If a small law firm had to pick only one of the many resources for building a thriving and ethics-aware practice, I would recommend the Practice Management Advisor, or PMA.

We’ve worked with a number of PMA’s for feedback on our software so we can best serve the needs of law firms. They are bar-none (no pun intended) the most knowledgeable people when it comes to suggestions and ethics of running a small law firm. Their services are a phone call away, and are usually free of charge.

What is a Practice Management Advisor? From the ABA’s Law Practice Management Section:

These bar programs, generically known as “practice management assistance programs” (PMAPs), are now at over 20 state bars and law societies in the U.S. and Canada. The programs are staffed by individuals known as Practice Management Advisors (PMAs) who are engaged or employed by state and local bar associations or law societies to help lawyers to manage their practices more effectively. Although the exact role of practice management advisors differs from state to state and province to province, all the advisors are committed to the process of increasing the quality of legal services by helping lawyers and law firms better manage their offices.

Most PMAPs share these common objectives:

* Assisting lawyers in improving efficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of legal services;
* Assisting lawyers in implementing systems and controls to reduce risk and improve quality in the delivery of legal services;
* Assisting lawyers in client relations; and
* Assisting lawyers and their office personnel in using emerging technologies to improve the delivery of legal services.

For more information and a list of PMA’s, click here.