From Law Student to Lawyer to Rainmaker: New West Book Offers Advice for Success in Law and Life

EAGAN, Minn., June 27, 2008 - Inspiration can come from many things: words heard or read, actions witnessed or the lives lived by close friends or even strangers. A new book from West suggests there are ways to inspire a successful legal career through both new and time-tested tactics.

In The Opportunity Maker: Strategies for Inspiring Your Legal Career Through Creative Networking and Business Development, attorney and business consultant Ari Kaplan provides genuine strategies and practical ideas for establishing meaningful professional relationships and successful self-promotion.

"We want to be inspired and we want someone to emulate, and those two elements are found by networking," Kaplan says. "It's about building a sphere of influence and that's really critical to those who are in law school and emerging in law firms."

Kaplan's advice is based on his interviews inside and outside of the legal community - with rainmakers, law students, business executives and public relations experts, among others.

In a new Westcast podcast, Kaplan says it's a myth that rainmakers are born, not made. "Most people think that there are a few naturally gifted rainmakers in each firm with some kind of a talent for generating business," Kaplan says. "But there is a science to it. The key is to focus on other people, on their accomplishments and on issues important to the community at large and ultimately to be an interesting person and remind others what you do and how well you do it."

Ari Kaplan operates Ari Kaplan Advisors in New York City and counsels professionals internationally on the art of getting published and dynamic networking. He teaches techniques for leveraging writing and embracing other activities as the foundation for business development. His in-house training programs, personal coaching and corporate writing projects communicate his methods.

He has practiced and taught law, published more than 150 articles and served as a legal commentator among his many pursuits. Kaplan also is a member of the Board of Editors for ALM Media's Marketing the Law Firm and LegalTech.

Note to editors: For a review copy of The Opportunity Maker: Strategies for Inspiring Your Legal Career Through Creative Networking and Business Development, contact Kevin Hunt in Corporate Communications at West, at 1-800-778-8090, ext. 87550.

Note to editors: To listen to the podcast featuring Ari Kaplan, go to the Westcast website at http://feeds.feedburner.com/Westcast or enter "Westcast" in the search box on iTunes.

Headquartered in Eagan, Minn., West is the foremost provider of integrated information solutions, software and services to the U.S. legal market. West is part of Thomson Reuters. For more information, please visit the West website at west.thomson.com.

Thomson Reuters is the world's leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals. We combine industry expertise with innovative technology to deliver critical information to leading decision makers in the financial, legal, tax and accounting, scientific, healthcare and media markets, powered by the world's most trusted news organization. With headquarters in New York and major operations in London and Eagan, Minnesota, Thomson Reuters employs more than 50,000 people in 93 countries. Thomson Reuters shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange, Toronto Stock Exchange, London Stock Exchange and Nasdaq. For more information, go to www.thomsonreuters.com.