Independent lawyers must connect with others to build business

You’ve decided to go out on your own in private practice as an independent lawyer. You have built a website, told your friends about your new firm and bought business cards. Now all you need are clients to fill your calendar, right?

Before you get too comfortable in that office chair waiting for the phone to ring, realize that building a practice from the ground up takes work, and building a network as a solo lawyer will be a critical step in the success of your new law firm.

Here are three tips to help get you on the path toward building a sustainable law practice:

Centers of influence

Depending on the types of services you intend to offer, professionals in other fields can often refer clients to you for assistance. For example, attorneys specializing in estate planning or elder law should make a point of introducing themselves to financial advisors who often have clients needing those services. Securities lawyers should network with financial services firms, as they often have a need to retain outside counsel.

Whatever your services are, identify other business professionals who work with the same type of clients you seek, and reach out to let them know you’re in business.

Social networking

No matter what type of law you intend to practice, you can benefit by building your network of contacts on sites like LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. You can also showcase your knowledge by writing informative and educational posts to share with your networks, reinforcing that you have the requisite knowledge in your field.

Communication

Create a blog on your own website, or send a periodic e-mail newsletter to clients and centers of influence. You can then leverage your social networks for even wider distribution. Getting your name in front of potential clients and centers of influence on a regular basis will help to reinforce the stability of your practice.

Building your network takes time and effort. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t have a line of clients waiting for you on day one of your practice. By leveraging these tools, your future clients will have an easier time finding you.

Contact us for more tips on how to build your network among a community of like-minded peers at our co-working offices for lawyers in Denver.

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