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Throughout 2023, we’ve delivered frequently requested, time-saving Smokeball features. Of the hundreds of new features and improvements we made, you’ve especially loved the ability to:  Accelerate the intake process with LeadPro & MatterFlow   Work across Mac and PC devices via the browser  Update rate sets and bulk applying them to matters  Manage

In this month’s CLE, lawyer Jordan Turk shares best practices for streamlining your law firm so you can be more efficient and profitable. Check out the overview below before driving into the full webinar recording and slides. Part 1: Get the Work Streamlining the intake process and initial communication will build positive client relationships and ensure you’re adhering to ethical obligations.  Ethical considerations around client communications  Lead generation – what it is and an exercise  Software to assist with Intake  Part 2: Do the Work  Jordan emphasizes how automation increases accuracy, improves productivity, and ensures deadlines are hit.  Ethical considerations around nonlaywer assistance 

In this month’s CLE, lawyer Jordan Turk shared billing best practices so you can run a modern and ethical law firm. You can watch the full webinar here and download the slides. Check out the presentation overview before you dive in:Part 1: Billing Organization and consistency are key. The longer you wait to bill a client, the less likely they are to pay you.  Improving your billing processes and procedures Suggested authorization forms and third-party payor addendums  Helpful technology to automate processes  How to handle difficult clients  Part 2: Collections  An overview of aging A/R and why it’s often a silent killer of law firms.   Tips on invoice follow-up  How to collect on aged A/R  Part 3: Surchargin

Legal professionals know the difference a single word can make. In the way you’re required to be precise with your language, Smokeball also uses a set vocabulary when it comes to our software.  Here's a Smokeball Glossary you can reference to:💡 Assist when you’re searching for an answer in the Knowledge Base.   💡 Better describe an issue you’re experiencing to our Training and Support teams.   💡 Get everyone at your firm on the same page when working in Smokeball. 

In this month’s CLE, lawyers Jordan Turk and Jared Correia share best practices to help your firm operate efficiently and productively. Scroll for an overview of what they covered, and be sure to click for the full webinar and slides.Part 1: Modern Law Firm Technology  Jared reviews must-have software and technology for firms today. The Big Four Case management software  Productivity software  Accounting software  Customer relationship management software Improving communications   A review of internal communication platforms, virtual receptionists, client portals, and other options Improving efficiency  Software vs. spreadsheet  Document assembly  Process management 

In this month’s CLE, Jordan Turk and Adriana Linares served as a modern day Clippy, sharing time-saving shortcuts and advice to make the most of Microsoft Word.  Watch the full webinar and access the slides Check out the webinar overview then watch the recording and open a Word doc to practice. Keyboard Shortcuts  By using these seven shortcuts, you’ll save time switching between your mouse and keyboard. Plus, working on your laptop will be way more enjoyable.   Quick Access Toolbar  A customized toolbar that allows you to pin your favorite and most-used features. Always forget where Insert Footnote is? Save it to your toolbar for easy access.   Automations

Hi all, We have some exciting news! Our new URLs to access the Smokeball Billing app are ready to use right now!USA: app.smokeball.comAustralia: app.smokeball.com.au We’ll automatically redirect you on the 18th August, but you can start using the new URL’s as soon as you’re ready.Read on for more details.  Why?Smokeball Billing has always been about just that - billing. However as we continue to add more and more producti

In this month’s CLE, Jordan Turk and Bob Ambrogi tackled the subject on everyone’s mind: Artificial Intelligence.  Watch the full webinar and access the slides: AI for AttorneysAI actually isn’t new to the legal field. The International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Law was held in 1987. (See the slides above for a full timeline.) What's wild about generative AI is how quickly it has evolved.  Extractive AI - pulls out the data you need  Generative AI - creates new content based on the datasets it’s learned fromWhen GPT-4 passed the Bar exam with 76% accuracy, it demonstrated the power of AI to und

We’re thrilled to launch our community hero award, the Smokeball Beacon, to acknowledge the exceptional pro bono work our clients do every day. You advocate for those in your community who face inequality, discrimination, poverty, or who are otherwise struggling—often without expecting recognition. But we believe acts of kindness are worth recognizing. Nominate yourself or another Smokeball user by 8pm on June 21 for a chance to be the Beacon Award Grand Prize Winner. That person will receive a $2,500 check and $2,500 donation to the civil legal service provider of their choosing!  Submit for the Beacon Award

Smokeball clients do amazing things, and we’re thrilled to announce Chlece Walker-Neal-Murray as our Grand Prize and People’s Choice Winner of the 2023 Smokeball Beacon Award. Chlece is joined by Jonathan Kibler, Michelle Gehris, Poonam Lakhani, Sandra Emerson, and Taryn Fisher who we also recognize for their life-changing work.  Meet the 2023 Beacon Award WinnersThese community heroes have performed pro bono services for victims of domestic abuse, marginalized families, homeowners facing foreclosure, and many others in their communities.  We’re grateful to everyone who’s creating and inspiring positive change. If you or someone you know is doing amazing pro bono work, submit for the Beacon

This month, Jordan Turk provided an insightful CLE on how to build strong client relationships. When you focus on optimizing the client’s experience, you’ll simultaneously create a firm that has better internal communication, uses technology to streamline processes, and gets paid more quickly. Everyone wins! Here's an overview of the strategies Jordan shared, as well as access to the webinar recording and slides. Building Strong Client Relationships: on-demand recording, slides, and handoutSetting the Tone at Intake  Suggestions for making a good first impression, setting and managing client expectations, and things to consider before taking the case. Plus, important reminders about fee agreements and conflict checks.  Client Communication from Your Of

