How to Build a Law Firm: Recap of the First Four Sessions
We recently wrapped up the first three parts of a six-part series on building a law firm that Fern Law is co-hosting with Steve Benmor on behalf of the Toronto Lawyers' Association. Here’s a quick look back at what we covered so far — some solid advice and insights for anyone thinking about starting their own practice.
April 1, 2025 – Finding the Right Area of Law
We kicked things off by hearing from five lawyers practicing in different fields: criminal, estates, family, immigration, employment, and real estate law. Each shared their personal journey—what they love about their work and the unique challenges they face. It was a great reminder that choosing your area of law is as much about passion as it is about opportunity.
May 6, 2025 – Building Your Business Plan
Next, we dug into business planning. Once you know what kind of law you want to practice, you need a plan. We talked about everything from choosing your office space and building your team, to a high-level discussion on IT setup and budgeting. The key takeaway? A clear, realistic plan sets you up for smoother sailing down the road.
June 3, 2025 – Operating Your Law Practice
This session focused on the nuts and bolts of all things monetary and the running of your firm. We covered forecasting income, managing cash flow and expenses, bookkeeping basics, billing, retainers, taxes and HST.
The next three session will be in the Fall:
September 16, 2025 – Running Your Law Practice Efficiently
This panel will focus on mastering administrative tasks, managing contractors, avoiding surprise costs and managing staff without burnout.
October 7, 2025 - Marketing and Business Development
Then we shifted to how you find and keep clients, marketing strategies, networking, and business development. The idea is to help you think strategically about where your work comes from and how to grow your practice sustainably.
With those five steps covered, the final session is on protecting your practice and staying out of trouble with regulators, avoiding getting in over your head and professional liability claims.
November 4, 2025 – Protecting Your Practice
Mistakes happen, but you want to avoid complaints, insurance claims, unpaid bills, and online drama. This session shows you how to protect your reputation and keep your firm safe.
