Most attorneys know they should be doing more business development. Fewer actually have a plan. And without a plan, you end up reactive: waiting for work to come in, depending on others to fill your pipeline, and hoping the phone rings. That is not a strategy. It is a vulnerability.
The attorneys who consistently grow their books of business treat development the way they treat client work: with structure, accountability, and a clear objective. They do not wing it. They build.
Here is a framework to do exactly that.
The Three-Pillar Approach: Purpose, Strategy, Participation
A strong business development plan is not a to-do list. It is a commitment to a deliberate, consistent process built around three pillars: where you are going, how you are getting there, and whether you are actually showing up.
Purpose: Know What You Are Building Toward
Before you can develop business, you need clarity on what kind of business you want. Not all clients are equal, and not all matters are a fit. The attorneys who build the strongest practices are selective. They commit to marketing activities and prospects that align with their area of expertise, reflect the kind of work they find genuinely challenging, and position them as leaders in their field.
That means asking yourself a few pointed questions. Which industries do you understand best? Where does your work create the most measurable value for clients? What types of matters do you want to be known for nationally?
Your plan should establish you as a leading authority in your area of law. That does not happen by accident. It requires a deliberate focus on the policies, issues, and trends that shape the industries and clients you serve.
If your purpose is not defined, you will scatter your efforts. Specificity is what turns marketing activity into actual business.
Strategy: How You Build the Relationships
Relationships are the engine of legal business development. The 80/20 principle often applies to business development, where a relatively small number of client and referral relationships generate a disproportionate amount of new business. That makes your existing relationships among your most valuable business development assets.
Protect them. Invest in them. Visit your top clients at their offices, quarterly if possible or at minimum once a year. Get in front of them regularly, whether over breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Show up not just when you need something, but as a consistent presence they associate with good counsel and genuine interest.
Beyond existing clients, strategic networking builds the pipeline of future work. That means choosing your organizations deliberately and participating at a level that gives you visibility.
Where to focus your networking efforts:
- Trade and industry associations relevant to your client base are often the highest-yield environments for attorneys. You are not just meeting potential clients. You are building credibility with the people they trust.
- Community and political alliances connect you to civic networks that often influence business relationships in ways that are not immediately obvious.
- Alumni and social networks tend to get overlooked, but they produce strong referral relationships because the trust is already there.
- Client breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and events reinforce existing relationships and create natural opportunities to deepen them.
Building authority goes alongside building relationships. Attorneys who are known in their field attract work. They do not just wait for referrals. Here is how to build that profile:
- Contribute regularly to legal publications and industry outlets. Writing positions you as a thinker, not just a practitioner.
- Speak at industry conferences and client seminars. Visibility in the right rooms accelerates credibility.
- Teach at a university or college if the opportunity arises. It builds your profile and creates relationships with the next generation of professionals.
- Sponsor and participate in CLEs, charitable initiatives, and community events where your clients and referral sources are active.
- Publish a newsletter or develop longer-form content, even a book, that demonstrates depth in your area of focus.
- Take on pro bono work that aligns with causes important to you or your client base.
- Invest in ongoing professional development, both your own and that of the attorneys around you.
None of these are checkbox activities. Done with intention, they compound over time into a reputation that generates inbound interest.
Participation and Accountability: Measure What Matters
A plan that is not reviewed is not a plan. It is a document.
Set aside time every quarter to evaluate what is working, what has stalled, and what needs to be cut or reworked. Not every activity will produce results, and that is expected. What is not acceptable is continuing to invest time in efforts that are not moving the needle without asking why.
When building and revisiting your individual plan, keep these principles in mind:
- Play to your strengths. Business development is most sustainable when it fits your personality. If you hate large networking events, build a strategy that relies on smaller, relationship-driven engagement instead.
- Align with firm goals. Your development efforts should reinforce what the firm is building, not run perpendicular to it.
- Stay focused. The attorneys who spread their efforts across too many activities rarely break through in any of them. Pick the channels where you can build genuine presence and concentrate there.
- Keep it achievable. An overly ambitious plan is worse than no plan. It breeds guilt and inaction. Build something you will actually execute.
- Be specific. Vague intentions do not generate client meetings. “Attend more events” is not a plan. “Attend the industry association quarterly conference and connect with three potential referral sources” is.
- Adjust as you go. Markets shift. Client needs evolve. Your plan should be a living document, not a static resolution.
Building Business Takes Time
Business development is not a campaign. It is an ongoing commitment. The attorneys who build the strongest practices understand that consistency over time matters more than any single effort. You are not looking for a quick win. You are building a practice that sustains and grows, regardless of where the market goes.
Start with clarity on your purpose. Build a strategy around relationships and visibility. Show up consistently. Measure what matters. Then adjust.
The attorneys who do those four things, month after month, are the ones who control their own careers.
If you are ready to build a more intentional business development strategy, strengthen key relationships, and create a plan that supports your long-term career goals, On Balance Search Consultants can help.
Who’s Driving Your Career?™
Reach us at Shari@OnBalanceSearch.com or call 516-731-3400.
All conversations are confidential.
About On Balance Search Consultants
On Balance Search Consultants provides market intelligence and strategic advisory services to law firms and experienced attorneys. Shari Davidson, President, advises on lateral partner transitions, law firm growth, leadership succession, and attorney career strategy. Working with both firms and attorneys, On Balance helps align long-term objectives with the right platform, leadership structure, and growth strategy.
Contact: OnBalanceSearch.com | 516-731-3400
Sources
1. Pareto Principle (80/20 Rule) — General Reference
Wikipedia: “Pareto Principle.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareto_principle. The Pareto principle states that for many outcomes, roughly 80% of consequences come from 20% of causes. In business management, this is commonly expressed as 80% of sales coming from 20% of clients.
2. Application to Law Firms
Turner, Terrell A. “The 80/20 Rule of Law Firm Finances: Focus on What Matters & Stop Wasting Time.” Law Practice Today, American Bar Association, May 2025. https://www.americanbar.org/…
3. Foundational Text
Koch, Richard. The 80/20 Principle: The Secret to Achieving More with Less. Currency/Doubleday, 1998. The definitive business text on the Pareto principle, establishing how a small proportion of effort, inputs, and causes typically drive the majority of results, outputs, and effects.
Disclaimer: This content is provided for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult qualified legal counsel regarding their specific circumstances and applicable legal requirements.
