I know. You have not heard from me this week. Hope you missed me! I tried to work in a “Thought For the Day”, but even that was hard. You see, I was working on two projects for my community, and it took up most of my time.
But I was thinking of all of you. Volunteering on behalf of your community is a really good thing for young women lawyers to do, and you need to start thinking about it. First, it is a great way for you to give back to your community. We all live very hectic lives these days, but the volunteer work in our communities still has to be done—even more so in a “down” economy like this one. Government services have been curtailed in some areas, and there is just more work that needs to be done by volunteers.
Second, and maybe the more important reason for my purposes here, is the great networking opportunities for all of you through community work. You know my mantra about generating work—that it is your path to freedom and options in your practice. The way to get the attention of the partners and management in your practice is to bring in work. Do that, and you will find that you have a great deal more control of your practice, options in your practice and respect from your colleagues. That all converts to upward mobility and security.
One way to generate work, which is very often overlooked, is through involvement in your community. This is particularly important for women lawyers, who often are the ones volunteering in the schools, the churches, and the community organizations—including the sports leagues. Those are not just for Dad any more, thank goodness! These communities groups are full of CEOs of companies, people with legal entanglements and people who just plain know other people with legal problems and work to parcel out. This is not news to you, but the news to you may be how little we women lawyers take advantage of these opportunities.
The key is to let people know what you do. Let people know about your firm and your specialties. Stop thinking of it as unsavory self-promotion and start thinking about it as selling a great product—-YOU. There is nothing wrong with talking business, and women need to get used to it. Men do it all the time on the field, in the athletic club, on the golf course, at the ball park, while cruising the Bay—you name it. It is the way business is run, and, as I tell you repeatedly, law is a business.
So, sell your product. Strike up a conversation with your fellow volunteer while you are licking envelopes or raking leaves, and give them something professional to remember about you. Do it enough times, and you will begin to realize the benefits. One major client can change your practice and your life. Make a new friend and fellow volunteer in your community, who trusts you as a neighbor and as a professional, and see where it leads you.
I hope you will remember this and put it into action next week. It is never too soon to start.
As for me, I must go now. The proposed two-lane bridge in my bucolic neighborhood needs to be defeated, and the beautification projects needs to be installed while weather permits. Letters need to be written, agreements need to be drafted and meetings need to be attended. Yes, it is work, but there are so many rewards—both personal and professional.
Happy generating!
