Blog Posts: JW Fundamentals

JW Way Fundamental #4: Walk in your clients’ shoes  “See the world from their perspective. Empathize by understanding their fears and concerns and showing you care. Ask, “If I were in their shoes, what would I want to know and how would I want to be treated?”The underlying skill to achieve this JW Way fundamental is empathy.  Back in law school, w...

JW Way Fundamental #1: Deliver outstanding legal advice. “Find the smartest and most efficient way for clients to achieve their goals, while maintaining a healthy respect for their budget and ability to pay.”As attorneys, we play two fundamental roles: we are both advocates and counselors. As advocates, we present the law and facts in a manner that bes...

JW Way Fundamental #21: Invest in Relationships  "Get to know clients, co-workers, and peers on a personal level. Understand others and what is important to them. Strong relationships are beneficial to all parties."We all know that investing in relationships is important. But wisely choosing those relationships worth investing in is equally important. I rece...

JW Way Fundamental #3: Clarify and Manage Expectations "Establish mutually agreeable expectation as to the time, expense, and goals of every engagement. Let people know what to expect and when. Ensure clarity by reviewing goals, action items, responsibilities, and dues dates to ensure expectations are understood."We are all familiar with the following scenario...

JW Way Fundamental #23: Always remember that we are in business to serve our clients' profitably.  "The happier our clients are the more likely we are to get paid. Pay attention to billings and to receivables. There is no need to apologize for making money. The goal of every engagement is happy clients AND paid bills."There are attorneys and firms that view t...

JW Way Fundamental #24: Maintain a healthy work life balance  “Stay happier, healthier and more productive by balancing your time between billable hours, marketing, community activities, family, friends, emotional/spiritual well-being and physical fitness.  The healthier you are, the more you will thrive personally and professionally.”As I sat down t...

JW Way Fundamental #27: Don’t take yourself too seriously  “Maintain a healthy perspective on your work and professional life. There are more important things going on in the world than your daily challenges. And remember to have fun. Fun renews our spirit, keeps us energized, and helps us think more clearly. “Recently, I went to a concert.  It was...

JW Way Fundamental #20: Be a Mentor  "Help others. Take responsibility to coach, help, guide, teach, and mentor others. Contributing to the success of others enhances your own success and well-being, as well as our firm."The History of Mentoring at Jaburg & Wilk We saw the benefit of a mentoring program at the firm.  Many of us worked as sole practition...

JW Way Fundamental #19: Lead by Example  "The best way to influence others and maintain our culture is by one’s own examples. Walk the talk. Don’t ask others to do what you won’t or can’t. Take responsibility to consistently demonstrate the JW Way."In almost any aspect of life—whether personal or professional—we work with other people where we emb...

JW Way Fundamental #12:  Make a Difference "Play an active role in supporting our community and those less fortunate by contributing time, money, and expertise to enrich the lives of others and improve our community. We can and do make a difference." When we wrote this fundamental, we left out an important part.  The difference we make when we volunteer our...