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Client Relations

Don’t Negotiate, Do Accommodate

October 18, 2008 by Carolyn Elefant

Last season, my daughters and I became fans of Donald Trump’s Celebrity Apprentice.  While my girls enjoyed  the show for the recognizable products that were often the subject of the challenge, I watched for marketing lessons.  And one of the lessons that’s remained with me now, even several months later, was gleaned from a competition [...]

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What We Do Matters: A Reminder from the Last Lecture

September 17, 2008 by Carolyn Elefant

Everyday across the nation, hundreds of solos talk to their clients — breaking bad news, explaining how the law works or offering suggestions on how to handle a divorce or fight a trumped up criminal charges or save their home from foreclosure. Nothing precedent-setting or earthshattering, nothing as sexy or high profile as, for example, [...]

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Greatest American Lawyer’s Rejoinder to the Well Drafted Retainer

July 29, 2008 by Carolyn Elefant

In a response to my earlier post, The Well Drafted Retainer, my blogging colleague Enricho Schaefer ponders whether the traditional retainer is outdated.  Schafer argues that the complexity of retainer agreements complicates relationships with clients rather than facilitating them.  Schaefer explains that his firm memorializes the attorney-client agreement with an email listing the tasks to [...]

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The Well Drafted Retainer Agreement – A Sample and A Challenge

July 13, 2008 by Carolyn Elefant

As I’ve written in Solo by Choice and discussed at my blog, a well drafted, ethically compliant retainer agreement is a lawyer’s most important tool in guarding against grievances, setting client expectations and generally, helping to create a profitable pratice.   Without a retainer, some bars won’t even let you collect your fee.  And if your [...]

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An Off Hours Law Practice Is An On Point Idea

April 8, 2008 by Carolyn Elefant

One of the five "high impact" marketing practices that I discuss in Solo by Choice is non-traditional consultations, such as house calls or an after hours practice.  Not only are are non-traditional consults a way to stand out and accomodate your clients, but they’re also compatible with many solos’ business models.  Making house calls or [...]

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How Dr. Doolittle’s Pushmi-pullyu Can Help You Attract and Keep Clients

March 18, 2008 by Carolyn Elefant

Remember the two headed Pushmi-pullyu from the children’s classic, Doctor Dolittle?  What you probably didn’t realize back then is that the Pushmi-pullyu serves as an apt paradigm for providing information to your clients.  I unveiled this concept last week in my presentation at the ABA Tech Show 2008 on “Using Technology to Retain Clients.” Most [...]

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Reach Out And Make A Connection

December 16, 2007 by Carolyn Elefant

Arnie Herz at Legal Sanity offers a great tip, echoed by What About Clients: reconnect with your business network so that you can continue to nurture and reinforce the trusted relationships that produce not only business referrals, but personal fulfillment. Taking a page from Curt Rosengren, Herz recommends that you try speaking with someone personally [...]

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Lawyers as the Bearers of Bad News

December 17, 2006 by Carolyn Elefant

The recent shootings at a Chicago law firm by Joe Jackson, a disgruntled and crazed client have spawned a search for reasons behind the tragedy.  This article, Lawyers balance inventors’ hope (12/17/06) explores one rationale: that Jackson, like other inventors who seek patents, hold an unrealistic hope of success.  According to one  patent attorney quoted [...]

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The Limits of Managing Client Relationships

December 9, 2006 by Carolyn Elefant

More lawyers are focusing on managing client relations, adopting techniques from putting ourselves in our clients’ shoes to soliciting feedback through surveys to treating them with respect.  But sometimes, no matter what we do, clients get frustrated and angry – often not with their lawyers but with the inherent limitations of our justice system – [...]

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Twelve Rules of Great Client Service

November 5, 2006 by Carolyn Elefant

Dan Hull of What About Clients has rounded up twelve of his past blog posts into a comprehensive Twelve Rules of Client Service.  Read it if you want to stay a step ahead of your competitors. Though Dan’s post addresses client service, it’s actually a great model for great rules for serving your blog readers.  [...]

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