The Wall Street Journal's Law Blog has an insightful post on "Do Law Firm Associates Fear Rainmaking?" It articulates the paradox of associates (and perhaps most lawyers) reluctance to engage in sales and the obvious necessity of building one's individual book of business and attracting clients to the firm.
This Legalweek.com eludes that lawyer's training focuses on academic performance and not necessarily the people skills and risk tolerance required for success in sales. It reminds me of the work of Susan Daicoff, who wrote the book, Lawyer, Know Thyself, in which she discusses how law school literally changes the way people think.
Perhaps we need to consider law school education to focus not only on the study of law and ethics, but also on people and business skills. Business and medical schools have dramatically changed their approach to give their graduates better "bedside skills". It is no wonder that law firms, despite significant budget cuts, are still investing in business development training and coaching.
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