How New Lawyers Can Get Clients
I had the opportunity to speak with a law school class this week about how new lawyers can build their law practices and attract new clients. Business development is a challenge for all lawyers, but it is particularly nerve-wracking for brand new lawyers just out of law school trying to make it on their own.
Build your reputation and gain experience. As a new lawyer, one of your biggest challenges will be convincing clients that you have the knowledge and competence to represent them. There’s little substitute for experience, which means that as a young lawyer, one of your main goals will be to get as much experience as possible. That may mean taking on pro bono work while you’re building your practice so that you can get that experience. Many bar associations have pro bono clinics where you can volunteer. There may be training programs as well. For example, our local bar association runs a “matrimonial boot camp,” a full day program on the basics of matrimonial law, which they provide for free for any attorney who is willing to take on a pro bono matrimonial case in exchange for attending the training for free. There are also guardianship training programs. You may be able to volunteer to help a local attorney on some of their cases or second chair a case to get some real life experience.
You can build your reputation by becoming an authority in your field. Just because law school is over doesn’t mean you should stop studying. Stay abreast of what is happening in your area of the law, and what is happening in your local community. Write articles and put together presentations. You can offer to give presentations to local community groups, at your local library, diner, school, church or senior center, depending on your area of practice. Start a blog. Help to make difficult legal concepts easy for others to understand.
Get out of your office. While there are plenty of great things that you can do from behind a desk or on your computer to help to build your practice, there’s no substitute for personal interaction. People do business with people they know, like and trust. They have to get to know you before they will be willing to send work your way, whether it’s for themselves or they are referring friends or family. Network with colleagues from high school, college, law school and your local community. Get involved. Do what you love to do, whether that’s playing on the local softball team, volunteering at your church, coaching your kids’ soccer team, or joining your local chamber of commerce. Get involved in the local bar association and use the experienced attorneys there as a resource. Don’t just join – get involved so that you meet people. Make yourself available to help others and they’ll want to help you back. Do something every day. Get up and get dressed for work even if you have no work and no clients. Make dates for lunch just to meet people. Do some research in your area of practice. Watch what other attorneys are doing. Identify needs that aren’t being met. Join groups where your potential clients are likely to gather. Listen to what they say and what their problems and challenges are. When you meet people, follow up. Don’t just have one meeting and then sit back waiting for the phone to ring or the referrals to come through the door. Be prepared with a next step after every encounter, whether that’s following up with an email, calling to schedule a meeting over coffee, providing a resource, or sending some information. Let the other person know when and how you intend to follow up. Offer value at every interaction.
Approach marketing and business development as providing value to others, rather than seeking something for yourself. Approach every meeting with the “how can I help you?” mindset, rather than leading with what you want to get out of the interaction.