Lake County Bar Association 2007 Member Survey

Survey Background

One of the goals of the 2006-07 President of the Lake County Bar Association (LCBA) was to survey the membership about matters of importance to those practicing in Lake County and the surrounding communities.  The last survey of the LCBA membership was conducted in 1983.  

The LCBA 2007 Member Survey was designed and implemented in partnership with the Paralegal Studies Program and the Office of Institutional Research at Lakeland Community College.  The Paralegal Studies Program at Lakeland is approved by the American Bar Association.  This ABA approval enhances the value of Lakeland’s paralegal degree and is very important to the future of the paralegal program. A few of the questions included on the survey pertained to paralegal usage and will be helpful to the program as it maintains its ABA approval status.

As a convenience to LCBA members, two survey completion options were provided.  In May of 2007, a letter of invitation with a paper version of the survey and postage paid return envelope was mailed to all 445 LCBA members.  In addition, a link to an online version of the survey was made available on the home page of the LCBA website.  In addition to regular reminders sent out via email, a postcard reminder was mailed out to members in June. As an incentive for participation, all who responded were entered into a drawing for a free year of exemption from LCBA dues payment for 2008. 

A total of 148 completed surveys, 86 paper surveys and 62 online surveys, were submitted to Lakeland’s Office of Institutional Research for compilation and analysis.  This represents an overall response rate of 33%.

Survey Findings

Key findings from the LCBA 2007 Member Survey are presented below. The detailed, question by question results begin on page four of this report.

·         The majority of survey respondents (64%) work as solo practitioners or in small firms.

·         An average work week of 40 hours or more was reported by the majority of respondents across all practice categories. The table below includes additional detail on average hours worked per week.

·         On average, respondents have been practicing law for twenty years.

·         Over half of respondents (57%) commute 10 miles or less from home to work each day.

·         More than 60% of respondents practicing as solo practitioners or in government/judicial positions earn under $75,000 annually.  Over 80% of respondents practicing in medium or large firms earn an approximate annual income of $100,000 or more.  The table below includes additional detail on annual income by practice type.

·         The majority of respondents (62%) indicated that less than 10% of their practice is pro bono work. 

·         Most respondents (73%) reported having 3 or less new clients per week.

·         40% of respondents indicated that more than 10% of their clients are delinquent in payment of fees. Furthermore, 28% of respondents said that more than 10% of fees are never collected. 

·         Almost two-thirds of respondents (63%) reported that their largest trial award was under $100,000. At the same time, 60% of respondents reported that their largest settlement without trial was $100,000 or more. 

·         Most respondents (61%) have not practiced in federal court during the past year.  Only 8% indicated that 25% or more of their practice was in federal court.

·         Two-thirds of respondents (66%) said their firm has a health insurance program.

·         54% of respondents favor a mid-term judicial survey concerning judicial performance as suggested by the Ohio Supreme Court.  20% do not favor a judicial survey and 25% had no opinion.

·         Over 40% of respondents reported using the legal software packages Casemaker and LexisNexis in their offices.

·         38% of respondents use the Lake County Law Library at least once a month. 

·         More than half of respondents (57%) indicated that over 75% of their legal research is done electronically (vs. using print materials and books).

·         80% of respondents said that 50% or less of their written correspondence is done via email.

·         44% of respondents do not dictate any of their written work for transcription by someone else.  

·         The most common forms of advertising utilized by respondents are the telephone book, websites, and special event programs.

·         27% of respondents said their firm has hired a new associate within the last year.

·         23% of respondents indicated that their firm utilizes in-house professional development or training.

·         80% of respondents have secretarial staff.  Most attorneys (55%) manage their own calendar.

·         40% of respondents employ a paralegal.  One-third of respondents (33%) have employed a graduate from the paralegal program at Lakeland Community College.

Additional Analysis Related to Paralegal Employment

·         Paralegals were reported to be employed by 100% of medium and large firms, 50% of small firms and corporate attorneys, 16% of solo practitioners, and 15% of government/judicial practitioners.

·         Of small firms with paralegals, 52% employ only one and 43% employ 2-3.  Over 60% of medium and large firms with paralegals employ 4 or more.  The tables below include additional details on paralegal employment.

• Areas of law in which paralegals are commonly being used include probate, personal injury, and family law.

• Performing office related tasks and communicating with clients, witnesses, and others were the most commonly reported tasks completed by paralegals.

• The majority of respondents (68%) said their paralegal accurately keeps time.

• 76% of respondents who employ a paralegal said their paralegal has received formal paralegal education. 

Survey Results

Note:  Due to rounding in the following tables, some percentages may add to 99% or 101%.