Legal recruiters are my best referral sources. But it’s usually not reciprocal.
By nature of what I do, I generally don’t speak with lawyers who would be good candidates for recruiters.
And that’s okay.
Recruiters speak to a lot of attorneys they can’t help directly. I know because I spent almost three decades as a legal recruiter and coach before leaving recruiting behind in 2022.
💡 A partner wants to move firms but doesn’t have a big enough book of business. A recruiter may not be able to place that lawyer. But a coach can help the partner build a stronger practice and become more marketable.
💡 A corporate associate is unhappy doing M&A and isn’t sure she wants to continue practicing corporate law, or practice law at all. She needs career clarity that a recruiter generally can’t provide.
💡 A litigator wants to go in-house, but the recruiter’s clients want transactional experience. A career coach can help that lawyer develop a strategy and build relationships that may lead to the right opportunity.
In each case, the recruiter can still help by pointing someone they can’t place toward another resource.
That’s why the strongest referral relationships aren’t always reciprocal. They’re complementary.
The same principle applies in many professions. An accountant may regularly encounter clients who need an estate planning or real estate lawyer. The lawyer may have fewer opportunities to send clients back. That doesn’t make the relationship less valuable.
And the reverse matters too. Build relationships with professionals who can solve problems your clients encounter, even if they’re unlikely to refer business to you. Being a good resource has value of its own.
So don’t just ask: Who can send me business? Ask: Who encounters the kinds of problems I solve? And who solves problems my clients are likely to encounter?
Who are your best referral sources? Are those relationships reciprocal, or complementary?