500-plus steps to being a profitable, happy, efficient law office

A portion of a 500-plus checklist of questions designed both as a set of goals for new lawyers beginning a law practice and as a checklist for lawyers and firms who may think they have already gone as far as they need to go to have a well-managed, happy, profitable law firm is presented. The questions relate to telephone equipment, telephone procedures and systems, and telephone reception, including: 1. Has the firm considered direct dial telephone numbers for each lawyer? 2. Does the firm have a voice mail optional system for receiving voice mail messages? 3. Does the firm have a system of transcribing and recording after-hours voice mail messages and client calls? 4. Are attorneys and others provided with papers for contacting them when they are away from a telephone?