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Take the Women Lawyers Survey

LSSO's 2008 Women Lawyers Study has launched! Click on the links or survey graphic to take the survey now. Read about the survey and please learn how you can support our important work by considering the LSSO Women Lawyers Study 2008 sponsorship and supporting organization opportunities. Thank you.

------------------------RainDance on the Web™ Series Continues
Hear from top-rated
RainDance Conference™ speaker

LMA and LSSO are pleased to present"Boosting Productivity" as part of LSSO's RainDance on the Web series featuring:

Becky Dowd
Director of Business Development, Kirkland, Albrect & Frederickson

Barry MacQuarrie
Director of Technology, Kirkland, Albrect & Frederickson

Date: September 5, 2008

Time: 11:00 am - 12:30 pm Pacific; 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm Mountain; 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm Central; 2:00 - 3:30 pm Eastern

Fees: $99 LMA & LSSO Members / $199 Non-member

Register online.

Description: Work has dramatically improved at the accounting firm of Kirkland, Albrecht & Fredrickson. The firm eliminated the long days and frequent Saturdays that tax preparers normally worked during tax season by improving workflow within the company's tax practice. Except it wasn't discussed as a workflow problem in need of solutions — it was "Project Balance." Project Balance was implemented to provide employees a balance between their work and personal lives. The solution?The XCM software the firm developed and implemented last year — and which is now being marketed by its affiliated company, XCM Services. The XCM system starts with scanning documents, an increasingly common practice among law firms, then it systematically tracks the processing of a tax return, or other client documents, from case inception to completion. These documents are easily stored, accessed, shared, and updatedas needed.

Attend this session to learn about this unique solution and the impressive results – it's been great for both employees and clients.

Can't get your team together on September 5? Register now and receive a link to view the webinar at your convenience.

LSSO is a partner in LMA's Education and Programming Committee (P/EP)
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2008 Rainmaker of the Year Awards

Winners Announced Soon!

Thank you for your submissions!

Questions?
Please email amy@legalsales.org or call 617 726 1500
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Chief Marketing Officers' Forum

www.almevents.com/cmo

- Standard rate: $1495
- Early registration rate (before 9/1): $1295
- LSSO Members, Early registration rate (before 9/1): $1095

Presented by The American Lawyer, this 2-day program will address the key challenges you face today and prepare you for what lies ahead. Hear from and network with leaders in the industry as they provide tips and techniques on how you can successfully generate wealth for your firm. Our expert faculty will provide insight into how you can better manage your evolving role. Find out how to communicate the ROI on your initiatives and demonstrate value to the management committee. Learn how you can elicit and utilize client feedback to your advantage. See how you can jump 10 spots on the AmLaw 100 and other valuable league tables.

CMO’s everywhere are facing increasing pressure to justify their budgets and sometimes their very existence, according to new research by the Economist. Position your firm and yourself for success. Register now to attend this thought-provoking timely Forum!

To register, phone 646-520-4934 or visit www.almevents.com/cmo.

Please contact Amy DiLisio at 617.726.1500 or amy@legalsales.org to receive the promotion code for your LSSO member discount.

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LSSO's RainDrops

Visit LSSO's blog to read and comment on postings from the LSSO team and guest bloggers. We can't claim that we'll always be serious, but we can promise to be blogging about sales and service issues that effect you each and everyday!

Go to: http://lssoraindrops.blogspot.com and let us know what you think. If you are interested in blogging with LSSO, please contact Amy DiLisio at amy@legalsales.org
LSSO RainDrops is powered by LexisNexis® Client Development solutions. Visit law.lexisnexis.com

LSSO Connect™

LSSO offers a new concierge-type service for members. Would you like advice from another member about a particular program or issue? Want to meet another member while traveling on business? Need help finding a place to meet or entertain clients? Try LSSO Connect™ by contacting Amy DiLisio at amy@legalsales.org or 617.726.1500.

LSSO Partners with TranQuill Vacations

You deserve personal and business travel services! Contact Gwenn Mitchell, TranQuill Vacations, 860.268.2360

What's New in the Library?

Click here to view articles recently added to the LSSO Library.

This prestigious award will recognize and honor those firms that are driven by the standards and leadership necessary to achieve continuous improvements in delivering service excellence.

Click here for more information.

LSSO IN THE NEWS

Read about LSSO in: Adverselling Blog

Boston Business Journal

Law Office Management & Administration Report

National Law Journal

EVENTS

YELLOW BELT COURSE
Lean Sigma for Professional Services
LSSO PIC

PROCESS IMPROVEMENT CERTIFICATION
October 21, 22 and 23, Boston. Please contact LSSO at amy@legalsales.org or 617.726.1500 for more information.

