Over the course of the past 20 years, professional services firms have jumped on the abbreviation bandwagon with a succession of emerging management trends, only to disembark once they discover that the latest three-letter trend doesn't deliver the results they were hoping for. What most firms don't realize is that these trendy MBA or "management by abbreviation" tools ' including total quality management (TQM), management by objectives (MBO), and now, client relationship management (CRM) ' are best viewed simply as ways to operationalize common sense.

When a lawyer writes an article, he or she has to interact with the editor of the publication in which it is going to be printed. The better the relationship between the editor and the author, the more likely the process is going to flow smoothly for both. The relationship can be improved when you - or attorneys in your firm - understand what editors provide, recognize that editors are paid professionals with a lot to do every day, and treat them with respect from the initial discussion through publication of the article.

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Experts today say that "good CRM programs aren't for every firm," according to Jayne Navarre, Chief Marketing Officer for Indianapolis-based, Bingham McHale LLP. "If there's a culture in the firm that's really averse to sharing data, or the way the firm goes about getting new business is very individual-oriented, then you need to decide if the firm is actually ready for it." Navarre, who's doing the footwork to convert a second firm to CRM, should know.

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Once considered the realm of Rube Goldberg contraptions, medical technology is now a key feature of patient care. Longer life expectancy corresponds with the growth in entrepreneurial device companies making everything from tongue depressors to Jarvik-7 artificial hearts. Patients often expect perfect device performance along with flawless medical outcomes. Medical devices now comprise a multi-billion dollar industry, with vigorous growth forecast well into this century.

The most recent rulings of importance to you and your practice.

Litigators have seen massive technological changes occur during the past two decades. Perhaps some of the greatest of these changes have taken place in the time-honored discovery tradition of document production.

Before the clinical trials are run, before the Food and Drug Administration approves, before hope is held out to millions of patients, new drugs start with scientists asking elemental questions about human life. Now, the pipeline that leads from their laboratories through drug development to the FDA may be shut off at the source.

For our mid-sized law firm, having a comprehensive and powerful practice management system is critical to day-to-day operations and continued business success. At Hopkins & Carley, a 45-attorney firm located in San Jose, Javelan is the practice management system we put in place for managing client accounts and firm accounting and finance work. Besides managing our financials, the software also allows us to provide our professionals with the information and reporting details they need to manage our firm and client business effectively and efficiently.