To be a successful partner, who you know is as important as what you know - so a bulging contacts book is vital.

Anne Mizzi looks at the skills an aspiring networker needs

At a recent career development course for trainees, a Herbert Smith trainee stated that one of his objectives was to 'network'.

Of course, nobody raised an eyebrow.

In the cut-and-thrust market for legal services it is never too early to start schmoozing.

'Networking' has become a buzz-word for lawyers keen to raise their heads above the parapet.

Most law firms demand high standards of academic achievement, and expect all their lawyers to have professional skills and knowledge as a basic ingredient.

But in a competitive market there is increasing pressure on lawyers to distinguish themselves from the fray by developing a reputation that will encourage clients to come to them before even thinking of going to one of their competitors.

Ronnie Fox, managing partner of City-based practice Fox Williams, says networking is 'extremely important'.

He adds: 'What has happened is that it's no longer enough to be a great lawyer.

You have got to spread the message through networking and getting to know people.'

US firms spotted the potential and targeted City-based rainmakers to spearhead their London ventures.

US firms Weil Gotshal & Manges and Shearman & Sterling pioneered the move and harnessed the networking prowess of well-known City rainmakers Maurice Allen and Stephen Mostyn-Williams for their London launches in the late 1990s.

They have since moved on, but the London offices remain.

Such lawyers become 'front-men' for their business - and what they have in common is consummate networking skills.

'Visibility is key,' says Lawrence Graham's private client head Andrew Young.

'You've got to be out and about.

You've got to attend the gala dinners and go to events.

You have to give of yourself after work and at weekends, putting in time to get to know people.

And you've got to do that for years.'

Simon Bushell, litigation partner at Herbert Smith, agrees that putting in the effort is crucial.

'The principal global networking event of the year is the annual International Bar Association conference.

I try to attend this whenever possible.

Continuity is the key.

You have to attend regularly.

When you go to these events you see the same faces, so there is a certain amount of familiarity, which helps.

'When it comes to making the most of these events it's important to find a platform such as a speaking engagement or chairing a seminar.

Getting to know the speakers and moderators on a panel and discussing the current issues of the day with them.

It's a good use of time and effort.'

This may not appeal to many lawyers.

They already work long hours.

After satisfying their demanding clients and achieving their billable hours targets, attending an event where there may be a 'networking opportunity' may not be high on the agenda if they want to maintain a life outside work.

However, lawyers are becoming increasingly aware of the need to add this weapon to their armoury in a competitive market.

They are thinking more seriously about networking not just to bring in new business, but also to tend to existing relationships and raise their personal professional reputation, and the firm's reputation, within the market.

Being known to one's fellow lawyers as well as potential and existing clients, has also traditionally had a strong impact on market perception - and has influenced promotion strategies.

The growing use of beauty parades has also had an effect.

'You've got to get on the beauty parades, and to get on them you have got to have a reputation, as in-house lawyers and finance directors invite people on the strength of their reputation,' Mr Fox explains.

Another important factor is the impact networking can have on a lawyer's personal career plan.

When coming up to partnership, a lawyer's book of business will be one of the things that sets him apart from his rivals.

And of course, a candidate with a healthy book of business will usually be a much more attractive option than a lawyer who trades on the firm's existing clientele.

'In the old days, you could get by if you were good in a particular area,' says Mr Fox.

'But if you are going to be a partner in a law firm today, you have to bring in business.

It doesn't matter what other skills you have.

'The rainmakers I know are effective networkers.

They will speak to people and say just enough to be remembered.

The skill is in working out when to move on and with whom to spend time.'

Not every lawyer is a natural networker.

But there is an expectation that solicitors will, in fact, solicit business.

Lawyers may not traditionally have been known for their people skills, but these soft skills are coming into the foreground as solicitors are heading bravely out to functions where they may meet people who might one day become their clients.

Books, lectures and seminars on networking are useful tools in arming the would-be legal networker with the skills and confidence to tackle such events.

Mr Young attended a networking course, which he describes as 'pretty brutal'.

Mr Fox argues: 'There are a few skills that you can teach but ultimately you've got to have the raw material.

What you find is that if someone is really shy or doesn't enjoy meeting people, they may work best in a closely defined comfort field, such as a trade association, and they tend to focus on that field.'

As the most unlikely candidates embark on a new-found life as social butterflies, even the most socially awkward may find themselves schmoozing with kindred spirits.

Mr Young says there are two approaches to networking.

The scattergun technique may involve identifying potential targets through a directory, or attending an event in which the lawyer-networker attempts to talk to as many people as possible.

The alternative is more focused relationship-building, and may involve improving on relationships identified during a scattergun phase.

The ultimate aim is to get your message across.

'You have to be good at what you do and you have to tell people about it.

What they want to know is really simple stuff: will you help quickly and take the burden off their shoulders and is the bill going to be reasonable? Every so often, they need rocket scientists or brain surgeons.

But if you are after advice, whom are you going to call first? You'll call the person you like,' says Mr Young.

He suggests that the key to building a book of business is aligning yourself with the clients' needs.

This involves talking to them and finding out their needs and letting them know what you can do - or, as Mr Young terms it, 'broadcasting and receiving'.

This is particularly important when networking abroad.

Mr Young suggests that one should 'stay at the right place, learn about the town, find an appropriate restaurant and find out about the culture, and learn a bit of the language (a few words will do)'.

But some tricks will work just as well in the UK as they do abroad.

For example, asking people to talk about themselves should serve well in endearing them to you, suggests Mr Young.

Mr Bushell, who does a significant amount of business development in Russia, says: 'Clients doing business in Russia want to see an international lawyer, most probably a City lawyer or a Wall Street lawyer, with a genuinely international profile.

But having said that, you cannot afford to ignore the cultural environment in which you are working, and you have to get the balance right.

Inevitably, that means the odd late night out debating the state of Russian politics.'

Mr Bushell also suggests that internal networking can result in cross-selling opportunities: 'When you are a partner,' he says, 'it's just as important to ensure that your fellow partners and colleagues know what you are doing.

The easiest piece of business development is to convince a corporate client to instruct your litigation department, rather than anyone else.'

A future of lawyers refusing to be pigeon-holed as finders, minders and grinders, may be on the horizon.

Grinders dissatisfied with their lot can now educate themselves to become proficient at networking, although they may never become the consummate networker that effortlessly wins the hearts and business of all they meet.

But networking is not just vital in winning business, it is also crucial in building and maintaining relationships.

So with the tools available to hone the skills, a new breed of lawyers may prove the time is right to launch a charm offensive on an unsuspecting market.

Anne Mizzi is a freelance journalist and trainee at City-based law firm Herbert Smith