how to get new clients as a lawyer

by Prof. Marshall Harber Sr. 6 min read

How To Get Clients As An Attorney

  • Friends and Family. Your friends and family will be one of the best referrals to help you find new clients as an attorney.
  • Join the Bar Association in Your Community. ...
  • Develop Your Online Presence. ...
  • Social Media. ...
  • Advertising. ...
  • Attorney Lead Generation Services. ...

Full Answer

How do lawyers get clients?

Create a page for each question your prospects and legal clients ask, and provide a meaningful answer. This will attract a lot more people to your site. 2. Run ads on page one of Google. This will bring a lot more people to your site. 3. Optimize your website for local search. This will bring a lot more people to your site.

What makes a great lawyer?

Top 9 Ways For Any Attorney To Generate a Huge Book of Business. A. Do not take any vendors you deal with for granted. Your dry cleaner, the person who mows your lawn, the mechanic who fixes your car—whomever you ... B. Do not take your …

What do clients want from their lawyers?

Aug 18, 2021 · How to get clients for your law firm. Set goals and work backwards. You should have some idea of what you want to achieve when creating your law firm’s business plan. Now it’s time to take ... Determine your target market. Pick your marketing channels. Calculate your budget. Document your marketing ...

Can a lawyer sue his client?

Apr 14, 2020 · Beef up your website to get new clients. An overwhelming 96% of people seeking legal advice use a search engine, according to 1SEO.com, and 74% of consumers visit a law firm’s website to take...

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How do you solicit a client?

Focus on relationship building rather than sales. No one appreciates a hard sell or blatant solicitation. Work on building a strong relationship with new clients or customers first and let the sales follow as a natural result of this bond. When you meet with new clients, take the time to get to know them as people.

How do you promote a new law firm?

10 steps for marketing your law firmCreate a marketing budget. ... Build a well-designed law firm website. ... Ensure your site is search engine optimized. ... Claim your free online profiles. ... Make sure your law firm has a social media presence. ... Manage your law firm's online reviews effectively. ... Try your hand at content marketing.More items...•Mar 2, 2022

Do Lawyers lie to get clients?

In California, the Rules of Professional Conduct govern a lawyer's ethical duties. The law prohibits lawyers from engaging in dishonesty.Jun 17, 2015

Can a lawyer have multiple clients?

Rule 1.7(a) provides that a lawyer can only represent multiple clients who are directly adverse to one another if all of the clients provide their informed written consent.Jan 3, 2020

How do you target a lawyer?

Marketing to lawyers and law firms can be rather daunting.Define their target audience.Understand what they are truly selling.Determine the best strategic approach for marketing their products or services.Choose the most effective marketing vehicles.Implement all branding and marketing initiatives.Track Results.

How do I make my law firm stand out?

10 Ways You Can Stand Out From Other Law Firms5-star online rating. ... Customer testimonials. ... Video. ... Recognition in a newspaper or an award from a reputable organization. ... Prompt responses. ... Letters of appreciation. ... Be humorous. ... Offer advice through blogs.More items...•Jul 30, 2019

What is unethical for a lawyer?

Attorney misconduct may include: conflict of interest, overbilling, refusing to represent a client for political or professional motives, false or misleading statements, knowingly accepting worthless lawsuits, hiding evidence, abandoning a client, failing to disclose all relevant facts, arguing a position while ...

What if a lawyer knows his client is lying?

If a lawyer, the lawyer's client, or a witness called by the lawyer, has offered material evidence and the lawyer comes to know of its falsity, the lawyer shall take reasonable remedial measures, including, if necessary, disclosure to the tribunal.

What are lawyers four duties?

DutiesAdvise and represent clients in courts, before government agencies, and in private legal matters.Communicate with their clients, colleagues, judges, and others involved in the case.Conduct research and analysis of legal problems.Interpret laws, rulings, and regulations for individuals and businesses.More items...•Sep 8, 2021

Can an attorney refuse to represent a client?

Rule 2.01 - A lawyer shall not reject, except for valid reasons, the cause of the defenseless or the oppressed. Rule 2.02 - In such cases, even if the lawyer does not accept a case, he shall not refuse to render legal advice to the person concerned if only to the extent necessary to safeguard the latter's rights.

Can lawyers represent family?

Lawyers are not allowed to represent you if they are your friend or have been associated with you as a couple during your marriage, or if they are a family member due to these conflict issues.

Can I talk to another lawyer if I already have one?

Yes. You can replace your lawyer if you have lost faith or confidence in your lawyer to represent you, you have the right to change counsel. Ideally, it would be good to speak with your lawyer about what is making you unhappy or uncomfortable and give that lawyer the chance to fix the problem.

How do lawyers get clients?

