In a prior article in which I described three power tips for building a great book of business, we discussed the importance of becoming “famous”. In this piece, we dive deeper to explore several ways you can achieve your fame.
How to Build Visibility and Recognition Inside Your Law Firm
If your firm has lawyers who can refer matters to each other, you should position yourself as a go-to person for your type of work. Don’t assume your lawyers will automatically think of you in your areas of expertise. I’ve heard countless stories of lawyers sending work to other firms because they didn’t know or remember they had those capabilities in-house. Even when lawyers know the firm can do the work, if there are several lawyers who possess that expertise, you may not be the person who comes to mind, even if you are a more logical choice.
Which means you must play the internal fame game. You must build awareness of who you are, what you do, and why people would want to work with you. The following are several approaches you can use to enhance your visibility and reputation within your firm.
What Internal Visibility Should Help a Lawyer Achieve
Internal visibility is most valuable if it makes your capabilities more easily recognizable, memorable, and aligned with clients’ needs in the right situations. The goal is not only to become more visible within the firm, but to make clear connections between yourself, your skills, and those situations where a colleague should bring you into the picture.
An effective internal visibility plan would allow colleagues to quickly grasp:
- What kinds of matters you excel at working on.
- The industry, client scenario, or specific legal issue where your expertise applies.
- How your practice area connects with other practices in the firm.
- When introducing you to the client makes sense.
- What kind of collaborative effort you can bring without an official referral.
| Internal Visibility Goal | What Colleagues Should Know |
|---|---|
| Expertise recognition | The specific issues and matters you handle |
| Referral readiness | The situations that should trigger an introduction |
| Cross-practice collaboration | How your work can complement their client relationships |
| Professional trust | Why they can feel comfortable bringing you into a client conversation |
How Leadership Roles Can Increase Your Visibility Within a Law Firm
A leadership title is a powerful form of social proof. It sends a subtle message that others trust you and that you possess a superior level of skill. Perhaps you could lead a department, practice group, or office.
If you are a newer lawyer, while some senior leadership roles are not (yet) available to you, you can explore whether a deputy position exists within any existing groups. Many leaders have too many responsibilities, so lightening their load can help them personally and can support the group, while simultaneously increasing their visibility and social status.
Which Leadership Roles Can Support Business Development?
Leadership positions vary according to the nature of visibility involved. The best position is the one that puts you into frequent contact with other people and motivates you to make yourself visible to others.
| Leadership Role | Business Development Value | Visibility Opportunity |
|---|---|---|
| Practice group leader | Reinforces subject-matter authority | Regular contact with lawyers, leaders, and client-facing teams |
| Department leader | Broadens recognition beyond one practice | Exposure across related practices and matters |
| Office leader | Builds visibility within a geographic market | More interaction with lawyers and clients across the office |
| Deputy or vice-chair | Creates a path to leadership for newer lawyers | Visible contribution without requiring the most senior title |
| Committee chair | Associates you with an important firm initiative | Repeated exposure around a specific priority |
The title itself can create credibility, but its business development value grows when the role also gives you opportunities to build relationships, solve problems, and connect people across the firm.
How Lawyers Can Use Committees and Firm Initiatives to Build Recognition
In addition to practice and industry groups, there are usually many other groups and committees that exist inside firms. Join groups that are populated with lawyers you want to know, and be seen as a solid contributor.
If something needs to be done in your firm and there is no group to address it, perhaps you can start and lead that effort. For example, in one firm an associate formed an associates marketing committee. This gave him a reason to reach out to invite other associates to join the group, while also providing a high-profile reason to connect with partners and leaders to get their input and support. This strategy rapidly increased his visibility to both partners and associates firmwide, while keeping him top-of-mind over time.
How to Choose Firm Initiatives That Improve Your Visibility
Not every committee generates the same level of business development. A valuable program needs to ensure you are introduced to lawyers you want to meet, offered a relevant role, and given multiple opportunities to show you are reliable and useful.
While assessing an internal group or program, consider whether it:
- Has partners, practice leaders, business developers, or any other persons who would be worth knowing for you.
- Meets a clearly seen need in the firm.
- Gives you a chance to make contributions instead of just attending events.
- Involves collaboration between different practices/offices/seniority groups.
- Can generate regular interactions instead of one-off projects.
An initiative with fewer participants where you will be actively involved can bring more recognition than a big committee where you are only going to be a passive participant.
How to Build an Internal Referral Network Within Your Law Firm
As a practical matter (especially in larger firms), a firm is really a collection of smaller firms inside the bigger construct. The reality is, lawyers have their go-to people for certain types of matters, even if there are other more capable lawyers who could do the same work. It’s a matter of comfort and familiarity, which means you should strategically form solid relationships with those who could be referring work to you.
