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5 Steps to Starting Your Own Practice Posted: February 20th, 2008 By: Zach Heller Category: Business Development Skills, Career Corner, Entrepreneurship, Lawyer Profiles, SHOWCASE CORNER, Videos
Daniel Gershburg started his own law practice straight out of law school. To many people around him, this was a crazy decision, one that they did not understand. He had been a solid student with strong experience, and was on path to work for a large firm and earn a nice wage. But Daniel was looking for something different, and he felt strongly about doing his own thing. He recently shared with us his five step process to starting your own practice.
1. Get Mentors. Learn as much as you possibly can from as many people as you can meet. This will help you create personal and professional networks as well as increase and expand your knowledge of many legal issues.
2. Find Office Space. You will need to look as professional as possible, so it is important to have space where you can meet with clients. Virtual and home offices will not cut it if you truly want your practice to grow.
3. Get in Touch with Every Single Association Available to Help You. There are so many people out there to help you get started, the trick is just knowing where to look. Bar associations and business development organizations are a great place to start.
4. Good Client Relationships. Too many large firms are run like corporations, with little or no focus on client support. Adapt a customer service philosophy toward dealing with clients. Be there for them whenever they need you and you will get many more referrals.
5. Strong Web Presence. Your website is a great tool for marketing, referral generation, and client management. Use it wisely and it will save you money in addition to getting your name out there.
Daniel Gershburg is also a Lawline.com faculty member. Please look for his upcoming course entitled, Chapter 7 Bankruptcy: The Initial Meeting, which is coming soon. For a brief video interview with Daniel, click play below:
