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Practical writing on practice management, billing, client experience, hiring, and legal technology.

A stack of printed resumes on a desk beside a single scoring sheet and a coffee
People & Hiring

How I Read Forty Resumes in an Afternoon Without Being Unfair

A first-person account of building a repeatable, bias-aware pass through a big resume pile so that speed and fairness finally stop fighting each other.

25 November 2025 · 5 min
A close-up of a laptop with a contract document open and a checklist visible in a side window
Legal Tech & AI

Ten Questions to Ask a Legal AI Vendor

Before signing any legal AI contract, ask these ten questions about data handling, Canadian law coverage, accuracy, indemnity, and support. A good vendor answers all of them clearly.

18 November 2025 · 6 min
Two people shaking hands across a table with a signed agreement between them
Family & Civil Practice

Framing a Settlement Offer So It Gets Read, Not Reflexively Rejected

Tone and structure often move a file more than the number does. Here is how to write an offer the other side can actually accept without losing face.

18 November 2025 · 6 min
A phone face down on a desk beside a notepad with handwritten call-back times
Client Experience

When Clients Know You Will Reply: Setting Response Time Expectations

Publishing an honest response window builds more trust than pretending to be instantly available. Here is why to name your window and how to hold the line without guilt.

13 November 2025 · 6 min
A lawyer at a desk reviewing an automated draft document on a computer screen with a printed contract beside the keyboard
Legal Tech & AI

Automating Repetitive Drafting Without Putting Clients at Risk

The honest answers to the questions lawyers ask before automating routine documents, including where a human check is non-negotiable and how templates fail quietly.

6 November 2025 · 5 min
A desk from above with a notebook, pen, phone, and coffee arranged neatly on a light surface.
Careers & Job Search

A Quiet Personal Brand That Brings You Work

A professional reputation that generates referrals is built slowly, not announced. What actually works for lawyers who want to be known for something real.

5 November 2025 · 7 min
The stone facade and columns of a Canadian courthouse on a clear day
Internationally Trained Lawyers

How to Prepare for NCA Exams

NCA exams test Canadian law, not just legal knowledge in general. A focused study plan, the right materials, and realistic timing make a real difference.

4 November 2025 · 5 min
A tidy desk on a new legal assistant's first morning, with a laptop, a welcome note, a lanyard, and a coffee mug
People & Hiring

Law Firm Onboarding: A 30 Day Checklist

A concrete week by week onboarding checklist for law firms, from day one access and matters through the thirty day check in that catches problems early.

29 October 2025 · 5 min
Two people shaking hands across a desk after resolving a disagreement
Billing & Trust

When a Client Disputes the Bill: Staying Calm and Getting Paid

A story about one uncomfortable fee dispute, and the small choices that de-escalated it, kept a good client, and made every bill I sent afterward clearer.

22 October 2025 · 5 min
A cluster of handwritten yellow sticky notes on a glass office wall, each holding a single step of a work process
Practice Management

Writing SOPs Your Team Will Actually Follow

Most firm procedures die in a binder nobody opens. Here is how to write one-page SOPs that are short enough to read and specific enough to trust.

22 October 2025 · 5 min
Two people seated at a conference table across from each other with documents and notepads, bright natural light
People & Hiring

Hiring Your First Associate at a Small Firm

Hiring your first associate changes how your firm works at every level. Here is how to time it right, recruit well, onboard properly, and build something that lasts.

21 October 2025 · 6 min
A person signing a formal document at a desk with a pen.
Articling & Licensing

The Good Character Requirement, Explained Plainly

Every licensing candidate must satisfy the good character requirement. Here is what it covers, what to disclose, and what happens if the law society has questions.

14 October 2025 · 5 min