Barry Law Dean helping others to strive

By DOTTIE PARIS
CFLJ Feature Editor

      Leticia Diaz says it still requires delicate balance for women in law today.

     “We can multi-task, but at the same time it’s a challenge to maintain the balance,” said Diaz, dean and professor at Barry University’s Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law.  Diaz was a winner of the inaugural Hispanic Women Who Make the Difference Award, given by Impremedia.

     It is believed that Diaz is the first Cuban woman law school dean in the United States.

     “I love what I do,” Diaz said. “We have a really close-knit group here at Barry and I’m so fortunate to be here. These are the best years of my life.”

     Diaz said Barry is different than other law schools because the professors’ doors are always open and “no one goes home upset about anything.”

     Diaz, a native of New Jersey, relocated to Central Florida in 1994. She was one of the founding faculty at the School of Law. Prior to joining the full-time faculty, Diaz pursued full-time law practice while teaching part-time at the law school. She practiced in the areas of personal injury, toxic torts, and workplace chemical exposure.

     Diaz earned her Juris Doctor degree at Rutgers Law School, Newark, NJ. While in law school, Diaz was the recipient of the Merck Patent Scholarship award. Prior to entering law school, she received her Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from Rutgers University. She also spent two years as a Post-Doctoral research chemist at Hoffman-LaRoche, Nutley, N.J., where she primarily worked on the synthesis of anti-HIV compounds.

     The difference between the sexes today, Diaz said is often times women don’t take the credit they deserve.

     “Being a woman gives you a different perspective towards work and taking credit for accomplishments,” she said. “ Women are slow to pat ourselves on the back.”

     Diaz teaches in the areas of Torts, Environmental Law, Toxic Torts, and Products Liability. She is faculty advisor to the Hispanic Association of Law Students as well as the St. Thomas More Society. She is also coordinator and associate director of the Institute for Inter-American Legal Studies. Her publications range from analysis of the FDA’s role in consumer protection to areas of environmental law with a focus on consumer health.

     The barriers to achievement in the working world for woman are eroding, but often there is still inequity.

     “Being a woman is tough enough and being a Hispanic woman, you have to be better, more accomplished more articulate.”

     Diaz said her position with the school is something she cherishes.

     “It’s almost like we’re a family here,” Diaz said. “I love what I do. We need to remember to never forget our roots and I hope I'm always there to mentor.”

Rainmaker, Continued

Clearly, this guy was concerned. Maybe even a little scared.

     Of course, I did have some ideas. But unfortunately they were not the kind that would serve him well right now. This gentleman had come to me thinking that he had a marketing problem when in reality he had a problem with his business strategy.

     Many solo and small practice attorneys think that simply hanging a shingle, setting up an informational Web site, and ordering a dedicated telephone line is all they need to do to attract new clients. They believe that new business will just “find them.”
     Some of them believe this out of naïveté, and others believe this because that’s the way it worked when they were at a large firm. They think that they can sit at a desk, answer the phone, and land a new client.

     When reality hits them (and it always does), they look for answers.

     The key to attracting new business is to plan your practice in a way that makes it easy for business to come to you. You want to be the “best” and in many cases the “only” logical choice for your potential client. To occupy that position in his/her mind, you must do three things:

First: You must choose a narrow niche and specialize in solving legal problems within that universe. This positions you as the undisputed expert in your field.
Next: You should identify the most appropriate client for your services—someone who wants and needs what you have to offer.
Finally: You need to aim all of your marketing directly at that client.

     You have to own a niche and command a premium for working with people who desperately need your services This is a strategic issue. Your practice must be designed this way. You are striving for market dominance. You need to carefully develop and diligently maintain a practice that is synonymous with solving the most painful problems your clients face. The client must instantly equate you with the solution to this issue. When the client thinks of your firm, he must instantly think of you and the solution to a specific problem. Such as “Joe the Tax Attorney is the only guy who can settle my issue with the IRS.”

     As you can imagine, it requires significant effort to get these messages into the minds of your prospective clients.  It is an ongoing process and not a one-time program. You need to integrate these activities into your regular routine. Here’s how:

1). Select an appropriate niche for your practice and focus on it exclusively.

     Every attorney can be a “general counsel.” There is little competitive advantage in being able to handle common issues really well. Someone will always be better—or at least claim to be better. That’s why you need to have a specialty.

     This can be accomplished by becoming famous in your niche. Write articles and submit them to industry trade publications. Speak at industry conventions. Hold educational seminars on the most difficult and complex issues in your field and invite several influential people in the industry to attend.

2). Match your messaging to your targeted client base.

     Imagine trying to raise donations for the Republican Congressional Campaign Committee by calling a list of members of the Democratic Party. That would be difficult. While not as difficult, it would still be challenging to call on voters who registered as Independents.
 

     You should market your legal services using the same principles. Rainmakers always match the message to the market.

     Aim all of your communications weapons directly at your targeted client and you will be able to bring in new clients rapidly.

3). Develop systems that continuously present your message to your target market.

     Frequency of interaction helps build trust. Research has shown that, in most cases, it takes a minimum of seven separate interactions with a prospect before she will consider doing business with you.

     Use technology. Leverage your Web site and e-mail to help educate your clients of your expertise. Send out a newsletter that serves as a resource to help your clients solve some of their thorniest issues. Give interviews to the media, then send out recorded copies to potential clients.

     Many attorneys feel that this is too much work. They struggle with the idea that they can’t work on client cases and also spend time managing an effective business development process. Again, this is a false perception. The bulk of the work comes in setting up the systems and developing the strategy. Once that is done, a steady flow of clients is a well-earned reward.

     My friend on the telephone just came to that realization. Starting his shift in business strategy now will lead to more clients, with less effort down the road. What will it take to motivate you to begin to develop an effective strategy for your business?

    David V. Lorenzo is an expert at helping attorneys make more money with less effort. 
Visit http://RainmakerLawyer.com, or call Dave toll-free at 1-888-692-5531.