Hanging Your Shingle: A Comprehensive Seminar for Building a Successful Legal Career
August 2016
Hanging Your Shingle: A Comprehensive Seminar for Building a Successful Legal Career
Sponsored by the Professional Liability Committee and the Solo/Small Firm Section of the Colorado Bar Association
Program Highlights:
This Program is an Absolute MUST for New Lawyers!
- Writing Your Business Plan
- What Does a Bank Want to See Before It Loans Money or Extends a Line of Credit?
- What Type of Entity Should You Choose When Starting Your Law Firm?
- All Things Accounting and Finance: From Accounts Payable to Billable Hours to Accounts Receivable
- Trust Account Management and Fee Agreements
- Key Aspects of Law Practice Management
- Manage Your Malpractice Exposure
- Malpractice Insurance
- The Practical Application of the Rules of Professional Conduct
- Marketing and Business Development
- Technology: Your First Partner
- The Importance of Social Media in Starting Your Own Firm
- Ethics of Social Media
- Professionalism in Your Practice
- The Value of Getting a Mentor
Program Description:
Find out how to start, build, brand and grow your firm by attending this year’s Hanging Your Shingle program. In this intensive two and a half day course, you will get the tools, information and building blocks you need to confidently open the doors to your new firm and keep them open!
Register today. Whether you are in you’re in your first five years of practice in an established firm, or whether you have decided to venture out on your own, it’s time to renew your commitment to your career.
After attending, past participants valued their experience—
“One of the most useful seminars I have ever attended in my 24 years in law.”
“Practical accounting, marketing and tech advice.”
“Thorough, comprehensive and detailed approach.”
“Vastly exceeded my expectations.”
“This is truly fantastic!”
SPONSORS:
Sponsorship opportunities are still available! For more information, please contact Melissa Higham at [email protected].
Thursday, August 18
8:00am
Registration and Continental Breakfast
8:25am
Welcome and Introduction
Extended by David Little, Esq., and Gerald Pratt, Esq., Program Co-Chairs
8:30 – 9:10am
Don’t Freak Out—You Can Do This!
Sound Advice for Starting Out
Presented by David J. Graf, Esq.
9:10 – 10:00am
Writing Your Business Plan
Presented by Qusair Mohamedbhai, Esq., and Siddhartha Rathod, Esq.
10:00 – 10:15am
Networking Break
10:15 – 10:45am
What Does a Bank Want to See Before It Loans Money or Extends a Line of Credit?
Presented by Kelly Condon, Regional President
10:45 – 11:45am
Choice of Entity When Forming a Business: Options; Tax Considerations; Partnership and Operating Agreements
Presented by Fay Chu Fong, Esq.
11:45– 1:00pm
Lunch Break (On Your Own)
1:00 – 2:00pm
Accounting and Financial Controls Part I
- Trust vs. Operating: Account Reconciliations
- Billing and Maintaining Your Accounts Receivable
- Optimizing the Billing and Collection Cycle
- Accounts Payable: Recording, Keeping, Maintaining and IRS Requirements
- Cash vs. Accrual Accounting Methods
- Monthly Reports: Billable Hours, Accounts Receivable and Projections
- Understanding How to Read a Financial Statement
- Year-End Tasks and Responsibilities
Presented by Steve Libhart, Legal Administrator and Independent Accountant to Small Law Firms
2:00 – 3:00pm (1.2 Ethics Credit)
COLTAF Accounts
Presented by Katrin Miller Rothgery, Esq.
3:00 – 3:15pm
Networking Break
3:15 – 4:15pm
Accounting and Financial Controls Part II
- Importance of Having a Plan
- Advantages of a Business Plan
- Advantages of Budgeting
- Financing the Start-Up Period
- Tax Considerations
- Evaluating Costs of Doing Business
- Death and Taxes
- Being an Employer and Employment Controls
- Setting Billing Rates and Billing
- Monitoring the Evolving Plan
Presented by Ronald Seigneur, CPA/ABV/CFF ASA CVA CGMA
4:15pm
Adjourn to Networking Reception Sponsored by the Solo/Small Firm Section
Friday, August 19
8:30 – 10:00am (.5 Ethics Credit)
Key Aspects of Law Practice Management
- Client Intake
- Scope and Objective of Representation, Unbundled Legal Services
- Fee Agreements and Engagement Letters
- Informed Consent
- File Setup, Review, Diligence
- Working With Legal and Non-Legal Support Staff
- Diaries, Calendars, Tickling, Backup
- Managing Your Time
- Bank Accounts and Ledger Systems
- Client Confidentiality
- Billing Discipline
- How to Run a Conflict Check
Presented by Kirby Joseph, Esq., and James S. Sudler, Chief Deputy Regulation Counsel
10:00 – 10:10am
Networking Break
10:10 – 11:00am (1 Ethics Credit)
Malpractice Insurance, Including Cyber Insurance
A Very Unique Kind of Coverage
Presented by Carolyn Fairless, Esq.
