Erika Harold

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							<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23308" src="https://www.2civility.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Mar-Britton-blog-header.png" alt="sustainable legal practice mark britton" width="600" height="400" srcset="http://civility.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Mar-Britton-blog-header.png 600w, http://civility.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Mar-Britton-blog-header-300x200.png 300w, http://civility.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Mar-Britton-blog-header-469x312.png 469w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" />
Amid the seemingly ubiquitous discussions of “will lawyers be replaced by [insert the latest innovation],” perhaps a more important question for lawyers and the legal profession is being obscured: Why don’t more people with legal problems currently turn to lawyers as the solution?
According to a 2019 report issued by <a href="https://worldjusticeproject.org/sites/default/files/documents/WJP-A2J-2019.pdf">World Justice Project</a>, 66% of the individuals surveyed in the U.S. reported experiencing a legal issue in the past two years. Of those, fewer than half reported accessing help from either a lawyer/“professional advice service” or government legal aid organization. When people did seek guidance, they most frequently consulted family members or friends.
Importantly, only 13% reported that “it was difficult or nearly impossible to find the money required to solve the problem.” This finding underscores that the issue of unmet legal needs is not wholly driven by the inability to afford legal services.
Accordingly, it cannot be resolved by simply expanding access to legal aid or pro bono legal services. So, what is the answer? How can attorneys build sustainable legal practices that embrace innovation and meet public needs?
<h3>Providing legal services vs. addressing legal needs</h3>
Mark Britton, founder of Avvo and Advisor to Clio, Clearbrief, and Tangibly, will address this question and more at the upcoming virtual <a href="https://thefutureisnow.2civility.org/">Future Is Now: Legal Services</a> conference.
In his talk titled “<a href="https://thefutureisnow.2civility.org/speaker/mark-britton/">Build Your Law Firm Pyramid</a>,” Britton will explain how lawyers can better engage members of the public who have legal needs but are not turning to lawyers to meet them. He posits that such an approach will empower lawyers to build sustainable legal practices while transforming the legal profession into one that is more responsive to the public.
Britton will share why lawyers should spend more time thinking about the legal needs they are attempting to address as opposed to merely focusing on the legal services they are capable of providing. This mindset shift will help lawyers more clearly see the legal market from prospective clients’ perspectives, thereby enabling them to more clearly define and communicate the ways they are trained to serve the public and better meet clients’ needs and expectations.
Moreover, developing this problem-solving perspective may help attorneys cultivate a greater number of long-term relationships with clients who come to view lawyers as trusted advisors to whom they can turn in times of need and uncertainty.
<h3>Becoming a trusted advisor</h3>
If the World Justice Project’s survey results are accurate and many people do want a trusted person to advise them when facing legal issues, then perhaps lawyers’ fears of being replaced by artificial intelligence are overblown, and the real emphasis should be on earning the public’s confidence and trust.
To learn more about building a responsive and sustainable legal practice, I invite you to attend our virtual <a href="https://thefutureisnow.2civility.org/">Future Is Now: Legal Services</a> conference, to be held virtually on Thursday, April 20, from noon – 4:20 p.m. CDT.
Additional sessions will highlight (i) the consequences of incivility on the legal profession and justice system, (ii) how attorneys can advocate for their mental health and well-being, and (iii) how developing cultural competency can expand your client base and enhance the quality of legal services delivered.
Click <a href="https://hopin.com/events/the-future-is-now-legal-services-63ae4e10-89c6-4634-84df-4389114d0339">here to register</a>; we hope you can join us!
The virtual conference will be held on the HopIn conference platform.
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The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.2civility.org/strategies-for-building-a-sustainable-legal-practice/">Strategies for Building a Sustainable Legal Practice</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.2civility.org">2Civility</a>.

Amid the seemingly ubiquitous discussions of “will lawyers be replaced by [insert the latest innovation],” perhaps a more important question for lawyers and the legal profession is being obscured: Why don’t more people with legal problems currently turn to lawyers as the solution?
The post Strategies for Building a Sustainable Legal Practice appeared first on 2Civility.

Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism

Clearbrief

Clio Grow

Lawyaw

Clio Manage

Strategies for Building a Sustainable Legal Practice

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							<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23312" src="https://www.2civility.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Nkoyo-Effiong-Lewis-blog-header.png" alt="cultural competency law" width="600" height="400" srcset="http://civility.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Nkoyo-Effiong-Lewis-blog-header.png 600w, http://civility.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Nkoyo-Effiong-Lewis-blog-header-300x200.png 300w, http://civility.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Nkoyo-Effiong-Lewis-blog-header-469x312.png 469w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" />
Consider this: If you were paired, at random, with another American, there <a href="https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/racial-and-ethnic-diversity-in-the-united-states-2010-and-2020-census.html">is a 61.1% chance</a> that the other person will be of a different race or ethnicity.  
Is this a lot higher than you would anticipate? The reality is that the U.S. population is rapidly becoming more diverse. Do the majority of your clients or prospective clients have the same cultural background as you? Do you tailor your business practices and marketing (e.g., photos on your website, the way you communicate) to the communities you are hoping to serve? If not, you may be missing out on an opportunity to expand your client base.  
At the <a href="https://thefutureisnow.2civility.org/">Future Is Now conference</a>, which will be held virtually on Thursday, April 20, Nkoyo Effiong Lewis will explain why cultural competency is a “must-have” skill for all legal professionals (even those in typically less-diverse areas), and provide strategies on how lawyers and law firms can increase their cultural competency to provide a holistic client experience grounded in dignity and respect.  
<h3>What is cultural competency? </h3>
Nkoyo describes “culture” as our lived experiences including our language, food, traditions, religion, class, race, gender identification, sexual orientation, etc., and the intersection of these things in our lives. Cultural competency, then, <a href="https://www.2civility.org/5-ways-attorneys-can-increase-their-cultural-competence/">refers to the cognitive</a>, emotional, and behavioral skills that lead to appropriate and effective communication with people of other cultures. 
As an attorney, people from different cultures and backgrounds will likely seek (or need) your help to solve legal problems. However, if you do not market your services to these individuals or are uncomfortable with the way that they communicate, the opportunity may pass you by.  
Some examples: A Black family may be more likely to seek out and trust the services of a lawyer who displays diverse clients on their website. Western cultures typically view eye contact as a form of confidence, but some Eastern cultures <a href="https://www.thetravel.com/10-places-where-eye-contact-is-not-recommended-10-places-where-the-locals-are-friendly/">see it as a sign</a> of disrespect. And observant Muslims and Orthodox Jews <a href="https://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/publications/youraba/2018/november-2018/being-able-to-read-cultural-cues-is-essential-for-legal-success/">refrain from shaking</a> the hand of the opposite gender. 
In her talk, Nkoyo will explore simple steps lawyers can take to expand their cultural competency, no matter where they are starting.  
While we see a lot of racial diversity in urban areas of Illinois, it isn’t as prevalent in more rural areas. However, diversity is more than race.   
Diversity includes a range of human differences, including but not limited to ethnicity, gender identification, age, social class, location, physical ability and attributes, religious or ethical values,  national origin, etc., as well as the other categories listed in the explanation of culture.  
When looking through a diverse lens, lawyers better evaluate if their legal services are fair and equitable to every client. 
<h3>Cultural competency in law = building trust</h3>
As a client-driven profession, professional and inclusive customer service is vital to a successful business.  
Legal clients come to lawyers at the most vulnerable moments of their lives. They may be new to and uncomfortable with the legal process and place their trust in their attorneys.  
However, according to the <a href="https://worldjusticeproject.org/sites/default/files/documents/WJP-A2J-2019.pdf">2019 World Justice Project</a>, 66% of individuals surveyed in the U.S. reported experiencing a legal issue within the past two years. Of those, fewer than half reported accessing help from either a lawyer/“professional advice service” or governmental legal aid organizations.   
By becoming trusted and sympathetic advisors, attorneys can better communicate the value of their services to potential clients, who might otherwise choose to represent themselves.  
Cultural competency is one way of building this trust. 
<h3>Attend the Future Is Now </h3>
In addition to Nkoyo&#8217;s talk, the Future Is Now will feature discussions on topics like how to respond to incivility in legal practice, building sustainable law firms, and how attorneys can advocate for their mental health. 
We hope you will join us on Thursday, April 20. Registration is open, but time is running out. Don’t wait, <a href="https://hopin.com/events/the-future-is-now-legal-services-63ae4e10-89c6-4634-84df-4389114d0339?utm_medium=email&amp;_hsmi=2&amp;_hsenc=p2ANqtz-88TrtFctiRGq5yXJ41TR14m9maeKTAlQhmOKyGUk0U0mCDeGQj7RSgG-drwwTMN0CPgbxocNbh5EYsclJ3-mKMcb1NOo6cjR8_iVsq_jp2iNlv0Bg&amp;utm_content=2&amp;utm_source=hs_email">register today</a>. 
Attendees are eligible to receive 4 hours of professional responsibility CLE credit, including 1 hour of diversity and inclusion CLE credit and 1 hour of mental health and substance abuse CLE credit. 
The virtual conference will be held on the HopIn conference platform.
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The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.2civility.org/why-cultural-competency-is-a-must-have-skill-for-growing-law-firms/">Why Cultural Competency is a Must-Have Skill for Growing Law Firms </a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.2civility.org">2Civility</a>.

At the Future Is Now conference, which will be held virtually on Thursday, April 20, Nkoyo Effiong Lewis will explain why cultural competency is a “must-have” skill for all legal professionals (even those in typically less-diverse areas), and provide strategies on how lawyers and law firms can increase their cultural competency to provide a holistic client experience grounded in dignity and respect.  
The post Why Cultural Competency is a Must-Have Skill for Growing Law Firms  appeared first on 2Civility.

Why Cultural Competency is a Must-Have Skill for Growing Law Firms 

At a time when the legal profession is struggling to become more inclusive and innovative, four of Illinois’ nine law schools are led by Black women. Their dynamic paths and approaches to leadership demonstrate how legal organizations can better reflect and represent the communities they seek to serve and how leaders can shepherd and shape institutions through periods of unprecedented change.
The post Meet the Black Women Leading Illinois Law Schools appeared first on 2Civility.

Author: Erika Harold

Latest posts:

Strategies for Building a Sustainable Legal Practice

Why Cultural Competency is a Must-Have Skill for Growing Law Firms

Meet the Black Women Leading Illinois Law Schools