How to balance law firm committee work with business development for maximum career impact
As a lawyer, actively participating in your law firm’s committees is critical for career advancement—but here’s the challenge many attorneys, especially women, face: how do you balance service to the firm with focusing on your own business development and rainmaking goals?
The answer lies in being strategic about your firm citizenship commitments. Quality trumps quantity every time.
The Volunteer Trap That Derails Lawyer Career Growth
A common challenge for women attorneys is what I call the “volunteer trap.” Because women lawyers are typically enthusiastic helpers and highly competent, they become the go-to choice for law firm leaders looking for volunteers to handle everything from planning office parties to mentoring junior attorneys.
I’ve seen this scenario countless times during my years coaching attorneys. One of my clients, a mid-level partner at an AmLaw 100 firm, was on five different committees, including the summer associate committee, the women’s initiative, and the wellness committee. Yet when partnership compensation decisions came around, she was told she needed to “focus more on business development.”
The irony? She had little time for business development activities precisely because of her extensive committee obligations.
Be careful not to commit to too many things! Women tend to say yes more frequently than men because women have been taught that it’s crucial to be helpful and well-liked. But when it comes to lawyer career advancement, being loyal and well-liked isn’t enough—you need to be seen as someone who drives business and contributes to the firm’s bottom line.
Strategic Law Firm Committee Selection: A Framework for Success
Remember that devoting significant time to business development and less time to lower-level committees and “feel-good” initiatives is essential to your career development as a rainmaker and leader.
Here’s how to be strategic about your firm citizenship commitments:
1. Evaluate Committees by Their Strategic Value for Career Advancement
Not all law firm committees are created equal when it comes to visibility, influence, and career advancement. Before agreeing to join a committee, ask yourself:
- Will this committee give me exposure to key decision-makers?
- Does this work align with my long-term career goals?
- Will my contributions on this committee be recognized during compensation and promotion discussions?
- Does this committee have real influence on firm operations or strategy?
High-value committees for lawyer career advancement typically include:
- Compensation committee
- Executive or management committee
- Partner selection/promotion committee
- Business development committee
- Strategic planning committee
- Lateral hiring committee
Lower-value committees often include:
- Event planning committees
- Office utilization and decoration committees
- Holiday party planning
- Strictly administrative committees
This doesn’t mean these lower-value committees aren’t important to firm culture—they absolutely are! They also provide significant opportunities for junior attorneys to develop leadership experience. As you get more senior, though, lower-impact initiatives shouldn’t be your primary firm citizenship activities.
2. Seek Impactful Roles and Work with Decision Makers
Women lawyers are frequently tapped for committees but are often not selected for committees with the most power and influence. Volunteer and be a good firm citizen AND, as you become more senior, look for and seize opportunities to become involved in committees and initiatives at your firm that are higher-profile, higher-stakes and/or enable you to roll up your sleeves and work with decision makers.
Examples may include the lateral hiring committee, business development committee, cross-selling & collaboration committee and, ultimately, compensation and executive committees.
A client of mine was initially hesitant to volunteer for her firm’s compensation committee because of the time commitment and her belief that she wasn’t senior enough to participate in discussions about others’ compensation. However, after recognizing the strategic value of understanding the firm’s compensation decisions, and being part of those conversations, she made it a priority. Not only did this role give her insight into how the firm valued different contributions, but it also significantly raised her profile with the firm’s senior leadership, leading to substantive business development opportunities.
3. Learn to Say No Gracefully to Non-Strategic Opportunities
When asked to join a committee that doesn’t align with your strategic goals, try these approaches:
- Suggest an alternative: “The summer associate committee isn’t a good fit for me, but I’d be interested in joining the client development committee.”
- Offer a limited role: “I can’t chair the event, but I’d be happy to help guide panel selection.”
- Propose a junior colleague: “Sarah has expressed interest in this area. This would be a great development opportunity for her, and I’d be happy to mentor her through it if she’s interested.”
- Be direct but appreciative: “I’m honored to be asked, but I need to focus on growing my practice this year. Please keep me in mind for future opportunities with this committee.”
The key is to be respectful and express gratitude for the opportunity while remaining firm in your boundaries. Remember: saying “no” to opportunities that are not a good strategic fit opens up time for you to focus on the ones that are.
Why This Issue Can Be Even More Challenging for Women Lawyers
Research consistently shows that women in professional settings face what’s often called the “office housework” dilemma. They’re more frequently asked to take on non-promotable tasks and are judged more harshly if they decline. Although the unequal distribution of responsibility may be largely unintentional, the impact is undeniable.
A study in the Harvard Business Review found that women were 48% more likely than men to volunteer for non-promotable tasks and 44% more likely to be asked to perform them. Even more concerning, when women declined these tasks, they received more negative performance evaluations than men who refused the same work.
This makes strategic committee selection all the more crucial for women attorneys. By being deliberate about where you contribute your time, you can ensure that your firm citizenship activities enhance rather than detract from your career trajectory.
Finding the Right Balance: A Strategic Framework for Law Firm Success
So how do you balance being a good firm citizen with focusing on your own practice development and growth as a leader? Here’s a strategic framework:
1. Limit Your Committee Commitments
As a general rule, limit yourself to a maximum of 2-3 committees at any given time, with at least one being a high-visibility, strategic committee. This allows you to make meaningful contributions without spreading yourself too thin.
2. Set a “Committee Time Budget”
Determine how many hours per month you can realistically devote to committee work while still meeting your client obligations and business development goals. Once you’ve reached that limit, any new commitments require dropping an existing one.
3. Regularly Reassess Your Commitments
Schedule an annual review of your committee work. Ask yourself:
- Is this committee still aligned with my goals?
- Am I making meaningful contributions?
- Is this work raising my profile with key decision-makers?
- Could my time be better spent elsewhere?
Be willing to rotate off committees that are no longer serving your professional development.
4. Make Your Contributions Visible
When you do committee work, make sure your contributions are visible to firm leadership. This doesn’t mean boasting, but rather:
- Providing concise updates at practice group meetings
- Contributing to the firm newsletter about committee initiatives
- Sharing measurable outcomes of your committee work during performance reviews
- Connecting committee achievements to firm strategic goals
5. Track Your Committee Time
Just as you track billable hours, keep records of your committee time. This data is valuable during compensation discussions and helps you maintain your boundaries.
One partner I worked with was surprised to discover she was spending more than 200 hours annually on committee work—equivalent to a significant client relationship. This realization helped her make more strategic choices about where to invest her non-billable time.
The Bottom Line: Strategic Firm Citizenship for Rainmaker Success
Being a good firm citizen is important, but how you contribute matters as much as whether you contribute. By choosing high-impact committees, setting clear boundaries, and ensuring your work is aligned with your career goals, you can build a reputation as a valuable firm contributor while still advancing your own practice and growth as a leader.
Remember that your primary value to your firm is as a practicing lawyer and business generator. Committee work should enhance, not hinder, that core contribution.
Choose wisely. And get more comfortable saying NO.
Want to learn more about strategic career advancement? The Ignite Women’s Business Development Accelerator provides tools, coaching, and community to help women lawyers make strategic decisions about how to invest their time for maximum career impact. Learn more about our next cohort.