Legal Ethics: Common Small Firm Problems and Their Remedies

Agenda / Content Covered

1. Case Selection Issues
   11:00 - 11:45, Steven R. Sorenson
   1. Preventing Substantive Errors in a Time Crunch and With a Limited Staff
   2. Taking on Big Cases that Can Sink a Small Practice - How to Minimize the Risk
   3. Declining Representation Without Harming Growth Potential
2. Attorney Fee and Client Communication Problems
   11:45 - 12:30, Steven R. Sorenson
   1. Fee Agreements: Commonly Overlooked Items That Create Conflict
   2. Steering Clear of Trouble When Handling Client Funds, Expenses
   3. Client Communication and Confidentiality Problems
3. Preventing Common Troubles in Daily Practice
   12:45 - 1:30, Steven R. Sorenson
   1. Conflicts of Interest: Representing Couples, Niche Practice Areas, and Other Challenges
   2. Unintentional Deception and Other Top Risks in Advertising, Online Conduct, and Referrals
   3. When Business Administration Tasks Start to Eat Into Legal Representation Time
4. Tech Competency and Life Balance Concerns Every Small Practice Faces
   1:30 - 2:15, Steven R. Sorenson
   1. File Retention and Data Security on a Budget: Preventing Key Threats
   2. Tech Competence Without an IT Department to Back You Up
   3. Work-Life Balance Issues

Accreditation Details:

Steven R Sorenson is a shareholder with the law firm of von Briesen & Roper, s.c. He is a member of the American Bar Association Law Foundation, chairs the District Three Wisconsin Office of Lawyer Regulation Committee, and serves on the Ethics Committee of the American Bar Association's Legal Education Committee. Mr. Sorenson formerly served as secretary and president of the State Bar of Wisconsin. He is a former member of the House of Delegates of the American Bar Association, former president of both the National Conference of Bar Presidents and the Wisconsin Law Foundation Fellows, and a current member of the foundation's Board of Trustees. Mr. Sorenson presents lectures throughout the state of Wisconsin on various topics ranging from real estate law to professional ethics. He earned his undergraduate degree from Luther College and his J.D. degree from Marquette University Law School. During that time, he also attended American University in Washington, D.C. to study national public policy.