Say what you will, but when it comes to effective marketing and business development, how you act matters more than the words you choose. If you spend any time reading lawyer bios (as I do), you will run across characteristics lawyers emphasize to differentiate themselves. Qualities like responsiveness, creativity, writing skills, thoroughness and pragmatism are regularly inserted in LinkedIn profiles and website bios. I’m all for identifying and promoting the things that set you apart from others. However, it’s important to remember that people’s impressions are based on their experiences with you more than on your words. Creating Impressions Through Your Marketing Activities Over the years, I’ve heard a lot of clients and representatives of the community complain about board members who consistently miss meetings, speakers who don’t submit their materials before the meeting or authors who miss due dates. Your marketing and business development activities have the potential to either demonstrate or damage your professional brand. Here are some examples. Proposals or pitches When you have opportunities to get new business, do you: Make an effort to research the entity, individuals and opportunity?Ask the prospect informed questions so you can tailor your response?Answer all the questions that have been asked?Find out the preferred form or format of the pitch or proposal?Meet the deadline? Presentations If you have a speaking opportunity, do you: Pay attention to the organization’s desired topics and formats?Tailor your program to the audience?Respond in a timely way to requests for bios, session descriptions and session titles?Submit your paper or slide deck on time? Board or committee memberships As a leader of a group or association, do you: Show up — and show up on time?Come prepared to the meetings (e.g., read the agenda and prepare materials/information in advance)?Follow through on your assignments? rticles When you are

Recently, a marketing company asked me to take over writing the blog posts for one of its clients, a law firm that specializes in construction law. According to my contact, while their marketers are “quick to learn, they are not legal experts, and our client has made the comment they need to spend more time than they would like to with revisions.” What I thought was, “Duh. You’ve hired a group of non-lawyers to write posts that sound like they were written by an expert in construction law.” What I said was, “It sounds like you have an issue with this client’s expectations.” Outsourcing Your Legal Blog is Not a ‘Set-it-and-Forget-it’ Endeavor It’s impractical to expect third-party marketers to write as if they are lawyers. Just like clients hire lawyers because we can effectively help them with their legal problems, we hire marketers because they have expertise in marketing. They probably didn’t go to law school, and definitely haven’t spent years focusing on any area of law for 40-plus hours a week. Additionally, each legal specialty has its own jargon and rules that are unfamiliar to outsiders. It will take time for even the brightest marketers and copywriters to build up their knowledge base so they can write more efficiently. What to Expect When Outsourcing Your Legal Blog If you want to outsource any aspect of your content marketing — blog posts, social media posts, videos — expect to have an ongoing dialogue with your marketing team. At the beginning of your relationship, your marketing team will need a crash course in your area of law. Here’s my recommendation: As part of the onboarding process, schedule three two-hour meetings with your marketing team. The first meeting will be more of an academic lecture where you will teach your marketing team

bout RMLNLU Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University is an institute for law in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. Dr. RMLNLU was established in the year 2005, and since then, has been providing undergraduate and post-graduate legal education. bout the Journal Committee The Committee was constituted with the objective of promoting legal research and writing. Apart from conducting the RMLNLU International Legal Essay Writing Competition every year, the Committee annually publishes two peer reviewed journals – the RMLNLU Law Review and the RMLNLU Journal on CMET (Communication, Media, Entertainment and Technology) Law. Both these journals publish articles, essays, case notes/comments and book reviews from contributors all over the world. The RMLNLU Law Review also runs a blog which provides a platform for people in the field to express their opinions on contemporary legal issues. bout the Journal The RMLNLU Journal on Communication, Media, Entertainment & Technology Law (hereinafter ‘the Journal’) is an annual, student-edited, peer-reviewed law journal published by the Journal Committee of Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University, Lucknow. Through this Journal, the Committee aims to foster the spirit of writing and set in motion a discourse among knowledgeable intellectuals from various fields of law. The Journal Committee is pleased to announce the call for papers for The RMLNLU Journal on Communication, Media, Entertainment & Technology Law, Volume IX. This is a theme-based journal and only accepts submissions pertaining to the same. Call for Papers The Journal accepts submissions from law students, academicians and legal professionals all over the country and abroad in the form of: Articles: 5000-7000 words. (These are evaluations of specific contemporary issues and aim at conceptualizing the issues in a unique and unconventional manner. The assessment of contemporary issues shall be appreciated, though not mandatory). Case notes/comments: 2000-3000 words. (These are assessments of the

