One of the most crucial aspects of managing a successful immigration law firm and planning for its growth is monitoring and evaluating the firm’s profitability over time. But as with many other non-legal aspects of running a law firm, this isn’t something taught in law school and is often learned by doing. Hopefully this article can help.

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In this article, we will explain what profitability is in general, dive into what profitability looks like in the context of running a law firm, and share some tips about how you as an immigration lawyer can increase the profitability of your immigration law firm.

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Let’s dive in.

What is profitability 

According to Investopedia, “profit” is realized “when revenue generated from a business activity exceeds the expenses, costs, and taxes." Profitability has to do with both your law firm’s income and expenses. To calculate your income, look at the money your law firm generates through the services you provide, including what you charge for casework, consultation or other administrative fees, speaking engagements or consulting other lawyers, and any other instance where your firm charges money and gets paid. Your expenses, on the other hand, are the money you have to spend to do your work, including office materials, technology licenses, office space, staff or contractor salaries, professional association fees, annual taxes, and more.

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Overall, the goal is to maximize revenue while reducing costs and maintaining, if not increasing, quality. 

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Thinking about profitability involves periodically evaluating your rates to ensure you charge enough for your services, and deciding, if you want to grow, whether growing your firm will actually also translate to growing profit. Indeed, in the law firm context, there are different angles to consider when analyzing profitability for your firm, so let’s take a look.

What does profitability mean for an immigration law law firm 

Profitability should go beyond mere income being greater than expenses. Particularly in the immigration law industry where flat fees are the norm, achieving profitability means looking at revenue versus costs and the actual time spent actively working on your casework.

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Why? Because if you spend so much time on your casework that your effective hourly rate falls below what you want to be earning, the fact that you’re technically earning more than you spend isn’t a very strong indicator of how strong your law firm is as a business. In this sense, profitability should be looked at as a proxy for the strength of your business in addition to just a mathematical formula.

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Thus, you need to understand how every minute of work is spent, by you and your staff if you have any, and to what extent that work generates revenue for the firm. The best way to do this is to have staff track their time whenever working on casework to then be able to calculate the effective hourly rate. Admittedly, in the immigration space, this isn’t often done because cases are billed on a flat fee basis and thus tracking time feels like an unnecessary burden. But in reality, while time tracking won’t impact revenue directly (though you may have a policy that a case that takes an unreasonable amount of time due to unforeseen circumstances, etc., may have additional fees added to it), it may help you better strategize whether or not to increase fees, which staff to put on what matters (or train, or let go), and potentially even what case types to no longer offer depending on how profitable they are.

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In summary, understanding what profitability means and how it can be looked at in the context of your immigration law firm can help you make better decisions, optimize your time and your staff’s time, and perhaps even automate when it makes sense. 

How do you increase profitability?

To increase profitability in your immigration law firm, here are some tips to keep in mind:

Set clear objectives and be consistent

Like in other areas of life, setting goals for your law firm with clear steps will help you remain focused and hold yourself and your team accountable. A helpful way to frame those goals is following the SMART acronym: goals should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely. You can set these by yourself if you run a solo firm or with your team at the beginning of the year. If you struggle with goal-setting and holding yourself accountable, you may want to consider working with a coach, if possible, not only to help you gain clarity on your goals but to support you when things get challenging. A lawyer-specific coach who is familiar with the ins and outs of running a law firm may also help you evaluate how feasible your goals are as things change. 

Save time by automating and outsourcing tasks

There are tech tools and platforms, including those specifically made for immigration lawyers to help automate payment, organize cases, schedule and keep track of client files, transcribe meetings, and much more. If you’re a solo or small law firm owner and you’re open to getting outside help, you can also look at certain tasks to outsource to ensure you’re truly dedicating your time to the things that will keep your firm profitable: e.g. billable hours. Some examples of work you can outsource include paralegal work, receptionist services, immigration brief writing, and even court appearances by other lawyers. 

Looking closely at Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are the benchmarks that show progress toward a goal. Some Key Performance Indicators include collections rates (how many hours have you been paid for the hours billed), utilization rates (hours worked in comparison to hours billed), or conversion rates (responses to marketing campaigns or ads that result in signing up a paying client). And for immigration lawyers who charge flat fees, especially if you offer payment plans, your collection rate is an important KPI to look at as well. Utilization rates should be as close to 100% as possible, which is where, again, automation and outsourcing will help you ensure you can dedicate your time to billable hours as much as possible. Finally, if your clients are happy, the more likely you can maximize their Lifetime Value (CLV). Satisfied customers will return to you for their continued immigration status, refer you to their friends that need a lawyer, and keep you front of mind as their preferred immigration lawyer. 

Save costs where you can without sacrificing quality

If office space doesn’t make financial sense for your firm or if you’re running your firm on your own, consider running your firm remotely. This would not only allow you to save on overhead costs, which translates to not having to pass those costs onto your clients, it may also afford you the flexibility to work from anywhere and adjust your work to your personal needs and personal priorities so you can deliver your best work, minimize error, and those optimize the hours you spend on client work.

Track your profitability and manage your immigration law firm with Docketwise 

From time tracking to invoicing and our comprehensive customer relationship management (CRM) tools, Docketwise is the ideal, one-in-all platform to track your cases for data driven decisions that keep you focused on achieving your goals, delivering outstanding legal services and staying profitable.

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With our full library of immigration forms, easy-to-use client questionnaires, and industry-leading API integrations, Docketwise helps you stay up to date on all your immigration cases, communicate easily with your clients, and otherwise build and manage your immigration law firm. 

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If you want to learn more about Docketwise, schedule a demo or sign up for our Immigration Briefings newsletter for daily and weekly immigration updates!

Regardless of the type of immigration document you have in mind, whether we speak of visa processing, Green card issuance, applying for a reentry permit, fulfilling an immigration application entry, or getting a temporary I-551 stamp, the application process for all types of immigration documents, on the whole, is an uphill task for immigration officials and people alike. But as an immigration lawyer yourself, you are already well aware of these things. 

Despite the fact that tech solutions are changing nearly all industries in the U.S. for the better, modern-day tech sophistication hasn’t reached the immigration space in full force. On behalf of your clients, you need to repeatedly visit the relevant places and institutions for smooth visa issuance and approvals, and most applications still have to be submitted on paper by mail. Furthermore, most immigration departments across the country also handle visa processing procedures using basic support technology, which certainly doesn’t accelerate and streamline the application processes.

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In addition, juggling the nuances of each client case, negotiating policy changes, and architecting your firm’s internal processes—immigration application management is painstaking, at the very least. Put differently, within the application process for immigration documents; there are always going to be some bottlenecks. 

So, is there a way in which you can streamline the application for immigration documentation for you and your clients at all possible touch points? The short answer here is that you can – with the help of a refined immigration law firm software management solution.

After all, as your immigration law practice moves forward, the number of visa applications is going to see an uptick, which means sooner rather than later, you will need to invest in some sort of legal documents software for law firms to fine-tune all that immigration paperwork that comes across your immigration law practice. Moreover, it will enable you to differentiate yourself on the market by empowering your firm to provide tailored immigration services to your clients.

