What Type Of Person Thrives In The Legal Industry, According To A Partner At Dinsmore And Shohl LLP
To thrive in the legal industry, a successful partner needs "a mix of intellectual and social" skills; this means developing strong client relationships built on trust and legal acumen, while simultaneously possessing the ability to generate business through networking and "be the One-Stop shop" for clients' legal needs.
Business Development, Networking, Client Relationship Management, Legal Acumen, Communication
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Christopher Ghio
Partner
Dinsmore & Shohl LLP
UCLA 2005
College of William and Mary School of Law; Juris Doctor
Political Science, American Studies
Law
Legal
Honors Student, Took Out Loans
Video Highlights
1. To thrive in this industry, you need to be a mix of intellectual and social.
2. It's important to develop client relationships and generate business for the firm.
3. You must be able to accurately assess legal issues and provide trustworthy solutions to clients
Transcript
How would you describe people who typically thrive in this industry?
I think I touched on this a little earlier when I spoke about client development. To thrive in this industry and be someone who generates business for your firm, which is one of the most valuable things an attorney as a partner can bring, you need to have those connections in your community.
You also need to cultivate client relationships that lead to clients always picking up the phone and calling you whenever they have a legal issue. This is true even if they know you'll refer them to someone else, because they trust your insight and legal acumen. They want to call you when they encounter a legal problem. Those are the types of people who excel.
So, you have to be a mix of intellectual and social. That's hard to do because many people who focus on the intellectual aspect of an industry are more withdrawn. They may not want to be social or put themselves out there. I found myself tending to fall on that side earlier in my career.
Through sheer force of will, I forced myself to go out, socialize, and meet clients. I stepped out of my comfort zone to be the type of person who meets the people who need my services and my firm's services. I also wanted to show them that I'm not just someone you meet at a networking event for your bank, business, or financial institution.
I am also someone who can sit down with you and accurately and honestly tell you the legal issues you are faced with and what might be an appropriate path for resolution. It's about having that person then trust you.
It has to be a good mix of intellectual capability for a lawyer and the networking and business development side. Without the combination of these two things, you'll find yourself pigeonholed as only a social person who doesn't have much legal expertise in the courtroom. Or, you'll be the social person, the "rainmaker," whom others bring clients to and say, "I've got a client, can you give me an answer?"
What you really want to be is the one-stop shop. You've met the client, developed the relationship, and can provide them with answers they trust are accurate, or resources so they can get accurate answers.