"I see all changes as an adventure," explained John Sansom. "If my family and I get lost on the road, I say, 'Looks like we’re going to have an adventure.'"

Sansom's calm demeanor appears anything but adventurous. However, this ex-preacher has made some risky and surprising decisions which led him to his current position as Client Accounting Manager at Troutman Sanders.

A native of a small town in Alabama, Sansom's family uprooted and moved to Tulsa when he was a sophomore in high school. This was the first of Sansom's "adventures," and he took it all in stride. Nonplussed by moving mid-high school to a much larger town, he and his family dutifully followed when his father's job, once again, relocated them. This time it was to a small town in Iowa, where Sansom finished his senior year of high school. Unlike many kids who would’ve kicked up their heels at the thought of changing high schools prior to graduation, Sansom moved graciously, with the idea of adventure always in the forefront.

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President's Message: Carole Morris

More than five months have passed since I assumed my position and I cannot believe how quickly the year is going. We had an extremely successful Business Partners’ Lunch with 157 members and guests and 137 business partners attending. This is one of our most successful events of the year. Our Chapter sponsored the Atlanta Legal Aid Society at this lunch and thanks to our members and business partners, collected over $6,000 from our members, their firms and our business partners to assist those who cannot afford to hire an attorney. My thanks to everyone who contributed to this effort.

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They've Looked at AALA From Both Sides
By: Mark Williams

Whether they are still in the legal industry or have moved on to be vendors, everyone associated with AALA agrees it is a resource they cannot do without.

Read the stories of Wandra Luhrs, Will Lee, Marshall Fletcher and Debbie Goldman.

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Older and Wiser: Celebrating ALA and the Legal Management Profession
By: Bob Abramson

As we celebrate our 35th year, it is a time to reflect, not only on how far ALA has come as an organization, but on how the profession has changed and evolved over the last 35 years. From those humble beginnings, your organization has grown to over 10,000 members, with a strong and positive outlook toward the future. While there have been many changes in our professional lives since 1971, one thing has remained constant. Then, as now, there is a crucial need to ensure that a high-level of professionalism is maintained in all aspects of legal management. While 1971 may have been a somewhat simpler time technologically speaking, the dedication and commitment to professional legal management has not changed. If anything, it is even stronger.

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Professional Legal Management Week^SM: October 2-6, 2006

Professional Legal Management Week^SM (PLMW) provides a forum for recognizing those in legal management for what they do and the role they play in the success of the organization, and in its service to its clients and those who work in the organization.

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Performance Objectives for Members of the Association of Legal Administrators (ALA)

On numerous occasions, chapter leaders and ALA's Board of Directors have discussed the concept of "oneness" and unity throughout the Association. In effect, ALA members are the Association.

The following objectives resulted from a combined effort of chapter leaders, Regional Councils and a Board-appointed task force, and have been officially adopted by the ALA Board of Directors.

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ALA Region 2 Educational Conference & Exposition: Registration Information

Plan on attending the 2006 Regional Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, October 27 - 28. Register early for to save big!!!

Use this link to view further details.

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What Do You Mean My Clients Are Not Profitable? Using Profitability Data to Improve Decision Making
By: Donald G. Evans

Leaders of successful law firms understand that financial information is one of their critical resources and that broader access and usage of such information is critical to improving a law firm’s financial performance.

Financial information has the potential not only to assist in increasing profitability but also to improve the quality of both tactical and strategic decision making. But how do you measure the profitability? How do you measure the adequacy of profitability? How do you decide which practice groups or industries should be targeted for investment and which targeted for contraction? What financial information is needed by practice group chairs and supervising attorneys to assist in their decision making? How does a firm develop financial data for the preparation of a fixed-fee proposal or measure the performance of those managing fixed-fee work?

This article will present a framework to help law firm managers answer such questions critically and creatively. Knowing the answers may constitute the difference between muddling through and managing with confidence and foresight.

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From the Editor

Welcome to AALA’s Fall 2006 Newsletter! The temperature may be starting to cool, but our Fall schedule of events is certainly not.

Summer of 2006 included a wonderful Half-day Seminar at Twelve, a very fun Summer Social at Magnolia Hall and our fantastically successful Business Partner's Luncheon at The Galleria. In addition to all those offerings, a variety of interesting section meetings took place.

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Editor: Marianne M. Lawhead (mlawhead@sheastokes.com)

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