The practice of law has become a very crowded and competitive market, which is why The Florida Bar has launched LegalFuel.com.
Discussing the new website in detail with the Florida Record, Director Jonathon Israel said The Florida Bar created the new resource since more than 60 percent of the bar’s 106,000 members identify as either solo or small firms with less than 10 attorneys in the practice.
“The time and cost involved in starting or managing a law practice are very daunting,” Israel said, adding the technology used to practice and support a practice is evolving at a rapid pace. “While attorneys are great at interpreting law, what they did not learn in law school is how to start or manage a business.”
LegalFuel.com is not just for attorney’s fresh into the field, according to Israel, who detailed how the website works for veteran lawyers as well. “Whether they are looking to close their practice and retire, sell their practice, or hire an associate who can succeed them, we have those resources as well,” he said.
“In the middle, for those attorneys who already have a practice, we will continue to curate the latest information on marketing, technology, finance and general business management so they can come to LegalFuel.com to find the answer to any questions they may have,” he added.
Articles, how-to video’s, podcasts and continuing legal education (CLE) resources are just some ways attorneys can find answers they need, Israel said.
LegalFuel.com provides at least two free CLEs per month and offers an array of education as seen in the Mental Health and Wellness of Florida Lawyers CLE, Israel said.
“A major initiative for the bar is assisting lawyers in identifying and understanding the risks their stressful lives create,” Israel said.
Among the questions the CLEs help to answer are how do attorneys manage the aspects of practicing law while handling a business and maintaining their personal lives?
“This program will provide them with real world examples and assist them in understanding how to recognize and deal with these stresses so they can maintain a healthy professional and personal life,” Israel said.
LegalFuel.com currently has a catalog of 55 free CLEs available which provide bar members with more than 80 hours of general CLE credit as well as over 50 hours of technology credit and 12 hours of ethics credit, according to Israel.
He said bar members, who are required to have 33 hours of CLEs every three years, which includes three hours of technology credit and five hours of professional/ethics credit, can meet their quota for free.
And in the case an attorney who needs another attorney to assist them, LegalFuel.com has that handled, Israel added.
“LegalFuel is staffed by a senior practice management adviser, a practice management adviser, myself as the director of the program and my administrative assistant,” Israel said.
A lawyer can very quickly find himself in trouble if they do not understand the bar's rules related to marketing or if they do not have a solid understanding of finance especially as it relates to trust accounting, according to Israel.
“The bar has very strict rules about how an attorney can market themselves or their firm as well as where they can market their services,” Israel said. “LegalFuel has all of the information they need to understand those rules to ethically market their practice.”
LegalFue0.com also has the resources to teach them the latest trends to market their practice, he added.
“With regards to finance, it is very important the lawyers understand what goes into their IOTA (interest on trust account) versus operating accounts, how and when funds should be dispersed and where they should be dispersed from, as well as any tax implications of the funds they are handling,” Israel said.
Some upcoming LegalFuel seminars include “Social Media and Your Practice,” in August; “10 Ways to Avoid a Grievance,” in September; “More ‘Me Time for the Busy Lawyer,” in October; “How to Take Your Practice to the Next Level,” in November; and “Get a Life! How to Find Work Life Balance,” in December.