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Below, we’ll explain how the perfect legal documents software solution can help streamline the application process for a wide range of immigration documents, not only for immigration law firms but all parties involved. But first, let’s see what the best immigration software solutions are all about. 

An Overview Of Immigration Law Firm Software Solutions 

In a nutshell, the best law firm immigration application software envelopes an entire digital toolkit that enables the concerned administration to manage all immigration-related documents and matters effectively. Such legal software boasts multiple advanced features, including template building, petition analysis, case tracking/management, automated intake process, and digital document exchanges with electronic signatures, among other key features. 

Docketwise consolidates all visa applicants’ documents and data into a single integrated platform, thus improving efficiency. That is to say; the best immigration software should help you streamline and automate all immigration-related processes, from initial form filing to visa processing and everything in between. This way, as an immigration service provider, you and your team can focus on some other value-added tasks—a win-win situation for you and your clients.

5 Ways In Which Docketwise Can Help You Streamline The Entire Application Process

For decades, immigration law firms processed their cases using tons of paper-based forms and kept hard copies of documents. Back then, paralegals, secretaries, and clerks manually entered information into immigration forms, which was an error-prone and time-consuming procedure. 

Luckily, as digitization made significant strides in all industries, immigration law firms with forward-thinking partners are no longer left behind. Docketwise is a cloud-based, tech-forward immigration software comprehensive solution that can be your antidote to the tedious application process regarding immigration documents and procedures, and here is how it can help.

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Superior Data Management

Being 100% on the cloud, a legal document management system like Docketwise allows your immigration law firm to instantly gain access to documents and the gigantic warehouse of client data from the platform’s virtual storage on demand. Correspondingly, clients can also log into the system and fill out their forms online, making the outcome of the case and data management highly efficient. 

In addition, such law practice management software could allow both your attorneys and clients to check the status of their legal documents and petitions in real time from one location. Even more, clients can review and update their personal details and information on immigration documents at all phases of their immigration application, making the job of your lawyers and other legal professionals much more manageable by ensuring that they work with the most up-to-date pieces of information regarding their clients. 

Last but not least, when it comes to data management, Docketwise is built to keep data loss and misuse at bay. The software runs on bank-grade encryption, where secure and distributed infrastructure and constant backups ensure that your company and clients’ data is 100% safe and always available.

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Permitting Working Flexibility

Besides providing superior data management, immigration application software also boasts digital tools that will empower your law firm’s employees to manage the application processes for immigration documents on behalf of your clients from any location in the most convenient way that truly suits them. By using the Docketwise device-friendly app, your workforce can access clients’ data, documentation, and matter history from anywhere they want and work on a client case even while on the go. 

Our legal documents software links back and front offices to operate as a fully capable platform and stave off the time users spend toggling between different tools. And because it integrates various administrative features, you and your lawyers can better manage your everyday administrative tasks in a relatively intuitive manner, all using the same dashboard, which streamlines the processes for your clients.

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Providing A Comprehensive View Of Each Client Case 

The central, single location for data client storage that professional legal management software solutions provide offers immigration lawyers a 360-degree view of all existing and future immigration processes and complex document needs. Having the comprehensive matter history of each client case in one view, as well as all of the user activities at different levels helps equip your firm with a visual guide of the relevant course of action for a particular client or the sector as a whole. 

In addition, it will allow your lawyers to add as many relevant custom fields or comments as necessary in each client file so they can collaborate better and arrange the needed information for the case and file all document templates, forms, and communication to the case history. All of this will help your immigration law firm enjoy a more holistic control of case progress and achieve better accuracy and clarity when filing for immigration hard-copy or PDF documents on behalf of your respected clients.

Improving Team Collaboration At All Levels

Whether you work offline, online, or a hybrid of both, communication among colleagues in law firms is challenging, particularly when it comes to sorting out thousands of documents in large-scale and midsize firms. Luckily, law firm software management solutions like Docketwise can take care of these issues rather effectively.

For one, with the help of our software, lawyers can instantly update the case status and trigger an automatic notification to all parties concerned. The lawyer assigned to a specific case can opt to add a comment and notify their colleagues of missing information or data or request an update on the documents, all with zero scopes of missing any details.  

In addition, nowadays, when only a handful of legal document management solutions are genuinely effective on form levels, lawyers are still left to do all the heavy lifting while examining and processing forms. Working on visa forms to draft petitions can hurt your firm's bottom line by draining your valuable time, resources, and money, as the lawyers would have to review the final petitions comprehensively. 

Docketwise offers a faster and hassle-proof way to manage all immigration documents and applications from a single dashboard. Moreover, the technology behind it significantly automates the end-to-end task management of immigration cases, empowering the lawyers to auto-fill application-related details on all kinds of immigration documents and forms to avoid manually typing in repetitive information.

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Providing Full Transparency Throughout Visa Processing

Many immigration law firms face the hurdle of providing insufficient transparency throughout the visa application process. Furthermore, lots of unstructured back-and-forth client communication can lead to data loss between procedures, which can lead to incomplete visa petitions resulting in denials or requests for further evidence from USCIS during the adjudication stage.

Docketwise is an all-in-one platform where lawyers, petitioners, and beneficiaries can collaborate and communicate with each other throughout the entire application process. Our industry-leading solution for law firms involves customizable matter options and interview questionnaires, timekeeping and legal billing tools, and native record management. This way, you can provide your clients with complete transparency throughout the visa processing procedure, all in an easy-to-set-up, no-code environment. 

In Conclusion 

While most immigration law firms have once shown some level of hesitancy in adopting legal document management software technology, they are now waiting in line to adopt a cloud-based solution and transform how they operate when it comes to streamlining the application process regarding immigration documents, visa processing, and issuance. The tech-fueled shift has arrived, serves as a catalyst for boosting profitability and productivity, and is here to stay.

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Docketwise is the perfect feature-laden legal documents software solution for your law firm that can help you enjoy a streamlined application process for your clients and automate most of your law firm’s daily business operations. If you want to learn more about our groundbreaking solution, you can schedule a demo on the link below and see what Docketwise is all about, or sign up for our Immigration Briefings newsletter and stay on top of all changes in the U.S. immigration law on a daily basis.

The arrival of ChatGPT in late 2022 and what some of its early users have to say about their experience using it has people in all areas of life, including almost all professional industries, curious about its potential. This includes legal professionals, who are just as curious (and in some cases concerned) about how it could affect their work in the future. 

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In this article, we’re going to go through what ChatGPT is, what it can do, what people are saying about it, and its potential strengths and weaknesses specific to the immigration space.

First, what is ChatGPT in a nutshell?

ChatGPT is a form of AI, or artificial intelligence, that falls under what’s known as Generative AI. Generative AI refers to the ability of a computer to “create text, videos, photos, and other media using cutting-edge machine learning technologies.” The GPT in the AI’s name stands for Generative Pre-Trained Transformer, which means that it’s been prepared to pull information from multiple online sources to create content, answer questions, and have conversations. As of now, ChatGPT is free. 

