Navigation Be A Referring Lawyer
Jim Vickaryous
An old friend invited me to dinner. We originally met on opposite sides of a case and found common cause as lawyers as it worked its way through the court. We had not seen each other for a long while. At dinner, I asked him how his practice was going. He told me very well. He remembered the day years before that he opened his own firm. He shared that he appreciated my words of encouragement to him. But he was most grateful for the case that I referred to him the day he opened his practice. He let me know that it was a complicated case, but the client was worth taking, and that he just recently, many years later, finished the case. He told me that the purpose of our dinner was to let me know how much it meant to him that I had thought to send him work the very day that he had opened his law firm. I told him that I didn’t think much of it at the time. A person called me for help, I could not help them, and I knew he would do a fine job. I also knew that I had no experience in that area of law and would not give the representation that this prospective client needed. I just wanted the person to get to a lawyer that knew how to help him and would fight hard. I told him that his client had a great choice and hired the best lawyer.
The role of a referring lawyer holds immense significance. The ability to connect clients with qualified professionals, acknowledge one’s limitations, and foster a network of trust and collaboration is an art that not only enhances individual legal practices, but contributes to the strength and integrity of the legal community as a whole. Let us review the various facets of being a referring lawyer, exploring the ethical considerations, the importance of specialization, the dynamics of fee arrangements, and the indispensable role of face-to-face relationships in building a successful legal network.
