Many legal malpractice claims, in retrospect, seem to be preventable. If only the attorney had a reliable docketing system, they wouldn’t have missed the deadline for filing an appeal. If only the attorney had prepared a standard engagement letter, it would have been clear who exactly their client was. And so on.

Thus, simple, healthy risk management habits are crucial. These habits can also be informed by data summarizing legal malpractice claims, which can provide information regarding the nature of claims, frequency, type of law, size of firm, and more. That information can pinpoint the areas of potential risk. Data also confirms that the greatest risks to lawyers generally come from administrative and other preventable lawyers. To limit those risks, consider the five factors discussed below.

1. Get a Docketing System (and Use It)