Today's Law Marketing Resource

Kevin Houchin's "4 Questions: Finding Your Authentic Marketing Niche" at Lawyerist. What do you like to do and are really good at? For most of us, questions like this are not particularly easy to answer, but if you're embarking on a law practice, you can't ignore them. Read the post. Answer the questions. The bonus? You get advice like this:

Following the money first is the wrong move because if you don’t have a passion for the work and the people you will NEVER stick with the niche long enough for the investment of energy, time, and money to pay off.

Today's Law Marketing Resource

Vivia Chen's "Resume Tips for Oldies (That's You--Baby Boomers)" from her lawjobs.com blog The Careerist. Good solid advice for everyone, not just boomers, because the underlying message drives to the heart of client relationships and service: don't assume that the way you think things should be done is the best smartest most logical only way to do them. Most of the time the view from the other person's shoes is more relevant than your own. The message received is the message.

Today's law marketing resource was selected from the nominees to the 2010 ABA Journal Blawg 100. Go here to register and vote (and vote for 22 Tweets).

Today's Law Marketing Resource

Cordell Parvin's "How To Prepare A Business Plan That Will Make You More Successful" from The Practical Lawyer (pdf). It's a year old, but that doesn't take anything away from this article. It's full of practical advice, the kind that takes you from where you are to where you want to be. Whether you aren't sure you need a plan or you just don't know how to get started, this will point you the right direction and give you a little shove to get you on your way.

Today's law marketing resource

Michael Chang's essay on "Managing Change," from ACC Docket, in which Chang recounts what his life experience has taught him about being a better lawyer. 

Today's Law Marketing Resource

I've started posting a daily law marketing resource on the 22 Tweets Facebook page and will start posting those links to this blog going forward. To catch you up, here are the resources I've identified so far:

• "Building a Law Practice from the Ground Up. Now." from Elizabeth Munnell on her Posterous blog.
• "Marketing Law Firm Value: Alternative Fee Arrangements" from Shani Magosky in The National Law Review.
• "Recent ethics opinion: Lawyer websites" from Peter Geraghty in Your ABA (including the link to the opinion).
• "How Far Should You Go for a Client?" from Brian Tannebaum in GPSolo Magazine.
• "Tweet disposition - the tech-savvy lawyers making social media work for them" from Sofia Lind in Legal Week.
• "Your Call Is Important to Us" from Jordan Furlong on Slaw.
• "Don’t Nickel and Dime Your Clients. Just Don’t." from Susan Cartier Liebel on the Solo Practice University Blog.
• "Technology and Ethics: Online Marketing and Networking" from Aviva Cuyler in GPSolo Magazine.
• "11 More Thought Provoking Questions I Keep Pondering" from Cordell Parvin on his Law Consulting Blog.
• "Attorney Advertising (So how are YOU going about it?)" from Eric Turkewitz on his New York Personal Injury Law Blog.
• "Why Law Firm Marketing Plans Fail" from Allison Shields on Slaw.
• "Why Law Firms Should Wow Their Current Clients" from Carolyn Elefant on Nolo’s Legal Marketing Blawg.
• "Strategic Planning for Law Firms: Key Steps in the Process" from Colin Cameron on Cameron's Profits for Partners Blog.
• "Are Law Firms Really Ready for Project Management?" from Bill Henderson in Business Review USA.
• "PR Tip: Make Friends with Reporters and Editors" from Tom Kane on his Legal Marketing Blog.
• "Five ways to not screw up your next networking attempt" from Peter Shankman on his blog, P.S.
• "Budget Essentials for Law Firm Business Development" from Deborah C. Scaringi in Legal Marketing Reader.
• "The Art and Science of Lawyer Bios" from Bob Ambrogi in his LawSites blog.
• "7 Things that Blogging Does" from Mitch Joel on Six Pixels of Separation.
• "What Makes a Good Facebook Business Page? (Pt. 1 of 3)" from Adrian Lurssen on JD Scoop.
• "10 Items for Your Law Firm Marketing 'To-do' List" from Stacy West Clark on Law.com’s Small Firm Business.
• "Writing a winning proposal" from Dr. Tom Sant on Law Marketing Portal.

From Accredited Online Colleges: 100 Great Blog Posts for Lost Law School Grads

"100 Great Blog Posts for Lost Law School Grads" from Accredited Online Colleges. Not a lot to say about this post that the title doesn't already cover. 100 posts on passing the bar, finding your passion, unemployment, life after law school and a whole lot more. Some are better than others, but with a cool hundred to chose from, there's something for everyone.

