By Steve Fretzin & Jay Harrington
Four moves that protect your time, build leverage, and keep your career from being hijacked by the billable hour
If you do not make time for your own priorities, the job will make those decisions for you. That is not a mindset issue, it is the default setting of legal life. Client demands expand, deadlines multiply, and suddenly another year passes with little progress on the one thing that gives you real control, your own book of business.
That is why this conversation with Jay Harrington mattered. Jay is now a Partner at Latitude Legal, and he has spent decades in the legal industry as a practicing lawyer, entrepreneur, and business development advisor. We got into what holds lawyers back, what actually works, and how to stop treating business development like an optional hobby.
Business Development Is Relationship Building, Not Sales
One of the biggest reasons lawyers avoid business development is the belief that it requires pitching, chasing, and convincing. Jay and I agreed that this is backwards. Business development is consistent relationship building, built on clarity, generosity, and follow through. The myth of “natural rainmakers” keeps smart lawyers frozen. The truth is simpler, business development is learned, practiced, and improved the same way legal skills are.
Once you accept that it is a skill, the anxiety drops. You stop waiting to feel ready and start building reps.
Protect Time or the Billable Hour Will Take It
Client work has built in urgency. Business development does not. If you do not block time for it, the billable hour will swallow every open space on your calendar. Jay recommends starting small, even two short protected blocks per week can be enough to build momentum. The goal is consistency, not intensity.
If self discipline is a struggle, borrow it. Find an accountability partner, another lawyer who wants the same outcome, and schedule a weekly working session where you both do outreach, follow ups, and planning, then report back.
Build a VIP List and Work It With Intention
A lot of lawyers waste time because they do not know who to focus on. Jay’s fix is straightforward, build a VIP list of the 20 to 30 relationships that have the highest potential to influence future business. Those are the people you stay in touch with, schedule conversations with, and support over time.
This is where business development becomes manageable. You are not networking with everyone. You are building depth with the right people and adding a few new strategic relationships each month.
Help People Help You, Do Not Leave Referrals to Chance
Everyone says they want referrals, but most lawyers make it hard for people to refer them. When someone asks, “Who should I introduce you to,” vague answers kill momentum. Clarity matters, specific titles, industries, scenarios, and triggers make it easy for others to connect dots.
Just as important, avoid blind introductions. The strongest referrals happen when the connector confirms interest first and positions the introduction with trust and context. Otherwise, you end up chasing meetings that were never wanted in the first place.
Jay’s Big Mistake
Jay shared a moment early in his career when he landed a major pitch opportunity and walked in thinking coffee and bagels would carry the day. He did not understand the underlying history and friction between the client and firm, and he was not prepared to address it. The meeting went sideways.
The lesson is simple and painful, getting the meeting is not the win. Preparation and process are what close opportunities. If you want a book of business, treat every real pitch like it matters, because it does.
About Jay Harrington
Jay Harrington is a Partner at Latitude Legal and has spent more than 25 years in the legal industry as a practicing attorney and entrepreneur. He began his career in corporate restructuring with Skadden in Chicago and later practiced at Foley in Detroit. In 2009, he founded his own boutique law firm and spent the past decade advising lawyers and law firms on business development, marketing, and strategy. Jay is the author of three books for lawyers, The Productivity Pivot, The Essential Associate, and One of a Kind.
Connect with Jay Harrington
Website: https://latitudelegal.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayharrington/
For more information about taking your law practice to the next level, please email me directly at [email protected].
Steve Fretzin, an expert at legal business development, is the author of four books regarding the topic and is the host of the Be That Lawyer podcast. He has helped hundreds of attorneys across the world dramatically grow their book of business while living a well-balanced life. He can be reached at [email protected].