The Essential Formbook Series: Comprehensive Management Tools for Lawyers

Gary A. Munneke, Anthony E. Davis

Introducing… a new series of law office management forms that save time, money, and frustration.  Through four volumes, The Essential Formbook: Comprehensive Management Tools for Lawyers will gather — into one, easy-to-use resource — the essential forms that law practitioners use on a regular basis. Collectively, these forms will help you establish profitable, affirmative client relationships so you can avoid unnecessary risks associated with malpractice and disciplinary complaints.  You’ll appreciate the enormous time savings as well as the confidence of having these convenient forms at your fingertips.  Developed by attorneys, law office management consultants, and the American Bar Association, all the forms in The Essential Formbook have been successfully used by law practitioners.  Each form comes complete with its own set of instructions and usage explanations, so you can select the ones most relevant to your practice. And, with all the forms available on diskette, it’s easy to modify them to match your specific needs.  The Essential Formbook will help you:

• Increase office management efficiency
• Customize already proven office forms, letters, and other materials
• Avoid misunderstandings and malpractice risks
• Establish affirmative client relationships
• Improve service and boost bottom-line profitability

According to the authors, effective management enables law firms to concentrate on serving their clients and making their law practice profitable, which are two fundamental goals of every law firm.  This series is designed to help law firms achieve, and benefit from, effective practice-management systems.  Every volume of The Essential Formbook contains two parts, each focusing on a separate issue.  Each of those parts uses a three-prong approach to help you easily implement these proven management practices.  Each part contains text discussing the management issues covered, checklists to utilize in evaluating management practices, and numerous ready-to-use forms.  It was designed to be a comprehensive tool providing the sample forms, letters, agreements, checklists, and other fundamental documents that are vital to outstanding client service, maximum profitability, and responsible, ethical practice.  The primary goal of these forms, and the management principles behind them, is to help a firm establish profitable and affirmative client relationships so that they can avoid unnecessary risks associated with malpractice and disciplinary complaints.  

Each volume comes in a high-quality embossed three-ring binder.  All the forms contained in Volumes I and II are provided on diskettes included with each volume. The forms, checklists, and other documents featured in Volume III are supplied on an accompanying CD-ROM.  This allows the users to easily modify the forms to suit a firm’s specific needs.

Co-author Gary A. Munneke has written numerous books on the practice of law and is a law professor at Pace University School of Law, where he teaches tort law, professional responsibility, and law practice management.  Co-author Anthony E. Davis is the author of Risk Management (ABA Law Practice Management Section and Center for Professional Responsibility, 1995) and The Year 2000 Problem and the Legal Profession (ABA Law Practice Management Section, 1998).  He is a partner in the New York law firm of Hinshaw & Culbertson, practicing law in New York and Colorado.

 As a Formbook Subscriber, you’ll receive dozens more forms, supplements, and revisions as soon as they are published. (And, you’ll save 15% through the ABA!)  The Essential Formbook: Comprehensive Management Tools for Lawyers will be kept up to date through periodic supplementation, revisions, and connecting volumes sent on approval.  As a Formbook Subscriber, you may change or cancel upkeep service at any time by notifying the American Bar Association in writing.

Vol. I – Partnership and Organizational Agreements; Client Intake and Fee Agreements
$136 CBA Members, $170 Non-Members
First Supplement:  $30 (No Discount Available)
Useful to legal practitioners of all specialties and sizes, this first volume of The Essential Formbook includes more than 48 forms, checklists, and sample documents, and focuses on Partnership and Organizational Agreements and Client Intake and Fee Agreements.  These sections will be periodically updated to ensure that you always have the most current information available.  The first section addresses Partnership and Organizational Agreements, providing information about law firm management structure models, use of ethics, and general counsel.  One of the most important features, The Model Partnership Agreement Form, offers all the basic provisions such as liability insurance, no goodwill, severance, and vacations, as well as the potential problems in a relationship including withdrawal, disability, death, and payment obligations.  This section also discusses alternative forms of business, such as LLCs, LLPs, PCs, and PAs, and a comprehensive Dissolution Agreement Form.  With every single form on diskette, all you have to do is download and customize to match your firm’s needs, saving you valuable time and effort! (Note: Format is WordPerfect 6.1 for Windows). 

Section Two — Client Intake and Fee Agreements — walks you through the intake process, including how to effectively gather information on new clients, manage the client selection process, make judgments, and use engagement letters and nonengagement letters. Incorporating a variety of approaches, this section features essential, ready-to-use forms such as:

• Simple engagement letters and fee arrangement forms.
• Engagement letter clauses, including attorney’s responsibilities and limitations, retainer and management of client funds, billing and payment schedule, and right to withdraw.
• Client and matter opening forms.
• Checklists for conflict checking systems.
• Non-engagement letters including clients’ responsibilities, additional short alternative fee, dispute resolution, client acceptance.

Vol. II - Human Resources; Fees, Billing and Collection
$160 CBA Members, $200 Non-Members
Useful to legal practitioners of all specialties and sizes, this second volume of The Essential Formbook includes more than 100 forms, checklists, and sample documents, and focuses on Human Resources, Fees, Billing, and Collection.  These sections will be periodically updated to ensure that you always have the most current information available.  The Part 1 of Volume  II addresses Human Resources, and covers the hiring process, training and development, compensation, and discipline and termination.  Part 2 of Volume II covers Fees, Billing, and Collection and includes measuring billing practices, hourly billing, pricing legal services, alternative fee agreements, engagement letters, and managing the billing process.  The checklists and forms in this volume provide a variety of models and templates assembled with the help of a wide and diverse group of lawyers and law firms.   With more than 100 forms on diskette, all you have to do is download and customize to match your firm’s needs, saving you valuable time and effort! (Note: Format is WordPerfect 6.1 for Windows. Files are easily converted into other formats, such as Microsoft Word.)

Vol. III - Calendar, Docket, and File Management; Law Firm Financial Analysis
$160 CBA Members, $200 Non-Members
Among the systems that are critical to good practice management are controlling calendars and dockets; managing time and deadlines; recording and retrieving client information; managing finances, including billing, collections, financial records; and accounting for client funds.  The Essential Formbook, Volume III provides you with the resources you'll need to adapt sound, proven practices in all these areas.  First, the concepts and systems involved in implementing each practice technique are explained in detail.  Then, checklists, forms, models, and other resources are provided on an accompanying CD to allow you to easily implement the concepts at your firm.

Vol. IV - Disaster Planning and Recover; Risk Management and Professional Liability Insurance
$160 CBA Members, $200 Non-Members
Part I, Disaster Planning and Recovery, covers the nature of disaster, planning for disaster, and the recovery afterward. If disaster strikes, having a disaster plan in place can make or break a law firm as it struggles to survive. To the extent that it is possible, firms need to plan for disaster, protecting themselves and their clients against both natural and manmade disaster. Firms must consider how they will deal with loss of life, property damage, interruptions in communications and other vital services, and lapses in their ability to serve clients during and after a disaster. The disaster plan should anticipate worst-case scenarios that can affect a firm's ability to function, to generate work, and to provide legal support for clients who might also be affected by the disaster. In addition to the text over 50 valuable checklists, worksheets, lists, and other forms are provided--including a Disaster Recovery Plan outline--ready to implement. Also supplied on the accompanying CD-ROM, the forms are easy to customize to meet the specifications of any firm.

Part II, Risk Management and Professional Liability Insurance, addresses professional liability insurance for lawyers in the context of planning for the risk of professional error inherent in every legal representation. The explanatory text is designed to help lawyers and law firms de-mystify the often unfamiliar world of malpractice insurance. It will help lawyers to better understand what lawyers professional liability (LPL) coverage policies contain, how they work to provide risk protection, and what to expect in purchasing LPL coverage. In addition, it will help lawyers evaluate their existing coverage and present themselves most effectively to insurers when seeking renewal or new coverage. Lawyers professional liability coverage has become a practical necessity, and viewed with the proper perspective, can provide substantial peace of mind in a troublesome climate. Forms in this part include sample Lawyers Professional Liability Policies and applications