You don't get a second chance to make a good first impression on potential clients. Make it a positive one with a focused and interesting elevator speech.

Developing a successful practice requires long-term planning and a candid look at where you are now and where you want to be down the road. Here are the basic, but critical, aspects of successful practice development.

Some lawyers still debate whether law is a profession or a business. To believe that law is the business of providing services to individuals and organizations does not take away from the lawyer’s professionalism – it merely means lawyers should approach the law in a businesslike way. When it comes to cash flow, your banker certainly agrees.

We find out the good and the bad, as well as clients’ advice on how you can improve your practice.

Model Client Surveys

How many of your clients do you know by name? Do you understand why you know the ones you do? Chances are the ones you remember by name are the repeat clients and big clients.

When I decided to open a law practice, one of the most frequently asked questions was: how are you going to find clients?

It’s that time of year again. No, not taxes, or a trip to the dentist, or the insurance bill. It’s time for the annual employee evaluation, when partners sit down with associates and tell them what’s been good – and not so good – with their performance over the past year.

Plain language is language that is clear and understandable – and as simple as the situation allows. Legal language that is plain poses special challenges, but is not impossible. Clearer, simpler writing – stripped of complexity but not of style – will also help to improve your client relations.

It’s a reality today: that firm you thought you would retire from may be gone or restructured tomorrow. Are you ready to look for other work? Are you positioned to begin the job search again? Have you done any thinking about what you would do if faced with the chance to transition your career?