Associate Advice: Start Early on Client Development, Stay Late at the Office
It’s never too early for new associates to start working on client development, according to an article written by a law firm partner.
Thomas Coyne of Thompson Hine in Cleveland suggests in an article for the National Law Journal that associates join bar associations, publish articles and polish their public speaking skills. These networking activities can help bring in business down the line, he says.
Associates should develop a client focus, he says, by reading professional publications relevant to their clients’ industries and sharing articles with them. Clients don’t want merely yes-or-no answers; instead they want solutions to their problems, he says. Communication is important. “The idea is to impress upon others that one is available 24/7,” he says. “Otherwise, clients and other attorneys will go elsewhere.”
He also says associates should invite a partner to lunch to learn more about law practice. New lawyers need to develop good working relationships with everyone at the firm. “They will want to make a concerted effort to remember names and to call everyone by his or her name, from the janitor to the managing partner,” he says.
