New Year's Resolutions:

New Year’s Resolutions:

Recap 2011:

In 2011 The Law Office of Cindy Allen, PLLC achieved a goal of taking on more clients than any other previous year.  We now boast a staff of Cindy Allen Supervising Attorney, Julia Mills Associate Counsel, Joshua Mills Legal Assistant, Danielle Smith Secretary/ Legal Assistant, and two interns C.B. Moore and Maris Skinner.  We have gone through a few staff changes during 2011, but now feel like we have settled into our groove.  We look forward to 2012 as an even better year than 2011, but we will always remember 2011 as the break out year for The Law Office of Cindy Allen, PLLC. 

As the year winds down and comes to a close, we will concentrate on bettering our practice and always looking toward the future.  To begin that quest I now bring you the TOP TEN NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS FOR LAWYERS…

 

 10.  Take more personal days…

There is nothing more damaging to a case as an overworked attorney.  Lawyers, despite common conceptions, are people too.  They need to sit around the house, drink coffee all day, watch reruns from 2011 hit shows they missed due to late night brief revisions, and exchange the business suit for the sweat suit.  I know the client is thinking “What about me?” well there can be no better way than to give their case the extra push it needs than from a refreshed lawyer.

9. Hit the Gym…

Let me just put you through the average day for an attorney.  6:00 AM wake up with you mind buzzing with the work of the day, bombarding your ever pleasant sleep.  Morning news, cup of joe, drive to work, sit down for 4 hours or stand up in court for 4 hours. (Which is occasionally broken up by a brisk walk to the courthouse), drive home, dinner, read over a case, and then sleep.  This vicious cycle plus the stress of fixing the lives of others leads many an attorney to an early grave, which reminds me of a joke.  “Q: Why do you bury a lawyer 10 feet deep rather than 6 feet?  A: Because deep down they are really a good person.”  Haha.  Anyway, this year, hit the gym.  Start working out at lunch, take off early to beat after 5 O’clock gym traffic, go for a walk after Saturday breakfast, join a bootcamp, zumba, or spin class.  In 2012 the world is going to end anyways, so why not look good when you meet your maker.

8. Go Paperless…

Not only will this help will overheard costs on paper, but it is also good for the environment.  At our own office we have already moved our billing statements to paperless, but for 2012 we will try and take it to the next level.  If only our county courts would move to paperless like federal courts it would be much easier.  Our attorneys now carry iPads and use them to view all of our scanned in pleadings.  Hopefully with the introduction of the stylus and the Write Pad app we can cut down on paper notes.  Going paperless is a brilliant way back up, organize, and to cut down on hefty offsite storage.  Of course in place of storage fees, you will need a large back up drive, and online backup, and someone to show you how to use it. 

7.  Learn a Foreign Language…

Not everyone speaks English.  If you are shocked by this comment then you need to travel more, (SEE Resolution #3).  In the US Spanish should be your choice, why?  Well because that is the language spoken in some 21 countries.  Many people who live in the US speak Spanish better than English, and a little language lessons will increase your ability to communicate more effectively with them.  We are talking more clients, more money, and plus pulling out a little Spanish makes you look cool.  So this year take up a foreign language.  It will make you seem smarter, even if you aren’t.

6. Tweet More…

Tweet, Tweet, and Tweet.  2011 for us became the year of good intentions with our blog, twitter, and facebook.  This year we will try and keep the tweets coming.  Twitter for any business is an essential presence on the web.  Not only will it increase you overall organic search engine rankings, but it will promote you to those social media enthusiasts who demand an attorney who knows how to use more than a typewriter.  So for 2012 we will focus on Twitter, follow us if you aren’t because we’ve got big plans. @normanokatty. 

5.  Use Less Postage…

You know I really do feel sorry for the United States Postal Service.  With their many years of service to the public as deliverers of birthday cards, packages, and bills; we lawyers understand their value more than most other businesses.  They have even been a fairly reliable six dollar process server, with the ever popular green card.  However in 2012 they are closing countless post offices.  Mail will slow and we will have to adapt.  So along with resolution number 8, a move to email will save you time and money.  Plus using email creates a digital trail of every piece of mail you send out.  Creating an easier and searchable way to organize your correspondence.

4.  Eat Less Junk Food…

For 2012 we should all take this resolution in to consideration.  Junk food and fast food seemed to take up a considerable amount of lunches in 2011.  These cost extra money, are unhealthy, counteract any workout plans, and take up just about as much time as it would to eat a healthy lunch you brought or network with your fellow lawyer and go to a nearby restaurant.  So let’s get healthy in 2012.

3. Travel More…

Attorneys’ schedules are crazy.  Many times they don’t have time to take a lunch, much less a vacation.  So before you fill up your calendars this year, take a little bit of time and mark off a few weeks of travel.  Stay-cations are nice, but really you need to get out and explore the world.  Practice that language you’ve been learning, and try new exotic foods.

2.  A Post-it Free Office…

Have you ever been looking through a file and found a post-it that says, “Mail this to the Judge.”  Frustration levels reaching the roof: What did they mail?, Who did you assign this to?, Does this post-it even belong in this file?  None of these questions can be answered because for convenience sake you grabbed a post-it a jotted down quick instructions.  Now you have cost yourself several hours of painful searching to track down what happened in the case. (This of course is a hypothetical situation that never happens in our office, wink wink).  For 2012 let’s not only eliminate the paper but with it, say goodbye to that pesky post-it.

1.  Blog More…

If you are reading this blog then you are realizing that it is the first blog update in several months.  In 2011 there was intent to update the blog every week or at best every month, but this did not happen.  There are several excuses which are not important to mention, but in 2012 our office will resolve to provide you will updates and comedic relief via the Res Judicata blog.  So look forward to blogs t2012o come, and please follow our blog.