CBA Record July-August 2025

LPMT BITS & BYTES BY KEVIN THOMPSON A CRM System Remembers, So You Don’t Have To B uilding a book of business as a lawyer can involve staying top of mind with your referral partners. Are you going to rely on your memory to make sure you are staying in touch with everyone you should? Your brain is great for having ideas, not storing lists of information. Without a system, you will inevitably forget someone you shouldn’t. I recommend that your tech toolkit as a lawyer include some sort of customer rela tionship software, or Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system. Firm size does not matter; even a solo can benefit from a CRM system. Merely having contacts in your phone or email is a good start, but that alone won’t remind you. It can take more mental cycles to review the list and determine who they are and where they fit within your network. And odds are there will be someone you forgot to add. Overall benefits of a CRM include increased efficiency, improved client satisfaction, better decision making with real data, and enhanced business development. A good CRM can review your emails and suggest people for inclusion. You can then make the initial determination whether they are someone you should follow up with. Are they a prospective client? A past client who might have future work? A former col league who might now have a referral? Someone you met at a conference? Once you determine that they should be included, how often should you be reminded to follow up with them? The answer will depend on their relationship to you. It would be a shame to scare someone off by following up too often. You also don’t want them trying to remember who you are when they hear from you, either. A good balance is crucial. The form of contact will also depend on their relationship with you. Some people would appreciate an email, while others may only want to review the occasional newslet ter. Some CRM software will help you draft emails or newsletters. (A side note on AI: A good practical use for AI would be to help you make these communications more interesting. Of course, be sure to proofread everything that goes out.) CRMs often help with the client intake process. Once the contact is in your practice

management system, an integrated CRM can eliminate the need for dual data entry. During a case it can assist with case updates, reminders, and other important information. Once the case is over, it can help you stay in touch and top of mind for future legal work. Once a matter has begun, a CRM can remind you to follow up, especially for those cases where there is a lag after some thing is filed but before anything further needs to be done. A CRM can remind you to send periodic case updates and possibly help draft them. The number one reason for ARDC complaints is lack of com munication. Don’t be that lawyer—let a CRM help. Once a matter is concluded, a CRM can help you stay top of mind for future legal needs. It is far easier to get more work or referrals from someone who already knows, likes, and trusts you versus developing completely new leads. A CRM system can be linked into your personal and firm marketing initiatives. Does your firm have a newsletter? Do you let people know about new blog posts? Do you let people know about speaking engagements or published articles? There are many vendors on the market, and some practice management software packages have CRM features built in. That said, there is no one-size-fits-all solu tion. Cost and feature set are important considerations. Some firms have imple mented firmwide solutions, while others are done attorney by attorney. Ultimately, the right tool is the one that will be used and not just implemented.

Kevin A. Thompson heads the intellectual property practice at Levin Ginsburg, where he is a partner; he also chairs the CBA’s Law Practice Management and Technology Committee and co-chairs the International and Foreign Law Committee. He receives no compensation by vendors for products mentioned in this column.

Members now have access to new and improved flat rate pricing with savings of 50% on Domestic Next Day/ Deferred, 30% on Ground Commercial / Residential and up to 50% on additional services. |In addition, mem bers can take advantage of UPS Smart Pickup® service for free. Open a new account, or if you are already taking advantage of our UPS savings program, re-enroll and apply the new discounts to your existing account by visiting: www.savewithups.com/cba or call 1-800-MEMBERS (1-800-636-2377), M-F 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., ET.

44 July/August 2025