Ask John Crabtree

In order to get into partnership in a law firm what is more important - 'sales' or technical skills?

09/07/2010

If you looked at ‘the notepaper’ of every partnership trying to figure out the skills required by that firm, you would find a Z shape every 8-10 years (since 1945, the typical economic cycle).

During times of feast firms appoint technicians; during famine they desperately search for rainmakers. In fact, the Z is more of a S because the extremes tail off either when boom times begin to slow down or when partners can see a recessionary period turning up.

The advice I always gave, was that you would never be a partner at a major law firm unless you had the required technical skills so I used to encourage young lawyers to concentrate on that first – the sales, marketing and client care can follow.

Even today, technical skills are essential but inevitably you also have to focus on marketing and client care skills as well--you're going to need them anyhow, wherever you go .A good commercial lawyer in any field has to be an all round business man or woman.