How the Legal Model is Changing
Graduate. Pass the Bar. Bill hours. Right? Well, the model is changing.
I’ve written before about why practicing law is more than just knowing the law. Law is a business and businesses evolve.
While many law schools are still working to provide students with skills beyond the scope of law, the vast majority of the legal workforce is in a challenging environment where client expectations are not matching up with skill set.
But, from challenge comes opportunity. We’re in what Mark A. Cohen calls “the golden age of the legal entrepreneur.”
As Cohen suggests, many firms are transitioning to a legal services model to scale operations, similar to how the healthcare industry scaled decades ago.
The role of the lawyer is changing. Today’s lawyer can use technology to save time on legal work and use it to build client relationships.
Your Opportunity from Change
I’m betting you didn’t learn any of that in law school, and I’m also betting your managing partner hasn’t mentioned it to you. THIS is your opportunity!
You can capitalize on the change in the legal industry to grow your client base, meet or exceed their expectations and add value.
Is it more work? Up front, it may require more time and effort – learning any new skill requires additional input to get true returns. But those returns will make up for that extra effort and the payoff will lead to career satisfaction because you won’t be grinding away, you’ll be engaging and expanding as a lawyer.
Does working with clients energize you or leave you feeling drained? If you’re feeling drained, you need to ask yourself if you’re doing the right type of work and working with the right clients – for you.
Like the legal marketplace, most law schools and even firms don’t teach you how to reach new clients through high-level sales methods and strategies. To provide your clients with the most value, you need to reach them first and help them understand why you’re the best lawyer for them.
To provide your clients with the most value, you need to be doing the work that inspires you. That means you need to know what you’re good at and know what you want to do.
Finding and Aligning Your Ideal Client
Does it sound like a daunting task requiring some soothing music, a bottle of wine and a weeklong solitary retreat in the mountains? Well, it doesn’t have to. (Although the weeklong retreat probably isn’t a bad idea.)
There are many ways to find and uncover clients you want to work with and add value for. With digital resources and high-level sales methods and strategies, you can reach those clients faster.
TThen, when the digital era hits the legal industry (and its winding up for a big hit right now), you’ll be ready, ahead of the curve, and ready to lead the charge into the legal digital era.
