Hi, I’m Melanie Leonard from Streamlined Legal, where we help law firms get the most out of their practice management software. Today, I want to discuss an often-overlooked but critical issue in law firms: training—or, more specifically, the lack thereof.
The Problem: Lack of Training in Law Firms
Last year, we launched a new offering at Streamlined Legal: New User Training for Clio Users. It’s designed for any team member in a law firm who’s new to Clio. Interestingly, though, most of the attendees in these sessions have been attorneys who’ve already been using Clio for a few months. Their feedback is consistent: they’re learning a lot, even after months of using the software.
This speaks to a larger issue in the legal industry: law firms are not prioritizing training. Whether it’s attorneys or paralegals, we hear complaints all the time—people feel underprepared and unsupported in their roles. And as a business owner, this trend simply doesn’t make sense to me.
The Cost of Poor Training
Let’s put this into perspective with some numbers:
- According to the Dale Carnegie Training Center, 40% of employees who receive poor job training leave their companies within a year.
- The Center for American Progress reports that replacing an employee can cost up to 20% of an annual salary for workers earning $30,000–$50,000, and up to a staggering 213% of the annual salary for highly trained executives.
For law firms, this means losing an associate attorney—or even a paralegal—could cost thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars to replace. And this doesn’t even account for the lost productivity and institutional knowledge that walks out the door when a team member leaves.
Training Is an Investment—Not an Expense
Now let’s talk solutions. If you’re a law firm leader, consider how much you’re spending—or not spending—on training. Investing $5,000–$10,000 on training for your team can save you exponentially more in turnover costs.
At Streamlined Legal, our New User Training is designed to help law firm teams maximize the benefits of Clio while empowering them to work more efficiently. But whether you work with us or pursue training through another avenue, the key is to make training a priority.
The Bottom Line
When planning your budget for the rest of the year—or the next—ask yourself:
- Are you equipping your team with the tools and knowledge they need to succeed?
- Could investing in training save you the significant cost of replacing team members down the road?
Ultimately, proper training doesn’t just benefit your team—it benefits your bottom line. It creates a better work environment, improves productivity, and reduces turnover, all of which are essential for long-term success.
If you’d like to learn more about our New User Training for Clio Users, feel free to reach out. It’s an investment that pays off quickly, putting your team—and your firm—in a winning position.
Looking for Practice Management Software? Make the right choice by choosing Clio. Sign up today using the code CCC-Leonard and get 3 months of streamlined.legal Plus for FREE, including training and support to get you started. Begin your journey with Clio and build your firm on a solid foundation. Join Clio today!
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