Developing Junior Attorneys into Successful Rainmakers

“I’m still bringing in most of the work. Why aren’t my junior partners originating?”

We hear this frustration from law firm leaders all the time. The good news is that origination ability is not necessarily a fixed trait.

Some attorneys are natural rainmakers, while others need more direction before business development starts to click. With the right structure, coaching, and opportunities to practice, attorneys can absolutely get better at bringing in work. Instead of waiting for originators to appear, firms can help develop them, with a potentially significant financial payoff.

1. Show them where business actually comes from

Many attorneys simply do not know what they are supposed to do or where to start.

New matters can come from:

• Existing and former clients
• Other attorneys
• Accountants, bankers, consultants, and other professionals
• Industry organizations
• Conferences and events
• Bar associations and committees
• Boards and nonprofits
• Alumni and community networks
• Speaking engagements
• Articles, newsletters, and LinkedIn

Help each person identify two or three channels that fit their practice, personality, and target clients.

2. Help them become known for something

Referrals are much easier to generate when people understand exactly why they should call you.

Encourage attorneys to develop a recognizable niche, whether that is an industry, practice area, type of client, or particular problem they solve well. Then help them get in front of the people who encounter those problems.

That might mean, for example:

• attending the right conference,
• joining an industry group,
• serving on a committee,
• writing about a recurring client issue, or
• building relationships with other professionals who serve the same clients.

3. Replace “Go network” with specific assignments

“Network more” is not much of a strategy. Attorneys are far more likely to make progress when business development becomes a series of concrete, manageable habits:

• Have coffee or lunch with one contact each week.
• Attend one useful event each month.
• Reconnect with a former client or colleague.
• Join one organization and actually participate.
• Follow up after meeting someone new.
• Introduce two people who would benefit from knowing each other.
• Send a client an article or update relevant to their business.

None of these activities is revolutionary on its own. The value comes from doing them consistently enough for relationships to develop.

4. Teach them to look closer to home

Origination does not always mean finding a stranger.

• Existing clients may have more work.
• Former clients may return.
• A satisfied client may make an introduction.
• A professional contact may refer a matter months after meeting your attorney.

Teach attorneys to understand their clients’ businesses, ask good questions, and stay in touch after a matter ends. Often, the next client is already one relationship away.

5. Develop from within before looking outside

There is another advantage to building originators internally: it changes what attorneys believe about the firm.

A firm that invests in its people sends a very different message from one where everyone is competing for clients, credit, and advancement on their own. Coaching junior partners, sharing relationships, and making introductions tells attorneys, “We want you to succeed here.”

That can create a more collaborative culture while also increasing the firm’s capacity to grow. Instead of relying on expensive lateral hires or a small group of established rainmakers, the firm develops more people who can contribute to its future.

6. Coach the process

This is where firm leadership matters most. Take developing attorneys to meetings, introduce them to referral sources, bring them to conferences, help them choose organizations worth joining, and explain how you built your own book.

Then keep the conversation going. Ask who they are trying to meet, which relationships they are developing, and what they plan to do next.

If you have talented attorneys who are not originating today, don’t make the common mistake of assuming they never will. Business development is a skill, and skills can be taught, practiced, coached, and improved.

For law firm owners, helping one more attorney become a consistent originator can mean more revenue, stronger client relationships, less dependence on a handful of rainmakers, a healthier firm culture, and a much more valuable business.

You don’t have to wait for your next rainmaker. You may already have them.

Try This With Your Attorneys Today

Want to make this practical?  Copy and paste the short check-in below into an email to your junior partners or other attorneys you want to help develop. It is designed to start a useful conversation about business development without making it feel like another performance review. Before sending it, decide who will review the responses and follow up with each attorney.

The follow-up does not need to be an elaborate process. Use the responses to identify one or two areas the attorney will work on, one or two ways the firm can provide support, and a time to check in again.

You can copy and paste the check-in below directly into an email to your attorneys.

Quick Business Development Check-In

I’d like to get a better sense of what is working for you, what feels difficult, and where we can help. No long answers needed.

1. Which sources of new business feel most natural to you? Pick up to three.

1. Existing clients
2. Former clients
3. Other attorneys
4. Accountants, bankers, consultants, or other professionals
5. Conferences or industry events
6. Bar associations or committees
7. Boards, nonprofits, or community organizations
8. Speaking or teaching
9. Writing, LinkedIn, or other content
10. Personal or alumni network
11. Something else (describe)

2. Which part of business development is hardest right now? Pick one or two.

1. Knowing who to contact
2. Starting the conversation
3. Finding time
4. Following up consistently
5. Talking about what I do without feeling “salesy”
6. Turning relationships into actual work
7. Knowing which events or organizations are worth my time
8. Staying in touch with existing clients
9. I am not sure where to start
10. Something else (describe)

3. Who would you most like to meet more of?

1. Potential clients
2. Referral-source attorneys
3. Other professionals who serve my clients
4. People in a particular industry
5. Existing clients’ other decision-makers
6. I am not sure yet
7. Something else (describe)
   

4. Is there a type of work, client, or industry you would like to become better known for?

For example: construction companies, healthcare providers, startups, high-net-worth families, employment disputes, commercial real estate, complex litigation, M&A, or a specific type of problem you enjoy solving.

5. Which of these would make business development easier for you right now? Pick up to three.

1. An introduction from a partner
2. Attending a meeting with a partner
3. Help choosing conferences or organizations
4. A list of people I should reconnect with
5. Help developing a niche
6. Help with LinkedIn or writing topics
7. Coaching on what to say in networking conversations
8. More opportunities to speak or present
9. A regular reminder/accountability check-in
10. Something else (describe)

6. Which small action would you realistically do in the next 30 days?

1. Have lunch or coffee with a contact
2. Reconnect with a former client
3. Contact a referral source
4. Attend an event
5. Join or become more active in an organization
6. Write or post something useful
7. Check in with an existing client
8. Ask someone for an introduction
9. Something else (describe)

7. Is there someone you already know who could become a stronger relationship with a little more attention?

1. Yes
2. Probably
3. Not sure

If yes, who? ________________________________

8. One last question: what would you like the firm to do more of to help you build business?

1. Make introductions
2. Bring me into client-development meetings
3. Share more information about how senior partners originate
4. Help me choose where to spend my networking time
5. Give me more visibility with existing clients
6. Help me build a business-development plan
7. Something else: ________________________________