. For every subscriber, we pledged to donate $10! Well, season 1 has come to an end and we have a big number to announce!

Season 1 Finale at the 2021 ALA Annual Conference & Expo
What better place to wrap up season 1 than at ALA’s 2021 Annual Conference & Expo. From behind-the-scenes interviews with some of the series favorite guests to the announcement of a big donation to the Foundation of the ALA, co-hosts Rob Joyner and Amanda Koplos sure know how to make a splash!

Redefining the Traditional Law Office
Law firms nationwide are redefining the traditional law office by embracing virtual work, reducing their financial footprint, and promoting flexibility.
Now, more than ever, it is important to be adaptable in all aspects of your business, including financially and operationally. The right legal technology tools can support remote and hybrid work arrangements while ensuring both productivity and client confidentiality.

How to Improve Your Client Onboarding Process
Last week we blogged about providing an outstanding client experience from intake through the end of representation, culminating in a successful attorney-client relationship. This relationship begins with the client intake process. Efficient client intake starts and ends with the systems and tools that law firms implement. The right legal practice management software can prove instrumental to handling this important start to legal representation. Let’s dig deeper.

Strategies for Providing an Outstanding Client Experience
Today’s legal clients expect an outstanding experience that includes innovation, convenience, and consistent communication, so implementing strategies that support client satisfaction should be an ongoing goal for your firm. This starts with asking what your clients need at intake and ends with collecting honest feedback at the end of representation. Read on for ways law firms can create a client-focused environment where all clients feel valued.

3 Ways to Simplify the Legal Billing Process
Law firms can simplify their legal billing process, and even expand their client base, by implementing the acceptance of credit card payments. E-billing and simplified time tracking combined with multiple payment options are sure to make your billing easier for internal and external clients alike.

The Mostly Legal Podcast Season 1 Finale
We don’t know what has gone by faster, this year or season 1 of this podcast. We were very fortunate to have so many great guests and as we gear up for season 2, we want to make sure we’re delivering content you want to hear! Check out this video and don’t be afraid to give us some feedback!!

Why Your Law Firm Needs a Succession Plan and How Legal Tech Can Help
Does your firm have a succession plan in place? Succession planning is a crucial exercise in providing uninterrupted service to clients. Legal practice management software keeps the firm’s various business components in one centralized location, which can make a transition easier and efficient to navigate. Read on for what a successful law firm transition plan consists of – and how legal technology can help.

The Mostly Legal Podcast: Episode 11 “The Quintessential Mentor”
If we asked you right now who your mentor is, would you be able to give us an answer? Would you without a shadow of a doubt be able to name a person who has not only inspired you but has personally had a hand in your professional success? Statistically, not many people claim to have a mentor, so if you don’t, that’s okay you’re not alone. But in this final episode of our inaugural season, we interview Amanda Koplos’s lifelong mentor, Winston Williams (Partner at CWP Entertainment Management), and discover why having a mentor is not only crucial but may also determine your success in life.

Navigating the Complex Client Relations and Billing Arrangements of Family Law
Family law clients have a lot on their plates as they try to care for their families and traverse the waters of domestic relations law. Family law firms can alleviate some of their worries by implementing legal practice management tools that promote excellent client service, streamline various billing arrangements, and promote accurate trust accounting.

The Mostly Legal Podcast: Episode 10 “Young and in Charge”
What’s the difference between passion and perseverance? Passion only takes you so far and perseverance takes you the rest of the way. Take Jenna Carter (Director of Administration for K&L Gates, LLP, Washington, D.C.) and Chassidy Deckard (Director of Administration for the Texas region of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP) for example. Their perseverance has gotten them to where they are today and through the adversity of a high-pressure job, to overcoming the obstacles and blazing their own trail, these two powerhouse women show us what it looks like when the rubber truly meets the road.

Centerbase Acquires Family Law Software, Expanding Customer Base & Family Law Practice Product Experience
Centerbase, a legal practice management software company that provides mid-sized law firms with a cloud-based platform to streamline operations, has acquired Family Law Software, the leading workflow software for family law legal practices.

Before, During, and After: Ensure Your Law Firm is Prepared to Address a Data Breach
Your law firm has fallen victim to a cyber attack. Now what? Ideally, your firm would already have a plan in place to minimize the impact of a data breach. If not, read on for a checklist of steps that firm attorneys and administrators alike can take to appropriately respond to a data breach – before, during, and after the attack.

The Mostly Legal Podcast: Episode 9 “Small Firms, Big Hearts”
Which question would you rather have the answer to – where do you find the best firm administrators or how do you gain loyalty from a large group of people? Fortunately, you don’t actually have to choose because Katya Adams (Office Manager, The Watkins Firm, APC) and Gail Fredrickson (Firm Administrator, Rossway Swan) give us answers to both. Pull up a chair because we dive into a whole host of other questions too and you won’t want to miss what they have to say.

