If Clients Hire Lawyers Not Law Firms, How Can You Ever Delegate Work

Developing the Next Generation of Rainmakers If Clients Hire Lawyers Not Law Firms, How Can You Ever Delegate Work? A lawyer I coached a couple of years ago called me to discuss a problem every lawyer wants to have. Her client development efforts have paid off and now she is generating so much business that she has to be able to delegate work. She also mentioned that her clients expect her to work on their matters. Clients hire lawyers first and foremost. Even when they say they are hiring a firm, they hire the firm because a particular lawyer, or a team, is there. I wish I had a dollar for each time a client told me: Cordell, we did not hire Jenkens and Gilchrist, we hired you. My challenge was to convince great clients that the lawyers who worked for me were at least as good as me, if not better.  As your practice grows, that will be your challenge also. Here are some suggestions: If you want more of my thoughts on this important subject, take a look at my Practical Lawyer article:  Practical Supervision Skills For Attorneys. You might also find valuable ideas in It Takes a Team, a book I co-authored that is available on your Kindle, iPad or Nook. I practiced law for 37 years developing a national construction law practice representing some of the top highway and transportation construction contractors in the US.