Availability Dashboardprofessional availability now online
I created a new website, availability.kemitchell.com, to describe how I work with clients and my availability for new work.
The nuts and bolts of my practice changed considerably in the last year. To give a sense:
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All my regular clients now pay flat monthly fees. I’ve focused far more on limited-scope, project-focused engagements, around those regular-client relationships.
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All my regular clients now have relationships with other lawyers I referred for recurring needs in other specialties, with great results.
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My pro bono relationships have matured further into broad-scope, general-counsel collaborations, rather than one-and-done projects.
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I’ve found myself serving as a back-end resource for other lawyers, addressing hairy, specialized questions that fall out of their day-to-day.
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I’ve found myself relying on other lawyers for my own advice on specific questions of my own.
I could blather on about each of these points. In the end, the only story I’d have to tell would be my own.
Outside law practice, I try to follow a rule:
Only give advice you learned the hard way.
I learned the hard way that it pays to read up on alternative fee arrangements—everything other than billable hours—but enthusiasm for new options shouldn’t make decisions. Theory and anecdotes bring more choices to mind. But willingness to watch, listen, and understand client needs remains the one true guiding light.
Your thoughts and feedback are always welcome by e-mail.