Earning your law degree may have prepared you for complex litigation, but running a successful law firm requires an entirely different set of skills. The only way to know if you’re ready for the responsibility of helming your own practice is to do it.
You’ll learn a lot about running a practice through trial and error, but there are some things you can do to lay a solid foundation for your legal practice. After all, all successful businesses are built on a good foundation. Continue reading to get some tips to help you grow your firm into the success you always knew it could be.
Prioritize mental health.
Mental health has gotten a lot more attention in recent decades. As an employer, it’s important to understand the correlation between your employees’ mental health and their work performance. Your team members are responsible for their client’s fate in many situations, and you need them to be on their A-games at all times. With a company wellness program, you can create an environment where mental health and physical health are top priorities.
Wellable is one of the leading wellness programs. They have the tools to help companies foster a healthy environment and even provide services such as health risk assessment. The stronger your employees feel in mind and body, the more effective they can be for their clients. Instituting a wellness program is one of the best ways to invest in your law firm and your team members.
Create the right company culture.
Growing your practice means thinking like a business leader and not merely a great lawyer. For instance, it’s up to you to create a company culture in which your team can thrive and clients receive the best results.
Malliha Wilson, Senior Counsel and founder of Nava Wilson LLP, knows all about creating the right company culture. Malliha, a Tamil-Canadian litigator from Sri Lanka, is the first visible minority to serve as the Assistant Deputy Attorney General of the Ontario Government, so she knows what it is to beat the odds to achieve her goals.
Nava Wilson LLP is a reflection of Malliha’s passion for human rights and labour law and her dedication to underserved people. Ultimately, your practice will be a reflection of you as well, and so you need to create a company culture that’s representative of your vision for your legal practice.
Provide your team with the tools to succeed.
As you know, attorneys go through a lot to earn their law degrees. You know the people in your law firm want to do their jobs well because they’ve invested a lot in getting their dream job. Practicing law isn’t something you stumble into, after all.
The best way to help your team members reach their potential is to give them the resources they need to get their jobs done. Providing your staff with the right tools and services will boost company morale and give them confidence that their firm has their back.
Go the extra mile for your clients.
Customer service is everything, especially in the law industry. It’s up to you to make sure every interaction you have with your clients instills confidence in them and makes them feel better about choosing your firm to represent them.
Word of mouth will always be the most powerful advertising tool. That means providing great customer service is almost as important as your performance as a litigator. The point is that you can’t build a successful practice without investing energy and resources in providing the optimal customer experience.
Running a successful law firm requires the efforts of everyone in your firm. Your chances of getting notable cases depend as much on the customer experience you provide as your success in the courtroom. Furthermore, creating the right company culture and providing your team with the tools for success will help them unlock their potential.
If you want your law firm to be the next Nava Wilson LLP, it starts with you. By putting your team members and clients first, you can build the proper work environment for a successful practice.
