American Bar Association Commission on Billable Hours

Business Development Skills
For Lawyers


Business Development in Law Firms


Do you have the traits of a rainmaker? The ABA Career Resource Center has the tools to help you find out. Take advantage of our individual attorney Business Development Toolkit, or help arrange for your firm to host an hour-long workshop with us to help you and your coworkers with the concepts of business development.

  • Business Development Toolkit: Whether you’ve been practicing for 25 years or 25 weeks, this Toolkit can help you assess your affinity or aversion for business development, and where you need to go from here. Both Partners and Associates can take advantage of this Toolkit, which includes:

Business Development AP Test - Measure your motivation to follow through once you discover clients. Assess your aptitude for handling client rejection. Consider your reluctance to ask for business. The Business DevelopmentAP Test is one device salespeople use to assess their business development strengths and weaknesses. It has been endorsed by the National Association of Sales Professionals, and offers insight into your ability to be assertive, maintain self-confidence, remain patient, follow through, and close a deal.

Business Development Article - This article lays a foundation as to what business development entails. The article, authored by the Director of the ABA Career Resource Center, originally appeared in the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin in her “Career Question” column.

Business Development Worksheets - Focusing attorneys on their networking plans and abilities is a critical component of business development. These worksheets, adapted from the ABA Career Resource Center’s recent publication, Direct Examination… A Workbook for Lawyer Career Satisfaction, will help them define for themselves what comes next.

  • The Toolkit is available to individuals for $105
    The Business Development Toolkit is unavailable at this time. We hope to provide a new edition in the near future.


  • In-Firm Business Development Workshop: The Center also offers an hour-long Business Development program called “The Marketing Mindset,” which has been useful for both Partners and Associates. If you think your firm would be interested in the workshop presentation on business development by the ABA Career Resource Center, please email us at glowackp@staff.abanet.org or call 312.988.6215.