Maine Law Practice Management

When most lawyers think about niche practice, their notion is that of a practice limited to one, or a few, practice areas.   And, that’s one of the chief reasons that attorneys approach the notion of a niche practice with s ome combination of trepidation and dread.  Because selling out on one or a few practice areas brings with it risk.   It could work out famously -- or, not so much -- which would necessitate a shift in the entire practice to resolve.  Of course, that’s not the only way to get niched.   If you work in a community with comparatively few lawyers -- not necessarily a ‘rural’ practice. just a practice operating as the sole, or one of a few providers in, a local community -- you can effectively create a niche as ‘the local attorney’.  Now, the nature of that locality  is almost entirely dependent on whether you can generate enough clients from it to support a practice.  Even so, the options are perhaps wider than you imagine.   If you’re located in a metropolitan area, you

The legendary business book ‘ The E Myth ’ discusses the difference between working ‘in’ a  business, and  working ‘on’ a business.  It turns out that subtle prepositional  shift  means a whole lot.       Those who work ‘in’ a business focus on moving the day-to-day operations of that business forward.  You’re getting out the paperwork.  You’re tracking and billing for time.  You’re discussing a particular case issue with a  staffperson .   Those who work ‘on’ a business are focused on moving the business forward in a fundamental way.   You’re trying to get after what your best long-term marketing tactics are.  You’re thinking about the best categories of employees to  complete your optimal staff  arrangement .   You’re figuring out your  BHAG , and trying to approach it.     The thrust of the proposition is that those business owners who focus on ways to improve their business es  are more likely to  actually  improve  their business es .  That’s common sense, as effort usually yields

Let me be clear: your job as a lawyer is NOT to be the next  Andrew Carnegie .   That’s in part because law firms are inherently geographically - limited business es  -- in the main.   What’s to stop Wal-mart from opening another location across the state line?  Essentially nothing.  What’s to stop a law firm from doing the same thing?  Well, another bar exam passage (or waive-in process), for one.  For another, there may be restrictive rules relating to physical office space requirements for law firms, as well as a host of other protectionist measures to keep out-of-state lawyers, well . . . out of state.  Then there’s the practical difficulty of managing various ethics rules regimes, for each state you locate an office (virtual or otherwise) in.   Because most law firms are still referral-based busines ses,  they rely heavily on local connections.   Usually  the big kahuna at a law firm is going to be out and about, shaking hands and kissing babies  (metaphorically speaking) , drummi

What would you say if you randomly came upon someone asking you what you do for work?  Will you stumble across your words, or have something coherent to say instead, that even serve s  to drive new business?  If it’s the former, it’s time to develop your  elevator pitch .   You know what this is : It’s your thirty second business pitch,  theoretically offered up on a short elevator  trip ,  during  wh ich  you’re compelled to access a new business opportunity.   Now, that’s kind of silly, of course: you’re almost never going to secure a business transaction in that short a time frame -- and, if you do, it probably won’t be a good one.  But, elevator pitches are important for laying down the seeds of potential business relationships, including client acquisition and referral arrangements.     And, if you’re going to  try to  construct an elevator pitch that works, here are some tips:     - Eliminate nonverbals so you can get to the point.   What are nonverbals?  You  know:  the ums, ahs