Promoting Others Can Promote Yourself, Lawyer Consultant Says
Self-promotion is more about promoting others than yourself, according to a former McDermott Will & Emery associate who is now a legal consultant.
Ari Kaplan, who is in Chicago to give his advice at the ABA’s Techshow, gave the Chicago Tribune two examples.
An associate who would like to work for a law firm partner could set up a Google alert for the partner’s name. When there is news of a partner’s win at trial or advice on a big merger, the associate can send an e-mail offering congratulations.
An associate looking for in-house work could write an article about a legal trend that affects the company where he hopes to land a job—and could call the general counsel for a quote. It’s better than a cold call, Kaplan says.
“People think self-promotion is about yourself,” Kaplan told the Tribune. “It has nothing to do with promoting yourself. It’s about promoting others and let that speak for your character. That’s my philosophy.”
Kaplan also said it’s important for lawyers to keep in touch after meeting potential clients. Social media tools can make that a lot easier, he told the Tribune.
