Here at Zavieh Law, we had a fantastic 2018. We hope you did, too! As we’re dipping our toes into 2019, we thought we’d provide you with our top 10 posts of 2018. These posts are some you definitely do NOT want to miss!
Get Admitted to the Bar Despite Your Past
Our number one blog post for 2018: Getting Admitted to the Bar Despite Your Past. This post, written by Megan, explains what law students can do to get admitted to the bar even if they have a less than perfect history. Megan discusses the types of incidents that really matter as well as the review process for the moral character application. She also discusses actionable steps to take so that law students can avoid the “informal” conference and pass the moral character review the first time.
The 8 Rules of IOLTA Accounts
Holding the number two spot on our countdown: The 8 Rules of IOLTA Accounts. This post discusses the eight rules lawyers (and even key office staff) should know and understand about opening and managing an IOLTA account (including when you can withdraw the funds). Although we posted it in March of 2018, we updated the post to discuss the California change to flat fees that became effective in November of 2018.
Ethics Rules, Lawyers, and Flat Fee Agreements – Oh My!
Our third most-read blog post of 2018: Ethics Rules, Lawyers, and Flat Fee Agreements – Oh My! In this post, you’re given a summary of the changes to the California ethics rules regarding flat fee agreements. These changes went into effect on November 1, 2018. Having a better understanding of the new changes can help California lawyers protect themselves from ethics complaints.
5 Most Common Problems in the Attorney-Client Relationship
Our fourth most-read blog post of 2018 discusses one of the main reasons that lawyers face ethics complaints: the attorney-client relationship. In 5 Most Common Problems in the Attorney-Client Relationship, we discuss what you should do if:
- You’re not sure who the actual client is;
- You’re making decisions that the client should be making;
- You’re not sending out your invoices as you should;
- You’re not in the habit of regularly updating your clients on their matters; and
- You’re not returning phone calls and emails that you receive from clients.
You do not want to miss this post.
How To Guide: Records Retention Policy Creation for Lawyers
It’s no secret that being a lawyer has the potential to generate a lot of paperwork. What do you keep? How long do you keep it? Coming in at number five on our top ten list is our How To Guide: Records Retention Policy Creation for Lawyers. You’ll learn why you can’t (and shouldn’t) try to keep everything forever. Then, we give you ten steps you can take to create a records retention policy for your office. Read it, implement it, and share it!
Ethics for Lawyers Report: Common Ethical Violations
Because we are a legal ethics defense firm, it’s definitely not a surprise for us to see common ethical violations taking up the number six spot on our yearly list. Ethics for Lawyers Report: Common Ethical Violations explains the top three violations that result in ethics complaints filed against lawyers. We also provide tips you can use to help you protect yourself.
Protecting Your Law Practice: The Art of the Non-Engagement Letter
Number seven on the top 10 list covers a very important topic: using a non-engagement letter. In Protecting Your Law Practice: The Art of the Non-Engagement Letter, you’ll learn how using the letter can help protect your law practice from an ethics complaint as well as how a non-engagement letter may be used as evidence for a potential complaint filed against your office.
Practice Management: What Happens After a Lawyer Is Sanctioned?
Our number eight blog of the year is Practice Management: What Happens After a Lawyer Is Sanctioned? After a lawyer is sanctioned, they must file certain reports. This post explains where those reports are filed, what should be included, and what happens after filing.
The 5 Factors Affecting California State Bar Disciplinary Actions
Our number nine blog of the year is The 5 Factors Affecting California State Bar Disciplinary Actions. In 2016, more than 15,000 complaints were filed against lawyers. (And, yes, we will be creating a more updated post with recent statistics soon!) Almost 800 of those complaints resulted in recommendations for suspension or disbarment. In this post, we talk about the five factors that often affect ethics complaints. Knowing and understanding these factors can help you better protect your practice.
Privilege Waiver: How Does It Affect a State Bar Complaint?
Our number ten blog post of the year is Privilege Waiver: How Does It Affect a State Bar Complaint? Privilege waivers can affect bar complaint investigations. What information is covered by the waiver? Read our number ten post to find out!
Stay Up-to-Date!
Stay up-to-date on this blog by bookmarking our main page. You can also follow Megan on Twitter to know when new posts are published. Please take a moment and like our Facebook page! Want more? Head on over to our podcast archives to listen to Megan’s podcast, LawyersGoneEthical, for free!