It’s tough to refer cases to lawyers when you don’t know what kind of law they practice.

You see, some lawyers haven’t decided what they do for a living.

Yes, they practice law. But what kind of law? What kind of people do they help? What kind of cases do they handle? What are they good at and passionate about?

The Renaissance Lawyer

One lawyer in particular comes to mind.

He’s a great guy with a personality made for networking. Everybody likes him. He has excellent social skills and can carry on a conversation with anyone about anything.

He tells great stories about the work he’s doing, and the passion comes bubbling through. He’s filled with energy, and his commitment to his clients is so strong it’s almost like something you can touch.

I’ve talked to him several times over the past few weeks, and he keeps telling me fascinating tales about the cases he’s handling.

I find myself riveted when he’s talking about his clients. If I were the judge, I’d rule in his favor. He finds a way to talk about his work that pulls at your heartstrings.

Unfortunately, each story is very different from the last.

One story involves representing a business. One story involves representing an individual. One story involves one area of the law, and the next involves another.

I leave the conversation feeling the passion he brings to his work, but I have no idea who I might refer to him. He’s a moving target. He’s the legal renaissance man.

Jack of All Trades, Master of None?

I’ve asked him what kind of work we should send him, and he struggles to answer the question. He’s interested in everything, and he’s always looking for the next challenge.

Unfortunately, when someone comes to me seeking a referral in his neck of the woods, his name doesn’t pop up in my mind. When someone asks me for an employment law attorney in his area, he’s not the guy I think of. The same is true when someone asks me for a family law attorney or a business law attorney in his part of the state. That’s unfortunate, because I’m sure he’s a great lawyer.

No one ever asks me for a renaissance man attorney. That’s not something someone seeking a referral thinks to ask. Until he can communicate what he does and who he does it for, it’s going to be hard for people like me to send him the business he’d like us to send.