From Law Marketing Blog: "Creative Destruction: How to Get that Great Next Job"

"Creative Destruction: How to Get that Great Next Job" from Law Marketing Blog. Every once in a while you come across a post that reaches out of your computer and smacks you right in the face. This is that post. Rethinking the value proposition, how you provide greater value to your clients and then articulate that value in terms that demonstrate precisely how you can help your client be more successful, sleep better at night, achieve her business objectives? Read this post, and follow Gordon Miller's advice. It's hard to imagine that it won't help you become more successful yourself (and get that great next job, if that's what you're after).

From The Lawyers Weekly: “Get on headhunters’ radar”

“Get on headhunters’ radar” from The Lawyers Weekly. In spite of its title, this post is useful for all lawyers, not just those seeking employment. In answering the “how-can-lawyers-get-noticed-by-headhunters?” question, it provides good, solid advice for lawyers seeking clients, too. You’ll have to read it yourself to find out what the 4 P’s are (hint: there’s no magic, just planning and hard work), but you’ll be glad you did. H/T to Eric Magraken (@erikmagraken) for the link.

From My Law License: "The Cause Of The Defenseless Or Oppressed - 15 Years Later"

"The Cause Of The Defenseless Or Oppressed - 15 Years Later" from My Law License. Brian Tannebaum's 15th-anniversary-as-a-lawyer post is full of his passion and satisfaction and pride as a lawyer. It's also full of valuable, first-hand advice that comes in the form of 60 lessons that Brian has learned in 15 years of criminal law, like:

[17] Some people don't matter. Never treat them like they don't matter.

[20] People hate lawyers, think they are greedy, and don't respect them. That will never change. Don't waste your time trying to convince society otherwise. Spend your time convincing your client through your work that they shouldn't hate lawyers, lawyers aren't greedy, and lawyers deserve respect.

[26] Take every opportunity you can to teach a young lawyer something, regardless of their response.

[35] The people you walk by and ignore, notice.

[50] Speaking and writing is a better advertisement than your angry photo next to the words "aggressive," and "Available 24/7."

But that's not the half of it. Read it and see for yourself.

From Women Legal: "Loud and Clear"

"Loud and Clear" from Women Legal. I'm struggling to articulate why you should read this blog. Not because I can't think of a good reason: it's one of the most comprehensive and practical career guidance posts I've read all year. Not because I can't say who should read it: with a tag line of "Advancing women in the legal profession" the audience is clearly defined (though I strongly recommend men read it because they too need to know this stuff, as much as and perhaps even more than women do). I guess it's because I can't decide if it is a manifesto, or a self-help piece, or lesson plan for an "owning your career" class. But ultimately, that's not important because it's one of those posts that grabs you by the shoulders, looks you straight in the eye and says

"Stepping up, making a difference and taking charge of your career are all things you have control over. Don’t wait for the dark clouds to pass or to be invited. Do it now."

Read it. You'll be glad you did.

Law Firm Evolution: Brave New World or Business as Usual?

I attended the Georgetown University Law Center Conference on “Law Firm Evolution: Brave New World or Business as Usual?” this week. It was tremendous. The presentations, the discussions, the ideas and the overall energy made this one of the best conferences I have ever attended in my career, and a powerful reminder of why I do what I do. Sound over the top? Read these articles, blog posts, papers, and other commentaries on the conference, and then tell me what you think.

Conference Papers and Related Documents

• “Abandoning Homogeneity in Legal Education,” Thomas D. Morgan
• “Business Models in Legal Practice: Toward Definition and Assessment,” Stephen Mayson
• “Chinese Law Firms After the Financial Crisis: The Case of Shanghai,” Sida Liu and Xueyao Li
• “Coase, Schumpeter, and the Future of the (Law) Firm,” David McGowan and Bernard A. Burk
• “The Consolidation of the Global Advertising Industry: Lessons for Law Firms?,” Andrew von Nordenflycht
• “The Death of BigLaw,” Larry Ribstein
• “Evolution and Revolution in the Governance of Law Firms,” Laura Empson
• “Hiring Teams from Rivals: Theory and Evidence on the Evolving Relationships in the Corporate Legal Market,” Michele DeStefano Beardslee, David Wilkins, John Coates and Ashish Nanda)
• “Law firm of the 21st century: The clients’ revolution,” Eversheds
• “Layoffs, Lawyers, and Learning,” Paul Oyer and Scott Schaefer)
• “Make or Buy Decisions: Theory and Evidence in Legal Services,” Mari Sako
• “The New Normal,” Paul Lippe
• “The Return of the Apprentice: New Lawyer Training Models for the 21st Century,” Jordan Furlong
• “Supply Chains and Porous Boundaries: The Disaggregation of Legal Services,” Milton C. Regan, Jr., in 78 Fordham L. Rev. 101 (2010) (forthcoming).
• “Third-Party Litigation Funding,” Anthony Sebok
• “Will There Be a Changing of the Guard? Law Firm Lessons from the Great Depression,” Peter Sherer

