Going forward, there will be fewer jobs for mediocre practitioners and plenty of jobs for true experts.

Unfortunately, many practitioners assume they’ll be experts when they aren’t doing much of anything to gain expertise.

If you’re going to be the “go-to lawyer” in your market, you’ve got to really know your stuff.

Be realistic: getting yourself certified as a specialist or becoming a member of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers doesn’t make you an expert. It’s a start, but some so-so practitioners gain these credentials.

If you’re going to become an expert, you’re going to have to go above and beyond. You’re going to have to take the next step.

What’s the Best Way to Become an Expert?

The old-fashioned way—and it’s the best way—to gain expertise is to handle complicated cases and learn as you go. For instance, you’ll need to know as much or more as the experts you cross-examine, so you’re forced to learn the material as you prepare. Thankfully, you’re also being paid to learn as you do the work. For a very long time, on-the-job training was the way most practitioners learned. They apprenticed for an expert and were slowly introduced to more and more complex matters.

But what if you’re not handling complex cases yet? What if you want to jump-start the learning process? What if you want to get to the next level sooner rather than later? What if you’re impatient and want to leap ahead of the others?

What You Can Do If You Don’t Have the Time or Patience to Wait

Try these approaches. Yes, some of them are unusual, but they work.

1. Co-author a book. Contact a business valuation expert and make a deal to co-author a book. Writing a book forces you to learn the material. Working with an experienced expert will give you a sounding board and a source for answers to your questions. Not interested in business valuations? Focus on child sexual abuse, diagnosis of mental illness, child custody evaluation, or whatever else interests you.

2. Perform in public. You can’t win at this game if you’re not an excellent presenter. Put yourself in challenging performance situations. Sing at open mic night. Do amateur night at the local comedy club. Dance on the pole (just kidding). Find something involving some element of presentation and go do it. It’s only useful if it puts you way out of your comfort zone.

3. Attend conferences. Go to conferences offered to people outside of our profession. Attend a selling-your-business seminar aimed at business owners. Go to an estate planning program for the affluent. Take in a continuing education program for psychologists. Stretch your educational boundaries by seeking out events that lawyers normally don’t attend.

4. Read their books. Don’t read “Accounting for Lawyers.” Instead, read “Accounting for Accountants.” Turn to the books that the experts are studying.

5. Sponsor a local organization. Become a sponsor of a local association focused on the things you want to learn. Become a backer of the psychiatric section of your local medical society if you’d like to dig into its issues. Start attending the events and get to know the attendees. Sure, they’ll wonder what you’re doing at their event. Don’t worry about what they’re wondering. Just start listening and learning.

6. Be the guru’s best friend. Find a friend in the field you’ve determined matters to your practice. Aim high and look for someone who’s truly an expert. You’ll learn by osmosis when you’re around your new buddy. Let the relationship progress naturally and enjoy your time with your new friend. You’ll learn things, and you’ll have a good time doing it.

7. Write a blog. I can tell you from experience that writing a blog is a never-ending exercise in learning, thinking, and refining ideas. I get constant feedback from you, and learn as much as I teach. Pick your area of expertise and start writing. You’ll rise to the occasion as you feel the pressure to keep publishing. As a group, we lawyers hate to look stupid. Writing a blog will force you to get smart.

8. Get a mentor. Lawyers get a bad rap from the public. We aren’t always held in high regard. Fortunately, most lawyers contradict that reputation. They’re generous and giving. Sure, most lawyers are busy, but they’re largely willing to make time for others, especially those trying to follow in their footsteps. You won’t always get a welcoming reception when you ask for help, but you’ll be pleased with how often you’re invited to come by and talk further about an issue. Experienced lawyers are often willing to form mentoring relationships. This is especially true when the experienced lawyer practices alone or in a very small firm. The biggest obstacle to obtaining a mentor is the reluctance on the part of the lawyer seeking help to ask.

Our profession is under increasing pressure. The practitioners living on the edge, practicing at the periphery, are dropping like flies. They’re not making money, and they’re not getting clients. The real experts are going to survive as the economic pressure increases. It’s time to start learning. It’s time to take yourself to the next level.