Now that all the recent grads and other bar exam takers are about to get their results, particularly those lawyers that will be in small firms or even solo, it is time to give thought to developing business. (Those going to BigLaw, don’t read any further, since those firms don’t want you to learn about marketing, only crank billable hours – thousands of them.)
For the rest, it is time to be thinking about marketing, something not taught you in law school. The smaller the firm, the sooner you need to gain business development skills. Everyone (after a honeymoon) will need to contribute to the success of the firm in that department. Solo’s from day one.
Don’t panic. It is a learnable skill set. Start by going over to Attorney at Work and download the free “25 Tips For The New Lawyer.” It’s an easy read with excellent tips about your new life in general, and marketing too. Another post on that site provides “17 Things I Wish I Knew as a New Associate.”
You might want to read a few of my posts bearing on the subject as well:
- Associate Warning: Learn To Market or Plan to Win the Lottery
- Networking Tips For First Year Lawyers… And Partners
- Marketing Success in 4 Words
- Young Associates: Don’t Wait to Start Marketing
Finally, for those going solo, I strongly recommend that you buy a copy of Flying Solo: A Survival Guide for Solos and Small Firm Lawyers published by the ABA. The fourth edition is relatively inexpensive on Amazon.
So, new lawyer start thinking and learning about marketing and business development. Your professional success WILL depend on it.