Solo 201 – The Next Steps in Growing and Maintaining a Successful Practice

This 3-hour CLE is a follow-up to 2016's Solo 101 CLE in which we learned the do’s and don’ts in building a practice from scratch – how to find the right practice area, and how to market and network to build a client and referral base. This CLE will focus on those next steps that are often overlooked or not addressed, yet crucial to continuing to build and maintain a successful practice.

Successful Practice Management and Development
Ms. Kimberly Hanlon and Ms. Susan Mundahl will spend the first hour talking about successful practice management skills and how to find your niche. Critical to a successful practice is developing and implementing practice management systems and tools to maximize your efficiency both in your legal practice and in managing your business. Secondary to this is an ability to carve out a niche or expertise in a practice area that you can help separate yourself from competitors.

Growing Your Practice
Ms. Sheila Engelmeier and Ms. Frances Baillon will discuss strategies and tips in both when and how to grow your practice with staff, associates, and/or partners. They will provide a primer on the pitfalls to avoid when making these critical decisions, while also outlining factors they think important to consider.

The Naked Truth – A Frank Discussion Amongst Colleagues
The final hour will be a panel of attorneys that will discuss a variety of topics and answer questions from the audience. The general theme will be to provide tips and pointers based upon their own experiences relating to their development and growth of their practice and firms. For instance, our panel members will cut open a vein and answer – what would you tell your younger self? What one mistake did you learn the most from? By sharing hard lessons, hopefully we can avoid the same fate.