Blog

Unlocking the potential of law firms through strategic insights and expert guidance.

Good Old Law Firm Days (Minus The Technology)

November 4, 2018

I began the practice of law in 1958. Back then, we didn’t have all of the wonderful advantages of modern technology. For instance, if we wanted to make copies of documents, we simply inserted more sheets of carbon in the typewriter. Our telephones were the good old-fashioned black variety prov...

Law Firm Profitability: Reduce Turnover Time

November 4, 2018

Unbillable Time Turnover This is determined by dividing the amount of unbilled time by the average of each month’s billings for the year to date. For example, let’s say, the firm carries a balance of unbilled time of one million dollars, and average monthly billings are $250,000. Then it would take...

Law Firm Profit Margin: Assessing Partner Profitability

November 4, 2018

Here’s a look at another side of the financial picture: how to calculate the partner profitability. And how to approach the poor performers. One of the best indicators of where and how to improve the firm’s profit margin is the individual partner profitability. Knowing whether the partners are per...

Operational Analysis

November 4, 2018

At RJH Consulting, our methodology is comprehensive and yet flexible, depending on the circumstances. However, the typical process that we have developed begins with a thought-provoking confidential survey. The questionnaire covers all aspects of the client’s law firm oper...

Law Firm Partnership Track & Management

November 4, 2018

Law Firm Partner: Equity Partner vs. Non-Equity Partner In “traditional” old-line law firms, it was typical for a lawyer to join a firm upon graduation from law school. From there on work hard as an associate for five to seven years. And then, in most cases, be admitted as a law firm partner. As...

Raising The Rates : Client Fees

November 4, 2018

When to raise the rates, How to raise the rates, Whether to raise the rates The trend today “is away from the billable hour.” Even so, hourly billing is still very much alive, and raising those rates is tricky business. How much is enough? How much is too much? When should the deed be do...

Strategic Planning Retreats

November 4, 2018

How To Plan A Strategic Planning Retreat? Having a strategic planning retreat is an excellent vehicle for a law firm to address issues such as the development of a long-range business plan. Is your firm among those which have made unsuccessful attempts at having planning retreats? Or are you ove...

Law Firm Partner Compensation

November 4, 2018

“It hasn’t been invented,” says Robert J. Henderson, founder of RJH Consulting & a Jackson Hole, WY, law firm consultant. There are as many compensation systems as there are law firms, and no two are 100% the same. So how does a firm set the right type of law firm partner compen...

A Good Staff Evaluation For a Law Firm

November 4, 2018

A good staff evaluation calls for a lot of points that often get overlooked Don’t look at a staff evaluation as a perfunctory exercise to give employees a raise. They are the administrator’s greatest opportunity to give employees reinforcement on what they’re doing well and direction on how to imp...