You’ve seen it over & over & over again… A “new” lawyer comes onto the scene and just kicks-butt…

And all the more “experienced” lawyers, arguably even “better” lawyers are standing-around scratching their heads wondering How This Is Possible?

They make the mistake of thinking that being a better lawyer is the only factor in building a better law firm.  They make this mistake becaue they substitute preference for reality.  Ayn Rand says “We can evade reality, but we cannot avoid the consequences of evading reality”.

Sadly for too many of those more experienced “better” lawyers, they do what lawyers do, instead of doing what entrepreneurs do.

Instead of studying what the new lawyer is doing differently, devising an experiment and testing for results, those other lawyers huddle-up with their backs to the outside world and commence the excuse-making, criticism and ridicule.

Which is just fine by us since they make it only that-much-easier when they choose to turn their backs on how we do what we do instead of learning from us.

This goes for lawyers in the “virtual” world on blogs, discussion forums, and list-serves too.

There REALLY IS Plenty Of Business Out There

It surprises a lot of people when I encourage lawyers from our various coaching groups to reach-out to their “competition”.  Because, the fact of the matter is there’s plenty-enough business to keep everyone very, very busy.

But most lawyers would rather stand-around wishing for days-gone-by than get into the game today. And no, this is not a euphemism for engaging in sleazy or unethical marketing.  “Days gone by” means the days when they weren’t so sure of themselves that they weren’t open to new ideas and willing and able to learn.

The fact of the matter is that any lawyer who tells you he or she doesn’t actively market his or her law firm anymore, is either:

a.) Lying; or

b.) Broke.

Marketing is part of the business of running a successful law firm.

You can’t have a whole without all of the parts.  And having a successful law firm with plenty-enough business to give you the option to say “no thank you” when a bad client comes-along with a bad case, is a big contributing factor to WHY happy lawyers make more money.

Likewise, having “proper” law firm management policies, systems & procedures in-place is what protects you from costly & debilitating a/r, too-many nights at the office putting out administrative fires, and how you avoid doing the sort of work you went to law school specifically to AVOID having to do on a daily-basis in your life.

Good News: The world works according to some reassuringly-predictable set of rules.

  • When you drop a glass on a hard surface you’re not surprised that it breaks.
  • When you touch a hot surface with your bare hand, you’re not surprised that it hurts.
  • And you know the different effects to expect if you give a plant the nutrients, care and attention it needs to blossom vs. if you just keep taking, taking, taking from it each season.

Yet there are lawyers who do their best to evade these realities of how the world really works.

They want to get something from their law firm, from their clients, from their staff, etc. without giving their law firm, their clients or their staff what they need.

  • Law firms need to be properly managed.
  • Clients need to be properly marketed to, sold and serviced.
  • Staff need to have  clearly documented policies, systems & procedures, not just the standard throw-away “employee manual”.

But what did they teach any of us in law school about the BUSINESS of managing, marketing, selling, supervising, or accounting for our finances either while we’re’ on the subject?  (rhetorical question)

At this point you either disagree with my basic premise in which case you should probably unsubsribe from this ezine list and move to some sort of socialist regime where your ideas about how the world should work might help you make new friends.

Or else you may be feeling excited, and even inspired, if also a bit scared and intimidated too.

Because you have never formally learned how to how to start, market, manage, etc. a successful law firm, did you?

That’s where I come in.

I have helped literally thousands of entrepreneurial lawyers and my company runs three different programs to help my fellow lawyers.

HERE is a link to a web page where you can read about the three different programs we run.

Then decide for yourself which these programs best-describes the current state of your law firm or legal career.

And if you’re truly-ready to make a change for the better, you’ll see how to schedule an interview to speak with me so we can decide-together if one of our programs may be a good fit for you.

Regardless of what you decide to do, please make sure it’s a decision and not an abdication of your power to decide.

Best,

~ RJON

p.s. Here’s a photo taken of some of our Happy Lawyers  who traveled to Miami last weekend to attend our quarterly members-only meeting.

This quarter we happen to be focused on how to build processes & systems to trigger more repeat & referral business from former & curent clients so that you can enjoy more predictable and sustainable positive cash flow.

 

p.p.s. Here’s a page where you can see video testimonials from some of these and many other of our Members and lawyers who have attended & participated in our programs in recent years.