6 minute read
Why do we follow legal influencers?
Why do we follow legal influencers?
Social media has led to the rise of influencers in every domain and law is no exception. We talked to the Legal Women team to find out what are the key attractions above the usual channels of information. We’ve grouped it into a few pointers.
Relatability and personal experience
The most common theme was that the influencer is someone they could relate to, generally fairly near their own situation but a little ahead in terms of career. This differs from role models who tend to be luminaries, frequently, senior in their career stage, and much as we might admire them, we would be daunted to say we were following in their footsteps.
Faryal Faizee, Editorial Assistant (waiting for Call to the Bar) says: “Relatability in my opinion plays a big role. When looking to follow legal influencers, I consider whether they have been to a non-Russell group university, what stage of their careers they are in, whether they are aspiring barristers and etc. Finding people who are in the same path as you can be reassuring.”
Giving the whole picture ‘including the down sides’
Social media is known for relentlessly presenting glittering lives of success but when you are looking for a route for your career you need to be aware of the challenges. This is a key area for many followers. Elizabeth Shimmell, Team Leader, In-house Trainee Solicitor, Client Care Team, CTT Group comments:
“In the legal world we see a lot of success on LinkedIn, but we don’t often see a lot of people posting about things they were unsuccessful in, especially exams like the SQE. As a solicitor apprentice doing the SQE it’s reassuring to see that other people are struggling with things like the workload and that not everyone is passing the exam.”Authoritative sites, such as, The Law Society or The Bar Council, try to explain the overview of career paths, procedures etc. This is invaluable and an essential part of any potential lawyer’s research but it can’t always deal with the detail for an individual case. This is something an influencer can cover by explaining the exact route they have taken.
Agnes Swiecka, Legal Advisor, Svensson Nøkleby explains: “often information on any online sources can be generalised and for advice to be helpful, it should be specific. So any level of extra detail that someone chooses to put out on their platform would be a good sign that they are worth following …..”
Law plus life
The most interesting influencers are those that share more than their journey in law and allow a follower insight into their life; humour and creative content which catches the eye is also a winner, as it makes information more digestible.
Ramsha Khan, internal legal counsel at GoSaaS Inc. prefers “influencers who create content short in length or provide how-to or hacks, an example would be Erika Kullberg, who I follow on Instagram, her tagline is ''I read the fine print so you don't have to'' and she provides travel tips and useful information such as how you may be able to get a new pair of Nike shoes if they develop a defect within 2 years of their manufacturing date, as stated in their warranty.”
This variety is also important to Emma Webb, LL.B, Senior Manager, Press and Programmes (Small Business Britain): “Working in the legal profession should not define a person's whole personality, and I prefer influencers who share aspects of their life outside their legal work. In my opinion, the profession already carries enough pressure, and allowing any job to consume you is unhealthy.
Authentic, knowledgeable and informal content
Some influencers might be liked for humour others for serious content but absolutely it must be ‘authentic’. Charity Mafuba, Solicitor (England and Wales) New York Attorney a values those who are knowledgeable, without false or misleading rhetoric but also values the reason they are posting. Is the account being run for altruistic reasons?
Understanding the background to any account can be significant.
Elizabeth Shimmell likes “… to see influencers using different platforms like Instagram and TikTok to provide more informal advice or tips to followers. Not everyone has time to read an article or a full post on LinkedIn from an influencer, but they may have time to watch a TikTok or a reel on Instagram.”
Decision-making and breadth of sources
Everyone emphasized the importance of accessing other sources, particularly from The Law Societies, the Bar Council, the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Although they wouldn’t choose a career move purely on the basis of an influencer; the information could well set you on a new train of ideas. Elizabeth Shimmell says influencers were how she encountered the idea of a solicitor apprenticeship: “I wasn’t really aware of this option until influencers started talking openly about it. I have also considered their opinions on course providers in relation to the SQE as valuable insight.”
The advice is if you’re not sure how to wade through the information on the main websites then start with some wellknown influencers to get an overview. Make sure they are in the right jurisdiction for you but don’t follow just one source. At some stage you have to take the plunge and tackle the websites of universities or other authorities because things may have changed since the influencer put out their post. Ultimately if you want to be a lawyer you need to do good quality research on how to reach your goal. ■
Coral Hill
Founder & Editor-in-Chief - Legal Women
