Internet Newsletter for Lawyers |
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People usually enjoy talking about their work, so it is strange that if you ask fee-earners to write
something about themselves many of them will find it very difficult. After considerable delays,
you are likely to receive profiles of very different content, style and length.
There is an easier way, the basis of which is not to ask the fee-earners to write their own
profiles. As they are more comfortable talking about themselves, the secret is to talk to each
fee-earner and to build a profile out of notes taken during the conversation. The process is very
quick, ten minutes being ample time to interview each fee-earner. It is not even necessary to
arrange a meeting, or book a room, because fee-earners are more relaxed if the interview is
conducted over the telephone.
The person writing the profiles must remember that it is essential to write down the answers to
each question accurately, and to compose the profile entirely out of what the fee-earner has
said. Some fee-earners will need coaxing on certain areas, such as the variety of work they do,
in order to obtain enough material to work with.
However, in order to get at the essence of the individual, it is essential to ask what is the
fee-earner’s approach to his or her work and clients. This question usually causes the
fee-earner to pause, sometimes for quite a long time, because they have to identify and
describe their personal qualities in relation to their work. The answer will usually provide the
most interesting part of their profile because it will be something special about the individual -
perhaps a caring person, or very commercially-orientated, or a keen representative of children,
or a conveyancer who takes great pride in keeping clients constantly informed of progress.
There are some things that are probably best left out of profiles - for example, the subject of
personal hobbies. Some fee-earners are under the impression that stating they are a keen golf
player will endear them to potential clients who also play golf. This has the danger of giving the
impression that work is secondary to hobbies. The client is looking for the best lawyer to
undertake his or her work. All the information provided should add to the business profile of the
fee-earner.
Another example is the names of cases in which the fee-earner has been involved. Case names
are very seldom familiar to non-lawyers, although they would be useful in a profile aimed at
other lawyers, or certain limited professions such as chartered surveyors where familiarity with
cases is more likely.
Finally, profiles should be brief - 3 or 4 short paragraphs are ideal. It is sufficient space to
provide a good overview of the fee-earner’s current practice, and the essence of the individual’s
approach and motivation. Additionally, it can be read without having to scroll down the website
page.
It is obviously sensible and courteous to show the draft profiles to the individual fee-earners
for approval before they are seen by anyone else. After all, the description of each individual
is a sensitive matter to that particular person.
Alison Hunt, www.editingforlawfirms.co.uk,
is a copywriter of websites and brochures for law
firms, and editor of legal updates and client newsletters.
Back to Contents.
Fee-earner profiles on your website
What is the best way to get good fee-earners’ profiles onto your firm’s website? Most clients
like learn something about their solicitor. Search engines will also lead a prospective client
looking for a particular solicitor, to your website via the profile.
by Alison Hunt
List of Questions
In fact, it is best to have a standard list of questions including obvious ones such as the
fee-earner’s degree, name of their university, their current position, and how long they have
been in the firm. It is also helpful to give the year of their admission because it helps the clients
to assess their experience, and it is worth listing, at the end of the profile, the legal professional
bodies to which the fee-earner belongs.
Email mrs.alisonhunt@btinternet.com.