The last day of Bankruptcy Week was a success, as more attorneys and legal professionals tuned in to learn about bankruptcy resources and law firm best practices. If you couldn’t join all of the sessions, here’s a quick recap.

 

Session 1: NextChapter Workshop: Learn How to Use Bankruptcy Software

This webinar, hosted by members of the NextChapter team, highlighted the functions and benefits of using the software to file bankruptcy.

• An interactive workshop where we took you through NextChapter software that allows you to prepare, manage, and file bankruptcy cases online.
• NextChapter is 100% cloud-based bankruptcy software, so you can work from anywhere. Especially important with COVID-19.
• We offer flexible pricing for any size of the firm, including new bankruptcy practitioners with our per-case pricing options.
• NextChapter goes beyond bankruptcy petition filing software with case management tools such as document checklists, progress trackers, calendaring, client texting, a client portal, notices, and more.
• We have a full support staff during regular business hours, ready to help at any time. Additionally, NextChapter's robust Help Center with articles and training videos that guide you through using the software.

 

Session 2: BK Books and Fastcase with Erin Page

Erin Page gave this talk, who is the Senior Law Librarian and Reference Attorney with Fastcase, the leading legal research company. Erin previously worked as an attorney for eight years before joining Fastcase, and focused on insurance mediation, CLE coordination, and company training.

 

In this session, Erin provided an overview of how attorneys can find more bankruptcy resources, whether books, case law, or legal research.

 

What was covered:

• Bankruptcy books are useful for people who are just starting to practice, those who haven't filed in a while, or those who may be facing unique cases.
• Lawyers have a responsibility to provide competent representation to a client, and legal research is key to having the knowledge to do this.
• Best practices for conducting legal research and staying up-to-date on bankruptcy code since it is not static. One example of this is the CARES Act.
• Fastcase is a great resource for research and case law, and updates very quickly with new cases. While Docket Alarm lets you see what has been filed, and shows you what is happening with cases even before they have reached a final decision.

 

Session 3: Bankruptcy Systems and Workflows with Ron Drescher

 

Ron Drescher joined us once again to give this session. Ron is Managing Attorney at Drescher & Associates, author of many bankruptcy articles and two books, and has more five-star reviews on Avvo.com and Google than any other Maryland bankruptcy attorney.

 

Ron discussed all the important workflows that new bankruptcy attorneys should add to their practice for greater efficiency in managing the process.

 

What was covered:

• Most bankruptcy clients pay fees over time, not in one lump sum.
• Bankruptcy clients will decide to cancel, so building fees for this into your client service agreement is crucial
• Projected case filing dates are flexible and will need updating over time.
• Legal assistants are useful for time-consuming tasks like initial client prep meetings, and used in combination with paralegals can be very cost-effective.
• Collecting documents is the hardest part of bankruptcy, but NextChapter provides a checklist that you can customize and print to keep track.

 

Session 4: Closing keynote—The Client-Centered Law Firm: How to Succeed in an Experience-Driven World with Jack Newton

 

Jack Newton is the CEO and Co-founder of Clio, the practice management software for legal professionals. He also co-founded and is President of the Legal Cloud Computing Association, and educates attorneys with his writings and speaking engagements.

 

Jack ended the day and the bankruptcy conference with the closing keynote. He discussed what the legal industry looks like today and how law firms can increase revenue with the right technology.

 

What was covered:

• We are in the age of experience: consumers value experience very highly, and we must cater to their needs
• There is a gap between what lawyers think clients expect from them, and what clients actually expect
• In addition to understanding what your clients want, you must also give it to them.
• Your firm processes (billing, intake, etc) must be centered around client expectations.
• 5 values of a client-centered firm: deep empathy, attentiveness, ease of communications, effortless experiences and build relationships so you have clients for life.
• Clio is a technology that makes it easier to manage client relationships and therefore increase efficiency and profitability.

 

We’re so glad you joined us for a successful Bankruptcy Week Summit. Thank you for your participation and support as we launched this special virtual conference. You can rewatch the sessions here. Keep an eye out for dates for next year’s bankruptcy summit!