#145: The BigLaw Career Shift From Matter Lawyer to Trusted Advisor

In this episode, I discuss one of the most revealing business development metrics in BigLaw: when something happens with a client, who do they call? Revenue, origination, pitches, and repeat matters all matter, but they do not always tell you how deep a client relationship really is. A senior associate may be trusted to run an important matter, a newer partner may be the person a client calls when a problem arises, and an established partner may become one of the first people the client calls before they even know what the legal issue is. Those are very different levels of relationship responsibility, and they tell you a great deal about whether you are simply handling matters or actually building a practice. I explain how to think about the progression from matter responsibility to problem responsibility to relationship responsibility, and why that progression matters to both your career and your economic value to the firm. I also discuss why getting a second matter is not necessarily the same as deepening a client relationship, how to tell whether clients are beginning to rely on your judgment rather than just your execution, and why being the person who connects clients to the right lawyers across the firm is often more valuable than personally handling every piece of work. Finally, I explain how to use a simple set of questions to evaluate your own client relationships: who calls you, what do they call about, how early do they involve you, who else do they call, and what happens after that conversation. At a Glance 01:20 Why "who calls you?" may reveal more than traditional business development metrics 03:05 How to think about matter-to-client conversion 04:16 Why a second matter does not necessarily mean you own the client relationship 05:12 How client calls change as lawyers become more senior 06:43 The shift from matter responsibility to problem responsibility 08:21 What relationship responsibility looks like for an established partner 09:32 Why origination credit alone may not reflect the strength of a client relationship 11:15 How to evaluate whether a matter is turning into a broader client relationship 12:45 The signals senior associates should watch as client trust develops 14:42 Why being extremely busy with a client does not necessarily mean you own the relationship 15:32 The five questions to ask about who calls you 16:20 Why a practice is a collection of relationships that produce matters For Apple Podcasts, click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select "Write a Review." Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven't done so already, follow the podcast here!  For Spotify, tap here on your mobile phone, follow the podcast, listen to the show, then find the rating icon below the description, and tap to rate with five stars. Interested in doing 1-2-1 coaching with Laura Terrell? Or learning more about her work coaching and consulting? Here are ways to reach out to her: www.lauraterrell.com  laura@lauraterrell.com   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauralterrell/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauraterrellcoaching/  Show notes: https://www.lauraterrell.com/podcast