One of the best solutions for how a lawyer can get clients is to stay connected with people you worked with early in your career. This includes your peers in college, law school, and your employers. Make sure you treat everyone you come into contact with as if he could be a future client.

What do clients want from an attorney?

Clients want attorneys who are likely to do the best work possible and make clear decisions. When you examine most organizations that are very successful and have been around for a long time, it is easy to see that they tend to look for “steady” people who are not particularly mercurial and seem quite competent.

What are the most important things to do in law school?

When people are in law school and even during their first few years out of law school, they tend to believe that the most important components of a successful law firm career involve (1) billing a lot of hours (meaning working hard) and (2) doing quality work. Very rapidly, however, young lawyers come to understand that just as important as doing ...

Who is your dry cleaner?

Your dry cleaner, the person who mows your lawn, the mechanic who fixes your car —whomever you can imagine is a potential source of business for you. Stay in touch with them and remember to always be nice.

What are some mistakes lawyers make?

One of the biggest mistakes attorneys (and even law students!) make, proving they do not know how to get new clients for a law firm, is ignoring that every single person they ever meet is someone who could be a client or will someday be in a position to be their client. Many attorneys believe that they are often being “smart” sizing up people they meet and trying to assess whether they could potentially be their clients. They may assume, for example, that the janitor in their building could never be their client. They may assume that the person who sells them auto insurance could never be their client. They may assume that someone who was once their biggest enemy could never be their client.

Who is the founder of BCG?

Harrison is the founder of BCG Attorney Search and several companies in the legal employment space that collectively gets thousands of attorneys jobs each year. Harrison is widely considered the most successful recruiter in the United States and personally places multiple attorneys most weeks. His articles on legal search and placement are read by attorneys, law students and others millions of times per year.

Can former employers give you business?

Your former employers (and all of the people within them) could possibly move to other employers and potentially be in a position to give you business. Your former employers may also have cases and other work they do not want to do but that you can do. Whatever the case, you need to realize that your former employers are people who are in a position to give you a great deal of work. DO NOT burn bridges wherever you go and make sure your former employers are always your advocates. Your former employers will be in a position to give you work and talk about you to others who can also give you work.

How do I start my own law firm?

Every lawyer starting their own law firm needs to have a marketing plan—it’s a non-negotiable task that is essential to attracting clients. Keep an eye on how much business you’re generating from your marketing spend, and in which areas of your practice. Understand the return on investment (ROI) of your marketing efforts, and don’t keep chasing a losing bet.

What is Google Ads for lawyers?

You tell Google the maximum amount you’re willing to spend per day and per click on certain keywords (“divorce lawyer”), and it runs the ads for you.

What is target market?

Target market is a marketing-specific term that refers to the type of clients you want to attract. If you find that specific types of clients and matters are high-effort, low-reward then you might want to steer clear of promoting your services to that audience.

How much of your revenue should be marketing?

A good rule of thumb is to set aside 10 percent of your revenue goal for marketing and try to find room in your overall business budget. This 10 percent should include costs for your website, any hiring you plan on doing, advertising costs, and so on.

Should I have a referral section for my law firm?

For lawyers starting their own law firm, referrals should have a separate section in your marketing plan. While marketing through your own efforts is important when you’re first getting started, referrals remain a cornerstone of how clients find lawyers. According to successful law firm owner, Stephen C. Paul;

Is online marketing a strategy?

Online marketing isn’t just an if-you-build-it-they-will-come scenario. Marketing through a great website and strong content is a winning marketing strategy, but it’s also a long game. Being patient, consistent, and having realistic expectations will help inform your plan.

How to build trust with clients?

The key to a good relationship with your clients starts with trust, and the best way to build trust is to establish your credibility in your community. Share your experiences and knowledge with a local university. Volunteer to talk at your law school about your field.

Why is online marketing important for lawyers?

The reason for this is that more than ever before, people are turning to the internet to seek legal help and find a lawyer.

How to increase referrals?

Another good way to increase your referrals is to focus on a niche legal field and become known as the specialist. There are plenty of lawyers who do civil litigation or PI, and vying for referrals in those areas of practice is basically a popularity contest.

Is it easy to start a law practice from scratch?

Building a law practice from scratch is no easy task. By focusing on the strategies above you can get your law practice on the right track and land your first clients. The key is to just jump in and get started!

What should every lawyer provide?

Every lawyer should provide a concise summary of the firm’s philosophy, mission, and track record. Explain how the firm operates, what type of cases are generally handled, and how the firm will likely handle this particular case.

Why is it important to be attentive during a new client consultation?

While most attorneys would consider this an intuitive part of their legal practice, being especially attentive during new client consultations is important, not only to show your attention to the case, but also your attention to the client’s needs and expectations (as exhibited by their behavior, attitude, questions, and answers).