Invite those lawyers to lunch, learn more about their practices, and discuss ways you could market together. Find lawyers who are active business developers and see if there are ways you can add value to their efforts (writing, speaking on complementary topics, making introductions, etc.). Ask your marketing and business development professionals about upcoming firm events, and work with other lawyers to strategize how to maximize the impact of those events.
Who Should Be Part of Your Internal Referral Network?
The best kind of internal referral network would be one in which you find people whose client base, industry, or practice areas overlap with yours. This is because, in such cases, working together will bring value for both parties.
| Relationship | Why It Matters | Practical Way to Build the Relationship |
|---|---|---|
| Lawyers in complementary practices | Their clients may encounter issues that require your expertise | Learn what they handle and identify natural crossover points |
| Active business developers | They often maintain broad client and referral networks | Find ways to support their writing, speaking, or outreach |
| Practice group leaders | They influence referrals, staffing, and collaboration | Share useful developments and discuss where your expertise fits |
| Industry-focused lawyers | They understand recurring client needs within a market | Develop joint content or client-facing ideas |
| Marketing and BD professionals | They often see firmwide opportunities early | Stay informed about events, campaigns, and client initiatives |
The relationship should be reciprocal. Making introductions, sharing useful information, or supporting another lawyer’s business development efforts can make future collaboration more natural.
There are many potential clients who are looking for someone just like you to handle their legal issues. The problem is, most don’t know you exist, which means it’s up to you to get on their radar.
How Internal Education Can Keep Lawyers Top-of-Mind
The rainmaker’s mindset is that people will forget about you and what you do unless you remind them. One way to stay top-of-mind is to conduct short internal presentations on hot topics. I’ve often seen lawyers get work immediately after making presentations because it triggered other lawyers to think about clients who have those issues. At the end of the presentation, suggest ways your lawyers can introduce you to their clients – e.g., you’re happy to conduct an in-house presentation to the client, you’re willing to review documents, policies, procedures, etc.
Also, when hot issues are in the news, send a quick note around the firm to let the right lawyers know how it might impact their clients, and perhaps make some suggestions on what those clients should do. This keeps you and your practice memorable, while also providing valuable information firm lawyers can send to their clients, which makes them look good.
What Makes an Internal Presentation Useful for Business Development?
An effective internal presentation is not only about displaying knowledge of the law but rather about assisting other lawyers in identifying an issue, comprehending its significance, and knowing when to refer you to discuss the matter further.
Good internal presentations are frequently concerned with:
- New legislation or regulations with implications for the clients.
- Recent developments which could result in exposure or opportunity.
- New developments in those industries where the firm operates.
- Issues commonly faced by lawyers outside of your practice group.
- Opportunities for cross-selling.
Make sure to tie things up nicely. Your colleagues should come away with a clear idea of what to look out for, which clients could potentially be impacted, and how they could refer to you without causing any conflict with the existing relationship.
How Lawyers Can Build Visibility Outside Their Firm
There are many potential clients who are looking for someone just like you to handle their legal issues. The problem is, most don’t know you exist, which means it’s up to you to get on their radar. The following are several steps you can take to make that happen.
Identify the type of people you want as clients. An important first step is to get extremely clear on your buyers. Determine who typically makes the hiring decision – bankers, CEOs, in-house counsel, claims adjusters, HR managers? Once you determine the proper categories, find where they congregate, learn what they read, and identify high-priority prospects by name so you can come up with ways to reach out personally. The following are specific techniques you can use to get known by larger groups of prospects, as well as targeted individuals.
Which Visibility Channels Fit Different Business Development Goals?
Visibility becomes even more concentrated depending on the channel chosen in relation to the particular business development goal. The strategy a lawyer follows to gain wide visibility in the market will not necessarily be the same as that used by a lawyer seeking to cultivate contacts.
| Business Development Goal | Visibility Channel | Best Used For |
|---|---|---|
| Reach a larger targeted audience | Publications | Demonstrating expertise at scale |
| Build direct professional relationships | Organizations | Networking and referral development |
| Establish visible authority | Speaking | Third-party credibility and audience access |
| Show expertise and personality | Videos and podcasts | Building familiarity and trust |
| Maintain consistent visibility | Social media | Staying top-of-mind over time |
| Gain third-party exposure | Media placement | Strengthening external credibility |
Before committing significant time to a channel, identify who you want to reach, where those people already spend time, and whether the activity creates a realistic path to further interaction.
Speaking can be a powerful way to attain a third-party endorsement of your capabilities while getting you famous in front of rooms packed with potential buyers and referral sources.
How Lawyers Can Use Publications to Build Professional Visibility
You can use writing in two ways. The common strategy is to hit the “masses” in your targeted categories by writing pieces that are timely and practical. A lesser used approach is to target specific high value people and reach out directly to interview them for your piece or ask them if they would like to co-author it with you. This gives you a very comfortable way to meet new people as well as deepen relationships with people you already know.
