Blueprint for Building Your Law Practice

Presented by:

Michael E. JacksonJACKSON | ASSOCIATES

For TheNew York County Lawyers Association

What Kind of Lawyer Are You?

A lawyer in general practice handling matters in many areas of the law without specializing

A lawyer with a number of specialties and sub-specialties (such as litigation and various aspects thereof)

A lawyer with a narrow specialty which you know and understand thoroughly (such as employment law, mergers & acquisitions, health care law, intellectual property law)

How Do You Ensure Longevity and Prosperity in the Practice of law?

By developing your own book of business made up of clients who are loyal to you

By carefully analyzing the nature of your practice, what you are really good at and setting goals accordingly

By reaching out to potential clients and potential referral sources methodically and continuously

There is no magic bullet!

How Does a Lawyer Get Business? By doing excellent work for existing

clients, getting more matters from them, and getting referrals from them to new clients

Business you go out and get by gaining “visibility” and other personal marketing efforts

Business that comes in “over the transom” in a variety of ways through contacts

Key Tasks in the Short Term

Update your detailed curriculum vitae Develop a short bio – two to three

paragraphs Secure a professional quality photograph

of yourself, in color, in a digital file in two forms – high resolution for print publication and low resolution for online and other purposes

Identify key business associations and organizations for regular involvement

Rainmaking for Fun and Profit

Creativity: Develop and sell ideas Project knowledge and expertise

through articles, newsletters, seminars, speeches and publicity

Understand and be able to communicate your capabilities -- if you practice with other lawyers, you should be able to communicate their capabilities as well

Rainmaking for Fun and Profit

Then vs. Now: The competitive arena for selling legal services is more competitive now than ever before

You must focus on proven practice development methods that are low cost but effective

Publicity and public relations is now and will always be the most cost effective way for you to market your services

The Publicity Matrix

Plan your activities Tell them what you’re going to do Do it Tell them what you did Follow-up!

Best Places to Make Contacts Online Networking, such as LinkedIn Charities/Community organizations Nonprofit boards Business organizations Political organizations Civic organizations Alumni organizations Legal professional organizations Non-Legal professional organizations

Keys to Successful Networking Set goals and make a

plan Focus on the needs of

others Cultivate the ability to

converse on a wide range of substantive topics

Follow up quickly when you make a contact - no longer than 48 hours

Maintain relationships Send personal notes Take at least one

action each day to initiate or maintain relationships

Reach out to school alumni and others

Respect your contacts and ask permission when referring

Thank people who help you within 48 hours

Marketing Activities (1) ARTICLES for: Web Site; Newsletter;

Law Journal; Business Publications; General Interest newspapers or Magazines. Identify new topics or new angles on existing topics. These can be substantive articles or opinion pieces, short or long. If you produce interesting, well-written articles you can find places to publish them

Marketing Activities (2) LEGAL ASSOCIATIONS: NYCLA,

NYSBA, ABA, NJSBA, Corporate Counsel Associations, Inns of Court, and others, including sections or committees -- join the sections or committees that match your expertise and interests, then, volunteer and get involved, serve as a committee chair or officer -- and stay involved; work the crowd.

Marketing Activities (3)

POLITICAL ACTIVITIES: Participate on the local, state or national level as a volunteer or as an appointed or elected official, ideally in the community where you work or reside.

Marketing Activities (4) INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS AND

ASSOCIATIONS OF OTHER PROFESSIONALS: Technology Councils, Venture Capital Groups, Real Estate Associations, New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants, Society for Human Resource Management, New York Bankers Association, and other local and national organizations related to your experience and objectives for practice development. Get involved, make yourself known, stay involved.

Marketing Activities (5)

PERSONAL MARKETING OUTREACH Give a speech, participate as a presenter in a Seminar, attend a “Meet & Greet” gathering of business leaders. Also, get involved in a community or not-for-profit organization that is in line with your personal interests; volunteer, serve on a board, serve on a committee.

Marketing Activities (6)

CONTACT LIST AND FOLLOWUP: Working by yourself or in concert with an assistant, maintain a contact list of people you know: referral sources, potential clients, etc., and “work” that list methodically through mail, e-mail, phone and in-person contacts. This might include a holiday card or candy list, birthday card list, etc.

About The Speaker

Mike Jackson has a broad range of experience in all aspects of marketing and communications. He has created and executed marketing programs for law firms, accounting firms and consumer product companies. His hallmark is helping professionals to help themselves using the most cost-effective means.

JACKSON | ASSOCIATES

Marketing ■ Communications ■ Public Relations ■ Publicity

Warwick, New York 10990Phone: 845-988-6654

E-mail: mjackson@warwick.net