Welcoming new staff and bidding farewell to former employees is a normal part of running a firm, but there’s a lot to manage during these transitions. By properly onboarding and offboarding users in Smokeball, you’ll avoid confusion, prevent important items from falling through the cracks, and ensure a smooth transition for staff and clients.  Here’s our recommended steps for adding and removing new users in Smokeball: Create a new user under Settings > Staff & Users    Walk through the steps in this guide to reassign matters, tasks, events, workflows from former staff to new or existing staff. Remove the former team member

Congratulations! You’re taking a much-earned vacation and won't worry while away because you’ve:  Reviewed matter stages   Reviewed & reassigned tasks    Sent out bills   

You work hard and deserve time to unplug. But we know you want to deliver exceptional client service at all times. Senior trainer Zac Meyer shows you how to use Smokeball’s phone and virtual receptionist integrations to ensure every call is answered in your absence.   And if you’re out for an extended period of time send an email blast to notify your clients. Jump to the final installment of my holiday series: 

While you’re out, you want money coming in. Senior trainer Zac Meyer shows you how to prep bills for sending while you’re away.  First, use Communicate to easily notify staff you’re headed out of town. Second, use the Work in Progress Billing Report to get pre-bills out early. Lastly, don’t forget to edit the note on invoices if it references you or someone who’s out of office.  Up next in the series:  

A key part of leaving for vacation is packing. Most of us have either a written or mental checklist where we categorize items (toiletries, shoes, underwear!) and anticipate upcoming activities to ensure we're prepared. Likewise, senior trainer Zac Meyer shows you how to use Smokeball Tasks to review all upcoming items for you and others at the firm while you’re away.  Just like packing your luggage, you can sort tasks by category to review what’s most important. You can also sort by due date to reassign items due while you’re away and see what's on deck to prepare accordingly. Up next:   

Before taking a trip, most of us do a little prep work. We might check the weather, consult local restaurant reviews—essentially, get an overview of the destination.  Use Smokeball Reports to get a similar high-level overview of your matters to ensure a stress-free vacation. Senior trainer Zac Meyer shares reports that give a status overview so you have a handle on upcoming deadlines and can prep accordingly.  Watch the rest of the series for more tips to set you up for worry-free time away. Up Next:  

The more you can share, the faster we can tailor Smokeball to meet your needs. Here’s 5 conversations that could benefit from your insights.  Efficiently Tracking Trust Replenishments: @KBT  is seeking ideas on how to efficiently track trust replenishments. With more than 300 clients to follow up on this is no easy task. Got some tips? You could make a big difference for KBT.  New “Register of Files Opened” Report: @Zehava  from Smokeball invites you to try their

There’s a lot to lose sleep over as a lawyer. Staying in compliance with the latest rule changes can easily top the list. An angry client is one thing. Losing your license is dramatically different.  Several states, including California and Illinois, have recently heightened or amended rules regarding monthly trust account reconciliation requirements. Smokeball user Ken Burgi shared how Smokeball removes the admin part so he can focus on being a lawyer instead of a bookkeeper. Ken practices in California where he’s required to have, in real time, exactly what's being expended on each client's account and keep them informed as to their available funds. Additionally, he’s required to do a monthly trust account reconciliation.   Ken uses Smokeball to manage this process in just a few minutes each month. Here’s how:   Write checks directly from Smokeball. No juggling da

 Do you work alongside an incredible paralegal, legal secretary, PA, or receptionist?These unsung heroes are the true backbone of any successful law firm, working tirelessly day in and day out to keep things running smoothly and providing quality service to clients. It's time to give back and reward them!  This National Secretary's Day on 5 May 2023, we are giving you the chance to nominate your legal superstar for a chance to win a luxurious hamper worth $275. We will also be rewarding five runners-up with a beautiful gift pack.   Nominate someone today  You can nominate your Australian-based legal superstar today via this form on our website.   Be quick as nomination applications close by COB 28 April 2023. Winners and runners-up will be announced on Friday, 5 May 2023.    If you have any questions, let us know in the replies below. 

In our latest CLE, legal technology advisor Jordan Turk shared how to reclaim your day with automated workflows. These series of tasks are like a supercharged checklist. They automate cases, reduce errors, ensure deadlines are hit, relieve stress, and help train staff.   Watch the Reclaim Your Day with Automated Law Firm Workflows webinar recording. Here’s why Jordan believes all firms can benefit from using workflows.            During the CLE, Jordan also discussed: Workflows vs. checklists 

Hi everyone, I’m back to share some more tips on how to make the most out of Smokeball. This time I want to talk about how to simplify the process of moving your leads from that first inquiry through to taking them on as a client.Why maintaining a healthy lead pipeline is importantLooking after your current clients always takes precedence over taking on new ones. When things get busy it can be hard to keep on top of the conversations with potential clients. It’s easy to get trapped in a cycle of being too busy and then -as the wave of matters begins to wind up- not busy enough.  Bigger firms hire more staff and run expensive lead management software.  While this approach works, it’s an expensive way to solve the problem. You can do a lot more with a lot less by taking advantage of these handy tools that are ready to go in Smokeball right now.  3 ways Smokeball can help you stay on top of leads Get a birds-