Business and client development is as essential to attorneys these days as practicing law. It is also crucial for an associate’s success in the legal profession, especially for those who aspire to a promotion to partner.
Yet, for the future leaders of our profession, most law firms typically provide only minimum client development training to associates. A 2005 survey conducted by the LawMarketing Portal and the Sage Professional Development Institute reported that 93 percent of law firm partners and marketing officers surveyed believe it is essential for associates to be able to develop business to achieve success in the legal profession. Sixty-five percent of them believe that an associate’s business development capability is a consideration for promotion to partner. However, 57 percent of reporting law firms offer fewer than 10 hours of business development training annually to junior and senior associates.
