With tales of deferments and pay cuts floating about the industry, your new gig as a first-year associate might seem just a bit daunting. And succeeding in this new role may strike you as an even bigger challenge.

So what's a poor first-year to do? How can you demonstrate your value in this lackluster economy?

Essentially, this is about internal marketing. To ensure that warmth and goodwill surface whenever your name is mentioned, you need to distinguish yourself from the pack. None of this is complicated but all of it is important.

To help you stand out from the crowd, here are a few tips, bits of common sense and words of wisdom garnered from first-hand experiences of associates and law firm professionals.

BEGIN AT THE BEGINNING

Before you even walk in the door of your new firm, ensure that you look and act the part. School is over. This is real life. Take care that your appearance is consistently professional -- it'll go a long way as to how you're perceived by partners and more senior associates.

And that "neat and clean" bit goes for your office as well. While the senior don of the litigation bar may be able to pull off the floor-made-of-briefs-gone-by decor with style, your best bet is to appear (and be!) organized. Put away those papers, be fastidious about files and manage your calendar well.

If partners and senior associates perceive you as a professional, you are more likely to be pegged for plum client-facing activities, such as in-person discussions or lunch meetings. The more direct client contact you have, the better you will understand their needs -- which will make you a much better lawyer.

LIFE BEFORE LAWYERHOOD

In 20 years, it may be hard for any of us to imagine that you had a life before lawyering. But that's not the case now -- and at this stage in your career, it's that life before law school that can set you apart from your peers.

Did your stint in the Peace Corps leave you with a sophisticated understanding of cost management? Have your years spent waiting tables given you phenomenal multi-tasking skills? Did your years playing soccer make you a solution-oriented team player? Are all those molecular studies you undertook a sign of facility with succinctly summarizing complex technical material?

Those pre-lawyer lives and skill sets are your individual selling points. Whether through firm reception chats or practice group lunches, find opportunities to showcase your unique experiences. They will make you more memorable to your superiors.

BE TWICE AS NICE

Adopt a pleasant, professional demeanor. Casual observation in some corners indicates that common courtesy may be on the wane. Just the simple act of being consistently nice may just make you stand out from your counterparts.

Remember that you're not all that interesting -- yet! -- so practice the 80/20 rule.

Forgot it? Never learned it? Okay, here goes: You should listen 80 percent of the time, and talk only 20 percent of the time. While this rule is generally applied to client interactions, you can follow it as a good rule of thumb for most professional conversations.

In keeping with the niceness trend, don't dis the support staff. Those "little" folks that make the law firm machines run can make a big difference in how successful you are in your first year! Don't make the not-uncommon novice mistake of being dismissive toward staff.

Befriending the gang in duplicating, treating your assistant with respect or getting to know the mailroom crew can translate to having your copy jobs fast-tracked, your phone calls adeptly handled or your late-night FedExes whipped out the door with no hassle.

Remember that marketers, secretaries, legal assistants and other staff members often have long-standing relationships at the firm and will likely mention that "terrific first-year" to partners with whom they're friendly if you make a positive impression in your dealings with them.

GET AROUND TOWN

Be sure to attend practice group meetings, internal trainings and other firm events and programs where you will have an opportunity to network with senior associates and partners as well as professional staff. If practice heads are looking for volunteers to report on recent legal developments or summarize a case, be the first-year who offers to do the job.

Regularly contributing to your practice group's meetings and firm programs allows you to market yourself internally in a substantive way.

QUALITY, QUANTITY & QUESTIONS

Obviously, the work that you do matters immensely. But is it a key differentiator? As a first-year associate, you take what you're given. The expectation is that you'll meet deadlines and produce high-quality work, so doing that alone won't create any "wow factor."

At minimum, you should make deadlines, treat all assignments as important and ensure that your work is clean, accurate and error-free. To distinguish yourself, you need to go beyond those basic expectations. That means volunteering for work all the time.

Make it known that you are anxious for assignments. Eagerness achieves two things: A reputation among your superiors as a dedicated worker and more opportunities to hone your skill set as you garner more assignments. Create some buzz around yourself. You want to be "that first-year who's always stepping up for things."

And to make sure you get those things right, you need to ask questions. First-years often loathe asking them, fearing that they'll demonstrate some key lack of knowledge. Don't bother trying to appear omnipotent -- everyone knows you're not. If you don't ask questions to clarify assignments, you won't deliver as expected. Make sure you understand the work required, the parameters for length and time expenditure, and the deadline.

In case you're still confused: You'll have a lot on your hands this first year, but pleasing partners should really top your list. If you want to be the "go-to" associate of the first-year crop, pay attention to your partners. Anticipate needs and reactions. Proactively offer assistance. Adopt a business perspective and let it color all that you do. Be alert to potential cost efficiencies and streamlining that you can suggest.

GET IT WHILE IT'S HOT

With a down economy, billable assignments may not be as plentiful as you'd like. But that doesn't mean there isn't skill-building to be done. Idle hands impress no one. Use down time to boost your knowledge either in a substantive area of interest -- such as products liability law -- or in a skill-based area -- such as litigation. Grab whatever opportunities are available, and if you don't see them, go looking for them!

Pro bono work gives you a chance to garner experience in research, litigation, contracts or another area of interest. Ask senior associates and key partners for their recommendations on worthwhile pro bono agencies where you can volunteer. Pro bono work generally affords you more opportunity for "hands-on" work than regular assignments you receive at the firm.

Be versatile internally as well. If you are in a firm's litigation group, check with your assignment coordinator to see if there might be work in the bankruptcy practice. Building experience -- and relationships -- across the firm is a good way to market yourself internally.

MARKETING MADNESS

Many lawyers don't think about marketing until well into their careers. Bad move. Start now. Weave marketing into your activities from the start. In a down economy, you can boost both your internal and external profile by writing for legal, trade or business publications.

Collaborate with a partner who may not have time to do the writing but will appreciate -- and remember -- your doing the heavy lifting. Sniff out recent court decisions, changes in the law or trends in particular industries as possible article ideas. Talk to your marketing department to see what assistance it can offer with pitching a piece for you.

Assess what professional, trade or industry associations cover your interests and -- more importantly -- are read by the clients you're serving. Identify some niche areas that don't have a heavy lawyer "population."

Are you an avid video game player? Why not join the International Game Developers Association to start meeting potential clients? Been a lifelong Girl Scout? Get involved with the area council's board and network with others from the local business community.

Demonstrating to your firm that you will use downtime productively will help you to stand out from the crowd.

Practice even some of this preaching and you will boost your chances of distinguishing yourself from the other newbies entering the fray this month. Practice all of it and you may just build some buzz about that fantastic first-year's contributions to the firm.

Trish Lilley is a business development manager for the litigation and bankruptcy practices at Fox Rothschild and works with the firm's women's initiative. Over the past two decades, she has held leadership roles in professional development, communications and recruiting functions at both AmLaw firms and nonprofit associations. She can be contacted at TLilley@foxrothschild.com.