Section Newsletters

Articles on Clients

Setting boundaries when you engage a friend or relative as a client By Jennifer A. Haase Employee Benefits, June 2018 Taking on a friend or relative as a client can be tricky. Here are some suggestions for navigating this potential minefield.
Setting boundaries when you engage a friend or relative as a client By Jennifer A. Haase Young Lawyers Division, April 2018 Taking on a friend or relative as a client can be tricky-- here are some suggestions for how to navigate this potential minefield.
Methods to ensure appropriate diligence and promptness in representing clients By Jennifer L. Bunker Women and the Law, March 2018 Author Jennifer Bunker shares some practical advice for ensuring deadlines are met.
Should initial client consultations be free? By Kerry M. Lavelle Law Office Management and Economics, Standing Committee on, March 2018 Should clients pay for an initial consultation or not? Author Kerry Lavelle discusses the pros and cons of each option.
Are you acting unethically by failing to screen for domestic violence? By Christine Hunt Young Lawyers Division, February 2018 It is an attorney’s ethical duty to both provide competent legal representation and to be an advisor to their clients. Screening for domestic violence only takes a few minutes, but is essential to successful and ethical representation.
What I learned about being a lawyer from being a client By Karen Vandermeer Young Lawyers Division, December 2017 Despite having spent years providing advice and counsel to clients, the author was recently on the client end of the attorney-client relationship and the experience affirmed and reshaped her understanding of client management.
Working with the difficult client By Stephanie E. Greenberg Law Office Management and Economics, Standing Committee on, February 2017 Follow these rules to save yourself a headache later on.
Ten steps for successful conversations with difficult clients By Ken Stalkfleet Young Lawyers Division, December 2016 Difficult clients can pose an especially big challenge for young attorneys. Apply these steps to have more productive conversations with your clients and to improve your overall practice.
Dealing with difficult clients: Is it worth it? By Masah S. Renwick Family Law, November 2016 For those of us to intend to make a career out of representing family law clients, we have got to know how to identify the cases that are the worst of the worst, and learn how to navigate them or avoid them altogether.
Should “free consultations” R.I.P.? By Nicole Sartori Law Office Management and Economics, Standing Committee on, October 2016 Before discussing the advantages and disadvantages of charging a consultation fee, one must consider the type of client they are seeking and the type of law they are practicing.
Beware the pitfall: Avoiding ethical lapses in client intake By Kyle Stevens Young Lawyers Division, June 2016 A discussion of some of the ethical issues regarding client retention and non-engagement letters.
How to be a considerate advocate without ever representing a client By Jennifer A. Haase Young Lawyers Division, April 2016 It is never easy to deliver bad news to a client, but what if you must explain the person's case won't move forward before you even form a relationship?
Why divorce lawyers should be tuning in more with their “sensitive side” to relate better to clients By Alexandra Martinez Women and the Law, March 2016 It can be very difficult and emotionally draining to truly empathize with a client.
31 ways to dramatically increase trust By Trey Ryder Law Office Management and Economics, Standing Committee on, December 2015 Make sure your actions build your credibility, ideally, to the point where your clients trust you without question.
Communication etiquette as a young lawyer—Responsiveness By Vincent A. Oppedisano Young Lawyers Division, October 2015 Developing a good sense of how to best reply to different communications will help you in your practice in a number of ways. Here are a few rules and general guidelines that should help.
My former client called and wants his file—What do I have to give him? By Joseph Harvath Law Office Management and Economics, Standing Committee on, September 2015 The question of whether a client is entitled to receive his or her file relating to the representation by an attorney is a fact specific question, depending on the types of documents sought, whether the attorney has a lien on the property, and whether the attorney should exercise the lien.
A review of ways to use technology to improve client service for your practice By Steven M. Wallace Legal Technology, Standing Committee on, March 2015 A few examples that show how technology can revolutionize a law practice.
Why do clients engage estate planners? By Alan R. Press Trusts and Estates, November 2014 Earlier this year, Wealth Counsel and Wealth Management.com released their 7th Annual Industry Trends survey. View some of the highlights here.
My attorney won’t tell me what I should do! By Curt W. Ferguson Agricultural Law, November 2013 An attorney should not tell you what you want to accomplish, but should advise you how to accomplish your goals. It’s an important distinction to understand.
Client first aid: Look, listen, and feel By Katherine A. Chamberlain Young Lawyers Division, October 2013 The author shares her own system for client intake and management.
Ensuring client confidentiality with best practices By Vincent Incopero Law Office Management and Economics, Standing Committee on, September 2012 As a prudent professional, are you aware of your professional and ethical obligations regarding the way that your practice handles personally identifiable information?
Preparing a will for a client with communication challenges By Gerry W. Beyer Trusts and Estates, April 2012 This article reviews a variety of communication challenges and recommends techniques to reduce the likelihood of these challenges playing a part in setting aside the testator’s will.
Managing expectations—Ours (The lawyers) and theirs (The clients) By Sandra Crawford Women and the Law, September 2011 The book, The New Lawyer, How Settlement is Transforming the Practice of Law, can serve as a starting place for any lawyer wishing to examine where she fits into the conflict resolution continuum.
So your client has given you physical evidence of a crime… By J. Randall Cox Traffic Laws and Courts, May 2011 On the one hand, the delivery to the attorney is a communication which the attorney is required to protect. (Rule 1.6) However, an attorney is not to unlawfully obstruct another party’s access to evidence. (Rule 3.4) How is this conflict resolved? The courts of Illinois do not appear to have directly addressed this.
Key strategies for generating profitable new clients By Byron G. Sabol Racial and Ethnic Minorities and the Law, February 2011 Clients do business with, and refer business to, lawyers they know, like, and trust. By focusing marketing efforts on the strategies outlined in this article, women lawyers will become better known and liked by clients.
Key strategies for generating profitable new clients By Byron G. Sabol Women and the Law, October 2010 Clients do business with, and refer business to, lawyers they know, like, and trust. By focusing marketing efforts on the strategies outlined in this article, women lawyers will become better known and liked by clients.
Your client is cheating on you with another lawyer: Why client loyalty is disappearing and why your marketing (or lack thereof) may be to blame. By Richard Davis Law Office Management and Economics, Standing Committee on, June 2010 A few things you should be doing to “market” to your current clients so they don’t wander.
Win or lose, the client may not always be right By William A. Price Administrative Law, May 2010 He may have been a fourth-century Roman historian, but Ammianus Marcellinus' views of lawyers and clients is still relevant today.
Problem clients By Michael J. Meehan Law Office Management and Economics, Standing Committee on, March 2010 It is easier to decline a problem client than to terminate the attorney-client relationship. By identifying these problem clients at the outset, you can be a happier lawyer and have a more productive practice.
Where have all the clients gone? By Donald E. Weihl Law Office Management and Economics, Standing Committee on, December 2009 Have your clients stopped calling? Is your daily mail just bills?

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