THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH HAVING A JOB
I get REALLY aggravated by all the law firm owners (or small business owners) who tell EVERYONE else to go work for themselves.
Running your own firm isn’t for everyone. And that is okay.
I don’t care if you are a law firm owner, I care if you are happy, and I try to write about how to be happy AS a law firm owner (not that it is a requirement).
What I like about owning my own businesses, and why I take this angle, is the flexibility and freedom we get to make decisions as the owner:
- Who to hire
- What kind of work to do
- Whether to do this marketing or that one
At the end of the day, as the owner, it is ALL on you (or at least you have final say).
Even if you are needed on the day-to-day of your firm, you still have a job where you work for yourself.
And even if you AREN’T needed on the day-to-day, you should still have some involvement.
So the question we will explore today is: what is your actual job?
The Seven Core Jobs of a Law Firm Owner
As far as I know, there are only seven core jobs (please email me if I am missing any):
- Business Strategy (Vision/Research)
- Sales
- Marketing
- Customer Service
- The Actual Work (Delivery/Fulfillment)
- Management (People, Processes, Projects)
- Support (Finances/IT/Legal your legal… not you as the lawyer)
If you are stuck with a job at your firm that you do NOT want, think about it as we go through them one by one and figure out how to get someone else to do it (and be accountable for it).
If you aren’t, or if you are like me and LOOKING for the best use of your time, let’s dive into each one.
Business Strategy
This is my FAVORITE. It is also the one you cannot fully give up. You need to set the vision for your firm. Period.
Go deep on the big picture, the 10,000-foot view, and then hire people to execute on it. You need to be the captain of the ship.
Still hire coaches, do competitor research, bring in implementers, a COO, or even a CEO if you want. But always set the vision yourself or REALLY trust who does.
Sales
I think this is the hardest one to give up. No matter how much lawyers hate sales, we should be the best at selling our firms.
We know it. We have lived it. We can explain why we are the best fit better than anyone.
Many state bars make it difficult to have non-attorney salespeople anyway.
That said, it is really easy to find someone who is a better natural salesperson than we are. This might be the easiest way to make more money without changing anything else.
Pro-tip: Keep salespeople connected with clients during the case and AFTER. Hire people with amazing soft skills and keep them in front of clients as much as possible.
Marketing
Duh. I am biased. I LOVE marketing.
This could include:
- Speaking about being a lawyer to different groups
- Networking
- Having your face on billboards
- Designing your own graphics
- Editing your podcast videos yourself
- Running ads and learning PPC and Google Analytics
I really push lawyers to work on building a personal brand, even if they do not handle the nuts-and-bolts marketing themselves.
Why?
- National Law Journal: 84% of clients are more likely to hire a lawyer with a personal brand
- Legal Marketing Association: 76% of lawyers saw increased business after putting any effort into their personal brand
- Forbes: 68% of clients are more likely to refer someone with a personal brand
With 1,300,000 lawyers, 400,000 law firms, LegalZoom, AI lawyers, etc., the more people who want YOU, the more leverage you will have.
Even if you hire a marketing company or team, if you have any interest in being the face of your firm, stay involved in marketing at least a little.
Customer Service
Honestly, I think this is marketing when done right, but I digress.
This is often easiest to delegate. Anyone who answers the phone or talks to clients calmly, happily, patiently, and responsively will make a HUGE difference.
Even an answering service that takes real messages is better than many firms.
Hire a client concierge, client success coordinator, or happiness liaison and watch referrals and happy reviews increase while complaints decrease.
The Actual Work
This is probably what most people think is the hardest to give up, but I think sales is actually harder.
We went to school to be lawyers. We put in the time, money, and energy. Why not do it now?
If you truly want to still be a lawyer, GREAT. TOTALLY FINE.
Master the 10-80-10 rule:
- First 10%: Consult and first meeting/strategy session
- Next 80%: Delegate drafting documents, filings, discovery, etc.
- Last 10%: Deliver the work, handle trials, or finalize the plan
Do not take on too much marketing if you are drowning in work. Delegate some of the 80% to another lawyer, paralegal, legal assistant, or law school intern.
Management and Support (Admin)
I saved this for last because most small firms should NEVER do this themselves.
Delegate support/admin tasks to a VA, intern, or other staff as soon as possible.
Management has never been my thing. At best, I can semi-manage a leadership team, who then manage traditionally.
A small law firm either has no need for management or hires actual managers as it grows.
Final Thoughts
So what is your actual job currently? And what do you want it to be?