Practice Management Assistance Program

The Practice Management Assistance Program (PMAP) serves as a clearinghouse for the collection and dissemination of information about the effective management of the contemporary law office. The program was created to serve the needs of solo practitioners and lawyers practicing in small firms, and to protect the public from lawyers whose management skills are inadequate to allow them to deliver competent legal services in a timely manner.

A large part of the information distributed through PMAP is in the form of a lending library containing books, audio and video programs, and software directly relating to management issues, such as attorney compensation, billing, business planning, client relations, employee relations, ethics and professionalism, loss prevention, marketing, retirement planning, and technology. The program also handles the sale of American Bar Association publications, particularly those of the Law Practice Management Division, on a discounted basis to ASB members.

The program has created and also makes available a series of free informational packets, brochures and booklets on starting a new firm, handling your trust account, establishing standardized communications with your clients, budgeting, managing files, handling the law office calendar and docket system, selecting appropriate computer hardware, software and cloud-based service for the small law office.

The director of PMAP is available for confidential telephone, email or on-site office consultations with members as requested, and works with lawyers referred by the Office of the General Counsel, both pre-and post-discipline. Since the inception of the program, the director has worked individually with more than 2,700 Alabama lawyers — many of them on numerous occasions.

Eric Anderson, Program Director eric.anderson@alabar.org

Upcoming CLE

PMAP provides management related continuing legal education programs throughout the year, both at the Alabama State Bar headquarters and with other CLE providers.

Trust Accounting for Alabama Attorneys is a handbook designed to provide a general overview and answer commonly asked questions about IOLTA trust accounts, as well as provide information on how to set up a trust account and establish proper bookkeeping procedures.

Practice Management Assistance Program

(334) 517-2106
pmap@alabar.org

The Client Keeper Handbook is a nuts and bolts resource guide to assist attorneys in improving client relations and minimizing the likelihood of claims for legal malpractice and complaints alleging violations of the Rules of Professional Conduct by helping you to establish quick, consistent , and easy to use systems for exchanging information with clients.  This handbook also contains information on fee agreements and file maintenance, closing and destruction procedures.

Practice Management Assistance Program

(334) 517-2106
pmap@alabar.org