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Law Firm Challenges Traditional
Role for New Hires by Following Corporate Model
For Immediate Release Contact: Bryan Weaver
Feb. 19, 2008
619-544-0086
bryan@construction-laws.com
SAN DIEGO, Calif., Feb. 19, Construction law firm Scholefield
Associates, P.C., is embarking on an expansion program
that includes hiring new associates with a unique requirement
- a sales background. Admittedly, the firm is borrowing
heavily from the corporate world where the role of technical
sales is fundamental to most successful business plans.
Specifically, Scholefield is molding their “sales
attorney” role to be very similar to that of the
typical sales engineer. Both positions require individuals
with specialized training to understand the clients’
needs.
Lead attorney Pam Scholefield can’t see any reason
why it isn’t a good plan. “I see no difference
in comparing our role as an attorney to that of an engineer
solving a problem.” She added, “The job
function is to offer a results-oriented service that
the client needs or wants. It doesn’t matter if
it’s legal advice or some sort of technical solution.”
This parallel comparison should come as no surprise,
since Scholefield herself was once a sales engineer
for the General Electric Co., eventually becoming an
Area Manager in Southern California. She even holds
a Professional Engineer’s (PE) license from Colorado.
“Today, my clients are builders, architects, engineers,
contractors, and equipment suppliers, these are the
same types of clients I had when I was a sales engineer,”
says Scholefield.
Typically, law firms would have a senior partner take
on the role of “rainmaker”, the person who
spends time bringing in new business, while the associates
and younger partners concentrate on the practice of
law. Some larger firms have legal marketing departments,
which usually do not employ practicing attorneys. It
is almost unheard of that a firm of any size would dedicate
a new attorney to the role of bringing in new business.
Most small firms feel they cannot justify allocating
manpower to non-billable tasks. Scholefield believes
otherwise.
“We are not your typical law firm,” notes
Scholefield, “so we’re not going to follow
archaic unwritten rules that say a young attorney’s
primary role can’t be a rainmaker.” Scholefield
says that they are actively seeking a new associate,
and the ideal job candidate would be someone with a
professional sales background who prefers establishing
a rapport with potential clients rather than doing heavy
legal research and writing. This does not mean that
they will forget everything learned in school as they
will still need to be up on the law. It also helps that
they have a good golf game, just ask any successful
sales professional.
About Scholefield Associates, P.C.
A construction law transactional and litigation firm,
that represents developers, contractors and material
suppliers in private and public works and handles contract
negotiations, contract disputes, delay claims, scope
of work, mechanics’ liens, and prevailing wage.
Founded in 1998, the firm's San Diego office has developed
a reputation as an extremely qualified, high performance
boutique law firm. More about the firm can be found
on its Web site: www.construction-laws.com
Contact: Bryan Weaver, Mgr. Public Relations, Scholefield
Associates, P.C. 619-544-0086 xt105 or bryan@construction-laws.com
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