Attorneys must learn to network with people they know who work in other professions and industries. These are the future sources of firm business. Train your new associates to think long-term. Recognize the importance of billable hours. But remind associates and partners alike that no one becomes a rainmaker by sitting in the library, eating lunch at his or her desk, or burning the midnight oil seven days a week.
Rainmakers go out and meet people.
They develop social relationships, and from these connections, business opportunities eventually flow. Recognize that no one becomes a rainmaker overnight. However, by providing new associates with very basic skills, law firms can arm their newest members with the tools they need to contribute to the firm's bottom line. Copyright, Legal Times , 1998.