Process Improvement Program Description and Registration Form

Check out this article:
Process Improvement for Law Firms. MBD: Are You Operating at Optimum Efficiency?
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Process Improvement Certification Programs for the Legal Industry

LSSO's Process Improvement Courses:
Groundbreaking Programs for Law Firms and Legal Departments

LSSO formed a strategic alliance that positions us to offer more groundbreaking programs for law firms and legal departments.

In May, LSSO launched the legal industry’s first process improvement certification programs designed to provide enhanced innovation, quality and efficiencies, and, in turn, increase profitiabilty and service in law firms and legal departments.

Until now, law firms and legal departments have had to first learn about process improvement from programs designed for other industries, and then to figure out how to apply those concepts and tools in their own organizations. These programs change that, since they are designed specifically for the legal industry.

"Toward that end, LSSO is extraordinarily fortunate to work with Laura Colcord,” stated Catherine Alman MacDonagh, President and Co-Founder of LSSO. “She is an internationally-known Process Improvement expert who has pioneered the use of Lean and Six Sigma methodologies in a number of non-traditional applications.” Laura Colcord and Catherine MacDonagh, who is a certified Six Sigma green belt, former law firm executive and a former corporate counsel, are developing the programs and will serve as lead instructors.

LSSO’s programs are for three different certifications: white, yellow and green belt. A 2-day white belt course is offered inhouse for law firms and legal departments, please contact Catherine MacDonagh for more information cam@legalsales.org.

The 3 day, yellow belt course is October 21, 22 and 23, Boston. Please contact LSSO at amy@legalsales.org or 617.726.1500 for more information or download the
Process Improvement Program Registration Form.

An overview program is also available. Participants are introduced to the two most important process improvement toolkits, Lean and Six Sigma, and will learn how these methodologies are used to improve the way work is performed in the legal industry.

“Since LSSO’s inception, we have been focused on quality and process improvement in the legal space – from our Thomas H. Lee Award for Service Excellence in Law™ award judges and board of advisors, who are experts in this area, to our RainDance Conferences™ that feature programming on process improvement methodologies like Six Sigma and Lean,” said MacDonagh. “This series of certification programs allows law firms and legal departments to have relevant, immediately applicable tools and information.”

Process Improvement Program Registration Form

Questions? Email amy@legalsales.org or call 617 726 1500.
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Coming in 2008: LSSO’s 2008 Women Lawyers Survey: Sales and Business Development Issues

Winning Strategies of The Best Women Rainmakers

This survey will explore the key characteristics that define business development and rainmaking success for today’s female lawyers. Please stay tuned for: candid feedback and insights into sales tactics, referral sources, firm support, personal motivation approaches and client management techniques that help drive business development.

LSSO would like to congratulate Dr. Marla Baskerville Watkins who has recently received her PhD in Organizational Behavior from Tulane University! Dr. Baskerville Watkins will be one of the designers of the next LSSO’s 2008 Women Lawyers Survey: Sales and Business Development Issues.

Questions? Email amy@legalsales.org or call 617 726 1500.

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RECOMMENDED BOOKS

The Law Firm Associate's Guide to Personal Marketing and Selling Skills

Order the ABA's best selling books by LSSO Co-Founders Beth Marie Cuzzone and Catherine Alman MacDonagh:
The Law Firm Associate's Guide to Personal Marketing and Selling Skills AND the companion Trainer's Manual.

Kick start YOUR associate sales training and ecucation with practical, turn key programs. They're also perfect for mentoring, recruiting and retention initiatives!

Click on the book to order.

Click here to read a book review which was published in the 1/1/08 issue of HEADNOTES, the newsletter of the Dallas Bar Association (see Page 12).

The Woman Lawyer's Rainmaking Game: How to Build a Successful Law Practice by Silvia L. Coulter, LSSO President and Co-Founder - a must read for all lawyers. Check it out at www.legalwks.com, the Press Center, item entitled "Beyond the Practice of Law: New Book Helps Female Lawyers Achieve Success"

LSSO MEMBERS: Read the chapter on Sales Confidence contributed by Harry Keshet, PhD. and Catherine Alman MacDonagh, Esq. in the LSSO Library, For Members Only.

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LSSO Webinar - Business Relevance

The Key to Client Satisfaction and Account Growth: Click here to listen to Mike O’Horo (“The Coach”) and Darryl Cross explain how to guarantee your lawyers’ “business relevance,” and earn the preference of these valuable clients who insist that you be much more than a technically competent lawyer. Here’s