We have talked a lot here about keeping your overhead embarrassingly low so that you will not be embarrassed later by costs you cannot afford. But, apart from this, what many new lawyers are concerned with is how to attract their first clients in an effort to build confidence and credibility outside of law school.
And, it is a serious problem to the extent that this is what typically drives new lawyers to established law firms - some experience.
Frankly, I do not think most law firms offer you too much in the way of education, apart from hard knocks. You succeed only because they are willing to give you some water-cooler advice and to kick your butt out the door to court. It is much like an instructor teaching you to swim by pushing you in the deep end of the pool and asking you if you want to live.
I experienced this technique while working in law school and thought, well hell, I can just toss my own self into the deep end and learn on the job by just as effectively.
But, the one thing that the existing law firm has is a client or case for which they do not mind a little embarrassment as you bumbling your way through it.
The trick is that clients seem to follow each other. It is hard to get the first one, but it is then easier to get the next, and the next and the next.
Credentialing starts with a law degree, but it can also start in law school. You need to make sure you get client reviews (and pictures if possible) from those clients with which you worked in a free clinic, law firm or Court. You can play that experience off in dealing with your first prospects, but you can also post their reviews on your website or in your literature. It just lets people know that you are not truly your first victim (I mean client).
Like with any business potential, clients want to know whom you have done business with and how that went. In short, whether specifically or more in the abstract, prospects need these props. They need references in a sense. For your mental security in building a practice and your confidence, you need those props as well.
Although I am not a big believer in discounting fees, I would encourage you to get a few cases in your practice area under your belt as quickly as possible. This might involve court appointments, work at some free legal clinic, or even discounting and doing some work for free initially. Just inform the clients you are willing to help, but you expect a testimonial if you do a reasonably good job for them.
When the resume is lean, try to keep the focus on the subject matter or the problem the client is facing and not on your background. And, do not harp on your law school. You do it only because you have no other reference point. I am here to tell you that not only do clients not care, it draws attention to your inexperience.
This goes for all of that paper of which you are so proud. Keep it off your wall. You think it makes you look impressive, but all clients see is that you graduated from law school a year ago. Impress the client with the aesthetics of a nice office if you must. Uncluttered. Comforting. Some simple art on the wall that defines your style.
Find and push referral sources. Prospects that are referred have less concern about your background and more confidence in what you can do to help their situation. This is simply because they have already received a testimonial from someone else whose opinion they respect. This is just but one reason why working to build a referral practice early in career is so important.
Bring them in online. A good web presence helps both with referral sources and to guide clients in without the initial concerns of background. This is because you can deal online with substantive issues that matter. You can also display your testimonials. Visuals mean a lot as well.
With the exceptions of any free initial work you do, never discuss your inexperience, or matters that would indicate your inexperience. Discuss the solutions you can offer. You do this by controlling the conversation with a series of straight forward and lightly worded questions based on the information you need to know. Jabbering on laves prospects suspecting that you do not know what you are doing. People jabber when they are nervous and do not know exactly what they are doing. It is a condition that people have learned to recognize intuitively over the years and they will spot you immediately if you jabber. So, do not do this.
Remember, it only takes one prior case, client or experience to relate back to the matter before you presently.
You do not need a job. You need a profession. You can create your own experience without too much more effort. You can better direct your future.
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