{"id":155706,"date":"2026-07-01T13:33:33","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T21:33:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2026\/07\/01\/relationships-over-sales-how-real-connections-build-a-legal-practice\/"},"modified":"2026-07-01T13:33:33","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T21:33:33","slug":"relationships-over-sales-how-real-connections-build-a-legal-practice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2026\/07\/01\/relationships-over-sales-how-real-connections-build-a-legal-practice\/","title":{"rendered":"Relationships Over Sales: How Real Connections Build A Legal Practice"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In a recent conversation with Jason Stiehl, a partner at Crowell & Moring focused on class action defense, we explored what it actually takes to move from overworked service partner to trusted rainmaker, without it ever feeling like selling.<\/p>\n

What Jason shared wasn\u2019t a polished success story. It was an honest account of a strategy that evolved through trial, error, and a major career misstep, one that ultimately reshaped how he thinks about building a practice.<\/p>\n

From Hunting Targets to Building a Holistic Practice<\/strong><\/p>\n

When Jason first arrived at a firm that supported his business development, he didn\u2019t walk in with a rigid plan. He had a general direction: focus on food and beverage work in the class action space, an area where he genuinely enjoyed both the clients and the law itself.<\/p>\n

From there, he leaned into conferences, getting to know in-house counsel and even his competitors, studying how they had grown their own practices. The shift, he explained, was moving away from a mindset of identifying a target and going out to \u201chunt for it and kill it.\u201d That approach was failing. What worked instead was a more holistic, relationship-driven way of operating.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Why Podcasts Are an Underused Goldmine for Lawyers<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jason sees podcasts the way he sees speaking engagements: a chance to reach new audiences instead of repeating the same conference circuit year after year.<\/p>\n

His point was direct: if your audience stays the same, your practice never grows. Podcasts widen the pool in two important ways. In-house counsel listen to get a sense of the personalities behind the lawyers they\u2019re considering working with, and colleagues, even competitors, listen too. As Jason put it, colleagues often refer more business than anyone else, which makes visibility among peers just as valuable as visibility among prospects.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

The Firm Move That Taught Him the Most<\/strong><\/p>\n

Not every part of building a career goes smoothly, and Jason was candid about one decision he got wrong. Leaving a previous firm, he said, was a mistake made for the wrong reasons: chasing growth he hadn\u2019t properly researched and money that ultimately didn\u2019t matter as much as he thought.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

What Real Business Development Actually Looks Like<\/strong><\/p>\n

Across all three stories, a consistent theme emerges: business development that lasts isn\u2019t built on aggressive targeting or one-off networking sprints. It\u2019s built on genuine relationships, honest self-assessment, and a willingness to learn from missteps rather than hide them.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to go to different markets,\u201d Jason says. \u201cYou have to go to different people. You have to realize that
if the audience you\u2019re reaching is the same all the time, you\u2019re never going to grow.\u201d <\/p>\n

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Steve Fretzin is a five-time bestselling author, host of the\u00a0BE THAT LAWYER\u00a0and\u00a0Future Rainmakers\u00a0podcasts, and a business development coach who works exclusively with attorneys. For more than 18 years, he has helped lawyers build strong books of business without selling, pitching, or chasing, using his proven Sales-Free Selling\u2122 approach. His clients consistently become top rainmakers and credit his coaching and systems for driving meaningful, measurable growth. Steve can be reached directly at\u00a0steve@fretzin.com<\/a>, or through his website at\u00a0www.bethatlawyer.com<\/a>. Connect with him on LinkedIn at\u00a0https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/stevefretzin<\/a>. His ALL NEW\u00a0BE THAT LAWYER Community\u00a0is changing how lawyers develop the skills never taught in law school. Learn more at\u00a0www.bethatlawyer.com\/community<\/a><\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The post Relationships Over Sales: How Real Connections Build A Legal Practice<\/a> appeared first on Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In a recent conversation with Jason Stiehl, a partner at Crowell & Moring focused on class action defense, we explored what it actually takes to move from overworked service partner to trusted rainmaker, without it ever feeling like selling.<\/p>\n

What Jason shared wasn\u2019t a polished success story. It was an honest account of a strategy that evolved through trial, error, and a major career misstep, one that ultimately reshaped how he thinks about building a practice.<\/p>\n

From Hunting Targets to Building a Holistic Practice<\/strong><\/p>\n

When Jason first arrived at a firm that supported his business development, he didn\u2019t walk in with a rigid plan. He had a general direction: focus on food and beverage work in the class action space, an area where he genuinely enjoyed both the clients and the law itself.<\/p>\n

From there, he leaned into conferences, getting to know in-house counsel and even his competitors, studying how they had grown their own practices. The shift, he explained, was moving away from a mindset of identifying a target and going out to \u201chunt for it and kill it.\u201d That approach was failing. What worked instead was a more holistic, relationship-driven way of operating.<\/p>\n