How New Lawyers Get Clients in Their First Year

Getting your first clients is the hardest part of starting a law practice. You have no reviews, no case results, and no word of mouth yet. The good news: most new lawyers build a client base the same few ways, and many of them cost little or nothing.

This guide is for US lawyers starting a solo or small firm, with extra notes for personal injury. It covers what to do first, what to skip, and how to know what is working.

Start With the People Who Already Know You

Your first clients usually come from people who already trust you.

1. Tell everyone you know that you opened your practice and what kind of cases you take. Be specific: "I help people hurt in car accidents" works better than "I'm a lawyer now."
2. Reconnect with classmates and former coworkers. Other lawyers are one of the best sources of referrals.
3. Join your local bar association and go to events. Volunteer for committees in your practice area.
4. Sign up for your bar's lawyer referral service if it has one.

Build Referral Relationships With Other Lawyers

Many lawyers get cases they cannot or do not want to handle. Make it easy for them to send those cases to you.

• Meet lawyers in nearby practice areas. Family, criminal, workers comp, and estate lawyers often meet people with injury claims.
• Send a short thank you note when someone refers a case.
• Return the favor when you can.
• Check your state's rules on referral fees and gifts before you set anything up. See lawyer advertising rules.

Set Up the Free Online Basics

Even referred clients look you up before they call.

1. Google Business Profile. Create and verify it with a real office address. Fill in every field. See Google Business Profile SEO for lawyers.
2. A simple website. A few strong pages beat a fancy homepage. You need a homepage, an about page with your bio, one page for each main case type, and a contact page. See law firm website design.
3. Legal directories. Claim your free profiles on major legal directories. See legal directory optimization.
4. A LinkedIn profile that says clearly what you do and where.

Get Your First Reviews

Reviews build trust fast. Ask every satisfied client for an honest Google review when their matter ends. Make it easy with a direct link. Never pay for reviews or write fake ones. See law firm review strategy.

Answer Every Call, Fast

New lawyers often lose cases they could have signed simply by being slow. In Clio's 2024 secret shopper study, only about 40% of law firms answered the phone. Being the lawyer who picks up is a real advantage.

• Use an answering service or forward calls to your cell.
• Reply to emails and web forms within an hour during business hours.
• Have a simple intake script so you ask the right questions.

Write Helpful Content Over Time

Each month, write one or two pages answering questions your clients actually ask. For injury lawyers, that might be "What to do after a car accident in your city]" or "How long does a car accident claim take in [your state]." Over time, these pages bring people to you from search. See [content strategy for law firms.

Be Careful With Paid Ads at First

Paid ads can bring cases fast, but they can also burn money quickly, especially in personal injury where clicks are expensive.

• Start only when you can track which ads bring signed cases.
• Start small, in your own city, for your best case type.
• Send ads to a matching page, not your homepage.

See Google Ads for law firms and how to set a marketing budget.

Show Up in Your Community

• Speak at local groups, schools, or community centers about topics like safe driving or what to do after an accident.
• Sponsor a local team or event.
• Write for local news sites or neighborhood newsletters.

These build your name and can earn links that help your website rank. See local link building.

What to Skip in Year One

• Expensive TV or billboard campaigns. Better for established firms. See law firm advertising on TV and billboards vs SEO.
• Buying shared leads without a way to track results.
• Long contracts with any marketing vendor before you know what works.
• Trying every channel at once.

A Simple First 90 Days Plan

Track Where Every Client Comes From

Ask every new client, "How did you hear about us?" Write it down. After a few months, you will know which efforts bring real cases and which do not. See law firm marketing ROI.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do new lawyers get their first clients?

Most get them from people they already know, other lawyers, the local bar, and a simple online presence with a Google Business Profile and a few strong website pages.

How can a new lawyer get clients with no money?

Tell your network, join your local bar, build referral relationships, set up a free Google Business Profile and directory profiles, ask for reviews, and answer every call fast.

Should a new lawyer pay for ads?

Only once you can track which ads bring signed cases. Start small, local, and focused on your best case type.

How long does it take a new law firm to get clients?

Referrals can bring cases in the first weeks. SEO usually takes several months to bring steady leads. See law firm SEO timeline.

Want Help Building Your First Pages?

We can review your new site and show you which pages to build first. Request a free law firm SEO audit, or see small law firm marketing.

For books and podcasts that help new lawyers, see legal marketing books, podcasts and conferences.