CLE Online

Morning Session: Leadership and Business Foundations

Course Introduction and Land Acknowledgement (9:00 – 9:15)

• opening remarks and course overview

Raymond Lee — Program Lawyer, CLEBC, Vancouver
Kendelle L. Pollitt — Pier Law & Mediation, White Rock
Allison Wolf — Founder and Lead Coach at The Lawyer Coach and The Flourishing Law Centre, Victoria

A Practical Approach to Strategic Planning (9:15 – 10:00)

• introduction to a simple and practical approach to strategic planning—the house model
• practical applications of planning, including clarity around strategic priorities, a valuable resource for decision-making, and a key piece of firm infrastructure that can help your firm attract and retain staff and lawyers

Carina Bittel — Strategic Advisor to Law Firm Leadership, The Lawyer Coach, Vancouver

BREAK (10:00 – 10:05)

Mobilize Your Workforce: People, Performance, and Profitability (10:05 – 11:00)

• business strategy and people strategy—two essential pillars of your firm
• introduction to the essential elements of your people strategy
• how to inspire heightened performance and support resilience in uncertain economic times

Allison Wolf — Founder and Lead Coach at The Lawyer Coach and The Flourishing Law Centre, Victoria

BREAK (11:00 – 11:10)

Strategic Hiring: Get the Help You Need (11:10 – 12:00)

• for small firms, one of the biggest challenges is the capacity of the partners; there can be so much legal work and administration and a shortage of support
• this panel, moderated by Kendelle Pollitt, Founder of Pier Law, will explore the key questions of when to hire, who to hire, and how to know when you can afford to hire

Moderated by Kendelle L. Pollitt — Pier Law & Mediation, White Rock
Christie Gilmour — Forte Workplace Law, Surrey
Doug Moody — COO, Barriston Law, Barrie
Alon Segev — Segev LLP, Vancouver

LUNCH (12:00 – 1:00)

Afternoon Session: Business Operations and Growth

Knowing Your Numbers: Which Ones Are Important and Why (1:00 – 1:30)

• essential financial metrics for firm owners
• understanding profit margins 
• relevant ratios for understanding the health of the business

Andy Yu — Director of Finance, Clark Wilson LLP, Vancouver

BREAK (1:30 – 1:35)

How to Fill the Pipeline (1:35 – 2:35)

For small firms it is essential to establish a steady flow of clients and work into the firm. In this panel presentation, we will discuss:

• • the most effective marketing approaches for small firms
  • understanding the ROI of your marketing investments
  • determining what is a reasonable marketing budget for your firm

Moderated by Allison Wolf — Founder and Lead Coach at The Lawyer Coach and The Flourishing Law Centre, Victoria
Rob Cooper — Founder, Plus ROI Online Marketing, Victoria
Kendelle L. Pollitt — Pier Law & Mediation, White Rock
Richard J. Sehmer — Coal Harbour Law, Vancouver
Kevin B. Westell — Pender Litigation, Vancouver 

BREAK (2:35 – 2:45)

Start Adopting Simple AI Efficiencies this Year (2:45 – 3:45)

• adding AI to the workflow—securely and ethically
• efficiency improvements for small practices
• quality control systems

Nicole Biros-Bolton — Principal Lawyer, Bird Bolt Law, Hamilton

Wrap-up, Next Steps, and Concluding Remarks (3:45 – 4:00)

• Q&A
• key takeaways and action items

Kendelle L. Pollitt — Pier Law & Mediation, White Rock
Allison Wolf — Founder and Lead Coach at The Lawyer Coach and The Flourishing Law Centre, Victoria