Aside from a short chapter on referral sources and alliances, this book’s focus is on creating and maintaining good client relations after they’ve already walked in your door.

Ewalt (a former labor and corporate lawyer and currently a solo practitioner) wrote Through the Client’s Eyes for all lawyers in private practice, in firms big and small.

The book’s subtitle says “New Approaches.” I don’t know if Ewalt wrote the subtitle himself, or if some marketing hack at the ABA wrote it, but there really isn’t anything new here, at least in terms of the strategies, techniques and tactics that Ewalt recommends.

What is new and different is the sumptuous detail, rich examples, and real-life anecdotes he uses to teach you how to “treat clients like people and not like cases.” That’s the secret to building strong relationships with clients so (a) they’ll hire you again and again and (b) you’ll achieve “true personal satisfaction.”

A substantial portion of the book concerns the practice of law – in other words, providing good legal services – rather than marketing techniques and tactics. For example, Chapter 10 addresses communicating with the client about the uncertainty and risk relating to a matter or lawsuit. The practice of law (technical competence) requires regular, clear, meaningful communication with clients. In both areas – law practice and marketing techniques – Ewalt provides detailed, practical, realistic guidance on what to tell clients and how to tell it.

Educate your clients
Much of the material in Chapter 7, “Client Understanding,” is brilliant – and not covered in other law marketing books. Ewalt declares, “The burden of bringing the client to an adequate level of understanding about the law and its impact sits squarely on the lawyer.” He continues:

The lawyer owes the client an explanation of the legal details, why the law is the way it is, and how the law impacts the client’s situation. For many clients, the most valuable service a lawyer performs is educating the client on the law.

I’m amazed at the number of times…lawyers intentionally try and succeed in making their clients look dumb and feel small using law school teaching methods. Shame and humiliation have no place in any attorney-client relationship.

To commence the legal education of the client, the lawyer must go to the client’s level of understanding, instead of the lawyer’s. Figuring out the level of the client’s understanding is no small challenge. Many [clients] try to avoid the embarrassment of admitting they…don’t know what [you’re talking about] by smiling and mumbling that they understand when they actually don’t.

Client education has bottom-line benefits. “A better-informed client acquires a greater appreciation of the value of the lawyer’s advice and actions.”

The chapter on client feedback and satisfaction surveys (Chapter 19, “Getting Your Report Card”), though only six pages, is more insightful than much of the other literature on this topic.

You probably won’t agree with everything Ewalt says; I found myself penning minor objections and disagreements in the margins as I read. His writing style is quaint and often stiff. For example, he says “All of us attorneys are advised to…,” when it would be simpler to say “We should…” (He repeatedly uses “myriad” as a noun, as in “a myriad of” – every editor’s pet peeve.) And the introductory chapters are somewhat condescending and preachy.

But you would be doing yourself a favor if you read this book once a year; and buy a copy of it for each lawyer on your staff.

Contact information
David M. Freedman
Law Marketing Bibliography
Chicago
Phone 847-204-6848
Contact Freedman by e-mail
 

© 2004 Freedman