I would not have posed this question if I believed the answer was no. Every major breakthrough I had practicing law resulted from creating the market for my legal services. I recently shared the idea in Take 8:26 to Learn How to Build Your Law Practice. I like to say:

Rainmakers provide creative and innovative solutions to their clients’ problems. Exceptional rainmakers see those problems and provide creative and innovative solutions before their clients know there is a potential problem.

One of you asked how I was able to create a market. I want to show you. The simple answer is you have to see the potential legal issue before any other lawyer in your field. It is easier if you have a niche practice, because you will be constantly focused on that narrow industry or  area of law.

Let me share three examples from my own practice. If you are a regular reader, you likely know these three because I have written about them before:

  1. Required participation of Minority (Disadvantaged Business Enterprises) on federally funded transportation construction projects
  2. Major design, construction, cost and time overruns on Cable-Stayed and Segmental Bridges
  3. Design-Build, Public-Private Finance and other innovative contracting approaches

Once you identify the topic, the next step is to write about the topics. You can write articles, guides or blog posts. Once you have something written, you are more likely to get the opportunity to speak on the topic.

Here are my slides from a presentation on Innovative Contracting. I created those slides many years ago when significantly more words were used on slides. Now, I am embarrassed by the number of words on these slides and the lack of visuals, but I hope they will give you the idea.

The way you will most likely find the potential topics is stay on top of what is going on in your clients’ industry and world. In the old days that required trips to law and university libraries. Today, you can find all that you need to know on your iPad. Take a moment to re-read my post: Client Development: Computer, iPad, iPhone Tools and Apps for Old Toad Lawyers Like Me.

Next Tuesday (hopefully) we will have a clear idea where the United States is headed. The two presidential candidates have significantly different ideas. Are you considering how the election of one or the other will create potential legal issues, or otherwise impact, your clients?