Have You Heard the One About the Lawyer…

…Who Joined the Lawyer Referral Service & Watched His Practice Grow?

It’s Not A Joke… See What Members of the LRS Are Saying About the Lawyer Referral Service!

“LRS has given me an opportunity to be of service to a variety of small and large clients in our community. The upside for me is that many of these have become my clients. I recommend this opportunity to all B.C. lawyers.”

- Marianne Walters, Sole Practitioner, Abbotsford, B.C.

“Since being called to the Bar, I have been practising in a small firm with three other lawyers. I could not have survived financially without the referrals from LRS who have since become clients. Also, LRS is a great way to give back to the community. I have represented several clients pro-bono who were referred to me and couldn’t afford to pay me and didn’t qualify for legal aid. LRS is a great service!”

- Kwadwo Frempong, ASH, O’DONNELL, HIBBERT, Barristers & Solicitors, Notaries Public, Richmond and Langley, B.C.

LRS Membership Helps to Build Your Client Base
LRS target market: individuals who do not know which lawyer to contact and are able to afford a lawyer.

The courts, government agencies, local businesses, community organizations and lawyers refer the public to the LRS.

LRS registration is free to CBA and non-CBA members.

The LRS Screens Potential Clients for You
LRS referral analysts screen calls so they are well-targeted, before you or members of your staff spend valuable time on the phone. When a caller reaches you or your staff, the nature of the call and the relevant areas of law are clearly established, and location and language preferences are already taken into account.

The LRS Markets and Advertises Your Services
When you join the CBA LRS, your practice will benefit from the LRS marketing and advertising programs at no cost to you or your law firm.

Currently, LRS reaches potential clients through advertising in the Yellow Pages in various telephone directories throughout the province. Brochures are also distributed that explain and promote the service. The public is referred to the LRS through a variety of sources including the courts, employee assistance programs, libraries, victim services and other legal services. Also, the LRS online presence attracts attention nationwide.

The LRS is a Public Service
Many lawyers enrol in the LRS as a public service, and have few expectations with respect to gaining clients. Others find the service a good source of client referrals. Regardless of your motivation, we encourage you to get involved in this worthwhile CBA program.

It’s Easy to Join LRS
The LRS membership application is enclosed as a BarTalk insert and is available online at the CBABC website, www.cba.org/bc, select Lawyer Referral Service under the “Initiatives” tab.

Sign up for the Lawyer Referral Service today and we can start directing some of those referrals your way. Call the LRS staff at 604-687-3221 or 1-800-663-1919 for more information on how the Lawyer Referral Service can help clients find and hire you.

2007/2008 Statistics
Number of incoming calls: 67,802

Number of referrals to LRS Panel Members: 37,015

Top five areas of law: family, employment (non-union), wills, estate & trusts, tort and criminal.

This article was published in the October 2008 issue of BarTalk. © 2008 The Canadian Bar Association. All rights reserved.