Employees with specific relations to legal processes will need to have more specific policies and regulations in place.
Whether you’re working in a field of law or in a field that may be related to law or legal work, you need to make sure you understand the law as it relates to your work and how you can construct your processes surrounding it. Here are six strategies for improving your legal processes in Oregon.
1. Understand the Nuances of the Law in Oregon
When your work is related to the law in any capacity, you should research the legal processes and nuances of your geographic location and any other locations in which business is done. While there are national laws that apply across all jurisdictions, there will be differences at the regional, state, county and local levels. You should familiarize yourself with these differences. You should also research what you need to do if your business has locations or does transactions outside of your own local jurisdiction, particularly if you do business abroad.
2. Network with the Oregon Legal Community
Networking is vital in all professional work environments, including within the field of law and between those practicing law and various organizations. You should build your network based on the type of business you’re running and your geographic location. For example, if you’re based in Bend, you’ll want to try to build a solid network with a variety of legal workers who are also based there. This can include attorneys, paralegals and court reporters Bend Oregon, among others.
3. Learn How to Read and Construct Legal Writing
Some people need to learn to write legal copy, while others only need to be able to read and interpret it correctly. Legal writing tends to be extremely technical and requires immense precision, which means there is very little room for error. Errors risk misunderstandings and violations of the law or legally binding contracts. It is therefore essential that you familiarize yourself with legal writing practices and jargon. You should also make sure anyone you work with who may come into contact with legal writing is familiar with these things as well.
4. Have an Attorney on Retainer
It’s a good idea for businesses to have attorneys on retainer. This means you pay an attorney a small regular fee, typically once a month. For this fee, the attorney you work with will make sure he or she is available to assist you with your legal needs on an as-needed basis.
5. Focus Your Legal Needs on Your Niche
If you’re an attorney or are working in relation to the legal field, you will need to have a well-rounded practical and theoretical knowledge of the law, with particular focus on your specialty or field of focus. This could be family law, business law or criminal law, among others. If you’re liaising with a law firm or other legal entity on behalf of your business, or are otherwise focused only on your niche and your specific needs. Learn how to access legal assistance, prepare contracts, and prepare for legal processes such as negotiations and litigation.
6. Work Legal Processes into Your Business Plan
If you’re working on improving the legal processes of your organization, you should think about incorporating legal processes into your business plan. Make sure it’s included in your corporate strategy and that all employees are aware of how their actions and responsibilities relate to these legal processes. In general, employees should be aware of their statuses as representatives of the company and what they can and cannot talk about outside of work. Employees with specific relations to legal processes will need to have more specific policies and regulations in place.
The ways in which you work to improve your legal processes will depend on your work and your needs. If, for example, you work at a law firm, you’ll need to be as well-rounded as possible, whereas if you’re working at a corporation and liaising with a law firm, you’ll need to focus on the parts of the law that most pertain to you.
