Why is building an internal market for your work the most important skill for a lawyer to develop in order to thrive in a law firm environment? When lawyers struggle to advance in their careers or face sudden transitions, it’s often because they haven’t cultivated this essential internal market. As your career progresses, your ability to attract work from colleagues becomes essential to your practice.
Many lawyers graduate from law school well-trained in legal analysis but completely unprepared for the entrepreneurial aspects of practice. We’re taught how to craft arguments and interpret cases, but rarely how to market ourselves within our own firms. This gap presents a real challenge, especially for those who excel at producing high-quality work but feel uncomfortable promoting themselves or actively seeking assignments.
In this episode, I share three powerful frameworks to help you develop your internal market, drawing an illuminating parallel between practicing law and serving at a restaurant. By mastering these client relationship skills, you’ll position yourself to work with the lawyers you most want to learn from, on the matters that interest you most, while creating a sustainable foundation for your practice.
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What You’ll Learn from this Episode:
- How to establish a welcoming presence that makes internal clients comfortable bringing you work.
- Why your physical presence in the office dramatically increases your opportunities for work assignments.
- How to take clear instructions and confirm understanding without constant interruptions.
- When and how to communicate about delays or challenges without damaging client confidence.
- The importance of delivering polished, complete work products rather than “raw ingredients.”
- How to handle mistakes professionally by taking responsibility and implementing permanent solutions.
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Ways to offer “dessert” by suggesting helpful next steps that extend your client relationships.
Listen to the Full Episode:
Featured on the Show:
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- Click here to grab my time management podcast roadmap!
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- Download the free workbook here to level up your interview game.
- Episode 66: (Cringe-Free) Marketing for Lawyers
- Episode 208: Legal Writing Tips for Law Students Starting at Law Firms with Amanda Haverstick
- How Do You Create a Loyal Market for Your Legal Work? – blog article by Paula Price
- Sign up for the free upcoming webinar: Becoming a Trusted “Go-To” on Friday, May 23rd (11 am PT).
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