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Before we go into more detail about the possible ways in which ChatGPT could be helpful to immigration lawyers, let’s examine the strengths and weaknesses it has in general, and some specific things to consider with regards to the legal space. 

Pros and cons of using ChatGPT

Every new available tech tool comes with advantages and disadvantages, opportunities and challenges. First, let’s go into general pros and cons of ChatGPT. 

Potential pros of using ChatGPT: 

Access to information about almost anything

ChatGPT can provide information on virtually any topic very quickly, with a level of depth we had yet to see from AI. This can be a great time-saver when you are creating foundational materials to educate colleagues, students, or even clients. Instead of writing these materials from scratch, you can give ChatGPT a prompt to create materials on a specific topic, and revise for accuracy and tone. 

ChatGPT creates coherent content, even if not always perfect

Early users seem to be generally impressed with the answers ChatGPT provides, and how quickly it can generate multiple paragraphs on virtually any topic. It’s not accurate on every topic, including technical topics like coding, but ChatGPT continues to learn from different sources of information, and the expectation should be that its output will become more sophisticated, and hopefully more accurate, with time.

ChatGPT can help people get quick answers to questions

ChatGPT excels at interactions following a question and answer format, or acting upon being given a prompt, which is a very natural and intuitive way in which people look for information. This potentially makes ChatGPT a more intuitive way to learn for professionals looking to expand their knowledge outside of their typical areas of expertise. Indeed, this is one of the reasons that Google is worried about ChatGPT - that people will go to it to get answers to questions instead of Google’s search engine. 

Potential cons of using ChatGPT

Here are some possible cons of using ChatGPT in a general context: 

ChatGPT has limits to what it can do

An article in the Atlantic collected various instances in which, when given a prompt, ChatGPT either created something rather repetitive, despite the specific instructions provided, or claimed it could not complete the task due to being a chatbot. Users have also reported receiving answers with inaccurate or misleading information.

Using content created by ChatGPT could eventually impact SEO

ChatGPT is meant to be helpful to you, not replace you and your creative process. At the end of the day, no matter how polished ChatGPT sounds, it’s still a non-human, and content created by non-humans (e.g. bots) may be flagged by Google and make it harder to find in search results. While it’s not yet certain that Google will be able to do this, or indeed consider ChatGPT “auto-generated” content, the conversation is ongoing and can eventually post a risk to website SEO.

ChatGPT may produce harmful or biased content 

ChatGPT users who have tried to create different varieties of harmful content to test the AI’s limits have found mixed results. The Atlantic review listed above explains, for example, that while ChatGPT rejected a prompt to explain how to bully someone, it may provide inconclusive responses to more morally problematic behavior, and, according to users testing the platform, checks that may be in place to keep people from using the AI for harmful content may be easily circumvented with plays on words. There are also concerns about ChatGPT having inherent bias and other undesired attributes, which is always a cause for concern.

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These are some general concerns with the use of ChatGPT, which are applicable across the board. As an immigration lawyer, however, what are the specific implications of using ChatGPT?

Implications of ChatGPT for the immigration industry

As with any new tech tool, lawyers are beginning to grasp the potential applications of ChatGPT on the field. Right off the bat, thanks to its vast knowledge and ability to write in very clear English, lawyers who have tested the technology state that it does seem like the knowledge that ChatGPT has been trained on includes legal knowledge, which means it may be useful when researching legal issues, create court briefs, drafting contracts, providing commentary on recent procedural and regulatory changes, and more. Lawyers who work within the court system may find value in testing their arguments against ChatGPT, for example, especially as it continues to get trained on legal datasets.

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It’s also important to make sure that if you’re using ChatGPT to save time drafting content, for example, it still carries your voice and explains information in a way that connects with your audience. Most importantly, if you use ChatGPT, make sure to revise the answer you get for bias, misinformation and completeness.

What are some ways immigration lawyers can use ChatGPT? 

While this is neither an endorsement of the use of ChatGPT or a definitive guide on how to use it for immigration lawyers, we wanted to note at least a few things you can do, or at least try to do with it.

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Generally, to create legal content, all that ChatGPT needs is “instructions from you about what topics or practice areas to write about, what you would like it to include, and how long it should be.” More specifically, here are some ideas on what you can try with ChatGPT as an immigration lawyer:

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• General immigration information to share with clients, including introductory guides to various visa types, visa application checklists, immigration terminology definitions, and more.
  
  
• Law firm marketing content, including blogs, social media posts, video scripts and more, which could make it easy for lawyers using social media as part of their marketing strategy but who don’t have a marketing team on staff.
  
  
• Create initial drafts of various immigration documents that normally require long-form writing, such as National Interest Waiver cover letters, immigration business plans, country condition reports for asylum applications, and Request for Evidence (RFE) response cover letters to name a few. The emphasis there is on initial drafts.

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If you’re intrigued, give ChatGPT a try here. 

Professional standards to keep in mind when using ChatGPT

As a lawyer, you are responsible for the accuracy of the information you provide to your clients. If you pass on inaccurate information created by an AI, you are held responsible, not the AI. Thus you should always be aware of the model rules of professional conduct and specific rules set by your state bar association, and provide your clients with the most accurate information in accordance with applicable laws.

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For now, ChatGPT seems to be a potentially helpful tool to experiment with and potentially create very simple content with. However, most agree that it’s not going to replace legal professionals anytime soon.

While you experiment with ChatGPT, use Docketwise for your immigration case management

Technology and automation such as ChatGPT is created with the goal of being helpful and making people’s lives easier. Well, just like ChatGPT was created to be helpful, so was Docketwise. Developed by immigration lawyers for immigration lawyers, Docketwise streamlines and automates the administrative parts of your work — from client intake to invoicing to form filling — so you can focus on what’s most important: supporting your clients.

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From a full library of immigration forms to client questionnaires in multiple languages to an industry-leading set of API integrations, we help you stay up to date on all your cases, communicate easily with your clients, and otherwise build and manage your firm.

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If you want to learn more about Docketwise, schedule a demo at the link below, or sign up for our Immigration Briefings newsletter for daily and weekly immigration updates!

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The coaching industry has been steadily growing over the past few decades, and hiring a coach is considered a critical success factor in business, especially for entrepreneurs. This growth has led to a rise in coaches for lawyers as well, who help law firm owners with everything from business goals, including finding new clients, marketing their practice, and hiring staff to personal goals, including setting boundaries, managing stress, building leadership skills, and more. Working with a coach has a lot of potential benefits.

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At the same time, you may be skeptical about whether coaching works or wonder if hiring a coach is worth the financial and time investment you need to put in. There are a number of factors to consider when it comes to finding a coach, so in this article, we will look into the benefits that hiring a coach could have for you as an immigration lawyer and some essential things to keep in mind when you’re hiring one. 

