Risk Management: Engagements and Client Onboarding

Course Description

Risk Management Engagements and client onboarding is a three part course that has been developed to help you navigate some of the complexities of client engagements before, during and after representation of your client has come to an end. Now, this bundle is composed of three separate courses.

The first part is titled engagement with clients getting started, and it provides an overview of how to set up client engagements, starting with initial consultations, your obligations to peers, to prospective clients, and some questions that you should consider asking yourself before you agree to take on a specific matter or case or new client. This course also explores the basics of drafting engagement letters, as well as the requirements for both civil and criminal matters and offers some best practices for managing client expectations and useful tips for embedding effective client management practices in your legal practice.

The second part  is titled changing and closing out engagements, which tells a little bit deeper into the value and content of well drafted letters of engagement and the effect that they can have in reducing risks with your clients. This course offers some best practices for how to go about varying the terms of your engagement by looking at the types of situations that would necessitate such changes and provides
a recommendation or recommend a recommended process to follow for discussion potential amendments with your clients and making any changes to the engagement letter. This course also offers some useful tips on how to terminate engagement letters, engagements, and both a professional and legally sound manner.

The third and final part is titled other considerations for client engagements and it discusses some of the more common risks that arise in solicitor client relationships and how to militate against them placing specific emphasis on communication practices.

Specifically as a tool for managing uncertainty, as well as client expectations, it also offers some useful tips and how to embed client communications, checklists for law firms and best practices for protecting solicitor client privilege, as well as some insights and tips for dealing with difficult clients. Now, for those of you who are new to the legal profession, who are considering starting your own practice, this bundle provides a comprehensive introduction to the basics of client onboarding as well as some effective risk management strategies for your engagements, with all of your clients. And those, for those of you who are more experienced legal practitioners, these three courses may offer some practical guidance or useful tips on how to avoid and manage any issues that may arise during the course of your
presentation. 

Speaker’s Bio:

This course is taught by Kelly Stone, a lawyer from the United States with more than twelve years of international law experience. Kelly holds a Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.) and Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Sociology and Philosophy, and has been working to strengthen the capacity of both public and private bodies in adhering to obligations under the law. Kelly is well-versed in legal analysis and research, and has provided technical expertise in developing legal norms and standards, assessing risk management and strategies, and has assisted government actors in developing policies and protocols relating to safety and security. Kelly is also a certified facilitator and has trained government officials, NGOs, and community leaders on a variety of topics, including law, policy, safety and development. In addition, Kelly has a demonstrative publication record, which includes peer-viewed journal articles, book chapters, and opinion pieces.