Maintaining Vital Law Firm Client Confidentiality: How Legal Tech Can Help
In today’s world of increased remote work and ever-evolving cyber attacks, the risk to client confidentiality is at an all-time high. With the right legal technology, including a secure document management system, firms can reduce the threat of data breaches and keep sensitive client information safe.

When the Timing is Right: Our Decision to Team Up with Mainsail Partners
We find ourselves at an exciting moment in Centerbase history, with the announcement of an investment from Mainsail Partners, a growth equity firm that invests in bootstrapped software companies just like ours. It’s been a long road to get here and we look forward to having you join us in the next chapter of the Centerbase journey.

The Mostly Legal Podcast: Episode 8 “The Other Side of the Fence: Legal Industry Business Partners Speak Out”
What would you do if, 48 hours before the most important event of the year, someone asked you to fill in for the keynote speaker? Would you pass up the opportunity or would you make it to the stage and give the best speech of your life? What if, after 20 years at a small firm, you made a leap and moved to a large firm? Would you be ready for the challenges that came with that transition? What about getting buy-in from attorneys and partners? How do you sell yourself in a way that gets you what you need? Take it from us, we can’t answer those questions, but Judy Hissong (President, Nesso Strategies) and April Campbell (Executive Director, Association of Legal Administrators) can. They take on the mic and bring us the wisdom we never knew we needed.

How Legal Practice Management Software Lessens the Workload for Law Firm Billing Departments
Your law firm’s billing department is at its most efficient when equipped with the right comprehensive practice management software to improve billing and accounting processes. Read on to discover ways, that with the right tools, you can maximize billing department manpower, making the department a trusted resource for all things revenue related.

The Mostly Legal Podcast: Episode 7 “Shifting Perspectives in the Industry”
What would you do if, 48 hours before the most important event of the year, someone asked you to fill in for the keynote speaker? Would you pass up the opportunity or would you make it to the stage and give the best speech of your life? What if, after 20 years at a small firm, you made a leap and moved to a large firm? Would you be ready for the challenges that came with that transition? What about getting buy-in from attorneys and partners? How do you sell yourself in a way that gets you what you need? Take it from us, we can’t answer those questions, but Judy Hissong (President, Nesso Strategies) and April Campbell (Executive Director, Association of Legal Administrators) can. They take on the mic and bring us the wisdom we never knew we needed.

Five Tips to Avoid Common Financial Issues in Law Firms
Understanding your law firm’s billing data is the key to avoiding financial issues that could create sticky situations with clients. Getting a grasp on the cost of doing business will help your firm handle the principles of law firm finances with ease.

The Mostly Legal Podcast: Episode 6 “If You Get Lost – Just Shake Something”
Buckle your seatbelts, because there is a lot to unpack in this episode! Holly Pulido (Chief Operating Officer at Slack Davis Sanger LLP) and Eric Hightower, CLM SPHR (Director of Operations at Wright, Constable & Skeen, L.L.P.) take us through a jam-packed, 60-minutes’ worth of award-worthy entertainment. From uncovering the real myth behind the legal management profession and navigating mergers and acquisitions, to learning how to prioritize an onslaught of requests, this episode will remind you why you do what you do. And, as a bonus, you’ll also discover what really happens when the light bulb during a Kmart blue light special goes out… Take it from us, if the hosts of our show suddenly become Holly and Eric, you’ll know why!

Why Real Estate Law Firms Need Customizable Practice Management Software
Real estate law includes a wide range of specialties, from residential sales to multi-million-dollar commercial transactions. To be consistently successful, real estate law firms need practice management tools that can be tailored to the specific needs of these complex undertakings. Learn why now.

The Mostly Legal Podcast: Episode 5 “A Legal Leader’s Love Story”
Finding the love of your life is rare. It isn’t something you can search for or pull out of thin air, and sometimes, people go through their entire lives without it. But that wasn’t the case for Mark Bridgeman (HR Manager, Shuffield, Lowman & Wilson, P.A.). From the Navy to Chief Legal Records Manager to three ALA chapter leadership positions, Mark has seen it all. But what he didn’t see coming was Steven Wingert. From a love born out of a Starbucks line to defying the odds, and navigating pancreatic cancer, Mark takes us through a love story that continues to live on through their children, grandchildren, and Steven’s leadership legacy. It will be remembered as the deepest and purest form of love, partnership, and hope.
This episode is dedicated to and in loving memory of Steven Wingert, CLM, PhD. (FEBRUARY 7, 1960 – MARCH 18, 2019)

How to Overcome Todays Recruiting Challenges
Check-in on any firm administrator or managing partner communication platform, and you will find conversations regarding the challenges of finding help. There is a shortage of good talent and the difficulty in recruiting that talent is felt across the board by firms of all sizes and locations. Learn what you can do about it.

