Establishing Your
Code
Of Professional
Conduct
By Art Italo
Prerequisite: Before reading this article you should first read The 7 C's Of Good Service by Art Italo.
Good service is of paramount importance in a successful legal practice. The overwhelming majority of lawyers agree with this and want to give good service. They are thwarted by two factors. First, imperative matters are constantly flaring up which must be dealt with immediately. They therefore feel justified in making service issues secondary.
- "I'll return these calls after I get finished preparing for this hearing."
- "I know I said I'd have it by Monday but I've got too many other things I have to do. I'll just do it next week."
- "Gee, I'm sorry I'm 45 minutes late, but every time I tried to leave the office I got another call."
Professionalism is not an optional extra like power mirrors on your car. It is not something you do if there are no other pressing issues. Professionalism is the framework for your practice. It is the way you should do everything. It is a methodology, not a luxury.
The second factor is that most lawyers don't take the time to define what constitutes good service. Without a sensitivity to the clients' point of view and clear guidelines for serving them, you have no idea how to behave when you are placed under pressure. It is difficult to prioritize your work to give excellent service when your only consideration is how likely it is that matters will burst into flames. If you use this as your guide, you will procrastinate on everything that is not set for immediate detonation, assuring you that you will always be putting out fires.
This is why it is so important to have a Personal Code of Professional Conduct. A code of conduct creates specific guidelines of behavior for you in dealing with your clients. It is your Ten Commandments (often more) of Outstanding Service. It embodies the sacred commitment to excellent service that is so important in pleasing your clients. Most of all, it serves as a beacon to guide your behavior during times when you are overworked, overstressed and up against a deadline (translation: always).
Establishing Your Code
In establishing your Code of Conduct you must create definitive statements of your service concept. It is important these statements follow a certain syntax. They are most powerful and effective when you state them according to the following rules:
- First Person - Using "I" or "We" puts the full responsibility for good service on the individual or the firm.
- Present Tense - Your behavior is a matter of what you are doing right now. Don't tell yourself and your clients what you will do, state what you are doing.
- Stated Positively - State what you do, not what you don't do.
- Action Verbs - Use verbs that show action. Don't use variations of the verb "to be" such as, "I am an empathetic listener." This is a code of conduct, not a code of existence. Instead say, "I listen empathetically and consider feelings as well as facts in the advice I give."
- Self Directed - This means no conditional statements. Take complete responsibility for your professional behavior regardless of the behavior of the client. Statements like, "I get good results for my clients, if they have reasonable expectations" are not acceptable. Instead say, "I deliver optimal results given the facts of the case."
The Seven C's Of Good Service
In establishing your code of conduct, you should include commandments that address the seven C's of good service, namely:
- Communication
- Courtesy
- Cooperation
- Cost
- Commitment
- Competence
- Caring
If you operate a practice consistent with these basic principles, you will surely gratify all but the most unreasonable clients.
Incorporating the 7 C's Into Your Code
Before writing your code of conduct, make a list of the things you do or should be doing for each of the 7 C's. When you finish that list, formulate your Code of Conduct according to the syntax rules above.
Below are some examples of actual Code of Conduct statements for each of the 7 C's that came out of meetings with lawyers:
Communication
- "I return client telephone calls within one business day, or have someone on my staff return them."
- "I send clients copies of all correspondences and keep them immediately apprised of all significant developments in their matters."
Courtesy
- "I treat my clients' time as being as valuable as my own."
- "I hold all calls when having a meeting with a client."
- "I keep appointments on time."
Cooperation
- "I work with clients in a team environment with clients and myself having clearly defined roles and responsibilities."
- "I educate clients regarding the law in their matters so they can make informed decisions."
- "I diligently execute mutually agreed upon strategies to attain optimal results for my clients."
Cost
- "I use technology to work efficiently and keep client fees down."
- "I look for solutions that will optimize results at the minimum fee to the client."
- "I work only on issues that are directly pertinent to the matter and investigate ancillary issues only when they show a reasonable probability of impacting the result."
- "I advise clients on the estimated cost of implementing legal strategies before undertaking them."
Commitment
- "I set realistic deadlines and meet them."
- "I deliver work before it is required."
- "I call clients before a deadline to inform them when circumstances prevent me from meeting the deadline. At that time I set a new deadline."
- "I hire sufficient highly competent staff members to assure client work is performed timely."
Competence
- "I establish mentor relationships with knowledgable people to enhance my skills and information."
- "I read constantly to update myself on changes in the law and innovative new legal strategies."
- "I attend Continuing Legal Education for the content rather than the hours."
Caring
- "I listen empathetically and consider feelings as well as facts in the advice I give."
- "I take a personal interest in my clients' well being."
- "I make my clients' battles my own."
- "I reassure my clients by taking some of the mystery out of the legal process."
Feel free to include or modify these statements and add your own to produce a Code of Conduct that is customized to your practice.
Living Your Code Of Conduct
Now that you have established your Code Of Conduct you need to live it. The best way to give yourself the psychological impetus to do this is to share it with everyone and designate someone to hold you accountable for consistent application. Give your secretary or paralegal a copy and agree to hold each other accountable. Give every member of the firm a copy and encourage them to make their own code or establish a firm code.
The ultimate motivation is to disseminate your code to your clients. If you do this, you can be sure you will be called to task if you violate it. This will give you a strong motivation to deliver.
Living your Code of Conduct is a sure fire way of improving your service and client satisfaction. It is a formula for success that is hard to beat. Do it today and begin reaping the benefits in the future.
Related Articles:
Delivering Value To Your Clients
Copyright © Art Italo, 1996. All Rights Reserved
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Art Italo is a consultant working exclusively with attorneys in the areas
of business development and strategic planning. He speaks internationally on
legal marketing and strategic planning.
He has developed and refined the concept of Leveraged Networking after
over 15,000 hours of individual consultations with attorneys. He has personally consulted with over 250
attorneys in
For on-line help with your marketing questions, e-mail Art Italo at
italco@mindspring.com or contact Art
Italo at:
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P.O. Box 680474
Marietta, GA 30068
(770) 859-0600
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