01: Understand the firm, all sectors
The practice room
Practise the commercial
side of law.
Free tools to use on your own, in a seminar or before an interview: find the client behind the client, test your judgement on eight scenarios, look up the language of practice and try three real templates from the programme.
Referrer finder
Who is the client
behind the client?
Work often reaches a solicitor through someone else. Choose a practice area to see who typically refers that work, what they need from a solicitor, a good first question to ask them and the one thing never to do.
Typical and illustrative: referral patterns vary by firm, locality and practice. Use the first contact email template to begin a conversation.
Scenario bank
Eight decisions.
What would you do?
One scenario for each of the six foundations, plus one each for the public and third sectors. Choose an answer to see feedback; there is one strongest response in each. Your choices stay in this page.
02: Know your responsibilities, all sectors
At a networking event, an accountant who regularly refers to your firm asks how her client's case is going. What do you say?
03: Understand the money, all sectors
You spent five hours on a task the client agreed would cost a £400 fixed fee. Your hourly rate would value the time at £900. What happens?
04: Identify the client and legal issue, private sector
An estate agent rings: "My client's sale is collapsing because the buyer's solicitor is slow. Can you sort it out?" Who is the client, and what is the issue?
05: Agree and deliver the work, all sectors
A client says: "So you will definitely get my deposit back?" You have agreed to review documents and advise on options only. How do you respond?
06: Build trust and show your value, private sector
You met an IFA at an event three months ago. Since then, nothing. What is your best next step?
07: Public sector
A borough solicitor you have worked well with moves to another council. The panel review is in eight months. What do you do?
08: Third sector
A law centre is overwhelmed with housing enquiries. Your firm wants a relationship. What is the right opening?
Glossary
The language
of practice.
Students at the 22 October 2026 lecture told Rifat that terms such as SRA, fee earner and billable time were unfamiliar. Start here.
27 terms
- Business development (BD)
- Developing opportunities for a firm to serve appropriate clients, mainly through relationships, reputation and referrals.
- Client behind the client
- The referrer, such as an accountant, IFA, estate agent, borough solicitor or HR director, who often decides which solicitor the end client meets.
- Client account and client money
- Money held for or on behalf of clients. It is not the firm's income and is governed by the SRA Accounts Rules.
- Client care letter
- The written terms that explain who will do the work, its scope, costs, updates and how to complain.
- COFA
- Compliance Officer for Finance and Administration: responsible for a firm's compliance with the SRA Accounts Rules.
- COLP
- Compliance Officer for Legal Practice: responsible for a firm's compliance with its regulatory arrangements.
- Conflict of interest
- A situation where the firm's duties to two clients, or its own interests, conflict. It can prevent the firm from acting.
- Confidentiality
- The duty to keep clients' affairs confidential unless they consent or the law requires disclosure.
- Cross-referral
- Introducing a client to another department of the same firm, where that is in the client's interests.
- Disbursement
- A cost paid to a third party on the client's behalf, such as a court fee or search fee.
- Fee earner
- Someone whose work generates fees, which may include solicitors, trainees and paralegals depending on the firm.
- Fixed fee
- An agreed price for a defined piece of work. It does not rise because more time was spent unless the terms allow it.
- Framework or panel
- A list of approved suppliers a public body can instruct, usually appointed through a formal procurement process.
- Introducer
- A person or business that introduces clients to the firm. Any financial interest must be disclosed to the client.
- Law Society
- The professional body that represents solicitors in England and Wales. It is not the regulator.
- Legal Ombudsman
- The independent scheme for complaints about legal services that a firm has not resolved, subject to eligibility and time limits.
- Matter
- A single piece of client work, such as one house purchase or one dispute.
- Panel review
- The periodic re-procurement of a public body's panel or framework of external lawyers.
- PECR
- The Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations, which govern electronic marketing such as emails.
- Pipeline
- A record of relationships and potential work, with a next action and date for each.
- Procurement Act 2023
- The law governing how most public bodies in England, Wales and Northern Ireland buy goods and services, including legal services.
- Referral fee
- A payment for introducing a client. Must be disclosed to the client, and banned in personal injury work.
- Scope
- Exactly what the firm will and will not do for the client under the agreed terms.
- SQE
- The Solicitors Qualifying Examination, the assessment route to qualifying as a solicitor in England and Wales.
- SRA
- The Solicitors Regulation Authority, which regulates solicitors and the firms it authorises in England and Wales.
- Supervisor
- The person authorised to oversee your work and the first person to ask when unsure.
- Unsolicited approach
- Contacting members of the public, other than current or former clients, uninvited to advertise legal services. The SRA Code prohibits it.
Sample templates
Three of the fifteen
programme templates.
Free samples from the programme's template set. The full set of 15, with guidance and feedback on your drafts, is part of the programme. Templates are teaching aids: live use needs firm approval.
01 · First Contact Email to a New Referral Source
Use for: Private and third sector.
Read onlineDownload PDF ↓03 · Referral Source Relationship Meeting Agenda
Use for: Private and third sector.
Read onlineDownload PDF ↓13 · BD Pipeline Tracker (Weekly)
Use for: All sectors.
Read onlineDownload PDF ↓