On Personal Branding & Business Development For Young Lawyers

Yesterday, I was in Penang to speak at the National Young Lawyers & Pupils Committee (NYLPC) Conference 2023 on the topic of personal branding & business development.

I don't think this topic was even contemplated in past forums. But amidst a dicey economic climate, increasing competition & post-pandemic epiphanies, it has become very much in-demand currently among younger members of the Bar.

As predicted, it was very well-attended. But I thought we could have discussed much more if not for time constraints. So, this is my attempt at summarising the points made yesterday, plus a few more which I didn’t had the opportunity to convey:

1. Dedicate time in your early years of practice to craft your personal brand. In the words of Jeff Bezos: “Your brand is what people say about you when you are not in the room”. It should be your unique value proposition amidst the sea of 20,000 odd lawyers qualified in Malaysia.?

3 questions to help you define your brand:?

(a) What are the key practice areas you want to be known for in the next 5-10 years? It ought to be something you genuinely enjoy doing. If possible, scout for blue oceans or emerging trends where competition is small.?

(b) What will you be doing in the next 5-10 years to build experience in these practice areas, in order to build credibility? You need to put in the hours – there’s simply no two ways about it. Find a mentor in the same field to show you the ropes. You want to be able to leave an impression to your client that you are someone who has done it from A to Z, multiple times.?

(c) Outside your technical expertise, what additional values & traits which you want to public to identify you with, which could establish likeability? People nowadays look for more than a mere technical expert in the trade. They want someone empathetic, responsive & who aligns with their personal values. Do you have an interest in the environment, animal rights or help out pro bono in noble causes? Share that on your media platforms. You’ll be surprised at how many people will resonate with you & remember you when they need legal help.?

2. Now that you have moulded your personal brand, how do you market it? Namely: What is your business development plan? There are really 3 options out there:?

(a) Write. Write articles on your areas of practice in LinkedIn, your blog, your firm’s website, etc. Hop onto current trends which can drive readership – for example, if you’re an employment lawyer, comment on how Malaysian law will treat the bigtech layoffs we read lately on the news which has drawn sharp criticism.?

(b) Speak. Speak at conferences, volunteer a panellist slot in industry events, create videos on TikTok, etc. Again, be timely about current trends.?

(c) Network. Attend events, mix with the right circle, etc. There’s plenty of books written on how to network – I’m far from an expert, and am not going to deep dive here.

I am not saying you should do all. But pick one or two which you are absolutely comfortable with & are able to do consistently. Some people are shy to speak in front of an audience, but are absolutely gifted with writing – leverage on that. Some people hate staring at the screen writing, and would rather socialise with drinks – do that. The results will come.?

3. Whilst it is important to be entrepreneurial, don’t be anxious & let it overwhelm you at the early phases of your career. I know it is easy to feel fearful of the future - I have been there, and am still nervous today thinking about whether I am able to close enough deals. Everyone moves at their own pace. If you’re a 1st to 3rd year, you probably shouldn’t obsess about branding or business development yet – you should dedicate 90% of your time to actually do the lawyering i.e. being technically good in your practice areas. Many people forget that a being technically good in the law is the foundation to build a sustainable practice – no sleek YouTube video is going to help you the moment your client discovers you aren’t actually up to the job.?

4. Be authentic. Don’t fake interest, experience & personality. You don’t have to copy someone you admire to be good in branding & business development. We come from many backgrounds: biglaw-small firm, privileged-not so privileged, left brain-right brain, the list goes on. Find your own path. Impress people with your own unique ways. There is no one exclusive path to success in legal practice.?

(Note: Of course, business development encompasses much more than what I wrote above, particularly from the perspective of scaling a law firm to the next level i.e. whether to open new departments, hosting talks to clients, publishing newsletters, running Google Ads, etc. But I am writing this to assist a young lawyer, who would typically still be employed or has just started his/her own small firm. I hope this helps, in some way or another)