The Mostly Legal Podcast: Episode 4 “A Servant Leader’s Journey”
Michael Bumgarner (President of ALA) and Debbie Elsbury (former President of ALA) join the show to discuss everything from the hurdles that come with huge career transitions to the power of titles within a firm. They also discuss how one can progress into leadership within ALA.
In the legal community, it’s easy to feel like the dumbest person in the room because let’s face it, you’re surrounded by so many great minds and imposter syndrome is real. But both Debbie and Mike have some tips on how to overcome this. And if that wasn’t enough to pique your interest, they also have a haunted house story!

Why Criminal Defense Law Firms Need a Comprehensive Law Practice Management
Law practice management software gives criminal defense firms the tools they need to navigate a case from intake to payment using a centralized hub. Comprehensive case management, combined with integrated billing and accounting tools, keeps law firms on top of their numerous responsibilities.

The Mostly Legal Podcast: Episode 3 “Working With Friends”
Everyone knows you should always maintain a professional relationship with your coworkers, but what happens when your coworker also happens to be a great friend? From a floating Walmart to...

How Insurance Defense Firms Can Better Leverage Technology
Insurance defense law firms are faced with unique challenges every day. Because of this, they need specialized tools that will help them manage complex matters while maximizing productivity and promoting profitability. This blog will delve into some of those issues and suggest how the right software features can help firm attorneys and administrators effectively address them.

The Mostly Legal Podcast: Episode 1 “Introducing The Mostly Legal Podcast”
You may be asking yourself, why should I listen to a podcast about legal management? The answer is simple: as a pioneer in law firm tech sales and a seasoned...

The Mostly Legal Podcast: Episode 2 “Finding Your Voice in a Big Firm”
Lyn Calu (Regional Office Administrator at Dinsmore & Shohl) and Michael Keatts (Regional Office Administrator at Bowman and Brooke) began their friendship at Bowman and Brooke where they navigated the...

How Practice Management Software Eases the Transition Back to the Courtroom
With the world starting a slow return to normal, court systems nationwide are beginning to open up, welcoming attorneys and the public back into courthouses for in-person appearances and other court-related business. While some jurisdictions remain at partial or limited capacity, others have made the transformation to 100%, forcing many attorneys to make a quick transition. Is your firm ready for this? See if you have what you need here.

4 Reasons Why Law Firms Need Cloud-Based Legal Practice Management Software
Over the last 10 years, business leaders around the world have incorporated cloud-based technologies, recognizing their greater efficiency and cost savings potential. However, many law firms still rely on filing cabinets and in-office servers, but the disruption of service that has taken place over the last couple of years has made the drawbacks of this decision painfully clear.

8 Unique HR Challenges Firm Administrators Face and How They Can Solve Them
Legal regulatory guidelines and industry standards require considerations not often seen within other business industries. While most big law firms maintain an HR department to address these complexities, HR issues often wind up on a law firm administrator’s long list of duties. This blog will take a look at eight unique HR challenges commonly experienced by law firm administrators.

How to Improve Efficiency and Cash Flow with Your Billing Templates
Law firms today are finding it increasingly necessary to meet specific client needs with their invoices. How does your firm receive payments from clients in a timely manner? Is it important that your invoices communicate the information expected by each client in the format that they require? Ask yourself, are you managing this process in a way that is financially beneficial to your firm?

3 Trends Currently Shaping Legal Operations
As in-house legal departments and large corporate law firms seek to meet the immediate needs of a changing legal environment, legal operations will continuously play a major role. Firm administrators will identify new methods and tools for streamlining firm operations, saving costs, and providing clients with top-notch service.

Does Practice Management Software Make Your Firm More Flexible?
As law firms announce their respective return-to-office strategies, flexibility appears to be a common theme. To best handle these transitions, law firm administrators and members need a comprehensive practice management system that promotes consistency while minimizing potential roadblocks, learn why.

Introducing the Centerbase Client Community
After months of planning and building from the ground up, we are excited to announce the launch of a brand new exclusive community for our clients! Centerbase’s mission for the…

Cloud Technology: Is It Necessary to Remain Competitive?
Software is constantly improving, and firms that continue to use server-based software are finding it impossible to keep up with advancing technology. If a firm wants to take advantage of the latest and greatest, is it essential to be willing to adopt a cloud-based system?

From Hesitancy to Acceptance: How to Encourage Seasoned Law Firm Members to Embrace New Technologies
As law firm administrators seek to introduce new technologies into their firms, they may find that some more seasoned members resist the changes. But the legal industry is quickly changing, and innovative technologies must be a part of that transition. By implementing these strategies, law firm administrators can encourage older members of the firm to embrace tech advances.

The Reporting Data that Law Firms Need for Financial Success
When you think about the function of a law firm, your thoughts probably go straight to the provision of legal services. But, with regular reporting, firms can track metrics that provide valuable detailed financial analysis.

Strategically Growing Your Law Firm 101: The Planning Basics
Without a plan for where you’re headed, you will never arrive at the desired destination. Growing your law firm is no easy feat, but there are simple planning steps you can take to ensure you set yourself up for success. The common saying goes, “if you fail to plan, then you plan to fail.” Don’t let that be you!