Description
Book SynopsisBeginning and building a real estate law practice offers many advantages: the underlying law changes relatively slowly while offering a satisfying opportunity to develop a base of steady clients and professional relationships. Written by a veteran real estate law attorney, How to Build a Real Estate Law Practice offers useful and essential guidance, whether you are in your first years of practice and are just starting to focus on real estate as a legal practice, or if you've already started in the area. Author Dean Alterman shares pointers that you can incorporate into your daily practice as well as for your long-term business plan. Real estate law offers a broad range of specialties, some that lead to the courtroom and others more suited to a desk in an office. Whatever area of real estate law that you practice in, you'll find practice-focused advice that's tailored specifically to the needs of a real estate lawyer. Topics include:* How to define your practice* Law practice financials: banking and budgeting* Law practice management: setting up an office, from location to equipment and staff* Finding clients and networking* Engagement letters* How (and when) to turn down work* Setting and collecting fees for your work* Communicating with clients and how to best use boilerplate language and forms * Doing business with clients, from referrals to conflicts between them* Growing your practice - and the opposite, how to transition a practice and plan for retirement
Table of ContentsTable of Contents Chapter 1: Why a Real Estate Practice? Chapter 2: Define Your Practice Chapter 3: Budgeting and Banking Your Practice Chapter 4: Selecting a Location Chapter 5: Leasing and Furnishing Your Office Chapter 6: Supplying Your Office Chapter 7: Staffing Your Office Chapter 8: Finding Clients and Networking Chapter 9: Getting Hired: Meetings and Engagement Letters Chapter 10: How and When to Turn Down Work Chapter 11: Setting and Collecting Fees Chapter 12: Managing and Monitoring Your Finances Chapter 13: Managing Your Time and Workload Chapter 14: Communicating with Your Clients Chapter 15: Making Your Work Reusable: The Brighter Side of Boilerplate Chapter 16: Conflicts With and Between Clients Chapter 17: Doing Business with Your Clients Chapter 18: Growing Your Practice Chapter 19: Transitioning Your Practice; Preparing for Retirement Chapter 20: ConclusionAppendices Appendix 1: Sample Annotated Engagement Letter with Alternate ClausesAlternate Clauses for the Sample Engagement Letter Appendix 2:New Business Letter Appendix 3: Sample Disengagement Letter Appendix 4: Recommended Additional Reading Afterword
