Lawyers to Learn how to "Get a Life" at Chicago Conference

Two-day workshop to help lawyers achieve better work-life balance

CHICAGO (March 17, 2009) – One of the greatest challenges facing lawyers today is juggling the demands of the job with personal and family commitments. The Total Practice Management Association (Total PMA) will teach lawyers to work smarter, not longer, at the Get a Life.™ Conference, taking place May 27-28 at the Hyatt Regency in Chicago.

“Lawyers today, especially those in solo practice or at smaller firms, struggle to balance the demands of servicing clients, managing the office, developing new business and all of the other administrative tasks required to run a successful practice,” said Kevin Chern, President of Total PMA. “Finding time to spend with friends and family, for personal development or even just to recharge their batteries is a constant challenge. It’s a vicious cycle because when their personal lives suffer, their practice often does, too.”

Chern said that the Get a Life.™ Conference will provide attendees with hands-on training and valuable resources they can use to find better work-life balance. Experts on marketing and practice management – such as legal blogging expert Kevin O’Keefe, legal industry marketing strategist Ross Fishman and practice development consultant Gerry Riskin – will share best practices with attendees in interactive sessions focusing on five key areas:

  • Client Relations
  • Legal Marketing & Ethics
  • Staff Support & Outsourcing
  • Technology Enabled Services for Raising Quality of Life
  • Office Infrastructure and Expansion

The conference culminates with a hands-on session during which the attendees will build their own strategic plans that they can put into action the minute they get back to the office. The conference also includes an expo featuring innovative products and services that help attorneys overcome the challenges of solo or small firm practice management.

"Conference participants will leave with tools they can put into action immediately," Chern elaborated. "For example, the Client Relations sessions will address how to gain more – and happier – clients through improving client relations practices. And in the Legal Marketing and Ethics discussions, we will go beyond concepts into proven, practical ways to get more for every dollar spent on client acquisition."

And in keeping with its theme, the conference is not all business. After the workshop concludes on Thursday May 28, attendees will be treated to a "Wrigley Field Rooftop Party" as the Chicago Cubs play the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers. More details are available when registering.

For Chern, helping attorneys strike a better work-life balance is a very personal mission: "I built and led one of the largest bankruptcy firms in the country. I’ve learned that you don’t need to work yourself into the ground to be successful. Through the Get a Life Conference, we want to help other lawyers do the same."

Attorneys who sign up to attend the conference also receive a one-year membership with Total PMA, a newly-established association that provides solutions for lawyers seeking innovative ways to grow their practice and manage their office without sacrificing their personal and family life. Total PMA also provides firms with the tools, training and network they need to collaborate with peers, connect with experts and seek a better work-life balance.

Registration for the Get a Life.™ Conference is open but seating is limited. Visit the Total Practice Management Association Web site at www.totalpma.org for more information.

About Total Attorneys

Total Attorneys, an Infra-Strategy company, is a managed service provider that helps small law firms improve operations, save money and grow their businesses. Through the company’s Software-as-a-Service platform, it offers a broad range of evolving services tailored to the needs of small law firms, including legal process outsourcing, search engine marketing, a professional call center, CRM solutions and answering services.

Founded in 2002, Infra-Strategy has seen revenue grow more than 1,400 percent over the past three reporting years, and the company now has more than 1,100 customers across the U.S. This explosive growth led to Infra-Strategy's inclusion in the 2008 Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies in the U.S., ranking eighth in the region that includes Chicago, 23rd in the business services category, and 169th overall in the U.S.

For more information, visit www.totalattorneys.com