Rainmaking Basics from a Construction Lawyer

One learns very quickly after passing the bar exam that there is a core element to the practice of law that is not taught in law school nor covered on the exam: generating a clientele. Distinguishing oneself amongst attorneys with long careers is, ab initio, difficult enough for the young lawyer. It is particularly true, however, in the construction law field where the practice has become increasingly a niche business, with more and more attorneys holding themselves out as "specialists" in the field. In surveying my colleagues, though, I have discovered success stories that prove it can be done. Indeed, rainmaking in this field is not the exclusive province of the senior lawyers. The business development key for the young attorney is to both embrace the fundamental habits of good lawyering and adopt a modern business strategy, marketing directly to industry-relevant prospects.