Law Office Management 101: Time Management, Communication, Workflow, and More

Allison C. Johs | Legal Ease Consulting Inc.

Allison C. Johs, Esq., is the President of Legal Ease Consulting, Inc., where she provides marketing, social media, business development, productivity and practice management coaching and consulting services for lawyers and law firms.

After leaving her position as Administrative Partner at one of Long Island’s premier law firms in 2005, Allison started Legal Ease Consulting, Inc. to help lawyers build better law practices. A former practicing lawyer and law firm manager, Allison understands the law firm environment and the daily pressures faced by lawyers trying to manage and build their business while practicing law and successfully serving their clients.

Allison helps her clients create efficient, effective systems and operations to maximize productivity and enhance client experience. Her clients learn how to identify and attract their ideal clients, improve client selection and intake, increase client loyalty, develop client-friendly fee structures, and increase profits. Allison recognizes that lawyers must capture attention and demonstrate their expertise online. She provides online marketing, copywriting, and social media services and training for lawyers to help them maximize these important opportunities.

Allison writes and lectures on marketing, social media, business development, productivity and practice management for bar associations, law schools and other legal associations, and has been a presenter at the ABA TECHSHOW, the leading legal technology conference and expo. She is the co-author, with Daniel J. Siegel, of How to Do More In Less Time: The Complete Guide to Increasing Your Productivity and Improving Your Bottom Line, (2nd Ed., 2023) published by the American Bar Association’s Law Practice Division. Allison also co-authored Make LinkedIn Work for You, A Practical Handbook for Lawyers and Other Legal Professionals, (2019) with Dennis Kennedy. She is the author of the Legal Ease Blog at www.LegalEaseConsulting.com. Her website, Lawyer Meltdown, provides resources and information for lawyers about managing and building their practices.

In March 2024, Allison was named to the Long Island Business News (LIBN) Business Influencers in Law list, and in the same year, was named a LIBN Who’s Who: Women in Professional Services. The College of Law Practice Management inducted Allison as a Fellow in October 2018. In 2016, she was one of the first to receive the Outstanding Women in Law Award from Hofstra University Maurice A. Deane School of Law’s Center for Children, Families and the Law. She was recognized by the American Bar Association’s Law Practice Division in October 2018 with the Wilkins Award for Overall Achievement in Division Publishing and received the award for Best Column in 2019 for her Simple Steps column in Law Practice magazine.

Allison is a past Chair of both the ABA’s Legal Technology Resource Center, and the ABA Law Practice Division’s Book Publishing Board, and has served on the Division’s Council, Education Board, Nominating Committee, and on the editorial boards of both Law Practice Magazine and Law Practice Today. Also active in her local bar associations, Allison is the former Executive Director of the Suffolk Academy of Law, the educational arm of the Suffolk County Bar Association, served as Associate Dean of the Academy of Law, and is a past member of the Board of Directors of the Suffolk County Bar Association and past Chair of the Solo and Small Firm Committee. She has served as a member of the Nassau County Bar Association’s Nominating Committee, Chair of the Membership Committee and on the editorial board of The Nassau Lawyer.

In 2023, Allison, along with four other lawyers, co-founded Mediation Solutions of NY, LLC, providing arbitration and mediation services throughout Long Island and New York City.

I. Maximizing productivity in legal practice | 1:00pm – 1:20pm

• Practical methods for time management, task prioritization, and minimizing workplace distractions

II. Creating an effective filing system | 1:20pm – 1:40pm

• Best practices for organizing digital and physical files to improve accessibility and efficiency

III. Managing email overload | 1:40pm – 2:00pm

• Step-by-step techniques for decluttering inboxes, setting up filters, and maintaining a structured email system

Break | 2:00pm – 2:10pm

IV. Applying project management principles | 2:10pm – 2:30pm

• Tools and techniques for tracking progress, managing deadlines, and improving workflow in legal practice

V. Ensuring effective communication in the law firm | 2:30pm – 2:50pm

• Strategies for clear and efficient communication to enhance collaboration and reduce misunderstandings

VI. Successful delegation and supervision | 2:50pm – 3:10pm

• Guidelines for assigning tasks, overseeing team members, and fostering a more productive legal team