How to Choose Between Broad-Reach and Relationship-Driven Content
Lawyer content may fulfill several functions. While some content is created to raise brand awareness in the target market, other content can be used to initiate or develop relationships with a specific individual.
| Content Approach | Primary Objective | Relationship Potential |
|---|---|---|
| Timely article for an industry publication | Reach a broader relevant audience | Moderate |
| Practical client alert | Stay visible with clients and prospects | Moderate |
| Interview with a target contact | Create a direct reason to connect | High |
| Co-authored article | Build a working relationship around shared expertise | High |
| Commentary on a developing issue | Associate your name with a timely topic | Moderate to high |
Before writing, ask whether the topic reaches people who matter to your practice and whether the finished piece can support a conversation, introduction, presentation, or follow-up afterward.
How Professional Organizations Expand Lawyers’ Business Networks
There is usually no shortage of groups that have already done the hard work of collecting your targets for you, so your job is to get in and get known. Some will allow you to be a member, while others do not permit service providers. Restricted groups will often allow you to be a speaker, especially if you co-present with one of their members (another great way to reach out to a highly valuable targeted prospect). Where you can be a member, your fame can be achieved not only by presenting, but also by taking leadership positions. This gets you seen by those in the groups you lead, as well as gives you opportunities to reach out to individual members to discuss matters pertaining to the group.
How to Evaluate a Professional Organization for Business Development
Just because you belong does not mean that you will be seen. There need to be people in the organization who you want to know and a realistic path for participation.
Here are some questions that you need to answer prior to putting a lot of time into an organization:
- Do any clients, referrals, or other key people belong to the organization?
- Are there committees or projects to get involved with?
- Will you be meeting the same people again and again?
- Are the issues relevant to the organization close to what you can talk about?
- Is there a reason to meet with individuals individually after the meetings?
A large organization does not always mean the best organization. Sometimes the smaller organization with better access to the right people and participation might do better than the larger organization where all your participation is passive.
How Speaking Engagements Can Strengthen a Lawyer’s Reputation
Speaking can be a powerful way to attain a third-party endorsement of your capabilities, while getting you famous in front of rooms packed with potential buyers and referral sources. Venues for speaking are plentiful, including associations and in-house for clients, prospects and referral sources. Lawyers I’ve coached often reach out to clients and others with specific topics in mind, but also ask what other subjects are of interest to them. This is a great “sales call” question, since clients will let you know what is most important to them. If you can’t present on their desired topic, find someone in your firm or your network who can, which will position you as a valued resource.
Where Can Lawyers Find Relevant Speaking Opportunities?
The key to effective speaking engagements is an overlap between the audience and those who can be influenced. Don’t treat each invitation the same; select opportunities that bring subject matter together with an audience of prospects, customers, or referral sources.
Some venues to consider:
- Industry or trade associations.
- Professional associations.
- Client organizations.
- Prospect organizations.
- Referral-source organizations.
- Conferences and webinars.
- Panel discussions with complementary professionals.
- Client training sessions.
A good topic is one where legal expertise is brought to bear on an issue already important to the audience. It increases the value of the session for the audience and serves as a way to build follow-up discussions.
How Videos and Podcasts Can Build Trust With Potential Clients
What I like about videos and podcasts, as well as live speaking engagements, is that you get to “audition” more fully for your role as their lawyer. Potential clients can get a better feel for what it would be like to work with you – your personality, intellect, competency, sense of humor, and overall likeability. As compared with more episodic live speaking engagements, videos and podcasts provide a forum for regular, ongoing communication, thus creating a deeper connection with your audience. One lawyer I recently coached used his podcast as a reason to reach out to new potential clients, and in four instances he was invited on to their panel counsel lists.
Which Video or Podcast Format Fits the Goal?
Differing formats allow for varied potential for visibility and networking opportunities. It is important to pick the right format depending on whether you need to showcase your expertise, include an important contact, or extend the life of an existing presentation.
| Format | Primary Strength | Best Use |
|---|---|---|
| Solo expert episode | Focuses attention on your expertise | Explaining a defined legal or industry issue |
| Client or prospect interview | Creates a direct relationship opportunity | Engaging a high-value contact |
| Panel discussion | Adds multiple perspectives | Complex or cross-disciplinary topics |
| Short-form video | Makes frequent publishing easier | Staying visible around timely questions |
| Recorded presentation | Extends the value of existing content | Reaching people who did not attend live |
Consistency matters more when the format is intended to build familiarity over time. Choose a format you can sustain and one that naturally supports the way you communicate best.