This year’s annual Analog Gift Guide for Attorneys Who Analog has taken the concept of analog onto a new path to offer you, our discerning readers, a collection of small-batch, hard-to-find, mostly unknown, rather extraordinary and award-winning American whiskies. Wait, Did You Say Whiskey? I know what you’re wondering: Where are the pencils? Where are the Post-it notes? I assure you, I swear, there is nothing more analog than creating a truly brilliant bottle of whiskey, bourbon or rye. It is a craft that can only be wrought by hand, slowly, over time, resulting in a product where every bottle is unique. Like a signature. Because the American Whiskey Renaissance Is Real You may have heard of some of the brands that have leaped into the public eye in the last decade. Brands like Pappy Van Winkle, Michter’s and Basil Hayden’s. But here’s the interesting thing about these and other seemingly independent whiskies you may have noticed at your liquor emporium: They’re made in the same distilleries as the big brands that own them. They are fine whiskies, but they are just the tip of the spear. Hundreds of startup distilleries in nearly every state are racing to be the next Pappy. Distilleries like Milam & Greene, started by two Texas legends, entrepreneur Marsha Milam and global whiskey consultant Heather Greene. Greene’s status in the whiskey world is unassailable. But you’ve probably never heard of her whiskey, which is swoonfully good. Garrison Brothers is another regional spirit poised to breach the brand recognition level enjoyed by Woodford Reserve and Jim Beam. Produced in Hye, Texas, which is exactly nowhere, Garrison Bros. bourbon is unique and in such insane demand, that its annual release of their signature Cowboy Bourbon is met by thousands of cars lined up the dirt road to

bout IDIA  Increasing Diversity by Increasing Access to Legal Education (IDIA) is a non- profit   organization working in India which aims to empower underprivileged children by providing them with equal access to quality legal education. It is a student-run organization that aims to train underprivileged students and transform them into leading lawyers and community advocates. We conduct sensitizations across India to spread awareness among underprivileged children about opportunities in pursuing law as a career, select promising students and provide training for law entrance examinations, including the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT), provide financial aid and mentorship to these students once they secure their admission to a leading law school. IDIA – Kerala Chapter functions from its base at The National University of Advanced Legal Studies (NUALS), Kochi, which is the only National Law University in Kerala. The Kerala Chapter is run entirely by student volunteers from NUALS, with an aim to help underprivileged students in the state.  For further details, visit IDIA’s official website here. The Event An LLM from a NLU can be a game changer in your career. However, the CLAT PG and AILET PG entrance exams are competitive. It is important to have a focussed and systematic preparation for the exams. Important areas relating to law must be clearly understood by the aspirants. Starting your preparation early and following the right method of studying will go a long way in helping you crack these exams.  IDIA Kerala Chapter is conducting a workshop where we will be discussing the opportunities that open up after a LLM from a NLU, pattern of CLAT PG and AILET PG, preparation strategies, tips and tricks, and recommendations for materials by our resource persons. To lead the talk, we have Krithika Singh and Dhanya Prasad, who have cracked these exams with top

As a solo law firm, you are small but mighty — able to run a lean business operation, offer customized and competitive pricing, and outperform your BigLaw competitors through personalized legal services delivery. Yet year after year, the biggest struggle for solo practitioners and small law firms is finding time to do what matters most: marketing and growing their practice. Developing a smart growth strategy will help you move from survival mode to building mode. Smart Growth Strategy for Your Small Firm If you want to grow, it’s important to understand how to tap into your firm’s strengths. A smart growth strategy leverages your people, processes and data so that you can gain a competitive advantage. Whether your small firm is a startup or well established, it’s important to prioritize a growth strategy that can support the firm’s expansion into the future. Signs of Failure Having an effective business growth strategy will also protect you from some of the common symptoms of a failing firm, such as: Scaling too quickly without the resources to back up your rapid growth.Creating a weak or imbalanced staffing structure that is inefficient, poorly trained or mismanaged.Missing out on valuable revenue because of lack of clarity on your niche practice areas, target market and competition.Misdirecting marketing, branding and advertising campaigns, which then fail to deliver results and generate leads. Elements of Success Key elements to incorporate in your firm’s growth business plan include clarity on your firm’s mission and value propositions, niche practice areas, pricing, staff organization, and key metrics by which you will measure your growth. With consistent review sessions on a monthly, quarterly and annual basis, you’ll have a steady guidepost throughout your growth journey. Here are eight ways to ensure your growth strategy succeeds. 1. Work smarter (not harder) through streamlined systems.

The Thought Leader Collaborative (the “Lab”) is an online training program and membership site that helps lawyers and legal marketers grow legal practices using LinkedIn. As a member of the Lab, you’ll have access to the resources you need to build a practice and grow your personal brand on LinkedIn, including: A core curriculum of on-demand video contentTwo live monthly training sessions (via Zoom) on LinkedIn strategies and tacticsA growing library of LinkedIn checklists, guides and templatesAccess to a community of lawyers and other professionals interacting via a private LinkedIn group Be Sure to Sign up by December 20 These resources and more are available for a cost of only $39 per month (with a 10% discount for the purchase of an annual plan). The Lab only opens to new members three times a year, and is now open for registration from December 6-20, 2021. The Lab and the monthly live training sessions are led by Jay Harrington, a lawyer, legal marketer and author. If you’re a regular reader of Attorney at Work, you’ve likely seen Jay’s work, as he has been a regular contributor of articles for close to a decade and his books are available in our bookstore. If you’re looking to hit the ground running in the new year and leverage LinkedIn, the world’s most powerful social network, for marketing and business development, you’ll learn how as a member of the Lab. To learn more and join, please visit the Thought Leader Collaborative site, here.https://www.thoughtleadercollaborative.com/a/46861/LBRdeMHS The post Thought Leader Collaborative ‘Lab’ Now Accepting New Members appeared first on Attorney at Work.

