To qualify for entry, Atticus Practice Advisor candidates must submit to a series of interviews by the Selection Committee, who pre-screens the applicants. The current Atticus Practice Advisors group is made up of former attorneys, bar executives, small business owners, CPAs, corporate consultants, military officers, psychologists and a number of clergy. All of them desire to apply the knowledge and experience gained in their respective fields to the business of helping attorneys create better and more profitable practices. The process is selective; four out of five applicants are turned away due to lack of applicable education and experience.

Once accepted, a candidate must undergo a year long Practice Advisor Certification Program with instruction on how to use the Atticus methods and materials in a professional, systematic and consistent manner. To begin, students study four modules which serve as the foundation of our training: Time Management, Client Development, Staffing, Cashflow and Profitability. Our small certification class sizes offer a great deal of one-on-one contact to those who make it through the process. Each student is tested on their knowledge of the core Atticus concepts, the Advanced Implementation Systems, and their ability to relate the materials to the clients' needs. The Final Competency Examination tests their understanding of the law office environment, the legal marketplace and relevant ethics rules.

This initial certification process is supplemented by additional certification in other programs such as Succession Planning, Law Firm Compensation and Retreat Facilitation. To acquire these additional certifications, the Practice Advisors undergo a program of study and examination by the Atticus training department. Once they qualify, Practice Advisors may add these advanced forms of advising to their list of services they can provide clients.

When a Certified Practice Advisor has reached a pre-determined level of experience in advising attorneys (several hundred coaching hours are required), they may apply to the Selection Committee to become a Senior Practice Advisor, a title that indicates they have dealt with advanced coaching scenarios. The candidate is then subjected to an examination of their client retention statistics, their coaching skills, their strategic planning abilities and problem-solving talents before being accepted and allowed to advance.

It is the goal of the Atticus training and certification process to prepare each Practice Advisor to help attorneys create balance in their lives and prosper in their profession.