How Mediators Have Become the Gatekeepers for Referrals and Why Solo Practitioners Should Pay Attention
| Publication year | 2017 |
| Author | By Daniel P. Nguyen |
By Daniel P. Nguyen
Daniel P. Nguyen, Esq. is a graduate of Thomas Jefferson Law School. He runs his own mediation practice in Orange County, California. Find more information about Daniel by visiting www.DMDRS.com.
For any solo practitioner, the life blood of their business relies heavily on obtaining new clients through referrals. These often come from colleagues, friends, and former clients. However, there is a rich source of referrals that solo practitioners should start paying attention to . . . mediators. They are often overlooked by the legal community; many attorneys do not realize that they offer access to a stream of clients who may be looking for a wide range of legal services.
In this article, I will share my story of how I started my mediation practice and the lessons I learned. First, about the changing view of legal services. Second, how having strong relationships with mediators can be an untapped resource for referrals and new business for solo practitioners.
Coming out of law school, I worked at a couple different litigation firms before I decided to set out on my own. I knew I did not care much for litigation and wanted to take a more hands on approach in helping my clients. Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) was a big part of my legal education, so I decided to focus my efforts there and start my own mediation practice. Starting out was a difficult challenge, because the public is generally not aware of mediation and how it can help them. Therefore, a major part of trying to obtain new clients was to educate them on the mediation process and get them to see that it was often times the best option to solve their problems. What I learned during my first several months of giving consultation to clients and hearing their stories of their experience dealing with attorneys who wanted to take a more traditional litigation approach to solving their problems was eye opening.
With today's technological advancements such as streaming media, ride sharing transportation, and communication through devices and applications, the legal industry is faced with the increasing challenge of catering to this generation's consumer expectations. If you are a solo practitioner and are your clients are not corporations or individuals who pay large retainers that can provide months or years of billable work, you are most likely relying on signing clients that can...
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