Fraudulent Activity Alert Relating to the Corporate Transparency Act

The U.S. Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has been notified of recent fraudulent attempts to solicit information from individuals and entities who may be subject to reporting requirements under the Act. Lawyers should notify their clients about FinCEN’s alert and advise them not to respond to unsolicited requests purporting to come from FinCEN.

Shape Your Work With Pro Se Parties

Clear communication with pro se parties can help prevent misunderstandings and allow you to better work with them and obtain the information you need to represent your client competently and diligently. Focus on building a professional relationship with them that clearly defines roles and interests. Consider the following tips when interacting with a self-represented litigant to help avoid potential ethics or malpractice issues.

Using Video to Support Internal Office Processes

If a picture is worth a thousand words, a one-minute video equals 1.8 million words. This article will discuss three ways to use video to run a better practice, reduce potential malpractice, and improve your bottom line. It will conclude with a step-by-step tutorial on how to make videos for your staff in Microsoft Teams (included free in the Microsoft Office 365 Suite).

Drawing the Line for Nonengagement

Meeting with a potential client may sometimes feel like walking a tightrope. It can be difficult to end the intake without any misunderstandings or unintended promises. When someone believes an attorney-client relationship has formed but you do not, a real danger exists. As the attorney, it is your role and responsibility to clearly communicate when an attorney-client relationship is established and when it is not, no matter the marketing medium.

Well-Being Week in Law: 2022 Sneak Peak

The OAAP is excited to bring you blog posts and resources to enhance your well-being. Each day’s blog post will focus on a different aspect of well-being and will include suggestions to “watch this,” “read this,” and “do this.” You can choose from a veritable buffet of well-being activities all week.

Don't Underestimate the "Obvious": Document, Document, Document

Many malpractice claims arise from a client’s or third party’s allegation about what occurred, or didn’t occur, during the representation. While it may not seem necessary to document things that did not occur, or in situations involving third parties rather than just your client, proper documentation of these events can help protect you from certain malpractice traps.

Communication with Clients: Adjust as Necessary

Regardless of the practice area, many attorneys are now facing the dilemma of losing track of their clients. The pandemic, and most recently wildfires on the West Coast, has upended many people’s lives. Clients may have moved or changed their phone number, or even become homeless with limited or no access to phone or internet, making it difficult if not impossible to track them down.

Phone Systems: What Works for Your Firm?

As we move forward and adjust to the changing infrastructure due to the pandemic, it is a good time to think about what type of phone system works best for your law firm. Phone calls remain a very popular form of communication, despite other methods such as email, video conferencing, and client portals, and may be the preferred method depending on the circumstances.

How to Prevent Losing Track of Your Client

“We sent a letter to our client regarding settlement and it was returned with no forwarding address.” “I am trying to close my trust account and I still have $500 belonging to a client I can’t find.” “I have a court hearing in ten days and my client’s cell phone has no voice mail box set up.” “My client no longer works for the employer he gave us.” "My client was deported." “Help! I don’t know how to find my client!”

Six Tips for Keeping Clients Happier with Communication

Unhappy clients are not the clients you want to have. They complain to you, to your staff, to their neighbors, to their friends, and they complain to the Oregon State Bar. One thing that makes clients unhappy is being ignored. Their emails go unanswered. There is no callback. If a receptionist is answering the phone, the receptionist becomes less sympathetic to the complaining client out of embarrassment or frustration.

Communicating Effectively and Professionally

The legal world is changing quickly on many fronts, most notably technology. The way we communicate is greatly impacted as a result. Unfortunately, it has also highlighted a divergence among different generations of attorneys, particularly regarding the most appropriate form of communication in different contexts.