Page 13 - Los Angeles Vol 5 No 2

Yes, you’re working hard, but nd a balance so your life isn’t all work and no play.
UPDATE YOUR LINKEDIN PROFILE
Make sure you visit your LinkedIn pro le o en to make sure it re ects all your accomplishments. LinkedIn is the professional version of Facebook, so make sure you select personal friends you also want to add to your professional network and send them connection requests. Also, make sure your headline speci cally references your practice ar- eas, so you can be found in searches.
PRACTICE CLIENT SERVICE ON THE PART- NERS
Believe it or not, the senior lawyers at your rm will be judging your every move. ey are consistently looking to validate their decision to have hired you. ey will notice when you come in, when you leave, the quality of your writing, how well you catch on, take criticism, get along with others, and more. You have one chance to make these career-changing rst impressions. Practice your client service skills on partners by asking for deadlines, seeking feedback, requesting guidance on the time a given task should take, exceeding expectations, and showing you are a valuable team player and an extremely hard worker. Re- member the partners in the rm are judging you on what they were judged on as young associates. Acknowledge the rst couple years of practice will require you to show the rm you’ve got what it takes to become a partner.
SEEK A MENTOR:
If your rm has a mentorship program — great! Many rms have mentorship programs in name only, because the partners are so busy serving clients, they don’t proac- tively reach out to mentor newer lawyers. is means you must take the initiative. Look at the partners at your rm — those you most respect and would like to emulate. You will choose substantive legal mentors to help you learn the complexities of your practice, as well as mentors who will help guide your growth and development as a lawyer. But you can’t wait around for a partner to approach you — you must be the instigator of your own mentorship experience.
STAY SOCIALLY ACTIVE
I know how busy you will be as a new lawyer. But re- member, in most cases, you set the boundaries around the time you spend in the o ce. Don’t let your relationships go stale. Make a point at least once a month go get to- gether with your personal and professional friends. ese relationships will continue to be important in the future as you grow your practice.
MARKET THE FIRM
As a new lawyer you need to learn the substance of your practice area(s), which in most cases, requires at least two to three years. While you are in the “new lawyer” category, another way in which to practice your marketing skills is to market the services of your colleagues and partners. Your career will blossom if you are able to use your con- tacts to generate business for the rm.
KEEP YOU BIOGRAPHY CURRENT
Your website biography will become one of your best marketing tools. Over 80 percent of website visitors will go to the “Our Team” page to seek you out. You want to make sure your biography re ects your growing list of accom- plishments, published articles, speaking engagements, blog posts, and representative experience.
START WRITING BLOGS
If your rm has a blog, commit to contributing to the blog on a regular basis. Remember that in most cases, law rm blogs are written for non-lawyers. If you conduct re- search for a partner on an interesting topic, turn that re- search into a 500-600 word blog post.
JOIN THE NEW LAWYERS SECTION OF YOUR STATE BAR
As mentioned earlier, one of your best referral sources can be other lawyers. Make sure you focus on building re- lationships within your state, county or local bar associa- tions with other lawyers who have graduated in the past ve to seven years. ese people are your professional col- leagues and need to be nurtured.
It’s important to set your expectations at the beginning of your career as a lawyer. Remember how important it is to build your base of experience so that someday you will have credentials to impress a prospective client, but that this knowledge gathering takes time. Do what’s in your control as a new lawyer and practice delivering ex- ceptional services to the partners in your rm. Don’t lose touch with your friends from law school, but also extend yourself to build new relationships with other new lawyers through your bar association activities. Remember that you’re in it for the long haul and that if you consistently implement the ideas above, you will be successful.
Terrie S. Wheeler has worked with lawyers at every level for over 25 years. She earned a master’s degree in business from the Uni- versity of St. Thomas and teaches marketing and client develop- ment skills at two Minnesota law schools. Terrie is a monthly col- umnist for Attorney at Law Magazine and also produces a column for the ABA’s small rm and solo section. You can reach Terrie through her website, www.PSM-Marketing.com.
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