Finding the Legal Needs in Your Community

If you’ve decided to add a new legal service to your practice but aren’t sure what that service should be, your first step should be to analyze the people and businesses in your community. Second, determine their legal needs. Finally, decide which of those legal needs you wish to satisfy.

A good place to start is with the information available from local, state and federal government. The US Census through the American Community Survey provides data on household income, age distribution, education levels and languages spoken as well as information on area businesses and geography. These facts can help you decide what areas of law are needed. For example, if the population is aging, elder law may be the right choice while a rise in birth rates could foreshadow more family and juvenile law needs.

If your area has a large number of immigrants such as Spanish speakers and you want to attract that business, you might add a bi-lingual lawyer and translate a portion of your website to Spanish.

To find your community’s’ business needs, check your local Chamber of Commerce directory for local listings. Businesses wishing to use an assumed name must file with the County Clerk who periodically posts those new business listings on-line. If your community has a number of new businesses, it may be you want to focus more of your legal practice on their issues, such as taxation, business plans or other business transactions. If there are a number of writers or publishers, adding intellectual property could bring in new business.

If new industries are coming into the community that will be hiring more employees, there could be a need for an employment or worker’s compensation lawyer. Crime statistics are important to those wishing to practice criminal law.

When there are a number of local, county, village and city communities in an area, there is a need for a municipal lawyer who can help with a wide range of issues, including everything from police power, zoning, education policies, and property taxes. A look at the map of your area and a check on the websites of the municipalities will give you the information you need.

Volunteering at local events, sitting on Boards of corporations and non-profits or doing Pro Bono work through your local Legal Service organizations is a way to give back as well as learn more about your community. Listening to the citizens will enable you to learn of their concerns.

Whether you plan to add a new service or are just starting out, spending time researching the composition your community and assessing the resultant legal needs will enable you to make well-reasoned plans for 2106.

What is Legal Marketing?

Marketing: A management process through which goods or services move from concept to consumer. (Business Dictionary.com) 

You are a lawyer providing a legal service. You are also a business. As a business you have all the management problems of every business owner including marketing your business. With a well-planned marketing strategy, your law business will grow over time. 

The process of marketing includes four elements:
• Identification, selection and development of a product or service.
• Determination of price.
• Selection of distribution channel to reach your ideal client
• Development and implementation of a promotional strategy

Identification, selection and development of a service:

Your first consideration is to decide what type of law you wish to practice. Often this became evident in law school as you studied the various areas of law or you accepted an internship and spent hours researching personal injury or civil rights or criminal and you became fascinated. 

Another approach is to study your town. Research the census statistics, join the Chamber of Commerce, study the businesses—determine the composition of the area to determine what legal services are needed. Use that information to start a practice or add a new needed practice area to your list of services. 

Once the area of practice is identified and selected, develop an expertise by attending conferences, ICLE seminars, teach or write articles for your state or local bar association. 

Determination of price:

Pricing is a complicated issue worthy of study. Prices should be based on the client’s subjective value placed on solving his or her problem. Because it’s subjective, it can be hard to figure out. Don’t quote over the phone, have a meeting with the prospective client, analyze the information and offer to send the quote the next day. You may also decide to offer some services at a fixed price, a price that is attractive to target clients and profitable to the law firm over time. 

Selection of distribution channel to reach your ideal client.


Take some time and decide who will buy your services. Once you know who you want to attract, then decide how to reach that person. One way is the Internet—PEW research says more than 75% of consumers use the Internet to find a lawyer or to learn more about the lawyer recommended to them. A website creates a good first impression and helps build trust and credibility. More consumers are turning to legal directories, so update you profile on the SBM Member Directory. Social media such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn help build relationships. 


Face to face networking is another way to meet people and expand your client base. You can join volunteer organizations with goals you support, sit on boards, teach a class, give a speech and network with other lawyers. 

Develop and implement a promotional strategy.

First, establish what marketing strategies you will use; second, determine how many hours a week you will be able to devote to your plan and last, establish a budget for estimated costs. Always ask clients how they came to you, ask them for referrals in your closing letter and use an analytics program to determine how your on-line presences are doing. 

Marketing is more than selling. It as a way of thinking in terms of your clients’ needs and their satisfaction. If you turn your thoughts to them and not yourself, you’ll get more referrals and your business will grow. 

The Importance of One

Joe Girard, a car salesman, is in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the #1Retail Salesperson. How did he get this title? Simple. He sold more cars than any other car salesman. 

What was his secret?

Early in his car selling career, he attended a Catholic funeral. The funeral director was passing out Mass cards to all those in attendance. 

“How do you know how many Mass cards to have printed?” Joe asked the man.

 “I print up about 250 each time since that’s usually how many people show up for a funeral,” he answered. 

Soon after that, Joe sold a car to a Protestant funeral director. When he asked how many people attended his funerals, he got the same answer “About 250.” He soon learned from another minister that about 250 people usually attended the weddings in his church. 

From this informal research, Joe developed his “Rule of 250.” The basic principle is that most people have about 250 people in their lives that will show up at their funeral or wedding. There are exceptions, of course. Some have more, some less. But the average seems to be 250. 

How did he use this information?

He realized that if he did a great job selling a car to one person, he could potentially gain 250 more customers. But, if he did a crummy job, he could possibly lose 250 customers.

Joe sold cars. You, on the other hand, are selling a legal service, not a product a client can touch like a car or a toaster, but a vital service they need but may not be pleased about purchasing. The concept, however, is the same. 

Each time your service produces a satisfied or accepting client; you could potentially gain 250 more clients. How does that happen? With referral and repeat business. Satisfied clients come back for more work and refer others to you. 

Some referral related tactics include:

• Follow up with your clients. You can do this with a thank-you card, a call to see how things are going, ask if they have any questions and, if all is well, ask them to remember you when their friends ask ‘if they know a good lawyer.’ If there is a problem, attempt to fix it. 

• Keep a file on each client listing personal information such as names of children, what they did for a living, birthdays, etc.--there are software programs that will help you with this. You can use this information when you talk to them. 

• Stop by their business or take them out to lunch. Your goal is to keep and maintain a relationship with this client.

• Make sure they know every service your firm offers. Ask for their e-mail address and get permission to send them the firm newsletter or occasional updates.

• Send cards for holidays and thank-you notes for referrals. Send information they can use, not a sales pitch. They will need legal work someday and they will turn to you. And refer you to one or two of the 250 people they know.

Remember the Rule Of 250 every time you meet new people, whether at an event or standing in line at the coffee shop line. (I once acquired a great client standing in line at Target.) Every person you meet could be a potential client. And they could bring in 250 more. Keep this in mind and soon you have a thriving business.