Some common benefits of hiring a coach as a lawyer

According to the International Coaching Federation, coaches work towards "inspiring a person to maximize their personal and professional potential" by unlocking "previously untapped sources of imagination, productivity, and leadership." Coaching is a journey whereby you and your coach work together over an extended period of time: your coach helps you identify goals and strategies, and you execute with the coach’s support along the way.

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With a general understanding of coaching and its goal, let’s look into some of the more common benefits lawyers find in hiring and working with a coach. 

Setting career goals

As a lawyer, you probably have goals such as growing your firm, helping people and becoming known as an expert. Your goals need to be specific, with action items for the short and long term. A coach can help you create and monitor those over time by holding you accountable in your action plan and brainstorming how to adjust when setbacks occur. One popular and effective model to follow when you’re creating goals is the SMART model: your goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Setting clear goals will help you keep them at the forefront of your mind. Having someone supporting you along the way can help you address challenges from a different perspective, stay motivated, and combat your self-limiting beliefs if you have them. 

Establishing clear personal branding

Your brand, in simple terms, is what you want to be known for. Your coach can work with you on establishing a personal brand that can help you maintain cohesiveness and consistency in your marketing strategy: it’s much harder to come across as an expert if you talk about too many things and have no focus. When you share relevant information and insights about a specific area of immigration law consistently and over time, that can help you become a go-to person both in your network and in the minds of your ideal clients when they find you online. Your coach can work with you on finding your brand, coming up with a branding strategy, and staying consistent and accountable.

Harnessing your focus and productivity

A coach can also help you be more productive. For example, if you know that you struggle with time management, a coach can help you prioritize your tasks and organize your time to address those tasks efficiently, stay organized, and feel more in control of your work. Importantly, working with a coach will keep you accountable as you work to become more focused and productive, which is important because truly growing in this area takes consistency over a long period of time.

Developing your management skills

Management includes everything from understanding and practicing effective time management, knowing when to delegate, supporting others, providing and receiving constructive feedback, and more. Working with a coach can help you work on your management skills if you already have employees working for you and want to be a better leader, or if you’re planning to hire staff and want to learn how to be a leader. Even if you want to remain a solo practitioner for the rest of your career, you may still work with others at some point, either as part of a referral or because you started outsourcing certain tasks. Thus, working on management skills with a coach can help you in a variety of circumstances.  

Improving your overall well-being

Burnout and mental health struggles are common amongst lawyers, including immigration lawyers. Managing your stress and mental as well as physical well-being, and finding time during the day to engage in something that gives you a sense of joy and calm, is key. Many attorneys work with coaches to help them manage and cope with the stress, anxiety and other challenges that come with the job that, ultimately, impact their well-being. A coach can help you not only address and deal with these and other aspects of your well-being, almost like a therapist or psychologist. Making your well-being a priority will reinforce the importance of showing up for yourself and making self-care part of your everyday life.  

How to choose a lawyer coach 

An ideal coach for you will have an interest in your field and ideally, have relevant experience working with other professionals similar to you. Most importantly, you should be able to have open discussions with your coach about your goals and your challenges and how to consistently reorient your actions to keep them focused on your goals. 

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Before hiring a coach, you should first try to figure out what you want help with. Do you want to be more productive? Do you want to be a better manager? Are you feeling burnt out? Something else? Figuring this out will help you have a clear conversation with potential coaches and allow you to check potential coaches’ track records and whether others who worked with them in the past reached their goals or at least valued the experience.

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A lot of the value that you get out of working with a coach comes out of the commitment you both have to work together towards your goals: on their end, providing intentional strategies and ongoing support and accountability, and on your end, being open to suggestions and staying consistent with the work you’re doing. 

Support your professional goals with Docketwise

Working with a coach is only part of the equation. As your firm continues to grow, you’ll need a case management system that continues to save you time, keeps you organized, and supports your continued growth.

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With our CRM’s full library of immigration forms, easy-to-use client questionnaires, and industry-leading API integrations, Docketwise helps you stay up to date on all your immigration cases, communicate easily with your clients, and otherwise build and manage your immigration law firm. 

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If you want to learn more about Docketwise, schedule a demo at the link below, or sign up for our Immigration Briefings newsletter for daily and weekly immigration updates!

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Your immigration law firm is a business, and it’s important to approach your law practice as such. Just as you think about general aspects of your work, like building a team and completing tasks, you may also want to evaluate the intellectual property (IP) your law firm has created and consider protecting it. In this article, we’ll examine typical examples of intellectual property, how they might relate to an immigration law practice, and some things to consider when deciding whether you should protect your intellectual property. 

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Before we continue, it’s important to remember that the information in this article is intended for information only and should not be considered legal advice. For advice that fits your firm’s unique needs, we advise you to contact a lawyer specializing in intellectual property.

What is intellectual property in the first place?

The World Intellectual Property Organization defines intellectual property as "creations of the mind, such as inventions; literary and artistic works; designs; and symbols, names, and images used in commerce." Intellectual property (IP) is a specialized field of law intended to protect these creations and to recognize a creator's work by either receiving credit in a mention or financial compensation for use. Intellectual property law protects patents, copyright, and trademark, as well as trade secrets. Let’s review the basics of intellectual property through definitions established by the US Copyright Office, or the World Intellectual Property Organization. 

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Copyright protects “original works of authorship as soon as an author fixes the work in a tangible form of expression”. Everyone that writes anything original is, in theory, a copyright owner. A trademark is a signage that allows you to distinguish one original work from another. To ensure your trademark is protected, you need to register it. Patents are probably the least relevant form of IP to immigration lawyers - a patent is an “exclusive right granted for an invention, a product or a process that shows a new way of doing something or offers a new technical solution to a problem. You must disclose technical information about the invention to the public in a patent application”. 

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A trade secret is information that must be “commercially valuable due to being secret, only known to a limited group of people, and be subject to reasonable steps to keep the information secret.”

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Next, let’s go over some specific examples of how aspects of the work you do that you, as an immigration lawyer, might be protectable under intellectual property law.

What can immigration lawyers protect under intellectual property law?

Here are some examples of items you as an immigration attorney may have created, and perhaps created consistently, that may fall under one of the IP categories we defined previously: 

Your law firm logo and tagline

Logos and taglines are visible representations of your brand. Logos are made to catch people’s attention and are usually something people remember easily. Your logo and tagline appear across multiple places, like your social media pages, business cards, letterhead, etc., so this is a good place to start if you’re considering protecting your law firm’s intellectual property. 

Written website copy and blogs

Original written work on your website falls under copyright laws by default; however, displaying visible protections on your website are a good idea, for example adding the copyright (©) symbol at the bottom of each blog post and your website page footers makes the copyright visible. Especially because as an immigration lawyer you likely do business across states, it’s not a bad idea to protect the content you write on your website. Again, though, the written content on your website and your original blogs do fall under copyright laws without you doing anything extra. 

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If you decide to trademark some of your materials, here are some suggestions for how to start the process, although again, we suggest reaching out to an IP lawyer to ensure you receive advice that fits your needs. 

