Law Is a Practice. So Is Business Development.

How is the initiative structured?

Lauren: It centers on quarterly programs built around a specific theme, featuring a range of speakers throughout the year, including our attorneys (partners, counsel, and associates) and guest speakers. One program we’ve held annually showcases firm alumni who have stepped into in-house counsel roles and can bring a client-side perspective to the conversation.

DeAnna: Another program we’re proud of is the prompt-a-thon we held last year, where associates worked through approaches to weaving generative AI into their business development efforts. Between the quarterly programs Lauren mentioned, we also provide a constant stream of touchpoints — like weekly tips, newsletters, video and written interviews with seasoned business developers, and peer networking events.

Randi: The idea is to optimize associates’ ability to learn, retain, and use the information they receive, by delivering it in a way that aligns with how today’s young professionals consume it: in bite-size portions, at frequent intervals, through diverse media, and tailored to their needs, goals, and values. We’ve been so pleased with the success of the initiative so far.

What has been key to BD Lab’s success?

Randi: One of the biggest factors is its science-lab spirit, which of course is right there in the name. Business development training has historically focused on helping associates expand their knowledge — a classroom approach not unlike what you’d see in law school. But while knowledge is a crucial foundation here, it ultimately counts for little if you don’t know how to apply it, and that application piece is really where BD Lab excels.

DeAnna: Agreed. In a laboratory setting, people can more freely experiment with ideas and collaborate with colleagues; share experiences and review missteps; track progress, refine processes, seek innovative solutions, and more. We’re big believers in this learning-by-doing approach, because it helps associates put the principles of business development into practice.

Lauren: Another key factor is the work we’ve done to empower associates to take on roles that have conventionally been reserved for partners. For example, associates lead the planning and hosting of the client events we mentioned — originating the idea, pitching it, creating the invite lists, and executing the event. Associates also design and lead BD Lab panels, bringing greater visibility to the views of their peers.

Right — so that once commercial opportunities begin to present themselves, you’ll be ready and able to seize them.

Randi: Exactly. When I was a first-year associate, I remember a partner telling me: “My clients weren’t always managing directors.” His point was simple: Build a network that grows with you, by nurturing lasting, meaningful relationships with people whose career is at a stage similar to yours. These are people you meet, say, through client work, at industry gatherings, at in-person CLE events, or even in your personal lives.

Not all of these people will become the next generation’s general counsels or chief legal officers, but some will. And by forging these connections early, you’ll be in prime position to turn them into business down the road.

I was going to ask — how do you measure success?

Randi: Metrics matter. No one is required to participate in BD Lab. Yet attendance at our quarterly programs has steadily increased, now averaging more than 100 participants each, and engagement with the content we produce is robust as well. But as we see it, the feedback and support we receive across the firm is a far more meaningful measure.

Lauren: Associates routinely tell us about the value they find in BD Lab. How it has helped them unlock or master a skill, inspired them to challenge themselves, or compelled them to approach something from another angle, for example. Partners promote the initiative and are always happy to participate in any way we ask. When we started BD Lab, we wanted it to become part of our firm’s culture — and it has become exactly that.

You’re now introducing BD Lab to first-year associates as part of their welcome to the firm — a super early start.

DeAnna: We are. Just like law, you have to learn business development — skill by skill, experience by experience. Of course, no one expects junior associates to be bringing in clients. But from day one, it’s useful to begin seeing what strong business development looks like, and to understand how important it is on the path to partnership. This is a long game, and the earlier you begin playing, the better.

Sound advice. What’s next for BD Lab?

Lauren: Scaling what has worked while continuing to evolve. The responses to BD Lab have been extremely positive, so we’re not looking to reinvent the initiative for our new class of associates this fall. But with many associates having grown alongside the initiative over the past two-plus years — and with many more to do so in the years ahead — further refreshing and refining the content will be a priority.

DeAnna: Yes, business development looks different to a senior associate than it does to a mid-level, and different still to a junior. We want to ensure that BD Lab can always meet our lawyers wherever they are in their associate career, and suit whatever approach to business development they prefer.

Randi: This often means letting associates guide us in what they want to learn. There are many ways to become a strong business developer, but the most effective are always going to come from a place of authenticity. That’s what makes a business development practice productive, fulfilling, and sustainable — and is exactly what BD Lab aims to help associates achieve.