What practical office tasks can you do efficiently?
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Last week, we did a post about how one corporate counsel, frustrated by big bills from law firms for routine matters, created and administered a test for potential law firm hires. Associates were tested on efficient use of basic software such as Microsoft Word and Excel. They didn’t do well on their tech audits.
“The audit should take one hour,” said D. Casey Flaherty, corporate counsel at Kia Motors America, “but the average pace is five hours.”
Minnesota litigator Sybil Dunlop wrote at Lawyerist back in March about what office skills anyone should know. “Sometimes you may find yourself at the office on a weekend undertaking an emergency TRO or filing something at 11 p.m.,” Dunlop wrote. “At these moments, it’s important that SOMEONE know how to PDF a document or even file electronically.”
So this week, we’d like to ask you: What practical office tasks can you do efficiently? Do you know how to add Bates numbers to a document? Redact information from a document? Set up a conference call? It’s confession time.
Answer in the comments.
Read the answers to last week’s question: Are you still in touch with any of your law school professors?
Posted by CEB: “Since I went to a small, community law school, I know many of my professors fairly well. I now practice with them, beside them, and in front of them. One became a very close and dear friend. After I graduated, we enjoyed many evenings of movies, plays, dinners, and wine. I even introduced her to the man she eventually married! She has since moved from the area, but we remain good friends. Ah, the benefits of attending a small school, when you are in your 40s, instead of a huge school during your 20s.”
Do you have an idea for a future question of the week? If so, contact us.
