Raphael Castro of Pond Lehocky Stern Giordano

There are two kinds of lawyers in private practice—lawyers with clients and lawyers who work for clients.

If you're not a solo attorney, there is typically no requirement to generate business as a new lawyer at your firm. Your primary focus as a new attorney should be to know the intricacies of your practice area. However, to keep the partners happy that they made the right decision to offer you a position, leveraging your new network into business is essential. Stop asking why you should market and start asking how.

Rainmaking is a skill that can be learned like any other. In law school, we are taught to be persuasive orators, illuminating legal writers and effective deposition takers. However, as a new lawyer, we are not taught in law school how to attract and keep clients. We learn through trial and error. We learn by observing others.

Effective networking and rainmaking require preparation. This is a long-term investment. It's about making marketing a priority and looking beyond due dates and today's billable hours. The seeds you plant early in your career will bear fruit in due time.

• Have a targeted approach to events.

As a young lawyer, it's tempting to just work for your junior or senior partner's cases to prepare motions, draft status letters, take depositions … and forget to market. Who has time to join organizations or nonprofits, attend functions and write articles. Who has the time to develop an online presence, mingle, catch up with old friends and be part of the conversation.

Be clear about why you are going to an event. Meet new people through trade groups, bar associations or charities. As a young lawyer, you will be invited to numerous events and your Outlook inbox will be inundated with RSVP requests. See this as an opportunity to target specific clients. Doing everything and getting involved in multiple organizations is exhausting and ineffective. Once you know which event to attend, focus your time and energy on what will take you there. You have the time if you want to control your destiny.

Be strategic. Whom there can send you business? You don't have enough time to befriend everyone. Determine which relationships will be mutually beneficial. Many organizations publish a list of registrants in advance of an event or there may be an online membership. Sit and write down the names of your contacts who are most likely to refer you a case. Other than attending events, write a list of existing and former clients with whom you have a good relationship. Also include referral sources who have referred you matters most recently and everyone else you see as a potential referral relationship.

Not every lawyer is natural at networking. But networking shouldn't be stressful or robotic. Learn to love networking. It's about having sincere conversations while developing mutually beneficial relationships. Be strategic as you go about building and maintaining relationships. Associate with winners who are going places and who will take you to the top.   

• Dress for networking success.

As common wisdom dictates, most communication is nonverbal. We are a very visual society and people judge you by what they see. This is especially true now: social media and technology has short circuited our brains to want more images and video versus words. Whether you like it or not, people form an opinion of you within seconds of an initial meeting. You only have one shot at a first impression.

It's particularly important for young lawyers to look the part. Polished, organized, smart and confident. What you wear and how you present yourself speaks volumes as to how others perceive you. Understand that the way you dress projects an image of who you are to potential clients. Potential clients are everywhere, and you interact with them every day. To make an impression on them as someone who can handle their matters professionally, you want to look like a professional. Those who want to refer you a case will take notice.

• Know your elevator speech.

Introduce yourself with a few words that communicate the benefits you deliver to your clients. In order to execute your elevator speech, you need to distinguish yourself from other attorneys and develop your niche practice. Explain to them the area of law that you're most passionate about.

Be sincere and authentic. Remember, your time is valuable. Focus on meaningful relationships with people going places, and people who will have a mutual benefit from the relationship. Referral sources need to know you to refer you work.

You should become a leader in your local, state and national bar associations. Participate in listservs, follow blogs, read articles and attend CLEs in your practice area. If possible, get board-certified in your state so you can legitimately claim to be a specialist or expert in that specific area of interest. After you develop expertise in the area, start writing, speaking and presenting on topics of interests within your area of law. For example, everyone is a litigator, but you handle heart and lung workers' compensation claims. It's easier to become an expert in a finite area of law and easier to market yourself. Clients and referral sources want to retain experts, not a jack-of all-trades and master of none. While others may spend hours or days researching a question, you have already identified the issues and know how they will play out. Becoming the go-to expert in an area of law is a powerful marketing tool.

After you're done your elevator speech, make sure to listen. People love to talk about themselves, especially lawyers and judges. So have some questions ready to get them started. The best conversation starters build on the theme of the get together, help you gather information about this person's needs, and show of your own expertise. What are the hot areas of law? What seminars are coming up and who's speaking at them? Which judges and local officials are running for reelection? My favorite icebreaker is talking about local sports.

Relationships with referral sources and clients—where you meet with them and stay in touch with them—is the basis of all marketing. No relationships equal no clients.

• Ask for business.

Do not feel awkward to make the ask. If they're close friends or business acquaintances, they want to help you grow your business. In order for your connections to help you, they must have a clear idea of what you do.

Business development is about relationships. Often, the ask for business must wait and be cultivated over time. Follow up with a call or schedule a lunch. Send an email. Get together for drinks at the next conference or cocktail hours. Stay in contact with them, ask them out for lunch, stay connected through LinkedIn and Facebook and refer them cases as well. Relationships are organic. They either grow or they die.

People refer clients to those they know and trust. If people don't know you, they won't refer clients, friends and family to you. Typically, cold calls and unsolicited promotional materials, without an overall investment in a personal relationship, are ineffective. Build on the relationships you already have: former colleagues, current colleagues and friends. Whether or not you get business from the referral, always show appreciation to the source. They'll always remember the gesture.

Leveraging your network is essential in developing a promising career as a young lawyer. It will also provide clients you enjoy, job security, autonomy and more money. Over time, these relationships will translate into a book of business to provide you freedom to grow your practice.

Now get out from behind the desk, put your iPhone down and meet your future referral source or client.

Raphael F. Castro, an associate at Pond Lehocky Stern Giordano, is a workers' compensation attorney. He earned his law degree from Widener University School of Law, graduating in 2014.