Select social media content

There are specific pieces of content you create on social media that you may be able to protect under copyright, trademark, or both. Some examples are taglines you write to use in your social media posts, a phrase or slogan at the beginning of your podcast if you host one, a video if you have an online channel, or a visual product like an animation you may use. Depending on what it is, your content could fall under copyright in the same way that website copy and blogs do in that simply by creating it and publishing it may be considered protected. Other content, however, like a tagline, may also fall under trademark law, and you may want to file for a registered trademark to protect that work so no one else appropriates or copies it. 

Proprietary software and other inventions

This is not very common, but some immigration law firms develop proprietary software, tools, or processes that may fall under patent protection. Let’s review some basics about patents and the types of patents you may want to consider should you develop something that fits. 

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According to the US Patent and Trademark Office, patents are “a limited duration property right relating to an invention, granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office in exchange for public disclosure of the invention.” As the definition explains, one of the things that someone applying for a patent needs to do is research disclosures, which means checking that nothing is registered before that is similar to the process or product. This is called a prior art search.

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In the immigration law space, the most likely patents that you would need to protect the work you develop are software patents and process patents. 

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Software patents give the developer of said software the sole right to sell it or market it. Securing a patent is a time-consuming process that can take several years, and while you wait, you can market your software as “patent pending” which may add to the software’s marketing value by signaling its uniqueness and innovation. To grant a patent for software or any other product, the Patent Office needs to confirm there are no similar products in description and value. Remember that, in addition to obtaining patents being a time-consuming process, securing a patent can also be quite expensive, so before you dive into the process, consult with a patent attorney to check whether your invention is patentable, or even if it is, whether it’s a good business decision to pursue a patent.

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A process patent protects specific steps and methods by “providing a monopoly for a manner of manufacture which is novel and not obvious.” Filing a process patent may be similarly time-consuming and expensive, so make sure you talk to a patent attorney before starting to get a better understanding and whether your process is patentable or not.

Trade secrets, such as law firm client lists

Trade secrets are “any practice or process of a company that is generally not known outside the company.” What makes trade secrets valuable is the advantage they give in business to those who have them. That means that not preserving the integrity of the trade secret would affect the business financially. Depending on your jurisdiction, what falls under trade secrets may be different. 

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Trade secrets may not be very common in the context of immigration law, but a list of clients or leads that you’ve built over time may fall under the definition of a trade secret. Some measures you can take to protect trade secrets may include non-disclosure and non-compete agreements that prevent those signing them from talking about what they know or working at a competing business and using their knowledge of your trade secrets in direct competition with your firm. 

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To check if your client list would be considered a trade secret, you can review this checklist to see if the information you think may be a trade secret falls under the criteria established under the most recent case law, though again, it’s always best to speak with an IP lawyer to discuss your firm’s needs! 

Streamlined immigration case management with Docketwise

The technology that you use for your immigration firm is just as important for your firm’s growth as it is to protect your intellectual property. 

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Rated the #1 immigration case management software, Docketwise helps you manage your immigration casework so you can focus on what’s most important: ensuring each client’s success. From a full library of immigration forms to client questionnaires in multiple languages to an industry-leading set of API integrations, Docketwise helps you stay up to date on all your cases, communicate easily with your clients, and otherwise build and manage your firm.

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If you want to learn more about Docketwise, schedule a demo at the link below, or sign up for our Immigration Briefings newsletter for daily and weekly immigration updates!

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In the late ’90s and early 2000s, having a website was unusual for immigration law firms. In today’s digital-first world, however, having a strong online presence for your immigration law firm is crucial. But is just having a website good enough going into 2023?

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From a strong and trustworthy social media presence to audio and video content and more, law firms should go beyond their website and work on having a broader virtual presence. This article will dive into some of the more common ways you can build an online presence for your immigration law firm. 

Establishing an online presence outside of your website

While there are many ways to establish an online presence outside of your website, we’ve outlined four of the most common ones below. A broader presence online as an immigration lawyer will allow you to communicate with your target audience in more ways, so let’s get into it.

Build a social media presence for your immigration law firm.

Consistently creating content for and sharing it on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and others is one of the best ways to build your online content portfolio. By sharing immigration information, client wins, behind-the-scenes clips, and more through social media, you show prospective clients multiple sides of you and your business, which garners trust and which may turn into opportunities and new business. Indeed, according to responses to the American Bar Association’s 2021 Website and Marketing survey, 88% of law firms surveyed have social media for professional purposes and, out of this number, 52% of which use social media for client development.

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If you’re not using social media to reach out to your ideal clients yet, but you want to start, it’s actually easier to get started than you think. Don’t worry about creating perfect-looking content either - instead, focus on being as helpful as you can with what you’re sharing, with the end goal of helping as many people as possible. The rest will follow.

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Create and host (or co-host) an immigration podcast.

Hosting your podcast allows you to continue to establish yourself as an immigration law expert, expand your professional network, and share resources with your clients and network in general. For example, if you specialize in investor visas, you can interview former investor visa holders, immigration business plan experts, a guest lawyer to discuss applicable law with you, and more.

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Because you are quite literally in your listener’s ear, it helps you become more relatable and trustworthy. When a listener hears you consistently sharing information, interviewing guests and so on, they become accustomed to your voice and begin to associate that voice with value and knowledge. It’s not a very long line from there to converting that listener into a client, colleague, partner or simply a referral source.

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And if you haven't considered starting an immigration law podcast but would like to learn more, check out our articles on how to get started with a podcast and the tech tools you need to deliver a high-quality podcast. 

Create immigration-related video content.

Sharing video content with your online audience lets you break down more complex legal concepts, share relevant news with your audience, and present your personality in the most human way possible short of being in front of them in real life. Whether short-form video content such as TikTok posts, Instagram reels or YouTube Shorts or long-form video content like traditional YouTube and other videos, this kind of content can help you build trust with your audience. Indeed, because most social media platforms have some form of video sharing capabilities, once you decide what social media platform you want to use you can start creating and sharing videos there.

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And while this article won’t go into how to create video content, rest assured that getting started doesn’t have to be complicated. Check out some of our earlier blogs on how to create short-form videos or long-form videos, and remember, all you need is your smartphone to get started!

Get featured as an expert through someone else’s online media.

Being featured in traditional online media, like a mainstream online magazine or blog, on someone else’s podcast, in someone else’s blog, etc., can expand your scope of influence and put you in front of new potential clients. Whether you’re being quoted in a Forbes article after the passage of a new immigration regulation, answering questions about a family-based visa category on a podcast or guest-writing an immigration blog post, the goal of getting featured in someone else’s online media is to have someone else vouch for your knowledge and experience by featuring you and your content.

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In a recent article about how to land speaking opportunities in conferences, podcasts, and more, we talked about how being interviewed, featured, or quoted in a media platform someone else hosts or owns is a way to establish credibility and become known outside of your network. See that blog to learn more!