Session Recaps from Ron Friedmann at Prism Legal

• “Emerging Relationships Between Law Firms and Clients (Tweeted Conference Report)”
• “Creative Destruction and Innovation (session report, Georgetown Law)”
• “Business Models: Strategy and Governance (Session Report, Georgetown Law Conf)”
• “David Wilkins on Mega Trends for Legal Profession (Session Report, Georgetown Law Conf)”
• "KM in Action (After Action Review at a Conference)"

Articles and Commentary

• “The Change Agenda: Are We There Yet?” from Aric Press at AmLaw Daily
• “The Change Agenda: Is Mega Law a Dead Man Walking?” from Aric Press at AmLaw Daily
• “Calls for New Model of Law Firm-Client Relations at Georgetown Conference” from Law.com's Small Firm Business
• "Extreme Makeover: Law Firm Edition" from Vault's Law Blog
• “From Georgetown Law: ‘Law Firm Evolution-Brave New World or Business as Usual?’” from The Posse List
• “From Georgetown Law: ‘Law Firm Evolution’ – a video interview with Richard Susskind, author of ‘The End of Lawyers?’” from The Posse List (see also video interviews below)
• "From Georgetown Law: 'Law Firm Evolution-Brave New World or Business as Usual?' -- our review of the conference" from The Posse List
• "Georgetown Law School evokes Punk rock" from Joshua Kubicki on Legal on Ramp (registration required)
• “Is the Law-Firm Model Dying? Not Yet, But It Might Be On The Clock” from WSJ Law Blog
• "Law firm evolution at Georgetown" from Larry Ribstein's Ideoblog
• “Law Firm Evolution Conference at Georgetown in the US: my take” from Robert Sawhney’s Marketing Asia blog
• "Law Firm (R)Evolution & Gaps" from Joshua Kubicki's Legal Transformation: The Changing Legal Profession
• “Law Firm Time Bomb: You Have 18 Months To Try And Keep Your Clients”, from Business Insider Law Review
• “Lawyer Layoff Patterns: Young Go 1st, and Top 10 JD Is No Shield” from the ABA Journal
• "Layoff Patterns: was there a method to the madness?" from Above the Law
• "Murmurs of Change, but Where's the Proof?" from ABA Journal
• "New Model Evolving: Law Firms Have 18 Months Maximum to Adapt" from Law and More.
• “Panelists Explore New Business Models for Big Law” from The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times
• “Panelists Predict Changes to, Not Death of, Big Law” from The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times
• “Patterns Emerge from Lawyer Layoffs” from The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times
• “Paul Lippe, Lewis and Clark, and Google Maps” from In Search of Perfect Client Service
• "Report Finds Power Shift and Declining Support for Law Firm 'Up or Out' Model" from the ABA Journal
• "Secondments will rise if more firms decide they are a prerequisite to become a partner" from Rees Morrison's Law Department Management
• “So Long, Blank Checks: Clients Saying Get with the Program, or Get Out of the Way” from Shatterbox
• "Total median compensation of a group of general counsel was five times salary" from Rees Morrison's Law Department Management
• “Warnings Toll for BigLaw Firms Resistant to Change” from the ABA Journal

What the Hashtag?! Twitterstream

Video Interviews from Gregory Bufithis of The Posse List and Lisa DiMonte of MyLegal.com

Leah Cooper

Anthony Davis



Jose M. de Areilza

Michele DeStefano Beardslee

Deborah Epstein Harry

Ron Friedmann



Cynthia Fuchs Epstein



Jordan Furlong



David Galbenski



Susan Hackett

Joshua Kubicki

Bruce MacEwen

Stephen Mayson



David McGowan



Marisa Mendez



Thomas Morgan

Mitt Regan



Larry Ribstein



Timothy Scrantom

Reena SenGupta

Paul Smith

Richard Susskind

Laurel S. Terry

Have you read these?

