Professional references are an important part of the hiring process. And a positive endorsement can serve as the exclamation point at the end of a quality candidacy. So assembling a stable of colleagues willing to sing your praises at a moment’s notice is a good career strategy. Some lawyers deal with the issue of soliciting references as the need arises. While others prefer to have their list of cheerleaders preselected for a rainy day.

Depending on how you’ve managed your career, both approaches can work. But for those who want to secure high quality references sooner rather than later, the following suggestions will help you do so successfully: