Remember that you were selected by this client for good reasons: they felt a connection to you, saw you as an action-oriented lawyer who will become an invaluable member of their team, and they’re ready to build a trusted relationship with you. We know you’ve got this!
Best Practices to Optimize Your Engagement from Day One
Whether you’re joining a client as a Fractional GC™, Fractional In-House Lawyer™, or Secondment Lawyer, the key to a successful engagement is proactive integration, clear communication, and delivering immediate value. Below are our top recommendations to ensure a seamless transition and a strong foundation for success.
1. Work with Your Dedicated Account Manager
- Your Goodlawyer Account Manager will schedule an initial progress meeting with you and your client within the first month to address outstanding onboarding matters and align expectations. This includes communication protocols, workflow organization, and project tracking/docketing.
- We’re here to support whenever and however we can. Let us know if your engagement isn’t working as you’d imagined — let us know if challenges arise. We have experience in what makes engagements thrive and will provide practical, actionable solutions to keep things on track.
- Onboarding is a critical milestone for both lawyers and clients. We share best practices at the start and throughout the engagement to ensure both sides remain aligned and set up for long-term success.
2. Be Proactive in Requesting Access to Internal Systems, Tools & Legal Documents
To work efficiently and deliver maximum value, you need access to the right tools and information. Here’s what you should request:
✔ Client’s Workspace (Google Suite, Microsoft 365, etc.)
✔ Legal Document Repository (Minute book, Carta, Google Drive, contract management systems, etc.)
- Review existing legal documents to identify opportunities for process improvements and risk mitigation.
- Audit and enhance standard agreements, terms of use, and internal policies. ✔ Collaboration & Communication Tools (Slack, Microsoft Teams, Notion, Asana, Trello, etc.) ✔ Key Internal Meetings (All-hands, leadership syncs, product meetings, legal team meetings, etc.) ✔ Company Email or Shared Legal Inbox
- A shared legal inbox (e.g., legal@clientdomain.com) promotes transparency within the leadership team.
- A personalized company email enhances credibility when engaging with external parties.
3. Become an Expert in Your Client’s Business
Your legal expertise is only valuable if it’s aligned with your client’s business goals, operations, and risk profile. If you don’t integrate proactively, you risk falling short of expectations. To ensure success:
- Build Strong Communication Routines:
- Schedule weekly check-ins with your client.
- Be available and responsive—share your phone number and encourage direct communication.
- Meet in person if possible (Goodlawyer will cover the meal!).
- Deep Dive into the Business:
- Talk to team members handling legal tasks—understand their workflows and pain points.
- Ask questions! Your client expects you to learn their operations and how legal fits in.
- Integrate fully so you’re seen as a trusted team member rather than just an external advisor.
- Proactively Share Your Value:
- Keep your client updated on how you’re spending your time.
- If you’re underutilized, propose new initiatives that can improve legal processes or reduce risk.
- Maintain open and transparent communication about your workload and recommendations.
- Build Rapport & Trust:
- Have honest conversations with your main client contact. Understand their top priorities, challenges, and frustrations. Share yours, too.
- After 90 days, you should have a deep understanding of the client’s legal operations, risk management strategy, and areas for improvement—while also recognizing what’s working well and should be preserved.
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