Does your law firm deal with medical records and other protected health information (PHI)? If it does, then you may be subject to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).

The cost of noncompliance with HIPAA can be steep — Advocate Health Care Network paid a violation settlement of $5.5 million! Therefore, it’s wise to understand how this federal law affects your practice.

Ours is a world of increasing specialization. The market has shifted towards providers who focus their efforts and resources toward a narrower area of expertise in order to deliver a higher level of excellence. These choose to cultivate a smaller but devoted clientele rather than provide a one-size-fits all offering that suits a wide array of clients but is otherwise undistinguished.

The past year has been full of drastic upheavals, both for the legal profession and for society at large. As people struggle to adjust to the new routines and lifestyle changes mandated by the COVID-19 pandemic, including long lockdown periods and restrictions on mobility, businesses of all stripes have raced to adapt their operational models to the new status quo.

2021 is here, and so we once again hope to wipe the slate clean and start anew. 2020 may have been full of unexpected setbacks, and in some cases, extraordinary difficulties. Both individuals and organizations have had to make some radical changes in the way they do things in response to the changes in the status quo brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ever since we’ve had rules to govern society, we’ve needed people to stand up and ensure that those rules are applied fairly and justly to all that they protect. Given these facts, it’s no surprise that many in the legal profession take great pride in their place in society and place a high premium on tradition and legacy.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted everyday life in an unprecedented way. With several places across the United States bearing lockdowns and/or shifting policies as new developments arise, most (if not all) industries were forced to change the way they operate.

Lawyers juggle numerous tasks to keep their cases moving forward. They meet with their clients, conduct research, draft legal documents, and accomplish many other things. One of the most crucial yet time-consuming parts of their work is obtaining records.

When your law firm is just starting out or operating when the economy is down (like during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis), you may be tempted to do everything in-house to save money. The problem with this approach is that your staff may spend too much time on tasks that are either mundane or beyond their skill set.