Washington Lawyer - January/February 2025 - 17

FEATURE
sure to leverage it by broadcasting what you have done through your
website's biography, your LinkedIn, and other platforms. Build out your
biography so that it evidences your expertise to others. Doing so means
that clients who see your biography know that you can help them. It also
means that when your new client tells their boss that they want to hire
you, your website presence will justify the decision. This step does not
happen overnight.
I decided to build an expertise in legal ethics and malpractice (and later,
insurance coverage) because I found these topics interesting. I then began
writing articles - one every two weeks for several months - on
ethics issues for lawyers. After I had accumulated a core set of articles on
basic issues, I turned those articles into a book and a regular column in
several legal newspapers.
That first step has resulted in more than 10 years of written work that includes
several coauthored books and presentations on legal ethics and
malpractice. All of that and more appear on my biography to show potential
clients what I know. Take a look at your biography, figure out what
is missing to establish your expertise, and try to fill in those gaps.
Target the right people. Once you have
determined your niche, you need to know
where to find the people who can hire you for
the expertise you have established. Then, take
steps to get in front of those clients so you can
get to know them and they you.
As you connect with potential clients, look for
those who can hire you for the types of cases
that you want to handle (to further your expertise)
and at your desired rate. At first, you may
not have the luxury of being selective, but as
you build your book you will have more freedom
to build it the way you want.
Don't do business development that doesn't work for you.
Business development is highly personal and is also an evolving process
that requires trial and error. Some efforts are great for certain lawyers in
certain practices but have a lower return on investment for others. For example,
some professional events may not be worth the time unless particular
target clients are attending. That is not true, however, if you are in
an area of practice that relies heavily on referrals from other lawyers.
In any event, if professional events are uncomfortable for you, they are
not likely to be successful, and it may be best to skip them. One of the
best pieces of advice I ever received was to be comfortable not doing
business development that wasn't working for me, freeing me up to focus
on other, more valuable, ventures. Similarly, speaking engagements can
be an excellent way to build a niche and a strong résumé. But if you are
speaking publicly to grow your client base, consider who will be in attendance
when you do it.
Phase one is no small task. Be patient and don't be too hard on yourself.
At some point, though, you will be able to turn your attention to expanding
that book, and you will be surprised at how fast it grows once
you have that base and good habits established.
Commit to
developing an
We all have limited resources, including time.
When allocating your resources, focus on what
will reach more potential clients. For example,
when writing an article, don't just hope it will get to your target audience,
but send it along to those you know who may be interested in the
topic. Or, when attending conferences, focus on those where your potential
clients will attend rather than just your potential competitors. As
you build your book, educate yourself as to what matters to your potential
clients and learn their business. It will not only make you more valuable,
but it also will minimize the likelihood that you will say something
that misses the mark.
expertise that you
can sell, and then
find ways to make
your expertise
evident.
PHASE TWO: EXPAND YOUR BOOK
We have all heard that the best way to get more
work is to do good work. That is absolutely true.
But what does it mean? And is it enough? In
short, once you have some clients, growing your
book of business requires client service, at a minimum.
But it also requires you to differentiate
yourself in the market.
Good work and client service are requirements.
Doing good work means providing
the highest level of client service. It requires
knowledge of what your clients want and an
ability to provide it. While many lawyers know
this, not all live up to it. That means that you
have an opportunity to be more responsive than
others, to be more thorough, to know when you
need to fully dig in on all potential issues and when a quick response is
needed (or to ask when appropriate). It is about building credibility with
your clients so they can learn to rely on you when they are in need.
Be patient but prioritize business development. Growing
your book will take time, especially if you don't have connections to
jump-start it. A mentor once told me to think of it like planting corn. It is
not about today; it is about next year's harvest. In other words, it is unlikely
that you will get immediate results.
At the same time, it is easy to put business development aside when you
have a never-ending list of deadlines and emails. I found that if I didn't
make it a priority, I could delay my business development tasks to the
point that they would never happen. Scheduling time every few weeks
(or more) to focus on this goal helps make it a priority.
Clients want predictability and quality. Attorneys can provide that by following
through on their commitments. If your client gives you a deadline,
meet it. It is surprising when attorneys allow their deadlines to slide, leaving
their clients with less time to review their work before meeting their
own requirements. But it happens with some frequency. It is also important
to meet the deadlines with the level of quality that your client expects
so they don't need to rearrange their own schedule to redo your work.
Be mindful of budgets. In-house legal departments are under increased
pressure to limit and track legal spending. Aim to set forth an accurate
budget and don't overshoot it, as it will make your client's life more difficult.
If something arises in the matter that causes an adjustment to the
budget, tell the client before it becomes an issue. Following through on
day-to-day issues will build your credibility and trust just as much as an
accurate analysis of a legal matter.
continued on page 29
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2025 * WASHINGTON LAWYER 17
Washington Lawyer - January/February 2025

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