Stephanie teaches about all aspects of a virtual law practice in the 21st century at Solo Practice University®.
Stephanie Kimbro, MA, JD, is member of Burton Law LLC, a virtual law firm offering online unbundled and traditional full-service representation in North Carolina and Ohio. She is the recipient of the 2009 ABA Keane Award for Excellence in eLawyering and is the author of Virtual Law Practice: How to Deliver Legal Services Online (2010), Limited Scope Legal Services: Unbundling and the Self-Help Client (2012), and the forthcoming Consumer Law Revolution: The Lawyers’ Guide to Online Marketing Tools (2013). She is also the co-founder of Virtual Law Office Technology, LLC (VLOTech), which was acquired by Total Attorneys in the fall of 2009.
In addition to practicing law, Stephanie writes about the ethics and technology issues of delivering legal services online and is interested in the use of technology to increase access to justice. She has provided presentations and guest lectured for many state bars, law schools and other organizations interested in legal technology and other law practice management topics. She authors a blog about ethics and the online delivery of legal services at www.virtuallawpractice.org.
Kimbro is a member of the ABA Standing Committee on the Delivery of Legal Services and Chair of the ABA LPM’s Ethics and Professional Responsibility Committee. She is a former member of the ABA eLawyering Task Force, and a member of the North Carolina Bar Association (NCBA) Law Practice Management (LPM) Council, and the NCBA Tech Advisory Committee. She is an adjunct professor at the University of Dayton School of Law and has developed the school’s online Digital Lawyering Program. She also teaches as an adjunct professor at Wake Forest University Law School and Michigan State University School of Law.
Syllabus – Virtual Law Practice
General Course Goal
At the end of this course, my goal is for the students to have the resources that they need to open a virtual law office and to operate that virtual practice with strong ethical and professional standards to provide quality online legal services to the public.
Outline of Course (order may be changed depending on feedback from the students or some topics may be divided into two parts)
What is a Virtual Law Office?
- Discussion from other Virtual Attorneys operating VLOs
- A brief history of virtual law practice
- Where we are today
Understanding the Technology to Run a VLO
- Secure HTTP
- SSL Certificates
- Encryption
- Best Practices
Complying with your State Bar
- Ethics and Professional Rules of Conduct regarding Websites/Advertising/Collection of Data/Online Payments, etc. and how to interpret those rules into a virtual law practice.
- A look at some State Bars’ opinion specifically addressing virtual law practice and the different compliance issues
Remote Lawyering with a VLO
- Mobile Device Options and Secure Practices
Secure Practices with a VLO
- Encryption
- Internet Security
- How to stay safe when you have to use email
- Metadata
Electronic Discovery and the VLO
Creating the Attorney Client Relationship with a VLO
- Clickwrap Agreements
Defining the Scope of Representation
- Engagement and Disengagement Notices
Virtual Law Office Management
- Hiring a VA for your VLO
- Using other software programs with your VLO
- Adding a VLO to a traditional law office
Online VLO Payments
- PCI Compliance
- PayPal vs. Other Credit Card Processing Companies
- General and Trust Accounting Issues
Marketing Best Practices for a VLO
Alternative Billing Methods and the VLO
The Future of Virtual Law Practice
This is an exciting addition as I’ll likely be pursuing a similar path to Mrs. Kimbro. Any idea yet on how much membership will cost? I’d like to get an idea as I prepare my budget whether SPU is something I can afford.
@Kenan – I make a PROMISE to you and every potential student at Solo Practice University…the tuition will be VERY affordable. It is part of SPU’s mission to recognize all the challenges new lawyers and current solos face. More often than not, financial is in the top three.
Keep checking back…it won’t be long before we announce.
Thanks for joining the discussion.
Another awesome addition to the faculty. What better place to learn solo practice than online… and with specific instruction on virtual offices. I look forward to Stephanie’s information!
@Joe That’s exactly the way we feel. Virtual learning may be the only option available to some and the faculty we have lined up not only understands this but has embraced (or is willing to embrace)this and are excited by the possibilities.
Stephanie — congrats on being the next faculty announced for SPU. I am so excited to see you are among those teaching. And I am excited to know that those who are taking advantage of SPU will get exposed to the concept of the Virtual Law Office. The VLO way of operating a law office is truly the future and it will be exciting for those at SPU to learn from someone so passionate about it.
Again, congrats and SPU is getting better and better with each announcement. And way to go Susan for landing a quality faculty member like Stephanie.
Thank you to everyone for the warm welcome! I’m looking forward to working with SPU students, and I can’t wait to start up a productive dialogue about virtual law practice.
Virtual Law Offices (VLOs) are becoming more common in the legal profession. SPU will provide the perfect platform to discuss the use of technology to practice law online. I’m excited to start teaching!