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Five ways to stay current as a lawyer

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If you’re practising law, there’s always a strong possibility that you’ve fallen behind in your knowledge of certain aspects of the legal field, regardless of your speciality. It’s understandable that you may have been too busy to keep up with changes with the demands of a thriving practice, your family, and the need to relax and release stress. But you owe it to your career and your clients to keep up with trends and developments. Here are five ways to do this that you should make time for.

Continuing education

In many areas, or at different stages of your legal career, there may be a requirement for a certain amount of continuing education credits. Many serve more as reminders than updates, but you might consider any courses you need that help to refresh or add to your knowledge. You might also consider funding the further education of your employees and interns as both a way to keep them as credible resources for your cases and increase their loyalty to the firm.

Follow the headlines

Many landmark or noteworthy cases make the news, especially where famous people are involved. While you don’t have to spend hours watching TV news, join a news feed online using keywords for your speciality, whether it’s probate or divorce, and skim through the latest articles to read up on whatever strikes you as important or relevant.

Legal publications

Your local associations may publish a periodical or recommend legal journals to subscribe to. You may even want to sign up for digital newsletters from these or other legal associations that send regular updates. This way reporting on important local or national issues comes right to your inbox. It’s also a good idea in today’s world to follow such publications on Facebook and Twitter.

Network with other lawyers

Keep in touch with colleagues, especially associates whom you may rely on for referrals or assistance. Be sure to ask them about relevant topics they may have experience with. You should also give serious thought to workshop retreats for legal marketing services where you can meet and discuss law with other legal professionals while learning how to expand your practice.

Legal resources

Take advantage of opportunity to ask the clerk at your local courthouse about any procedural updates you should be aware of. To keep up with changes to the law, you can find websites where you can discover updates. There are also great online resources which provide access to thousands of updated legal documents and case summaries.

Staying up to date doesn’t have to be a chore. With the range of legal resources available, even non-practising lawyers can remain well informed. It’s just a matter of blocking out some time in your schedule.

How do you stay current as a lawyer? Post your advice below.

Dixie SomersFive ways to stay current as a lawyer

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