Building Your Practice

By Yasmin Vinograd

Young lawyers who are just starting to build their practice are often unsure how to go about establishing a network of clients and connections within the community. Two things that can help are creating a business development plan and finding a mentor to help navigate the process.

A business plan will help you define your goals and the areas of practice you want to focus on and the means to get there. You should revisit your plan every few years to see which of your goals you achieved and which goals have changed or are not longer on your wish-list.

A mentor can help you make contacts, advise on how to maintain these contacts and how to turn these contacts into business generating clients. The mentor doesn’t have to be a high ranking partner. A lawyer who has gone through the same process a few years ago can be a good source. It is important that you feel that you can go to your mentor with your questions and concerns and seek advice.

Whether you are joining a national firm, a medium sized local firm or starting out on your own, a well thought out business plan and a mentor are two things you cannot afford to overlook.