A smattering of relevant and interesting posts from the blawgosphere and beyond

• “Law and Surgery” from Adam Smith, Esq. Because its focus is the economics of law firms, this blog is on my short list of must-reads. Whether he’s dissecting law firm layoffs or market economics or the GM bankruptcy, Bruce MacEwen always provides an invaluable perspective on the business of law. That said, this post rises to the top precisely because it is NOT about law firm economics. Why? Because it is about passion. Read it and see why this Adam Smith, Esq. should be on your short list, too.
  
  
• “Welcome to the Future: Morgan Lewis Signals Armageddon” from AmLaw Daily. Like everyone else in the legal profession, you’re probably following the growing trend of summer program cancellations at the AmLaw 200 with the same abject horror as you did the layoffs of the past 18 months. This stuff is big. Really really big. Paul Lippe calls it “Armageddon” in this piece, and I see no reason to disagree. Read it and you will agree. Pay special attention to the comments, where readers appear more interested in Lippe’s use of “syllogism” than the fact that the profession as we know it will never be the same.
  
  
• “More problems with gated online legal communities: Cannot link to profiles” from Real Lawyers have Blogs. More and more lawyers are exploring and adopting Web 2.0 tools to market their practices, share knowledge and experience, and develop relationships, sparking more and more debate on the right way to do it. Kevin O’Keefe is often at the center of those conversations, and this post is no exception. Read it to see what your peers think about closed online communities. And while you’re at it, read “The State of Legal Social Networking” from Compliance Building, in which Doug Cornelius gives his take on a handful of social networking sites for lawyers.
  
  
• “Winning on the uphills” from Seth Godin’s Blog. I’m a cyclist, so I know from personal experience that the payoff for my work in the saddle is in the climb, not the descent. But you probably know that too, if only because it is July, and Lance Armstrong is back in the Tour de France, and the riders are currently in the Alps. The Tour is won on the uphills, when the challenges are greatest, when the conditions are dismal, when the risks are highest. Kind of like the economic environment today, isn’t it? Well, get over it, get out there, and get climbing. And read this post for inspiration on your way out the door.
  
  
• “Strategic Marketing in Five Easy Leaps” from Virtual Marketing Officer. Lawyers and legal marketers: read this post, and ask yourself where your firm lands on the strategic marketing continuum. Then ask where you think it should be. If yours is like most firms, those two places are not the same. How can you close the gap? By reading this post, and applying some of its useful ideas to your business development and marketing efforts.

Have you read these?

A smattering of interesting and insightful posts from the blawgosphere and beyond

• "50 Web Resources for the Suddenly Solo Lawyer” from ABA Law Practice Today. Whether you’re suddenly solo, facing the possibility of becoming solo, or just looking for resources that will help you improve your practice, you need to read this piece. Jim Calloway and Allison Shields have put together a valuable list that has something for everybody. You used to have to pay to get access to this information. The bonus? This article is part of an entire issue devoted to the “Suddenly Solo” lawyer, where each and every article is chock-full of invaluable advice from the likes of Ed Poll, Jay Shepherd, Grant Griffiths, Dennis Kennedy, and others. Find it here.
  
  
• “The Answer to How is Yes” from Conversation Agent. I try to avoid recommending the same blog in subsequent posts, but when I saw this post from Valeria Maltoni, I couldn’t help myself. Perhaps it has something to do with the advice for out-of-work lawyers @JeenaBelil provided when I interviewed her on 22 Tweets this week: “Stop saying I can’t….” Whatever the reason, you need to read this post. And read it again. And then print it out and tape it to the wall next to your monitor so you can read it every day.
  
  
• “Prove Your Worth (and Profit) as a Results-Oriented Agency” from PR New Online. This post isn’t about public relations, it’s about value, about service providers finding ways to provide greater value to their clients, about changing the way things have always been done to meet the demands of the new marketplace. While the suggestions in this piece do not apply across the board to the legal profession, the message does: it’s time for a new business model.
  
