When clients cost more than they're worth

Not all clients are created equal. This week, we’re digging into what makes the “right” clients worth more than their billables, how to spot and shed the wrong ones and how smart marketing helps attract the people you actually want to work with. 

We’re also sharing the link to a database of AI litigation you are going to want to bookmark.

But first, speaking of undesirable clients, have you ever had one that insisted you pursue a claim because they saw something similar on Law & Order?  

WAP: witness and provocateur.
Cardi B took the stand and did not hold back. @sainthoax has the highlights.

Ever “buy” a movie from Amazon?
Check out the class action filed by consumers upset that the movie they bought from Amazon was actually a license to stream it for a limited amount of time.

Rocks are people, too.
Do minerals have a right to be mined? 

Counting the days.
We’ll know in November if Kim Kardashian passed the California bar exam. 

SCOTUS justice turned Nazi prosecutor.
80 years ago this month, Justice Robert H. Jackson was getting ready to head to Nuremberg. The SCOTUS Historical Society is hosting a virtual event commemorating his service. 

Big fees but bad clients?

Lawyers are trained to think in terms of billables, but not all revenue is created equal. A big matter may look impressive on paper, but if it drains resources, is too risky or comes from a client who never pays on time, its true value can be far less than the invoice suggests. That’s why Sue-Ella Prodonovich developed a set of nine factors for measuring the true value of a client. By scoring engagements across these nine dimensions, lawyers can identify which clients sustain profitability, which open doors and which simply drain energy.

Why this matters: Looking at how much revenue a client generates is important. But that’s just one factor to consider if you want to build a more strategic, resilient client portfolio. (Prodonovich Advisory)

The defendant’s a robot

The rise of lawsuits against tech companies—and AI developers in particular—is no longer hypothetical. From claims of copyright infringement by artists and writers, to product liability suits over autonomous vehicles, to the push for answers following the suicide of a teen who turned to AI for guidance, plaintiffs’ lawyers are beginning to test the boundaries of responsibility in this new frontier. Keeping track of all these cases is overwhelming, which is why the Database of AI Litigation (DAIL) should be one of your bookmarked webpages. A project of the GW Ethical Tech Initiative and the GW Bernard Center for Law and Technology at The George Washington University Law School, DAIL is currently tracking 250+ AI-related lawsuits, with more being added to its database all the time.

Why this matters: Whether you’re tracking AI litigation out of necessity or curiosity, the DAIL database is the best place to see what’s going on across the country. Try sorting by jurisdiction, and be sure to click through to see the secondary resources (like news articles) linked to cases of interest. (Database of AI Litigation)

Firing clients to grow your firm

Running a successful law firm isn’t just about bringing clients in the door; it’s about knowing when to show some of them out. In a recent episode of "Lawyer Boss Life," law firm growth expert Alay Yajnik and mediator/family law attorney Chelsea Pagan count the costs of keeping the wrong clients. They outline the red flags (like ignored advice, delayed payments and chronic disengagement) that signal when a client is more trouble than they’re worth. And they offer some tips for gracefully getting rid of clients who display them.

Why this matters: For any attorney who’s ever hesitated to fire a client out of fear of lost revenue, this episode is a reminder that your peace of mind—and your firm’s long-term success—depends on your clients. And the tips they give are actually practical. (Lawyer Boss Life)

• Spending the day in immigration court
• The newest anti-abortion lawsuits are being filed by men
• 9/11 lawsuit against Saudi Arabia moves forward
• Abbe Lowell has carved out a niche as the go-to lawyer for targets of Trump’s retribution
• Jeanine Pirro blames out-of-touch jurors for failing to indict the DC sandwich thrower

Attracting the clients you want

If you’re letting go or saying no to undesirable clients, replacing them with new clients you do want to work with is a necessity. And that means focusing your marketing on your target audience (as in the type of clients that score highly on the 9Rs mentioned above). This article from the American Marketing Association has some general tips for fine-tuning your outreach to connect with those you want. And this piece from Chris Dreyer of Rankings.io shares some good examples of law firms actually doing targeted marketing. 

Why this matters: Selling a service is different than selling a product, but many of the same tactics apply no matter what you are offering consumers. Targeted marketing is a tool that helps ensure you are getting your message in front of the people that matter. (American Marketing Association / Rankings.io)

You're all caught up!

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 Raise the Bar is written and curated by Emily Kelchen and edited by Bianca Prieto.