Docketwise helps you manage your immigration law firm as you grow

Immigration lawyers are leaning more and more into creating digital content to build their brand and engage their ideal clients. As they grow that brand, and as their law firm grows with it, they’re turning to Docketwise, the most used immigration case management software in the market. 

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At Docketwise, we’ve built an immigration case management, forms management, and CRM platform that suits law firms of all shapes and sizes. We focus on building features for all client types and integrating Docketwise with as many platforms as possible to help you streamline your work.

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If you’re new to Docketwise and want to see if it’s a good fit for your firm, schedule a demo on our website today.

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If you’re an existing Docketwise client, thank you for preferring us for your immigration case management needs! 

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Many, if not most, immigration lawyers choose this line of work in part because of a desire to help people. In many cases, immigration lawyers have been immigrants themselves, or have recent family history tied to immigration, which helps them build stronger connections with their clients. Indeed, practicing immigration law is a direct way to have an impact on the immigration landscape.

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Another way you can make a difference in immigration is by getting involved in advocacy. But how can you go about getting involved? Which organizations can you work with, or for, to advocate for change in immigration law and policy? In this article we'll break down how to approach getting involved in immigration advocacy as an immigration lawyer.

Immigration advocacy at the local vs. national level

Immigration law is federal in scope but that doesn’t mean that all advocacy for immigration law has to be done on a national scale. Advocacy at the local level is necessary too, although perhaps at times overlooked or undersung. In this section we’re going to explore ways in which you can get involved in advocacy at the local level, and mention some organizations that can be a good place to start. Some of these you may already be involved with, or have connections to, through your network that you can leverage to find initiatives that match your interests. Let’s jump in.

Local advocacy

Getting involved with local advocacy and local immigrant communities may be the most direct way you can impact the people you serve, thus allowing you to keep your finger on the pulse of what’s happening on the ground.

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One common example of local advocacy is working to make your city a sanctuary city. Sanctuary cities are those that, at a high level, “limit how local law enforcement can cooperate with federal immigration agents.” Sanctuary cities are seen as havens for undocumented or other foreign nationals that want or need a safe place to live while they work through their immigration challenges. Examples of sanctuary cities include New York City, Minneapolis, Seattle, and Boston. Coming at this issue from another angle, you can advocate against anti-sanctuary city proposals; for example, proposals obligating law enforcement or healthcare providers to report undocumented immigrants to immigration law enforcement. 

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The National Immigration Law Center has a toolkit which has been used successfully in past challenges to sanctuary cities across the nation and includes talking points and legal research you can refer to.

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You could also go beyond the city level and work on statewide advocacy. Two examples from the state of New York of non-profit organizations advocating for the wellbeing of immigrant communities are NY Immigration Coalition and Immigrant ARC. The NY Immigration Coalition focuses on improving access to basic rights, such as education and healthcare, for immigrant families, as well as engaging them in the community through civic action. Immigrant ARC, on the other hand, focuses more on emergency services, by providing immigration lawyer access to immigrants under threat, as well as educating immigrants in the state about their rights. A first step toward taking action would be to see if your state or local government has directories for immigration legal advocacy organizations operating in your state, such as what Texas and New York City have.

National advocacy 

Affecting change at a higher level is another way to advocate for immigrants’ rights. Here are some categories of organizations advocating for immigrants at the national level.

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National immigration organizations

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First, the American Immigration Council (AIC), which “employs four coordinated approaches to advance change - litigation, research, legislative and administrative advocacy, and communications,” is a great place to start. There are two ways in which you can get involved with an organization like the AIC: you can either become a member, or actively and more directly participate in some of their initiatives. For a complete list of opportunities for attorneys, check out the AIC’s website. 

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Additionally, NAFSA: Association of International Educators, a non-profit professional organization for professionals in all areas of international education, takes part in advocacy around foreign students and scholars and other impacted individuals that work for or are part of the higher education sector.

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Of course there is also the American Immigration Lawyers Association, which is the largest immigration attorney bar association and has a number of initiatives you can get involved in, including: 

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• The Immigration Justice Campaign, a partnership with the American Immigration Council (AIC). Its goal is to identify opportunities for attorneys to provide pro bono support to immigrants in need and train them to provide the best representation possible. The Campaign also advocates by recording changes in the letter and application of the law, connecting with mentors currently assisting immigrants and their communities, and communicating with the media about the challenges immigrants face through opinion pieces, blogs, and media
  appearances. Indeed, if you’ve been trying to raise your public profile by booking speaking engagements, volunteering with an organization of this kind could be a great way to do that, and at the same time, raise awareness of the issues that affect immigrant communities the most.
  
  
• AILA’s National Day of Action, a coordinated effort during which immigration lawyers from across the country meet with congressional leaders in Washington DC to discuss ways in which lawmakers can support AILA’s priorities for the benefit of immigrant communities. It’s a day to brainstorm possible solutions to some of the most pressing problems in immigration, and for lawmakers to get feedback on the effects immigration laws have on real people in real cases. Granted, sweeping change does not happen overnight, but through opportunities like this, the immigration lawyer community strengthens its connections with Congress.
  
  
• AILA’s Advocacy and media page : This section of the AILA website provides other opportunities to advocate for change in immigration law. From flyers you can share online educating the public about important immigration issues to direct calls to action for policy change, this can be a more approachable way to get into advocacy, especially if you don’t want to or cannot commit to something bigger. 

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Ethnic interest groups

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Another way to get involved in advocacy is to work with ethnic or other community groups that have a political presence and, among other things, work on immigration advocacy. For example, there’s the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), which represents the Latino community in the nation’s capital and focuses on increasing participation in the political process. One of LULAC’s immigration-specific initiatives is the Hispanic Immigration Integration Program (HIIP), through which they help participants prepare for naturalization. For opportunities to get involved in your state, find your state’s LULAC Council in this map. 

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LULAC is just one example as there are many ethnic interest groups that are politically active and, among other things, seek to influence policy at both the domestic and international level in a way that promotes that group’s interests.

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Industry advocacy organizations

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Some advocacy work comes from industry-specific organizations that fight for immigration changes based on their field of work. A few examples of such organizations include Compete America, which advocates for reform of the high-skill immigration law system and implementing education initiatives that elevate the skill set of the American workforce and ITServe Alliance, which advocates for fair immigration toward the technology sector.

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Another example is Farmworker Justice, which seeks to empower migrant and seasonal farmworkers to improve their living and working conditions, immigration status, health, occupational safety, and access to justice.

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Finally, outside of getting involved with an advocacy organization through membership, volunteering, or other programs, you can also get involved in advocating for immigrants’ rights through impact litigation. 

Impact litigation

Strategic in nature, and with long-term, far-reaching goals in mind, impact litigation is more than delivering convincing conclusions and obtaining a favorable outcome in court. Impact litigation involves a selective process, where a case is chosen based on the possible effects it may trigger beyond that individual case outcome. In order for impact litigation to be successful, you have to get involved in activities outside the courtroom, including using social media, engaging community organizations and academic institutions, and provoking a public reaction by calling out an issue in both the actual courts and the court of public opinion. Ideally, the effects of impact litigation are felt far beyond the individual case and result in broader change. 

