Marketing for lawyers: it's all about data
Let’s talk about client development — and more specifically, let’s talk about data.
So many of the women lawyers I work with are doing incredible things to develop their client base: coffees, lunches, conferences, articles, podcasts — the list goes on. You’re making yourself visible, nurturing relationships, showing up consistently. And that’s all fantastic.
But here's the missing link:
👉 Are you tracking what you're doing?
👉 Do you know what's working?
Because without the data, it’s nearly impossible to say what’s moving the needle — and what’s just keeping you busy.
Why Tracking Matters
I hear this from so many women:
“It’s not becoming a partner that scares me. It’s what happens next — the pressure to bring in enough work to support myself and a team.”
I get it. You’re already stretched. And no one ever taught you how to market — because law school didn’t cover that. Your firm didn’t either. Yet now, you’re expected to become a rainmaker almost by osmosis.
Let’s stop hoping it will all just "click."
Instead, I want you to imagine this:
You're walking into your annual review. Or your partnership interview. And you say:
“Here’s what I’ve done this year to develop business. Here’s the data showing what’s been effective — and why I’m doubling down on these specific strategies.”
How could they not take you seriously? How could they not make you partner?
So, What Should You Track?
Here’s the data you need — and yes, it takes discipline. But you don’t need to do this forever. Just long enough to figure out what works.
1. Client Development Activities
Track every single thing you do:
Coffee with a potential client? Write it down.
Lunch with a referral lawyer? Note it.
Spoke on a panel? Wrote an article? Went to a conference? Log it.
Appeared on a podcast? Finished a chapter of your book? It counts.
This is your evidence — not only to show your firm what you’re doing, but to show yourself.
2. Effectiveness
Then ask: What’s actually turning into work?
Look at your recent clients. Where did they come from?
A conference?
A colleague in another office?
A referral from another lawyer?
A direct connection?
Track how long it took between the first interaction and the signed engagement letter. Then you can start to see which activities are high-return — and which ones are just noise.
Long-Term vs Short-Term Strategy
We talked about this at a recent Firm Women Breakfast: sometimes client development takes years. That junior in-house lawyer you had coffee with last year? One day, she’ll be General Counsel. This is the long game.
But data helps with the short game. You need to know:
What am I doing today that’s effective tomorrow?
One client of mine in Paris — let’s call her Sarah — realized most of her clients weren’t coming from external outreach. They were coming from other European offices of her firm. So rather than chasing brand-new clients (and fighting her own London office for the work), she doubled down on internal relationships.
She made time to meet people when they visited Paris. Reached out to suggest co-authoring articles. Asked what they were working on. She became the go-to person in her practice for cross-office work — and made Senior Counsel not long after.
The data told her where to focus. She acted on it.
Ask: Where Did You Hear About Me?
If you don’t know how your clients found you — ask them.
Most clients don’t come from cold LinkedIn posts or a Google search. They come through relationships. Referrals. Other lawyers. Past clients. Friends.
So if you’re a litigator, arbitrator, or specialist who doesn’t rely on recurring institutional clients — your real gold may be in your referral network. That’s where you need to invest.
Invite those lawyers for lunch. Refer work their way. Send them value without expecting anything in return. Because your network of lawyers is just as important as your network of clients.
Know Your Conversion Rates
This might surprise you: in online business, conversion rates are typically around 2%.
That means for every 100 people who see your work, only 2 might become clients.
Lawyers sometimes believe that if 10 people know about them, one will hire them. But the numbers don’t usually work like that.
However, if you’re speaking to qualified leads — people who already need your expertise — your conversion rate increases. It’s quality over quantity, but it’s still about volume.
So track how many people are in your orbit. And make sure you’re not expecting results from too small a pool.
Stay Top of Mind
Finally, and perhaps most importantly:
You need to be top of mind when the problem arises that you solve.
That’s where your consistent relationship-building matters.
Stay in touch.
Send relevant articles.
Offer a training session.
Pop up with value, not with a sales pitch.
Because when the moment comes, and they need help — you’ll be the first name they think of.
This Is What We Do in Pathway to Partnership
In Pathway to Partnership, we focus on three things:
1. Clarity
Why do you want to be a partner? What would that look like on your terms?
2. Confidence
Because law is tough, high-pressure, and unpredictable. Confidence is the tool that will carry you through.
3. Client Development
Exactly the kind of strategy and data-led thinking we’ve discussed today — so you’re not guessing. You’re building with purpose.
We’re currently building the waitlist for the next cohort. If that speaks to you, check out the Pathway page on my website, or reach out directly so we can have a chat about whether it’s right for you.
Warmly,
Cecilia Poullain