These days it's not enough to be an excellent lawyer. Prospective clients have to know about you to find you. The media can get your name out more widely than you can yourself -- and do it with the added credibility of a news story.

Old dogs CAN learn new tricks: Become a good source.

• A good source is a lawyer who calls the reporter back within the hour.
• A good source is a lawyer who always has a quick and catchy quote he can use.
• A good source is a lawyer who, if he doesn't have the answer, will do some checking and at least get back to the reporter with something.
• A good source is a lawyer who calls from time to time with little tips and an occasional story idea.

Go Fetch: easy ways to retrieve a call from a reporter.

• Get active on a bar association committee and get listed in their directory as a member. These are the references that reporters use to find an expert in a specific area.
• Speak at educational programs and seminars, and make sure the reporters you want to reach are invited.
• Get active in civic affairs and business events that you read about in the paper. Reporters often cover these events and it's easy to walk up to a reporter after the event and introduce yourself.