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A recent example of impact litigation within immigration includes groups of immigrants turning to the courts in large numbers to file writs of mandamus against USCIS when their months- or years-long waits for immigrant visa processing and adjudication interfered with their ability to work or travel. The goal was to force USCIS to take action and bring relief to not just those who filed these actions but to any applicant who may be suffering delays due to similar backlogs.

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In this particular example, some of the ways in which USCIS enacted changes were by rolling out new phases of premium processing and increasing extension periods for some visa categories. And while those may not be long-term solutions, they’ve had a positive impact for thousands of applicants. The people who brought these cases definitely made an impact.

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If you’re interested in this kind of strategic work, here are some organizations who currently work on impact litigation in the immigration space: 

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• Immigrant Defense Project, 
• Immigration Equality, 
• Capital Area Immigrant Rights’ Coalition, 
• AILA and the AIC, mentioned above, also engage in impact litigation. 

Honorable mention: IMMPACT Litigation

IMMPACT Litigation is one of the most interesting initiatives in immigration law right now. Made of an alliance of multiple immigration law firms, IMMPACT Litigation focuses on urgent needs in the immigration system by taking mass-action and class-action cases at the Federal District Court and Circuit Court of Appeals levels. Working cooperatively, the attorneys at this organization advocate for immigrants in the court system with the goal of bringing changes to the applicable law that benefit people beyond the listed plaintiffs. 

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If you want to start a similar working alliance, this could be a good example to follow. 

Docketwise automates immigration case management, including immigration litigation

Docketwise makes immigration advocacy and litigation easier. Not only does Docketwise handle traditional immigration casework, it can also support immigration attorneys with litigation matters by helping organize and track client correspondence, document and information upload, etc., and can support advocacy by providing reports, statistics, and other data that may help advocacy efforts. 

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From a full library of immigration forms to client questionnaires in multiple languages to an industry-leading set of API integrations, we help you stay up to date on all your cases, communicate easily with your clients, and otherwise build and manage your firm.

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If you want to learn more about Docketwise, schedule a demo at the link below, or sign up for our Immigration Briefings newsletter for daily and weekly immigration updates!

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In part 1 of this two-part series we discussed why launching a podcast can be a great way to grow your immigration law firm’s reach, build an audience and establish yourself as an expert. We also went over a few possible directions you can take as far as the focus of your podcast, format and more.

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In this article, part 2 of our series, we’re getting a bit more practical and will be talking about the logistics of actually creating and distributing a podcast. We’ll go over some of the equipment, tools and apps you’ll need, ranging from low-end to high-end.

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The goal of this article is to leave you feeling confident about the merits of creating the podcast and everything you need to actually get started.

Tools and tech you need to start an immigration podcast

If you want to approach launching a podcast as minimalistically as possible, all you really need to start is a smartphone. You can use your smartphone’s built-in microphone, record yourself talking using your phone’s native voice recording app, and upload that audio onto a podcast platform. Technically, this is all you need.

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But if you’re looking to launch a podcast to grow your immigration law firm, while it doesn’t have to be professional, we would recommend putting in a little effort to make the content compelling, the quality sufficiently good, and the appearance professional. So let’s look at some of the essential tools you’ll need to get started with your podcast. 

A microphone.

As we mentioned above, at the most basic level, your smartphone microphone will do, especially if you use the wired headphone microphone that comes with your smartphone. But if you’re able to invest even a little bit of money in a microphone, two common podcasting microphones you can consider include Audio-Technica’s ATR series, which range from inexpensive to higher-end mics, and which are especially good for early-stage podcasters, as well as the Blue Yeti, one of the most highly rated microphones on the market, and only slightly more expensive than the Audio-Technicas.

Good headphones.

Again, when you’re just getting started at the most basic level, you can simply use the speakers on your smartphone or laptop. However, wearing headphones, even the ones that come with your smartphone, is preferred, to help you get a better idea of the sound quality of your recording, and simply to hear better as you’re recording, especially if you have a guest. However, a good pair of over-ear headphones are advisable over earbuds, as they are more comfortable and have much better sound quality. Here are some headphone recommendations covering various price points and technical specifications. You may be surprised to find the headphones used by Joe Rogan, one of the biggest podcasters in the world, on this list, which just goes to show that even a podcast with millions of listeners doesn’t need the most expensive equipment.

Recording software.

Continuing with our basic to more advanced recommendations, you can start recording podcast episodes with a virtual meeting software like Zoom, Google Meets, Skype, or Ringr, especially if you have one or multiple guests. However, as you work towards improving your podcast, you may want to consider using more specialized recording software, ranging from Quicktime or GarageBand, both of which come preloaded on most Apple computers, a free recording platform like Audacity, which has the advantage of being open source and compatible with all major operating systems, or many others. The important thing is to look for one that fits your price range and has the features that you truly need.

Editing software.

Once your episode is recorded, you may want to edit it. Whether you’re simply cutting out unwanted clips or fully producing each podcast episode, editing software makes this process easier. Free editing tools include GarageBand, which is noted above as a recording tool as well and which comes preloaded on Apple computers, Audacity, which was also mentioned above and Riverside.fm. For paid options, consider Adobe Audition, Logic Pro X or REAPER, which range in price, as well as sophistication, but will enable you to tackle even the most complex editing projects.

Podcast hosting services.

In the same way you need to host your website on a site like GoDaddy, you also need to host your podcast on a platform that will enable others to find it. In 2022, Anchor has become one of the most known podcast hosting platforms, not only because of its hosting capabilities but because it was created to take you through the entire podcast creation process in one platform. Anchor combines recording, editing, and sharing in all the major podcast platforms and even includes monetization tools, the ability to record your own ads to insert into your podcasts, and video podcast recording capabilities. 

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Other podcast hosting platforms such as Buzzsprout and Libsyn offer similar features to Anchor, as well as different plans depending on the number of hours of audio you will upload each month. Given that features are rather similar across platforms, evaluate and pick one that fits your needs and personal preferences.

Podcast marketing tools.

Since one of the most important aspects of creating a podcast is actually getting others to listen to it, knowing how to brand and market your podcast is crucial. Here are two great tools that can easily help: Canva for creating podcast artwork, and Headliner to create short clips of your podcast episodes that you can upload and share on social media. Let’s go over each of them. 

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Canva gives you access to hundreds of podcast templates you can choose from to create your own cover art for your podcast. If you have guests, your episode cover artwork can help you advertise your guests more prominently. In addition to podcast covers, Canva offers beautiful templates for all your content creating needs. 

