Administrative support personnel can contribute a great deal to the success of their assigned attorneys. However, they are often underutilized.

Not only can administrative support help keep an attorney organized, but knowing the attorney, their work habits and their clients makes them uniquely qualified to support the attorney in their business development initiatives.

The following is a list of specific tasks that support professionals can do for an attorney to help them in their business development program. Review this list with administrative support staff or use it as the curriculum outline for an administrative support personnel business development training program.

Contact Management Support

• Maintain the quality of contact records. Review contacts quarterly to ensure complete and accurate contact information.
• Record new contact information and collect all relevant information
• Schedule calls each week to existing clients and prospects
• Prepare or request information in advance for each client/prospect call
• Collect and document conversations of each call in the call log of the firm’s CRM
• Document communication preferences for each client/prospect (newsletters, blogs, etc.)
• Monitor RFP responses, deadlines, contacts and follow up

Professional Associations and Industry Groups Support

• Maintain attorney's membership information records, passwords, payments, etc.
• Monitor events and speaking opportunities and notify attorney of opportunities
• Maintain list of important contacts at Associations (media, events, exec director, membership, board members, etc.)
• Collect contact information of key members when available
• Monitor committee communications and open seat opportunities

Social Media and Networking Support

• Add new LinkedIn contacts to outlook address book
• Monitor discussions in groups for relevant topics for attorney to comment on
• Publish articles on profile and on group pages
• Update profile with significant cases, new clients, etc.
• Monitor new groups in practice area and industries
• Ensure attorney is connected on LinkedIn to client contacts and other firm attorneys

Client Meeting Preparation Support

• Request company profile for attorney to review prior to meeting
• Search internet for recent news on company
• Search contact management system (CRM) for related contacts and who knows whom in the firm. Give list to attorney for their review
• Solicit information from other attorneys for details on recent meetings with client

Marketing Plan Support

• Monitor plan activities for progress or completion
• Give attorney reminders of activities and deliverables due in advance of due date
• Compile periodic progress updates for circulation to practice group and/or firm leadership
• Conduct research as requested into organizations, client companies, professional associations, etc.
• Collect names and contact information for reporters and editors covering legal and other targeted industries
• Monitor LinkedIn groups and other social media for topics/conversations of interest to attorney
• Conduct search of professional associations and contacts for industry and other memberships/publishing opportunities
• Manage circulation of attorney’s articles and blog posts (JD Supra, LinkedIn, Firm Newsletter, etc.) and track coverage/exposure

Speaking Engagements Support

• Prepare PowerPoint slide template using firm's branded slide deck template
• Collect information from marketing department for standardized portions of the presentation (practice areas, client lists, biographies, awards and recognition, etc.)
• Load PowerPoint onto separate thumb drive as back up version of presentation
• Confirm available equipment and seating arrangements at venue and emergency and technical contact information
• Request list of confirmed attendees and give to attorney in advance of event
• Research in CRM which attendees know other professionals at the firm and provide that to attorney

Conference and Seminar Support

• Confirm flight and hotel arrangements, reserve car, identify parking options, etc.
• Request membership list of confirmed attendees from event organizers and provide to attorney several weeks before event date
• Run attendees list against firm CRM to identify firm clients or prospects planning to attend the event. Give list of matches to attorney along with the relationship attorney in the firm
• Research firm clients resident in the area of the conference and provide list to attorney with contact information
• Research restaurants and client entertainment options close to the event location
• Identify prospective client company contacts resident in the area and give to attorney
• Enter collected business cards and contacts, speaker bios, etc. into firm’s CRM
• Propose a follow up contact schedule for attorney to reach out to event participants

Administrative assistants play an important role in both your practice and your success as a lawyer. Lawyers who partner with their administrative assistant are not only more successful, but more organized, effective and often build deeper loyalty with their AA.

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