4 Factors to Consider When Hiring Attorneys for Your Illinois Law Firm

 Posted on March 20, 2024 in Uncategorized

Hiring the right attorneys to work with or partner with when starting a new law firm is one of the most important goals. Practicing with the wrong lawyers can lead to poor client reviews, a loss of clients, or even disciplinary action if another lawyer in your firm commits malpractice. Aside from a potential employee’s demonstrated legal skill and knowledgeability in your firm’s practice area, you will also want to consider the type of law firm culture you are trying to create in relation to the type of clients you plan to serve. It is also important to take steps to ensure that you are closely adhering to cautious nondiscrimination practices. A Chicago, IL law firm management attorney can help you review your hiring practices and decisions to help ensure that you are building the strongest firm possible.

Questions to Ask Yourself Before Hiring Other Lawyers

A few considerations may include:

• Is the lawyer a malpractice risk? - Consider any past disciplinary actions, including any ethics issues that arose while your candidate was in law school. Look also to any careless mistakes the candidate may have made during the application process. Did he carefully read your instructions and follow them to the letter? If not, he may make a similar error when preparing court documents for a client. 
• Will the candidate fit in with the culture you are trying to establish? Did she come to the interview dressed too casually or use too many colloquialisms while speaking to you? If you are setting up a family law firm that will serve clients who are likely to be less educated, a more casual persona may help the attorney relate to your clients so long as you can be sure the attorney will behave more formally in the courtroom. However, if you are planning to do complex estate planning for high-asset older professionals, there may be a cultural divide.
• Membership in reputable legal organizations - An attorney who holds an elected or appointed position in a reputable legal organization, especially one specific to your practice areas, is highly likely to have the skills you are seeking and a reputation that will help your clients feel secure. 
• Experience in your practice areas - If you will have more than one practice area, it is important to be sure that you have attorneys who are experienced in each area. If you will practice both estate planning and business law and have already hired someone with strong corporate law experience, you may want to turn your focus to hiring an experienced estate planner. 

Creating the right team of attorneys is essential to building a strong and reputable law firm.

Contact a Cook County, IL Law Firm Management Attorney

CRS Law Firm Management Consulting, Inc. is dedicated to assisting attorneys who are building their own law firms. Experienced Chicago, IL law firm management lawyer Constance R. Sherrod will help you to establish and maintain strong hiring practices. Attorney Sherrod has more than 15 years of experience working for small and solo law firms. Contact us at 312-396-4144 for a complimentary 30-minute consultation.