By Eileen Burkhalter Smith

Obviously, getting the work in the door is the most important thing to do in any law firm.  But, how can young lawyers help to do this if they don’t have the contact with the potential client, or the expertise in the area of law?   

I heard a young lawyer being complemented recently on her role in getting a client in the door.  What did she do? Among other things, she fielded an after-hours call for research and got it done immediately. (I can only assume that this research had to have been “non-billable” since the client wasn’t even a sure thing.)   

Next, she provided a summary of the work she had done in a memo that was used by the partner (without any re-work) in a call prior to the client meeting.  In other words, she did good work.   

Finally, she was “on-call” at the office during the client meeting to field specific follow-up requests that the potential client raised at the meeting.  This young woman did not actually attend the meeting with the client, but her significant role in this success was noticed, acknowledged, and communicated to other colleagues.