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By Murray Gottheil | July 23, 2024
I speak to a number of newly called lawyers looking to secure associate jobs.
I tell these applicants that they should be ready to answer questions about business development. Here are my tips:
- No one expects you to have a solid plan for developing business at this stage of your career; however, they may want to determine whether you recognize that developing clients is important and if you have any interest in doing that;
- It would be really nice if you were prepared to say something less generic and incredibly boring than that you plan to go to lunch, write articles, and give presentations; and
- Some things that would have impressed me:
- You have a long-term plan to create a niche for yourself in a particular area of law or industry.
- You are an active member in some type of community, whether it be based on your faith or ethnicity, something cultural, or an interest in a particular sport, intellectual pursuit, or other activity, and a plan for developing business from other members of that community;
- You have worked on your social media presence and are already developing a reputation for having an interest in and knowing something about an area of law or a particular industry; and
- You keep up with your law school friends and understand that in a few years they will be in a position to refer work.
And then there is the famous, “Do you have any questions for us?”
Well, yes, I do! How about the following? What support does the firm provide to its associates to assist them to develop their practice?; Does the firm make available the services of a marketing consultant?; Is there a budget to meet and socialize with potential referral sources?; Does the firm have a marketing coordinator to assist with organizing events and presentations?; and, Are these supports available to first year lawyers, or are they phased in over time, and if so, over what period of time?
Showing your interest in building a practice may not be seen as a tremendous positive in some Big Law firms, but it sure as hell will be looked upon favourably in most medium-sized and smaller firms. Be ready to show that you get it!
Murray is a happily retired lawyer who lives in the country, drives a pick-up truck, writes, teaches and mentors. You can reach him at [email protected] or see what he is up to at lawanddisorderinc.com.
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