Are Capitalistic Principles Contrary To Our Professional Notions?

There has been some recent comments on the Greatest American Lawyer site about the role of professionalism in the law. The comments were prompted by the dominant discussion over the last month concerning profits and capitalism and discussing appropriate and successful law firm business models. I would be the first to admit that the discussions have largely left the role of professionalism on the side lines. But not because I don’t believe that professionalism is a critical aspect of what lawyers do. It is because I believe that the brand of capitalism that I am selling, which is clearly client focused, also offers more professionalism than the blinded focus of billing every minute of every hour. The traditional hourly billing method leaves little room for notions of professionalism.

So what is the relationship between a good law firm business model and capitalism? From a text book point of view, I have no idea. From a practical point of view, professionalism presumes a client focus. Professionalism mandates client service. Professionalism encourages us to put the client first. And, that is exactly what we have been talking about on the Greatest American Lawyer site for the last year.

So is my law firm business model or some form of pro bono practice? No way.  In the professional services, I see professionalism as a critical aspect of a solid profit-oriented business model. The market is defined by meeting client needs and expectations. But isn’t that what has been lost in a large segment of the legal services market? The lack of focus on "putting the client first" has pushed our professional esteem lower than snake oil salesmen.

So the brand of capitalism that I am selling, a model of  a perfect law firm which presumes professionalism at every turn. I am betting that the leveraging of professionalism in my business model is yet another differentiating factor which will make my firm both successful and profitable.