Why is initial consultation important?

Particularly for new clients who may never have used legal services before, the initial consultation may not only exemplify both yourself as a practicing attorney and your firm but also your entire industry. To put it bluntly: Consultations are very important.

What is the key to being a thought leader?

Well-recognized thought leaders always get more business. The key is to give clients the information they want to know. Lawyers should have professional photography, an extensive bio and a list of key accomplishments.

How much of the internet will be video by 2021?

Video will represent 80% of all internet traffic by 2021, according to TubularInsights.com. Clients and potential clients would rather watch to a two-minute verbal explanation than read a two-page article.

Who is Larry Bodine?

Larry Bodine is a business development adviser who has worked with hundreds of law firms to get more clients and generate more revenue. An attorney, journalist and marketer, he is a member of the attorney advisory board of LawLytics.com, and he has written a law marketing blog for 10 years.

Is Facebook a good social media platform?

Facebook is by far the most effective social medium. Facebook is social media to consumers. Statistics have shown that 74% of Facebook users log in daily. Meanwhile, 54% of consumers said they’d be likely to hire a lawyer with an active social media presence. For millennials, that rate jumps to 72%.

Do law firms have marketing budgets?

Fewer than half of law firms even have a marketing budget, according to a new Legal Technology Survey Report by the American Bar Association. This statistic is shocking and creates an opportunity for you to out-market your competition by simply setting aside funds for marketing.

How to choose a lawyer?

Choosing a lawyer is a crucial step in the resolution of your legal matter. Whether you are a plaintiff or a defendant, or merely a party looking for counsel, the right lawyer is key. But like all relationships, the lawyer-client relationship does not always last forever. Common problems that clients report with attorneys include: 1 Poor results. The lawyer is simply not achieving the results you were led to believe he or she could achieve. 2 Bad communication. The lawyer is not communicating about crucial legal matters and decisions, leaving you uncertain of where your matter is or what's expected of you. 3 Lack of professionalism. The lawyer perhaps arrives late to meetings, doesn't remember key facts about the case, cannot find documents already provided by the client, and even forgets to submit documents by key deadlines.

Why is it important to choose a lawyer?

Choosing a lawyer is a crucial step in the resolution of your legal matter. Whether you are a plaintiff or a defendant, or merely a party looking for counsel, the right lawyer is key. But like all relationships, the lawyer-client relationship does not always last forever.

What are the bad things about lawyers?

Bad communication. The lawyer is not communicating about crucial legal matters and decisions, leaving you uncertain of where your matter is or what's expected of you. Lack of professionalism.

What to do if you have no experience?

If you have no experience, no clients, and no way of getting clients – reach out to someone you know that needs help and offer to do something for them for free in exchange for a testimonial. You don’t need to run a full-fledged marketing campaign for them, but help them build a landing page, or do some small tasks.

Is coworking a good idea?

This is NOT a bad thing.

Why do clients use social media?

Plus, social media also builds hype and excitement, especially when you include other people .

How effective are Facebook ads?

Facebook ads can be a very effective way to reach your target audience and clients for a small amount of money compared to other forms of advertising. Facebook also allows you to create sophisticated audiences to show your ad to.

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Networking

  • “Sigh.” I know, my thoughts exactly. We all know how exhausting legal networkingcan be. But for a lawyer starting their own firm (or frankly any professional entering a new field) this is one of the most important things you can do. A common mistake lawyers make is to network only with fellow attorneys. While fellow attorneys can be a great source of referrals, it’s also important to …
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Referrals

  • For most experienced attorneys, referrals are what keep them in business. Most young attorneys want to get to this level of sustainability quickly, but they may not know the necessary things they must do to get there. Cultivating quality relationships with both clients and lawyers is the key to building your law practice through referrals. That means you need to go above and beyond the b…
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Public Appearances

  • Public speaking is not always the first thing that comes to mind when lawyers brainstorm on how to generate new business, but it can be very effective nonetheless. The key to a good relationship with your clients starts with trust, and the best way to build trust is to establish your credibility in your community. Share your experiences and knowledge with a local university. Volunteer to tal…
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Online Marketing

  • Online marketing for lawyers has become a hot topic and a highly competitive space over the past decade. The reason for this is that more than ever before, people are turning to the internet to seek legal help and find a lawyer. If you want to have any chance of succeeding in today’s legal world, you’ve got to have a presence online, and you’ve got to use technology to help grow your l…
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Conclusion

  • Building a law practice from scratch is no easy task. By focusing on the strategies above you can get your law practice on the right track and land your first clients. The key is to just jump in and get started! Pick a strategy and run with it. It isn’t going to happen overnight. But, given enough time, and with a consistent effort, you will surely find success. We published this blog post in Jul…
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