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How To Succeed In The Business Of Law

Sep 30, 2015 | Become a Provider

Learning how to succeed in business is important for any professional, and lawyers, mediators and independent paralegals are no exception.  Despite all of the hard work you put in at law school, that diploma isn’t an automatic pass directly to professional success.  Once you step into the real world you’ll find that you are a small fish in a very big pond that may be populated with some pretty aggressive sharks.

So where does that leave you if you are looking to start a business of your own?  Pretty much where everyone else starts out, on the bottom rung looking up at the rest of the ladder.  But with the right determination and drive, you can create your own niche and end up a success.  To that end, here are some helpful business tips to bear in mind:

  • Know Your Strengths.  If you want to know how to succeed in business, you have to start by knowing exactly what you’re working with.  There are many specialties in the law and you can give yourself a real leg up by figuring out where it is that you can make the biggest impact.
  • Know The Market.  One of the top business tips in any profession is to understand the current market and look ahead and try to determine which areas will be the most popular, and most lucrative, in the future.  This holds true for the law as well.  You don’t want to tie yourself to a specialty that is likely to go under in a few years, leaving you high and dry.
  • Have The Right Credentials.  One of the most reliable predictors of success is being prepared.  Even though you are looking at setting up a law business, you may need more than your degree to give you the edge.  If it’s business law you’re interested in, for instance, taking business classes or having a business degree can help.
  • Find Your Niche.  In terms of business tips, nothing is more important than identifying what makes you stand out from the pack.  If you’re a child of divorce, you might be well qualified to start a family law practice.  If you’ve got knowledge of a particular subject, you can set yourself up as an expert in legal matters pertaining to that field.
  • Understand Your Clients.  If you want to know how to succeed in business, it’s important to remember that the relationship with clients is paramount.  This is particularly true in the law, where most business consists of direct personal interaction.  In order to make your business work, you have to make an effort to understand your clients and their needs so that you can develop a good, strong working relationship.

These may seem like simple business tips, but they can make all the difference for anyone, particularly those in the legal profession.  It takes years of hard work to build a successful legal business, but you can give yourself a real advantage by making sure that you start out on the right foot.  The steps you take today will become the foundation of your business and you want to make sure it’s a solid one so that your legal career can stand the test of time.

The author of this blog is not an attorney and the information contained in these blogs should not be considered legal advice. The information provided here is based on the experience of the author and some of her clients whose actual names are not mentioned. Do not hesitate to seek the advice of an attorney if you have any legal questions.

Cindy

Cindy Elwell
Founder, Divorce With Dignity
 Network

Our Founder started DWD, after years in the legal field, because she wanted to help people going through a divorce to do it peacefully – the way she did – and provide a safe place for them to do so. In 1995, she opened the first DWDignity office in Alameda, California and since then, she (along with her expanding network of Providers) has helped thousands of people obtain an amicable divorce.