By: William Jones

The phrase “client-centric approach” gets tossed around like a marketing slogan. In municipal law, that kind of fluff doesn’t cut it. Local governments don’t need buzzwords—they need clarity, alignment, and legal strategy that could help move their community forward.

I’ve spent more than two decades advising municipalities, and here’s the truth: a client-centric approach isn’t about being agreeable. It’s about being useful. It’s about building legal work that makes a municipality’s job easier, cleaner, and more effective. It’s about focusing on outcomes, not optics.

Here’s what that might look like in real-world practice.

A True Client-Centric Approach Starts With Outcomes, Not Ego

Most lawyers begin with the statute. I begin with the goal. What is the municipality trying to accomplish?

• Safer streets?
  
• A stronger development pipeline?
  
• Smoother compliance?
  
• Clearer guidance for staff?
  
• A transparent process the public can trust?
  

Once I understand the outcome, the legal strategy is structured to support it, not the other way around. A memo that only summarizes the law might check the box, but it doesn’t address the real problem. So before any work begins, I ask two blunt questions:

1. What public-purpose outcome is needed?
2. What will make the path clearer for staff and leadership?

If I can’t answer those, I’m not yet ready to offer advice.

Going Beyond “The Job” Isn’t Extra — It’s the Work

Here’s a real example.

A community once faced a tangled code-compliance issue with significant implications for a long-term planning initiative. Many attorneys would’ve handled enforcement and moved on. I didn’t. Instead of just processing the violation, I built:

• A public-facing explanation to maintain trust
  
• Internal guidance to help staff apply the standard consistently
  
• A roadmap showing how the decision aligned with broader community goals
  

This wasn’t busywork. It was designed to create impact. The issue wasn’t just resolved — the community understood it, supported it, and stayed aligned with the planning initiative behind it.

A client-centric approach means widening the lens, not narrowing it.

Feedback Isn’t a Courtesy — It’s a Diagnostic Tool

Municipal operations run on constant pressure: deadlines, budgets, politics, staffing, public input. So after major matters, I run post-matter debriefs—simple, candid conversations that often reveal exactly where internal processes could be tightened.

When I see patterns, I treat them as system issues:

• If timelines slip → redesign the workflow
  
• If templates cause confusion → rewrite them so staff can use them faster
  
• If communication style doesn’t land → simplify, restructure, clarify

Feedback isn’t “How did you like working with me?” It’s “What slowed you down and how do we address it?”

Long-Term Relationships Are Built Through Familiarity, Not Formality

A municipality shouldn’t have to “manage” its legal counsel. So I take the time to understand:

• How departments operate
  
• Where the friction points are
  
• The community’s long-term direction
  
• The pressure elected officials face
  
• The operational realities staff deal with daily
  

This is how trust is built—not through handshakes at meetings, but through understanding the actual terrain the municipality is walking.

And because governance is a continuous cycle, not a sequence of emergencies, I schedule proactive check-ins so no issue waits until it becomes a problem.

A client-centric approach is intended to be predictable. Dependable. Consistent. Not reactive.

Modern Expectations: Faster Answers, Clearer Writing, Practical Guidance

Today’s public officials expect speed and clarity—because the demands on them have never been higher.

So I adapted my own workflow.

Improvements I’ve made over the years:

• Executive-level summaries at the top of memos
  
• Clearer, more usable legal opinions
  
• Shorter turnaround goals
  
• Updated internal tracking to anticipate deadlines
  
• Templates crafted for operational use, not academic detail
  

Legal work should feel like a roadmap, not a textbook.

If the memo doesn’t show the “so what” in the first paragraph, I consider it unfinished.

Complaints Aren’t Threats — They’re Data

If a client is dissatisfied, I don’t defend. I diagnose.

1. Listen without ego.
2. Fix what can be fixed immediately.
3. Identify whether the issue signals a deeper process gap.

Complaints are early signals. They reveal where friction sits—in communication, turnaround, clarity, or coordination.

A client-centric approach means using those signals to improve systems.

Train the Team to Think Like Municipal Executives

A law practice fails if only the lead attorney understands the client. So I center my team around two non-negotiable questions:

• What is the municipality trying to accomplish long-term?
  
• How do we make their path easier while staying compliant?
  

Legal accuracy is the baseline. Usability is the differentiator.

So I evaluate work not just on whether it’s correct, but whether it:

• Makes the path clearer
  
• Identifies options
  
• Provides operational steps
  
• Anticipates questions before they arise
  

If staff can’t use the guidance the moment they receive it, I don’t consider it client-centric.

Satisfaction Isn’t a Feeling — It’s Measured by Outcomes

In municipal law, long-term relationships matter more than anything. Cities and villages don’t change counsel because they want novelty—they change counsel because something didn’t work.

So I evaluate satisfaction by asking:

• Did my guidance make the process easier?
  
• Did it speed up decisions?
  
• Did it reduce ambiguity?
  
• Did staff leave with fewer questions?
  
• Did the outcome support the municipality’s priorities?

If the answer is yes, then the system appears to be working.

If the answer is anything less than yes, then something likely needs adjustment. For me, client satisfaction isn’t a survey. It’s measured by performance.

Real-World Challenge: Aligning Competing Priorities Under Pressure

One of the most challenging matters I worked on involved a development review requiring:

• Multiple utilities
  
• Intergovernmental partners
  
• Environmental considerations
  
• Staff from several departments
  
• Tight deadlines and public visibility
  

Chaos was an option. Structure was the solution. I built:

• A unified issue matrix identifying responsibilities
  
• A statutory roadmap showing each decision point
  
• Department-level guidance that aligned every stakeholder
  

Once everyone saw the same map, the conflict eased.

A client-centric approach turns confusion into coordination.

Exceptional Service Doesn’t Require Exceptional Spending

Municipalities are stewards of taxpayer dollars. A client-centric approach must respect that.

That’s why I rely on:

• Templates
  
• Checklists
  
• Case-study archives
  
• Structured turnaround workflows
  
• Clear division of responsibilities
  
• Internal reviews to ensure consistency
  

Systematizing routine work can free up time for strategic, high-value tasks — the ones that actually drive impact.

A local government shouldn’t have to choose between affordability and excellence. They deserve both.

Summary: A Client-Centric Approach Isn’t Something You Say — It’s Something You Build

In municipal law, a true client-centric approach is simple:

• Understand the outcome.
  
• Clear the path.
  
• Anticipate pressure points.
  
• Communicate plainly.
  
• Move the community forward.
  
• Deliver consistency, not chaos.
  
• Build trust through action, not branding.
  

Client-centric isn’t a slogan I use. It’s the standard I hold myself to.

And in this work, where every decision affects real people and real communities, that standard is something I take seriously.

Disclaimer: The views and strategies outlined in this article are intended for informational purposes only.  The content is not intended to provide specific legal advice or guarantee particular outcomes. Readers are encouraged to consult with a qualified legal professional to address their individual circumstances and needs.