Giving away good ideas may seem counterintuitive, but providing free attorney thought leadership is one of the best ways to get new business. The purpose of creating thought leadership content is to provide answers, make sense of complex information, and chart a future course for a reader, viewer, or listener. By consistently generating high-quality content and publishing it to the right audiences, a lawyer will generate awareness, build trust, and develop new business opportunities. Many lawyers don’t realize these benefits, however, because they’re concerned about giving their ideas away. When they do create thought leadership content, they hold back. Their concerns are rooted in a belief that their insights will be put to use, independently, by a prospective client, and thus their efforts will be wasted. This belief is understandable but mistaken. A prospective client isn’t searching for a solution to a complex legal challenge so they can implement the solution themselves. They’re seeking clarity so they can assess what they’re faced with and identify the right expert to help guide them forward. A lawyer’s stock-in-trade is providing knowledge in exchange for a fee. It may seem counterintuitive, but one of the best ways to generate new business opportunities is to share your best ideas for free. Free Attorney Thought Leadership Content is Your Proxy A very small number of the world’s greatest chefs, such as Grant Achatz of Chicago’s famed Alinea restaurant, can offer a single, unalterable tasting menu for an astronomical price and pack the house every night. For the top chefs, their reputations precede them. They’ve earned such high levels of trust that people will accept what they’re serving and pay handsomely for it, sight unseen. For the other 99.9% of restaurateurs out there, offering a menu of options with explanations of ingredients and cooking techniques is

Hiring is incredibly difficult right now no matter what industry you are in. Thankfully, many industries — including legal — have full-on embraced remote work. And for law firms, remote work opens the door to alternative hiring options, including outsourcing substantive legal work to freelance lawyers. The good news is that it has never been easier to hire freelance attorneys to support and help build your business. Freelancers can help you reduce costs, improve efficiency, and allow existing employees to focus on core goals and tasks. It’s not hard to see why freelancers could represent 80% of the global workforce by 2030. Despite this, it’s still possible to land yourself in a freelancing nightmare if you don’t hire correctly. Screening Freelance Lawyers to Find the Right Fit If you are embarking on your outsourcing journey, a structured hiring process — including background screening and interviews — will help you filter through the best candidates. Asking the right questions during the interview process is critical in helping you navigate the freelance space. Here are some essential questions to ask any freelance lawyer before you commit to hiring, as well as some common red and green flags to look out for along the way. 1. What experience do you have? This question should be at the top of your list during the hiring process. Reading about all of this on a résumé is one thing, but having an actual discussion with the freelancer about relevant experience and background will help you gain valuable insight. In addition to understanding their practice area background, it’s important to know whether freelancers have worked in a team before and how they have performed. Similarly, understanding how long they have been freelancing and whether it suits them helps judge their ability to work well in this type of

In my 25 plus years of recruiting in the legal sector, I have never seen an environment like the current one with respect to recruiting legal talent.  And that’s at every level —partners, associates, management and staff. Demand is high and so are the demands of the candidates. We’re seeing firms pushing the envelope and doing things like: Offering associates in lower-cost markets “New York” salaries plus the ability to work from homeOffering headhunters double their current fee percentage (and we’re not opposed to that!)Increases in referral fees paid to employees who suggest candidates.A large increase in the number of counteroffers by current employers. Rethinking Law Firm Recruitment and Retention As a result, firms should rethink their recruiting and retention strategies in a time of crisis. Here are some suggestions: 1. Articulate the case for your firm. Too often, firms can tell us why they need the person, but often have difficulty telling us why anyone would come. Despite what you may be hearing about today’s market studies continue to show that compensation is not the primary consideration for candidates. As a result, it is incumbent on you to explain the benefits of both your firm generally and the specific opportunity. Along those lines, firms often point to their culture as a differentiator. However, you need to be very specific about the firm culture, using specific examples. And just saying the buzzwords “collaborative,” “collegial” or “entrepreneurial” won’t cut it. 2. Be very specific about your firm’s remote vs. in-the-office policy. Nothing tells candidates more about your culture than your policy concerning returning to the office. It is no secret that most employees want flexibility and most firms are emphasizing that in their policies, but the devil is often in the details. Both with regard to your firm’s general policy and