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LAW-2094 Client Development - Practice Make Perfect!
Ms. Mary Ellen DeWinter,
1 credits day; 1 credits evening.
In any industry, providing clients with quality goods and services is important to building and
expanding a successful business. At the core of this effort, however, is being able to attract
prospects for your business and then converting them to long-standing clients.
In today’s legal market, there is more competition for good lawyers AND clients. Due to
pressures on fees, firm mergers and non-traditional providers of legal services, legal employers
have greater expectations on their lawyers to stay abreast of industry trends and develop active
networks to attract more client work. Therefore, today’s practitioners are often faced with the
following questions: Where will my next clients come from? How will I develop a strong
relationship with them? How will I retain them? How do I effectively manage their relationship
with my legal employer? How will I distinguish myself in the market – today and in the future?
This course, Client Development - Practice Makes Perfect! Will provide students with an
overview of changes in the industry, knowledge to develop client relationships, understand the
benefits of referral networks and learn how to establish a “business plan” for results. By the end
of this course, students will have a stronger understanding of client development and
management and a business plan template, with other tools, for reference going forward. Overall,
they will gain a better understanding of the following areas: What does business development
mean for legal employers? How do I prepare and participate in this activity? Who is my network
to help me achieve my goals now and in the future? How do I convey my interests to my
network? What information is helpful to know before meeting with new contacts or clients?
What questions should I ask them? What questions might they ask me? How do I build an
effective referral base? How do I handle client objections or issues? How do I deliver the best
level of service? How do I want my network and clients to remember me?
Grading / Evaluation
This week-long course is pass-fail. It is designed to be interactive and encourage students to
think creatively and try different activities to build-on their current knowledge of the subject
matter. Students who attend class and participate in discussions, exercises and a team project will
receive one credit for the course. There is also the possibility of attending an outside industry
event to observe and practice some techniques discussed in class. Due to the short duration of the
class, a student will not receive credit for the course if they miss a class. Students are expected to
be prepared for class, participate and complete assignments satisfactorily by the required
deadlines.
The class will be offered on: Monday, January 11th, Wednesday, January 13th and Thursday,
January 14th from 4:00pm – 6:00pm, with a break from 6:00-6:30pm, and then continue from
6:30pm-8:30pm. It is also requested that students purchase the book entitled, “Give and Take –
Why Helping Others Drives Our Success” by Adam Grant, an accomplished author and Wharton
professor.
Elective Course
<<Course Updated: March 11, 2016>>