Reference · Resource Guide
PI Law Growth Glossary
19 terms across 5 categories — marketing, intake, conversion, case quality, and call analysis.
Marketing & Acquisition
Core terms used to evaluate paid media, lead flow, and acquisition efficiency.
CPL — Cost per Lead
Marketing spend divided by total leads.
Why it matters: Channel efficiency benchmark.
CPSC — Cost per Signed Case
Marketing spend divided by signed cases.
Why it matters: Most important PI profitability KPI.
MER — Marketing Efficiency Ratio
Revenue divided by ad spend across the full funnel.
Why it matters: Full-funnel ROI view.
DNI — Dynamic Number Insertion
Tracking phone numbers swap based on marketing source for attribution.
Why it matters: Required for accurate channel-level reporting.
Attribution
Connecting leads and signed cases back to the campaign, channel, or source that generated them.
Why it matters: Without it, budget decisions are guesses.
Intake & Conversion
Definitions used by the intake and front-of-funnel teams.
Qualified Lead
A lead meeting the firm's intake criteria — geography, injury, liability, timing, and case type.
Why it matters: Filters volume from real opportunity.
Signed Case
A qualified matter where the retainer/representation agreement has been completed.
Why it matters: The conversion event that matters financially.
High-Intent Lead
Prospect who demonstrates readiness to hire, schedule, or sign.
Why it matters: Conversion risk is highest when intent is ignored.
Hot Lead
Lead combining strong case fit, urgency, and/or high-value indicators requiring immediate action.
Why it matters: Daily review prevents losing winnable cases.
Missed Opportunity
A call or lead with conversion potential where the firm failed to secure a next step.
Why it matters: Direct leakage from intake or follow-up.
Retainer
The agreement that allows the firm to represent the client.
Why it matters: Sent rate and completion rate both matter.
Case Quality & Value
Used to assess economic value of a matter before and after intake.
Case Value Potential
Estimated economic value based on injury severity, treatment, liability, damages, defendant/insurance profile, and case type.
Why it matters: Predicts long-term revenue quality of campaigns.
Liability
Fault or responsibility for causing the injury.
Why it matters: No clear liability = no case.
Damages
Losses tied to the injury — medical bills, wage loss, pain and suffering, long-term impact.
Why it matters: Damages drive settlement value.
SOL — Statute of Limitations
Legal deadline to file a claim or lawsuit.
Why it matters: Missed SOL kills the case regardless of merits.
Case Types
MVA
Motor vehicle accident.
Premises Liability
Injury caused by unsafe property conditions, such as slip / trip / fall.
Call Analysis
Abandoned Call
A call that disconnects before reaching the correct person or path.
Why it matters: Strongly correlated to lost cases.
Missed Call Rate
% of inbound calls that do not reach a live intake representative.
Why it matters: High-intent callers will contact another firm within minutes.
Connect the dots
Pair this glossary with the PI KPI guide, call analysis playbook, and intake training.