  
• “10 Reasons Why PR People Need to be on Twitter” from Social Media Today. I’m a firm believer in Twitter as a communications tool. It is changing the nature of business relationships, for good, and whether or not it is around in 10 years, the changes it brings about will be. For this reason, I am convinced that lawyers need to be on Twitter: to know it, to be able to communicate via the tool, to meet others doing the same thing, and to gain exposure to people and ideas that will add value. This post is written for PR pros, but a number of the ten points raised apply directly to lawyers. Read it and you’ll agree.
  
  
• “Seller's Remorse in the Marketing Business” from Trust Matters. This is a story about how an advertising agency reacted to being eliminated from consideration in an RFP process by Zappo’s. But it’s much more than that. One reason is that it reminds us of a valuable lesson: “One of the biggest fallacies sellers make is that buyers buy based on their own stated rational criteria.” Another? It has sparked some very interesting and insightful comments (including one from David Maister!) about the RFP game.

Have you read these?

A smattering of insightful and valuable posts from the blawgosphere and beyond

• “Why Being Extraordinary Wins” from Altitude…brand elevation through social media. Think you’re good at client service? What would it take for you to be great at it? What would that cost? Would it be worth it? This story of customer experience at a dentist’s office just might give you some ideas on how you could be extraordinary. Read it.
  
  
• “Want to be a better PR professional?” from Client Service Insights (CSI/Season 2). Don’t let the title fool you: this post is really about being a better professional services provider. How? By putting the client first. Before you say “but I already do that!” (like I did…), read this post. And then ask yourself if you know your client’s business as well as you should.
  
  
• “A Blogging Guide for St. Louis (and Other) Lawyers (and Others)” from DennisKennedy.com. Lawyers, want to start blogging? Read this interview with four pioneers of the legal blogosphere who all hail from St. Louis, “Blawg City USA.” This is great advice, the kind that you normally have to pay for, the kind that will help you understand the cost and demands of blogging, the kind that will make your blog better. The bonus? Even the most seasoned blawger will learn something from this group.
  
  
• “Some Thoughts About Pitching In-house Counsel for Business” from Legal Marketing Blog.com. This post is written for smaller firms, who are increasingly getting opportunities to pitch for work from larger corporations traditionally represented by BigLaw. But everyone will benefit from this advice, especially the in-house counsel who won’t have to sit through another bad pitch. And if they appreciate it, you most likely will, too.
  
  
• “A Thought For Law Students” from In Search of Perfect Client Service. If you read my other blogs, you know the importance I place helping law students prepare for the future. That’s why I was especially pleased to find this advice for law students from Patrick Lamb, founder of Valorem Law Group. Why? Because Lamb isn’t waiting for the future to happen, he’s writing it. And in this post he tells future lawyers how they can write their own futures, too.

Have you read these?

A smattering of insightful and useful posts from the blawgosphere and beyond.

• “Draft Horse” from Belgium Knee Warmers. I don’t often get the chance to recommending a cycling post in the context of legal business development and marketing. This is a great post about working hard, satisfying the needs of your client, and the satisfaction that comes from being a true team player. Lawyers: don’t make your clients tell you what they need. Know their business, know their industry, know their objectives and strategies and challenges, so that you can smell their need and satisfy it before they ask. Then you know you’re adding value.
  
  
• “You Need to Be Proactive to Sell” from Alan’s Blog at Contrarian Consulting. I’ve featured posts from Alan Weiss before. This one features stories about selling, value and how one vendor makes their client feel important, special and valued. Guess who’s going to get repeat business?
  
  
• “Decision making defines the leader” from Harvey MacKay. This article doesn’t need much in the way of introduction, because you already know who MacKay is and why you should be reading his weekly column. My favorite part of this one? The quote from Harry S. Truman: “Whenever I make a bum decision, I just go out and make another."
  
  
• “Tips for Pitching Your Firm to In-House Counsel Without Going Overboard” from Law.com. It may seem like you’ve heard these before. After all, you have a lot of experience on the buyer side making purchase decisions based on how people pitch their services. Then why do you need to read this post? Because you’re probably not using your “buyer” experience when wearing your “seller” hat. Read this post and put what you learn into action.
  
  
• “What do recruiters want from a resume?” from MN Headhunter. I feature a lot of posts for job seekers that offer valuable lessons for all who sell themselves (including the fortunate ones who currently have jobs). Don’t let the title of this post fool you: it too is for everyone. Yes, it is full of very practical advice for job seekers writing, updating, or merely circulating their resume. But there’s a broader lesson here: don’t deal in generalities. Find out precisely what your buyer is looking for, and tailor your materials to communicate your ability to meet those needs.