One thing that law school does not teach most attorneys is how to ask for help. In our first year, we are required to study non-stop, read hundreds of pages of case law every night, complete legal writing assignments and do many other tasks with very little one-on-one attention from professors. In addition, most law students are graded on a curve, encouraged to compete with other students and often required to work alone on essays and take-home exams. Oftentimes, law school manufactures entire classes of overachievers and work productivity machines. This is great for employers who want to hire determined, reliable associates, but at some point attorneys must learn to delegate their heavy workload, both in the office and out, so that they will be able to better serve clients.

Managing a law firm can become overwhelming when you are juggling personal life, office management, and business matters on top of your law practice. Some attorneys may have trouble letting go of control when they have been trained to do everything for themselves both in law school and in the early years of their practice. Learning to ask for help can help you mitigate stress, and it can be key to your financial success because delegating work to the least expensive competent worker will increase production and profits.

Learn how to ask for help and what projects to delegate by following these tips:

• Don't wait until you are angry and frustrated with too much work before you consider bringing in reinforcements. Waiting will just create stress, and can even lead to illness.
• Plan ahead by identifying each task that needs to be done by a certain date. Divide each task into three lists: eliminate, delegate, and do-it-yourself. Putting items in the eliminate list doesn't mean you should cut corners to get a job done, but do you really need to spend two hours on the phone giving away advice to a client that has no intention of becoming a paying customer? In addition, don't delegate a task that you can eliminate.
• Is it your workload that is getting you down or is it that uncooked turkey waiting for you at home before the in-laws arrive for holiday dinner? Decide which tasks are causing the most stress in your life, and ask an employee, colleague, or family member for help.
• Have a little faith in others. Believe it or not, but you are not the only person who can competently fill out a form, pick up the mail or run a copy machine. Delegate routine tasks such as initial research, drafting, photocopying, data entry, errands and other non-billable tasks to a law clerk or office assistant.
• Be clear and specific about what help you need. If you give detailed instructions, people will know exactly what is expected of them and you will be confident that they can get the job done in your absence.
• Stop complaining. If you are positive, others will want to pitch in, but it will be hard for people to have sympathy for a person that constantly whines.
• Offer to help others. If you see that a colleague has work piling up on the desk, reach out and see what you can do to help relieve some of the stress during your own down time. It may seem cumbersome to do a little bit of work for free, but you won't feel that way when someone returns the favor for you next month.
• When you do get the help that you asked for, be sure to say thank you. A little bit of gratitude makes people feel valuable, and a valued helper is more likely to do the job well.

For more tips on how to ask for help and effectively delegate work, check out "The Art of Delegating Legal Work" by Normal K. Clark and Alan R. Olson. Check back next week for tips on how to attain cost-effective help managing your law practice and assisting you with legal work.

During the holidays and at the end of the year, many people focus their attention on counting their blessings, evaluating business goals and providing for themselves and their families. In the midst of vacations, gift wrapping, shopping sprees, holiday parties, office meetings, and year-end wrap-ups, it can be difficult to remember those less fortunate in the world. At Total Attorneys, however, I am inspired by our employees who always find time to fit philanthropy and charity in with their busy work schedules and home life.

Last week, our office held a fundraiser for Purse of Hope, a not-for-profit organization that works to provide care for children exploited by the commercial sex industry in Uganda. By selling purses, jewelry, wallets, bags and other products made in Uganda, the Total Impact fundraising team raised $1500 in just four hours. In addition, Total Attorneys team members took the initiative to collect winter coats and other clothing to donate to Cornerstone Community Outreach, an organization that runs soup kitchens and other services for homeless and low-income residents. This week, the office hosted a Cookie Swap to benefit the Chicago Youth Center – Fellowship House, and the Total Practice Management Association team is donating a Wii gaming system to the same organization. In addition to the events that our employees have created, hosted and participated in during the month of December alone, employees at Total Attorneys have been active in charities throughout the year, including a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, the JP Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge to raise money for the Chicago Food Depository and other great charities, a merchandise booth at the Hyde Park Jazz Festival to raise money for Purse of Hope, the Chicago Marathon, another clothing drive earlier this year, an employee talent show benefiting the Chicago Youth Center – Fellowship House and an Earth Day cell phone and eyeglass recycling drive.

It has been a busy and exciting year at Total Attorneys, and I am lucky to be part of such a hardworking, generous and selfless team. While it may seem difficult to give back to society when we are busy, watching our budget or counting our own blessings, the employees at Total Attorneys remind me time and time again that giving back to your community can be a great way to help others while building positive morale and camaraderie among employees. While some of us may be looking for ways to save time or cut costs right now, it is important to remember that there are people with even tighter budgets and greater needs.

"I think we can all agree that philanthropy in the workplace has a big impact on company morale," says Ellen Margovsky, human resources assistant at Total Attorneys. "By showing our employees that we, as a company, care about the wellbeing of those less fortunate than us we show them that our goals reach beyond being a successful business. It shows that we want to have a positive impact on the world and that we realize how fortunate we are here. In addition, the desire to help others is closely related to many of the behavioral traits we screen for in the hiring process. But most importantly, philanthropy in the workplace demonstrates that we embody our company's core values."

By encouraging staff members to add charity and volunteer activities to their everyday schedules, employees build a closer, stronger team at work while making a positive impact outside company walls. Do you get involved in any charities that are close to your heart right now? Do you try to encourage your coworkers and employees to volunteer and get involved in charity events? While some of us may be tightening our belts during the holidays, in what ways can we give back to our communities, nation and the world?

If you are looking for ways to boost corporate philanthropy, check out this guide to giving. Happy holidays from everyone at Total Attorneys!