The mission of the Law Practice Management Section is to provide resources to the law office practitioner (attorney or firm manager, and, as we all know, sometimes that position is combined) to assist in the administration and management of the firm, in a timely and effective manner. More than any other section, we are aware that "time is money", and we -- your fellow Oregon State Bar and OLMA members -- are committed to increasing your access to practical information that will help in the start-up, management, and, yes, even the retirement of a law firm and its members. How will we do this?

As any successful business, we want listen to our customers - you. We want to hear from you directly, through one of our executive committee members. That can be done either by phone or email, or heck, even personally, face-to-face.

We have expertise -- or the knowledge of what we don't know. We have fellow attorneys and law office administrators on the executive committee that come from a broad spectrum of law office management experience:

We have products to make available to you - our newsletter, seminars, legal management and technology show. And we are developing new products.

Your executive committee has embraced the "short and sweet" approach, as we plan our upcoming activities:

1. Seminars. We are anticipating 1- 2, and -3 hour (at the most) seminars, rather than all-day. We want to get many speakers, focused on specific, tight topics. We want to get well-qualified speakers, but not incur significant room or travel costs. We will offer them in a low-cost venue -- either at the State Bar headquarters for the first 75 registrants, or also available by interactive phone connection or "streaming video" on the Internet. By aiming for smaller seminars, with one or two topics, there is the likelihood of more seminars being put together from your volunteer executive committee, rather than the all-day, blow-out seminar, with the attendant speaker and facility coordination problems. We will be advertising these seminars principally by email, both because of the expected shorter lead time, and to keep the section expenses (paid from your dues) down.

2. Newsletter. We are working with the ABA LPM section to offer selected articles from their newsletter. The ABA LPM searches the nation for the latest information in law office management, and also reminds us from time to time of the tried and true principles. We think that making this information available to our members would be an effective means of improving our law office management product.

3. Listserve. How many of you know all of the answers on how to run a law office? I thought so ... it is a continually evolving art. We can improve our knowledge by consulting with others, just as our clients do. A listserve for our members has been set up, to ask questions and share their experience and resources.  If you are a LPMS members, you received your welcome message, with instructions on how to send out.  If you need a reminder, please contact our webmaster: Evan Boone

4. Web page. We have a web page, hosted via the Bar's website: "www.osbar.org/5member/sections/lpm/lpms.htm [actually, if you are reading this, you are here!]. It give you basic information about the section, executive committee membership, etc. You'll find it expanding as the seminars and newsletter information increase -- For example, we'll be archiving our past issues on it, with a table of contents, so you can find that newsletter article you recall, but can't find laying about the office.

It will take a little while to get all of this in full swing, but we think it will be worth the wait. And I encourage anyone who has a question or suggestion to contact us.