The Complete Lawyer

Fact #1: We’re in an uncertain economy. The legal market is down. Revered law firms are dissolving. Lawyers—good lawyers—are getting fired, and those who remain are often worried they’ll be next. Budgets are getting tighter and there’s no end in sight. Some experts estimate that the economy won’t begin to recover until late 2009.

Fact #2: Despite the economic climate, some attorneys are growing their practices by bringing in new business and clients and, in some cases, expanding practice areas. These lawyers find more satisfaction because they’re working with clients they enjoy. They have more professional options and security because they know how to satisfy clients, generate referrals, and keep a steady stream of new work.

Fact #3: Rainmakers are the last lawyers to be cut and the first to be solicited for new employment. Client development and retention are key skills in today’s economy. No matter how times may change, if you can generate new work and new clients on a consistent basis, your practice will thrive.

Rainmaking isn’t a skill taught in law school, and far too often, lawyers fall prey to the mystique of the “natural rainmaker”—that if they don’t already know how to get new work, they can’t learn the skill. In fact, many lawyers secretly wish that they could simply provide excellent work product and let others get new business. That’s rarely an option in today’s economy for anyone other than junior associates in large law firms.

Networking Can Be A Natural Outgrowth Of Your Interests

Networking is a time-tested method of developing the relationships that lead to business. Unfortunately, networking often carries a vaguely distasteful image of crowded rooms in which aggressive people force business cards on anyone who will listen to their tales of business glory. Many lawyers (and certainly most introverts) who think of networking in that light shudder and resolve to try something less odious.

A lawyer once contacted me to ask how a nice but socially awkward introvert (her words, not mine!) could begin rainmaking. The lawyer, let’s call her Margaret, described her discomfort with small talk and braggadocio, both of which she perceived to be integral to business development success. Margaret further explained that she felt no desire to play golf and would prefer to make client connections due to her legal skill. Margaret’s quandary boiled down to one key question: “Can I bring in business and still be myself?” Especially because I consider myself to be somewhat of an introvert, I empathized with Margaret’s situation and shared the tactic that has always worked well for me: gaining contacts through substantive working groups of industry and bar associations.

Networking based on substantive work harnesses a lawyer’s technical skill, generates almost endless opportunities for conversation, and offers opportunities for attaining leadership positions. Because leadership creates the perception of expertise as well as increased visibility, lawyers who attain leadership roles have the chance to become known by the members of the association for their expertise without engaging in endless small talk at cocktail parties. Personal contact advances relationships, and using substantive work as a springboard for those conversations may feel more comfortable, especially for introverts and those who would prefer to focus on work. Through the substantive work, relationships grow and develop organically, often into professional friendships based on respect and trust, which sets the stage for client development.

Another advantage of this work is that it’s appropriate for lawyers at any stage of practice. More junior lawyers might take on a role in coordinating and assimilating others’ work, or they might find a way to work with more senior lawyers by writing profiles of the group’s leaders for publication in an association newsletter, for example. More senior lawyers are often in a position to be thought leaders who help shape the direction that the law or practice should take, and they’re often invited to speak or to write for the group. In addition, association work can yield mentorship opportunities that benefit both the junior and senior attorneys.