Tips for running a great small firm practice

One of the keys to running a successful small firm practice is to "remember the intangibles," advises Solomon L. Wisenberg of Wisenberg & Wisenberg PLLC is his article, "The Fear is Half the Fun: What I’ve Learned from the Masters About Running a Great Small Firm Criminal Practice.” These intangibles are some of the everyday details of sound customer service that lawyers often forget about: “Do you return phone calls in a timely and courteous manner?” “Are you ‘authentic’ with your clients?” “Do you take the time to explain pertinent legal concepts to them?”

For lawyers thinking about running their own firm, Wisenberg tells them to take the plunge and go for it. “Do what you are afraid of doing,” he says. It is scary and there will be naysayers advising you not to do it, continued Wisenberg. "But the professional, emotional and financial rewards of a successful small practice are enormous."

Other tips:

• “Everything you do is marketing," says Wisenberg. Think about how the phone is answered. Look critically at your web presence. Also consider the attitude of staff, and even the general tidiness of your office.
• "Show up." Be an expert—speak at lunches.  And when you do, give it your all. "You never know who is listening."
• Wisenberg’s leapfrog theory: “Go ahead and proclaim yourself as an expert in the field if you've got the goods to back it up."
• "Stay forever young." In the legal context, this means trying new cutting-edge technologies, and not being "afraid to return to first principles."

The article is part of the Criminal Justice Section’s Practice Tips resource. Other topics include auditors and internal investigations; protecting employee rights; and using technology at trial, to name a few.

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