Date: Friday, January 13, and January 20, 2012

Location: Suffolk University Law School, 120 Tremont St., Boston, MA
Time: 09:00 AM - 05:00 PM

Whatever your reasons for starting your own law practice, you need to think about being both the generator of a business and its chief source of revenue. Therefore, you will need to give the proper amount of attention and energy to growing a business as well as the practice of law. Jumpstarting Your Practice: From Backpack to Briefcase is designed to get you started on the correct path.

Building a successful law practice in today’s competitive market requires a solid business plan, knowledge of the law, and a polished marketing strategy. Many lawyers have successfully transferred from student to firm owners and are now enjoying the benefits of a successful law practice. You can join their ranks, learn from their experience, and acquire their knowledge by attending this program. Our team of experts features mostly Suffolk alumni who are lawyers and judges and who are both seasoned and relatively new to practice.

Day One
Provides you with the skills and knowledge for starting your own law firm that you might not have learned in law school. You will also gain essential networking skills.

Day Two
Will provide you with insight into different types of practice to help you decide what the best fit is for you.

• How to create your own practice
• How to develop a business plan
• How to run a law practice and avoid potential problems
• Where to find clients and how to keep them
• How to deal with difficult people
• Practical tips on types of transactional and litigation practice
• How to be successful in practice

Friday, January 13, 2012 | Day One Agenda

How to Get Stared in Practice
9:10 a.m. to 12 noon

Panelists:

9:10 a.m.
Challenges in Setting up Your Own Firm

9:20 a.m.
How to Choose Your Practice Area

9:25 a.m.
How to Select a Location

9:35 a.m.
What You Need to Know to Create a Business Plan- What Business Model Will Best Facilitate Your Firm’s Success

9:55 a.m.
Selecting a Business Entity for Your Law Firm—How Will You Organize? The Pros and Cons of Different Entities

10:15 a.m.
Q & A

10:30 a.m.
Networking Break

10:45 a.m.
Essentials to Setting up—Insurance, Employees, Technology—Hardware and Software, Research, Creating a Network of Support

11:15 a.m.
Billing and Billing Practices and Investment Decisions– How to Get Paid

11:45
Q & A

12:00
Lunch (on your own)

Finding Clients, Working with Clients, Keeping Clients
1:00 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.

Panelists:

• How Do You “Market,” Your Services and Define the Core Areas of Your Practice?

• Do You Need a Brochure & Why?

• Should You Explore Social Networking Marketing? Blogging?

• What Should Your Business Card Look Like & Why?

• Do You Need to Worry about Newsletters and e-mail Alerts to Clients and Professionals?

• The Use of Web Page and Consultants and Search Engine Optimization e.g. What Is It and How Does It Work

• Building Referral Sources – How Do You Identify and Develop Contacts

• Use of Professional Organizations

• How to Thank Referral Sources

• How to Be a Promise Keeper

• How to Get Seen and Noticed by Use of Informational Articles and Resource Guides for Clients, Families and Professionals

• What Is Niche Marketing?

• What Organizations Are Important to Join & Why?

• Use of Consultants to Help with Marketing and Business Plan and How to Identify such Consultants

• What Are the Due Diligence Requirements to Identify Marketing Materials to Comply with Professional Rules of Responsibility?

2:15 p.m.
Q & A

2:30 p.m.
Networking Break

Avoiding Pitfalls in Running a Practice
2:45 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Panelists:

Things to Do:

• Define the Scope of the Engagement at the Outset in an Engagement Letter
• Spell out the Fee Arrangement
• Check for Conflicts with Other Clients
• Keep the Client Informed at All Times
• Explain the Pros and Cons of a Proposed Course of Action

Things to Avoid:

• Don’t Overpromise or Guarantee a Result
• Be Careful with Multiple Representations—Close Corporations, in Particular
• Avoid Business Transactions with Clients
• Never Use Client Money for Any Reason
• Avoid Nasty Communications with Opposing Lawyers
• Maintain Confidentiality of Client Affairs-Be Careful with the “Reply to All” Button

Panelists:

4:45
Q & A

5:00
Conclude

January 20, 2012 | Day Two Agenda

Many lawyers prefer either to be a transactional lawyer or a litigator, although some do both. As you enter practice, you need to decide what areas of practice you want to do. Are you more comfortable helping clients with transactions or do you want to be in court? Day two focuses on some common areas of transactional practice and explores what each of these types of practices are like on a day-to-day basis. In what ways are they alike and what makes them distinct? If you want to be a litigator, what is that type of practice like? What are the differences between administrative, civil and criminal litigation? How do trial lawyers handle discovery? And what do judges expect from you? The panels will address the following issues:

• How Did You Choose Your Practice Area(s)?
• How Is Your Office Structured/Staffed?
• How Do You Handle Billing/Fees?
• What Is Your Practice Like on Day to Day Basis?
• What Are the Challenges?
• What Are the Business Opportunities?
• What Resources Are Available?
• What Are the Networking/Rainmaking Opportunities in Your Practice Area?
• How to Handle Difficult People
• What Do Judges Expect and How Do Those Expectations Differ?

Dino Colucci, Esq. Colucci, Colucci, Marcus & Flavin, Moderator

Morning Session: Examples of Transactional Practice
9:00 a.m. to 12 noon

Intellectual Property—Cynthia Gilbert, Esq., Hyperion Law, Cambridge

Representing Businesses—Eric Henry, Esq., Buhler Duggal & Henry LLP, Cambridge

Employment—John Flick, Esq., Flick Law Group, P.C., Gardner

Estate Planning & Elder Law—Philip D. Murphy, Esq., Law Offices of Philip D. Murphy, Milton

Immigration—Jordana Hart, Esq., David J. Hart PA, Miami, Florida

Real Estate Practice—Ani Ajemian, Esq., Sherin & Lodgen, Boston

Afternoon Session: Litigation
1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

• Pre-litigation
• Start of a Case
• Discovery Tips
• Motion Practice
• Trial
• Appellate Practice
• Collaborative Law/Mediation/ADR
• View from the Bench

Panelists:

4:00
Conclude