Building a Referral Target List That Actually Works

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Why does every lawyer need a referral target list?

Delisi Friday, a leading legal marketing consultant and founder of First Call Friday, explains why building a structured referral target list is one of the most critical—and often overlooked—steps for growing a law firm through referrals. She describes a referral target list as a curated list of attorneys and contacts you want to either refer cases to or receive referrals from.

She compares it to providing directions. If someone asks how to get from San Antonio to Houston, they need clear instructions and a map. Without them, they’ll likely get lost—and miss out on important stops along the way.

The same principle applies to referrals. Without a clear list and a plan, lawyers won’t know who to contact, and they won’t reach their desired goals.

What’s the danger of hoping for referrals without a strategy?

Delisi warns against passively waiting for referrals. Hoping for referrals without a plan is like wishing for a million dollars without doing anything to earn it. Without a strategy and a target list, lawyers are essentially gambling on chance rather than building a predictable system.

She explains why relying on ads or occasional networking won’t create the same consistency a strong referral network does. By identifying exactly who you want to build relationships with, you can be intentional and avoid the rollercoaster of unpredictable referrals.

How does the traffic light system help prioritize outreach?

Delisi shares a simple yet powerful framework for organizing a referral target list: the traffic light system.

• Green tier – These are your top-tier attorneys who already send you cases or receive cases from you. They are your “go” contacts—the relationships to maintain and nurture regularly.

• Yellow tier – These attorneys are in the middle ground. Maybe they’ve sent a case occasionally, or you’ve referred them a matter once or twice, but the relationship isn’t fully developed yet. This is your “slow down” category, where you need to build more trust and engagement.

• Red tier – These are attorneys you want to build a relationship with but don’t yet know well. If you called them, they won’t recognize your name. These are your “stop and introduce yourself” prospects.

Starting with your green tier creates quick wins and momentum. As Delisi explains, if you begin with the low-hanging fruit, you’ll stay motivated and see faster results before moving into deeper relationship-building with yellow and red tiers.

How do you maintain strong referral relationships across a firm?

Another key insight is the importance of having multiple contacts at a firm. Delisi has seen attorneys lose a major referral source when their single point of contact left the firm. To prevent this, she advises maintaining relationships with multiple people in the same office so your referrals don’t disappear when one person moves on.

Using a referral spreadsheet with notes helps track additional contacts within a firm and ensures you’re never dependent on just one relationship.

Why is it important to keep case acceptance criteria updated?

Delisi also stresses the importance of knowing what types of cases your referral partners currently accept. Over time, as a law firm grows or adjusts its focus, its case acceptance criteria may change. For example, an attorney might stop taking a certain case type or any case in a certain venue because they don’t want to travel as much.

If you keep sending them cases they no longer handle, it frustrates both your partner and the client you’re referring. By asking periodically, “has anything changed in the types of cases you’re accepting?” you keep your referrals relevant and valuable.

How can rejected cases turn into new referral opportunities?

Delisi teaches how rejected cases can actually be a goldmine for building your network. Every law firm receives calls for cases they can’t take, whether due to practice area, conflicts of interest, or case acceptance criteria. Instead of simply turning those callers away, she suggests referring them to another attorney who can help.

After making the referral, you can follow up with that attorney to see if the case turned into a client. If it did, you’ve built goodwill and likely established a reciprocal relationship. This simple practice transforms rejected cases into a steady source of future referrals. And if the lead was from a paid ad you’ve now taken an extra step in making that ad spend still work for you and your law firm.

What are low-cost and no-cost ways to stay top of mind?

Many lawyers hesitate to do outreach because they don’t want to seem salesy. Delisi reassures them staying connected doesn’t have to be awkward or expensive. For example, if you’re attending a bar association event or a legal conference, you can text or email your referral partners to see if they’ll be there.

This small gesture keeps the relationship active, helps maximize time at events, and often leads to opportunities for deeper conversations or even scheduling a dinner with multiple partners.

She also notes how personal touches outside of work, like sharing information about kids’ camps, local events, or community activities, can deepen connections on a personal level. These interactions build real relationships, not just transactions, making future referrals feel natural rather than forced.

Why do referrals still work in small towns and competitive markets?

Some lawyers believe referrals won’t work for them because they practice in a small town or in an overly competitive market. Delisi challenges this belief, explaining how no lawyer converts 100% of their leads. Conflicts of interest, rejected cases, and capacity limitations always create referral opportunities.

Even in competitive markets, attorneys would rather refer a conflicted case to someone they know and trust than risk sending a client to an unknown lawyer. By building those relationships ahead of time, you become the trusted go-to referral partner.

What’s the biggest takeaway about referral lists for lawyers?

Delisi closes by reminding lawyers a referral list isn’t just a collection of names. It’s a strategic tool for building consistency in your practice. By organizing your contacts into actionable tiers, keeping case criteria updated, and making intentional connections, you create a predictable referral engine which works in any market.

For those ready to start building their list, Delisi offers a free referral list template at FirstCallFriday.com to help lawyers take the first step toward a stronger, more reliable network.