11:00am – 11:50am (1 Ethics Credit)
Managing Your Malpractice Exposure
- Attorney/Client Relationship
- Identifying the Client
- Duties to Clients and Non-clients
- Avoiding or Limiting Liability
- Malpractice Exposures
- Risk Management
Presented by Franz Hardy, Esq.
11:50am – 1:00pm
Networking Lunch (Box Lunch Included in Your Tuition)
1:00 – 2:00pm (1 Ethics Credit)
Rules of Professional Conduct
Practical Application
Presented by David Little, Esq.
2:00 – 3:00pm
Technology: Your First Partner
- What Will You Need, What Does It Cost and ROI?
- Defining Your Needs in Relation to Your Skills, Budget, Practice and Firm Size
- Key Hardware and Software for Managing a Successful Practice, Including When to Use Smartphones, Tablets, Hybrids and Notebook Computers
- Is the Cloud Just for Rainy Days?
- Dealing with the Software Merry-Go-Round
- Selecting Case Management and Analysis, Timekeeping and Billing Software
- CRPC 1.5: Ethical Issues When Billing
- E-Filing in the ICCES World
- CRPC 7.1 – 5: Establishing a Web Presence
- CRCP 7.1 – 7.5 – Practicing Ethically in a Digital World
- Do’s and Don’ts of Dealing with Metadata – CBA Ethics Opinion 119
Presented by Phil Shuey, Esq.
3:00 – 3:15pm
Networking Break
3:15 – 3:30pm
The Importance of Finding a Mentor and What CAMP Has to Offer
Presented by John Baker, Esq.
3:30 – 5:00pm
From the Trenches: A Panel Presentation of Practical Advice and Traps to Avoid
Presented by:
David Graf, Esq.
Qusair Mohamedbhai, Esq.
Siddhartha Rathod, Esq.
Jay Tiftickjian, Esq.
Dianne Van Voorhees, Esq.
Moderator: Gerald Pratt, Esq., Program Co-Chair
5:00pm
Adjourn
Saturday, August 20
9:00 – 10:00am NO CLE CREDIT OFFERED FOR THIS SEGMENT
Marketing and Business Development for Small and Solo Firms
- Differences Between Marketing and Business Development and What Each One Does
- What’s in a Marketing/Business Development Plan and How Do You Create It?
- Steps to Crafting an Actionable Marketing and Business Development Plan
- Must Haves in Solo Marketing/Business Development Plans – Focus on Essential Tactics Like Website, e-Marketing, Basics of Social Media (Focus on LinkedIn for Lawyers)
Presented by Phil Nugent, Esq., Founder and Managing Director
10:00 – 10:10am
Networking Break
10:10 – 11:00am NO CLE CREDIT OFFERED FOR THIS SEGMENT
The Importance of Social Media in Starting Your Own Firm
- How Blogs and Social Media Work for Attorneys
- How to Create a Successful Social Media Strategy for Your Practice
- Social Media Best Practices
- How to Use Social Media to Build Your Referral Networks
Presented by Dustin Ruge, Regional Manager
11:00am – 12:00pm (1.2 Ethics Credits)
Ethics of Social Media
- Confidentiality, Competency and the Cloud
- Marketing Through Social Media
- Really Dumb Things Lawyers (and Judges) Do on Social Media
- Online Attorney Referral Services
Presented by Charles Luce, Esq.
12:00 – 12:40pm (.5 Ethics Credit)
Professionalism in Your Practice
Presented by Honorable John Leopold (ret.)
12:40pm
Adjourn
Registration Fees
| Non Member | $379.00 |
| CBA Member | $329.00 |
| CBA Solo Small Firm Section Member | $279.00 |
| CLEACCESSPASS--ELITE Pass Holder | $99.00 |
| New Lawyer Edge Partner | $0.00 |
- General Credits: 18.00
- Ethics Credits: 6.60
- EDI Credits:
To join the CBA or add a Section to your membership click
Sponsor Information
- All the Tools You Need to Open the Doors to Your New Firm
- An Emphasis on Communication, Civility and a Renewed Commitment to Our Profession
- Hear from Attorneys Who Have Succeeded and are Thriving in Their Own Firms!