How Lawyers Can Use Social Media to Stay Top-of-Mind
Achieving fame often requires repetition, and posting on social media is one of the easiest ways to achieve frequency. If you are writing articles for publications, create links to those publications and post them on LinkedIn, Twitter, and other channels that target your audiences. Better yet, dissect your article into smaller chunks and post these ongoing tidbits of information over time. If you recorded a presentation and have permission to replay it, post about it with a link, and perhaps break that into smaller segments as well. In targeted online groups, comment on posts, and find reasons to engage in dialogue with specific high-value people. For example, perhaps an in-house counsel comments on a certain legal issue. Some ways you could respond include sharing an article you wrote, suggesting that you might have a solution, asking them for a quote for an article you’re writing, letting them know you conduct in-house presentations on that topic, or asking if they would like to be a guest on your podcast or co-present at an upcoming conference.
How to Repurpose One Piece of Legal Content Across Multiple Touchpoints
Lawyers do not have to come up with an entirely new idea for each social media post that they publish. One single idea that is considered substantial enough in itself may be divided into different small ideas.
| Original Content | Possible Follow-Up Content |
|---|---|
| Long-form article | Several posts focused on individual takeaways |
| Client alert | A short post explaining one practical implication |
| Webinar | Short video clips or individual questions from the session |
| Conference presentation | Slide-based posts or short commentary on key points |
| Podcast episode | Short clips, quotes, or topic-specific posts |
| Media interview | Additional commentary on the issue discussed |
Repurposing works best when each piece stands on its own and provides a useful idea. The goal is to extend the life of strong content while creating more opportunities for the right people to encounter your expertise.
How Media Placements Can Build a Lawyer’s Authority
Media sources start with a blank slate. They need content, stories, quotes, and insights. Which means they need you. If there is a hot issue, reach out to a publication or news station and suggest an angle on how you see it playing out. If you have an idea for something that is not currently being covered, pitch it. Also, let writers know you are available for quotes if they need an authority in your field.
When Is a Legal Issue Worth Pitching to the Media?
In order for a legal development to be relevant to the media, you need to find its connection to a timely consequence, an audience, or an angle that hasn’t been adequately covered yet. The most successful pitches are the ones where it’s easy to see why an issue is timely for a journalist.
You might want to pitch about an issue when:
- There is a new law, regulation, decision, or event with practical implications right now.
- A legal issue is already getting covered, but there’s still an angle to it that is under-discussed.
- You can describe the industry and business impact of the issue.
- Your unique experience gives you a different perspective than other commentators.
- An issue affects an audience that you target as a part of your legal practice.
Being relevant to reporters over a long period of time can sometimes mean as much as having a one-time placement. Providing concise answers, being able to explain things, and being reliable can help journalists see you as a potential source for their next article.
As Gore Vidal used to say, “Heroes must see to their own fame. No one else will.” That applies to you too, and your responsibility to inform potential clients about yourself and the work that you do. Do them a favor and let them find their “hero” – an advocate who will help them solve their legal problems. By taking advantage of internal or external actions aimed at increasing your visibility among your targeted audience, you can get your win-win situation – expand your practice and help your clients solve their issues.
Frequently Asked Questions About Building Visibility as a Lawyer
How much visibility does a lawyer actually need to generate business?
A lawyer does not have to be a household name in order to enjoy the advantages of visibility. A lawyer will have better luck striving to become someone the right people see as. According to David Freeman Consulting Group, the lawyer should aim to become known and respected by those who will refer and retain the lawyer rather than the general public.
What is the difference between lawyer visibility and professional credibility?
Visibility is about reaching the right people who will be aware of who you are and what you do. On the other hand, credibility will determine if people will be willing to involve you in their projects because of your expertise. Visibility and credibility must both be achieved through a combination of consistent repetition and content development.
Should lawyers focus on internal or external visibility first?
It depends on where the best opportunities for lawyers are. Those who work at firms with high cross-selling potential will achieve significant benefits from improving their internal visibility, whereas others who work in specific industries will need to improve their visibility externally.
How can a lawyer tell whether a visibility activity is working?
There are metrics that do not involve impressions, follower counts, or publications. One should look for evidence that visibility has created some kind of movement towards business development, such as discussions with targeted contacts, referrals from other lawyers, speaking opportunities, introductions, client involvement, and new matters attributed to a particular visibility activity.
What are common mistakes lawyers make when trying to become more visible?
Typical mistakes include targeting everyone, selecting communication channels where targeted clients are not present, publishing without follow-up plans, passive participation in organizations, and considering exposure as a substitute for relationship building. Visibility should help to establish and develop necessary professional relationships.
How can law firms support lawyers who want to increase their visibility?
Some areas where law firms could assist include audience selection, internal referrals, speaking, writing, organizational membership, and clients. Professional business developers could help coordinate these activities so that a single engagement could create multiple exposures. Another company assisting law firms and lawyers in business development by helping them improve their visibility is the David Freeman Consulting Group.
