Pro Bono Counsel
Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP
Client-Centered Lawyering: Bridging the Gap Between Legal Services and Client Needs
Consider the bio you have displayed on your firm’s website. Whose perspective is centered? Is it merely a digital version of your resume, or does it clearly communicate to potential clients how you could help them meet their legal needs?
Or consider your client-intake process. Is it merely a tool to help facilitate a conflicts check, or does it begin the process of forging a relationship with a client and earning their trust?
These exercises get at the heart of client-centered lawyering, a topic that attorney and recognized leader Tiffany Graves will discuss at the Future Is Now.
Tiffany will explain how lawyers who put humans at the center of legal relationships – and view the delivery of legal services through this lens – can increase client transparency and trust, help clients make more informed decisions, and build stronger relationships.
By refraining from immediately jumping into problem-solving mode and instead using soft skills – like active listening, effective communication, and collaboration – lawyers can move from a mindset of “How can I decide what to do for this client?” to “How can I empower this client to share what they need from me?”
Speaker Bio
Tiffany M. Graves is an accomplished attorney, former nonprofit executive, and visionary leader with over 25 years of experience zealously advocating for marginalized children, individuals, and families.
A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Hollins University, her fight for equity and justice for the underserved began while she was in law school at the University of Virginia School of Law, where she was honored with the Pro Bono Award for logging the most pro bono hours of any graduating student.
After spending several years in private practice with civil defense firms in Jackson, Mississippi, Tiffany held executive director positions with the Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project and the Mississippi Access to Justice Commission.
She now serves as national pro bono counsel for Bradley Arant Boult & Cummings LLP. As pro bono counsel, Tiffany leads Bradley’s pro bono program across the firm’s 13 offices. In addition, for the past five years, she has taught a short course at the University of Virginia School of Law, titled “Advancing the Commitment to Service through Law Firm Pro Bono.”
Tiffany is a past co-president of the Association of Pro Bono Counsel (APBCo) and still serves on the organization’s board of directors. Tiffany has been recognized for her commitment to pro bono and equalizing the civil justice system with many awards and honors.