Article summary: You don’t need to wait until you’re eligible for consultancy to start preparing for it. The lawyers who make the smoothest transition are well prepared with a few key skills, including building client relationships, developing a specialism, being comfortable with the business side of law, generating a professional network beyond their own firm, and developing the habits of working independently. You have plenty of time to prepare: the earlier you start, the easier it is.
If you’re a few years off consultancy but already know it’s the direction you want to head in, you’re making a great choice. Becoming a consultant lawyer offers many benefits, from working flexibility to the opportunity to earn more than you would in a traditional firm.
As a junior lawyer thinking about consultancy, you have time on your side. This article looks at a few key skills you could think about building now, well before you’re ready to make the move. So, you’ll be stepping into consultancy with ease rather than starting from scratch.
Consultancy requirements
Consultancy generally suits lawyers with some solid post-qualification experience and a track record of working independently. Different firms will work with lawyers from different levels of PQE. For example, at Setfords, we typically take on consultants with at least 5 years’ PQE. So, it’s more useful to think about consultancy in terms of readiness. Do you have real client relationships of your own, a clear sense of your specialism, and the confidence to operate more independently? If the answer is yes, and you meet your chosen firm’s other requirements, you could be consultancy-ready.
Building client relationships
One of the biggest advantages a consultant can have is clients who want to work with them specifically, not just whichever solicitor a firm happens to allocate. That kind of relationship isn’t something you can simply find right before you move. It’s built gradually through consistently good work and paying personal attention to the people you’re acting for.
In practical terms, that means:
- Taking ownership of client relationships wherever you can, rather than treating clients as belonging to the firm or a supervising partner.
- Following up, staying in touch, and being responsive, even on smaller matters.
- Thinking of every client interaction as a long-term relationship rather than a single transaction.
As a junior lawyer, focus on being conscious that the relationships you build now are an asset you’ll carry with you later. Try to nurture them as much as possible.
Develop a clear specialism and reputation
Generalists can absolutely become consultants, but having a clear, recognisable niche makes things much easier. It gives clients and referrers a reason to think of you specifically, rather than needing to explain what you do every time.
What to consider now:
- Whether there’s a particular area within your practice you’re drawn to and could deepen your experience in over the next few years.
- Taking opportunities to build visible expertise in that area, whether through the type of work you take on, training you do, or simply becoming the person colleagues turn to for that topic.
- Being patient. A deep specialism and reputation take years to build, but the earlier you get started, the sooner you’ll get there.
Get comfortable with the business side of law
As an employed solicitor, most of the commercial and business development activity is the responsibility of someone else in the firm. However, more of this rests on your shoulders as a consultant. This sounds like a big commitment, but you don’t need to learn it all at once.
Some areas worth paying attention to now include:
- Basic financial literacy: understanding how billing, fee structures, and profitability as a consultant work from a business perspective.
- How BD and marketing work in your firm, including lawyers who do it well that you could shadow and learn from.
- Client care and service standards: as a consultant, your reputation for service becomes even more directly tied to your income and future referrals
You don’t need hours of formal business training to prepare for this side of consultancy. Simply paying closer attention to the commercial side of things, and getting involved where you can, goes a long way at this stage.
Start building a network beyond your own firm
The most successful consultants thrive in part because they have an extensive network that extends beyond a single firm. The earlier you start building your own network, the more established it will be by the time you need it as a consultant.
What could this look like?
- Staying in touch with colleagues who move firms, rather than losing contact once they’re no longer down the corridor.
- Getting involved in relevant professional bodies, law society events, or specialist groups related to your area of practice whenever you can.
- Building relationships with peers in adjacent specialisms you might one day refer work to, or receive it from.
This is one of the easiest but most effective things to start early. It will soon become a habit that will help you for your entire career, whether you ultimately become a consultant or not.
Get used to visibility
You don’t need a huge public profile as a junior lawyer, but getting comfortable with professional visibility now makes it a lot less daunting later. Visibility can look like being known for your work, contributing to discussions in your field and being findable online in a professional capacity. Getting a head start on this, even in small ways such as regularly updating and using your LinkedIn profile, removes a lot of that discomfort later.
Build independent working habits
Finally, it’s worth starting to notice how comfortable you are with autonomy, and building that muscle wherever you can. Consultancy means less day-to-day structure and more responsibility for organising your own time, workload, and priorities. Taking on more ownership of how you manage your own work now, rather than relying entirely on the structure around you, is good practice for later.
In conclusion
If you’re a junior lawyer considering consultancy for later in your career, the things you do now will stand you in great stead for when you make the transition. However, it shouldn’t feel overwhelming. Instead, think about the deliberate steps you can focus on: taking ownership of client relationships, developing a clear specialism, paying attention to the commercial side of the business, building a network beyond your own firm, getting comfortable with visibility, and practising a bit more independence along the way. Lawyers who start building these things in their early careers are sure to find their first year of consultancy considerably smoother when the time comes.