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As for Headliner, it helps you cross-promote your podcast on social media by taking snippets of your already-published podcast episodes, superimposing that audio snippet on that episode’s cover art, and enabling you to download and thus share that file, as a video, on social media. As your existing audience on social media learns about your podcast and follows you “across platforms,” they learn about you, your immigration law firm and your expertise in greater depth. Plus, sharing the snippets you create on Headliner on social media helps get your podcast on the radar of even more listeners, some of whom may invite you onto their podcast or otherwise present you with speaking opportunities. 

Let Docketwise streamline your immigration practice while you launch your podcast!

As a busy immigration lawyer fully immersed in growing your firm, it may seem impossible to even think about starting something like a podcast. But what if you could cut your case preparation time by as much as 50% with the right immigration case management platform in place? That’s where Docketwise comes in.

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With our full library of immigration forms, easy-to-use client questionnaires, client communication tools, industry-leading API integrations and more, Docketwise helps you stay up to date and ahead of the curve on all your immigration cases, thereby helping you focus on building your immigration law firm, even if that means starting your own podcast. 

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To learn more about Docketwise, schedule a demo at the link below, or sign up for our Immigration Briefings newsletter for daily and weekly immigration updates!

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Podcasting has become one of the most popular forms of media in recent years and is one of the fastest growing forms of communication today. Indeed, industry statistics show that there are over 2 million podcasts available to listen to through different platforms, with over 70% of Americans reporting they know about at least one podcast. For what it’s worth, in addition, projections show that the podcasting industry will generate over $4 billion in revenue by 2024. 

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As an immigration lawyer, especially if you’re already  leveraging digital marketing to grow your law firm, starting a podcast could be a very powerful tool in your marketing arsenal.

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So, in this article, we’ll go into the benefits of podcasting for your firm, why you should get started, and some ideas on how to structure your podcast. By the way, this is part one of a two-part series, so if this article convinces you to look further into starting a podcast, part two will dive into the equipment and tools you need to actually get started.

Three benefits of podcasting

Let’s talk about three major benefits that having a podcast can bring to your immigration law firm.

Podcasting helps you build relationships

As a podcast host, you’re establishing relationships with two groups of people: your target audience, who are ideally prospective clients, and your guests, if you choose to have guests as part of your show.

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First, given that the intention behind a podcast content is to bring value to your target audience, keep in mind that by doing that, and by being in their ears as they listen to you, you’re building a relationship with them. Just like listeners feel that they have a relationship with long-running radio shows hosts, podcasts, which can be considered the modern manifestation of radio, can create the same impact.

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Second, if your podcast features guests, remember that you build a relationship with those guests simply by having them on! Whether these guests are colleagues, former clients or others that you believe will bring value to your target audience, the fact that you are giving them a platform to share their thoughts, their expertise and their story creates a positive relationship. While there is inherent value in simply having these relationships with more people, the more business-focused benefit of this is the fact that these guests are then more likely to think of you when they need immigration services or refer you to someone who does.

A podcast can help you advertise your services without being salesy

An immigration attorney with a podcast focused on immigration topics not only builds your expertise, it also provides opportunities for you to remind your audience how to contact you with questions or to discuss their specific matters in a way that doesn’t come off as pushy or salesy. For example, if you have a recurring immigration column or blog, your podcast is a great way to remind people to visit your website blog to learn even more - once they’re there, they can be prompted to contact you for a consultation, at which point that “call to action” may feel more appropriate and not overly pushy.

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Make sure to remind your audience on each episode of your podcast where they can find your website or social media accounts, and provide links in your show notes. While it may seem redundant to do this on every episode, remember, each episode you may be reaching someone new who isn’t familiar with you, so it’s important that each time you communicate with your audience, they know how to contact you! 

Podcasting is media, and a media presence attracts more media attention

Podcasting is a great way to build a media presence without having to go through traditional  channels, i.e. be on an existing radio show or mass media station. In a sense, the very idea that you can create your own show and simply put it out there without traditional media gatekeepers is remarkable. But because traditional media still does wield a lot of influence, getting interviewed by a major news station or getting onto an NPR news segment can be a boon for your business. With a podcast, you give yourself the opportunity to be found that you might not otherwise have had. If a major show is looking for a new immigration law expert to interview, having a podcast quite literally allows them to hear what you would sound like on their show, which may help you land the opportunity.

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In addition, hosting a podcast can help you strengthen your appeal when you apply to speak in person at industry events. Not only does hosting a podcast with regularly scheduled episodes keep your speaking skills sharp, but as your podcast grows in popularity, you can use those figures to boost speaking engagement application.  

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Three Podcast formats immigration lawyers can consider

When you think about starting your own podcast, it may sound like a big undertaking. And yes, it could be, if you’re envisioning becoming a hit sensation like Serial. But every podcast starts somewhere, and to start one, all you really need is a computer, an internet connection, a microphone, and a format. Here are two podcast formats you can consider.

A podcast featuring just you as the host

Doing a solo podcast is the most straightforward way to start. This format lets you maintain a predictable schedule, avoid having to coordinate with guests, and otherwise minimizes the variability of the show. Of course the flip side is that the content relies entirely on you as the speaker, which may seem daunting at first. But remember, this is your show, and you can make your podcast episode as long or as short as you want! For example, you can set a time limit of 20 minutes per episode, which is a good length to discuss a topic in some depth without being too exhaustive. Or you can go even shorter - there are plenty of podcasts with 7-10 minute “quick bite” episodes.

A podcast featuring one or multiple guests

If you’d prefer to have one or multiple guests on your podcast, you can either ask pre-determined questions and conduct a more formal interview or you could have a more fluid discussion. A podcast featuring guests has two significant advantages, and two important disadvantages. As for the advantages, having guests on your podcast increases the value you deliver through your episodes by multiple points of view, and takes the pressure off of you to carry the discussion alone. On the other hand, the disadvantages of having guests are that you have to book them and schedule the recording around their availability, and the resulting risk of having last-minute cancellations.

A podcast with a co-host.

Having a consistent co-host on your podcast is a nice in-between strategy. You’re not alone, so you don’t have to fully carry the conversation, but you’re also not dealing with guest interviews and exposing yourself to the potential disadvantages there.

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At the end of the day, there’s no right answer. And remember that creating a podcast should be fun. If you feel empowered being the only one on “stage,” consider doing a one-person show. If you love interviewing people or otherwise having a dialogue, consider a podcast with guests or at least a co-host. At the end of the day, once you choose your format and decide on a topic of discussion, just get started!

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You’ll get better along the way, and remember that if it gets to be too much you can always put the podcast on pause or stop it altogether.

Led Docketwise Streamline your immigration law firm while you focus on marketing

A case management system like Docketwise can help you save time, time that you can reinvest into things like starting a podcast for your immigration law firm, which can lead to more clients, growth, and exposure for you and your firm.

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Docketwise has a full library of immigration forms, easy-to-use client questionnaires and industry-leading API integrations. Docketwise also help you stay up to date on all your immigration cases, communicate easily with your clients, and otherwise build and manage your immigration law firm. 

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If you want to learn more about Docketwise, schedule a demo at the link below, or sign up for our Immigration Briefings newsletter for daily and weekly immigration updates!

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