One of the biggest complaints that clients have about recruiters is that they don't understand THEIR business.  Many legal firms are cautious with dealing with independent recruiters because some recruiters have failed to understand the client's business and don't get involved in their world.  If you're a legal recruiter make sure that you are up-to-date with the latest happenings in the legal world, especially specific practice areas you service.  You may even want to subscribe to your clients' newsletters and publications if they have one, to stay up-to-date with what is happening at their firm.  Here are a few other tips on how recruiters can get involved with their clients' industry and become more of a partner:

1.    Subscribe to legal industry newsletters and publications.

2.    Actually read the newsletters and publications.  You don't need to read the publications from cover to cover but you should pick out some articles of interest and make a point of forwarding it to your client or mentioning the article in you next meeting.

3.    Attend legal industry specific events and share any information gained there with your clients.

4.    Research and thoroughly understand your clients' company, product and marketplace.  Make sure you convey your understanding of their business during meetings, phone calls and discussions.  

5.    Join a legal industry association and make sure that you're an active member. Remember, being involved doesn’t need to take up all of your time; you may want to volunteer for a few events and limit how many hours you dedicate to the association during the year.  

Once your client sees that you as a recruiter are involved and invested in THEIR business/industry, they will begin to view you as not just another vendor but a knowledgeable and valuable business partner.