Workers across industries may be united in a common dread of meetings, but that’s not necessarily the case for the growing class of business professionals within law firms, at least when it comes to sit-downs with their firms’ clients. These interactions mark a fundamental—and welcome—change in their status.

Take Melissa Prince, the chief client value and innovation officer at Ballard Spahr. She now finds herself meeting with the firm’s clients two or three times a week, and she doesn’t have to throw any elbows to get there.