3 minute read
The Age of Influence
The Age of Influence
The Autumn edition will continue to explore legal influencing. Dr Molly Bellamy has discussed the phenomenon with three women holding different perspectives in the legal world, Isobel Bertram, Eileen Donaghey and Christina Blacklaws.
Isabel Bertram is Head of Business Development and Marketing at Radcliffe Chambers in Lincoln’s Inn and primarily engaged in fostering client growth in Chambers. Isabel is attuned to the zeitgeist moment for the legal influencer and welcomes the openings it generates for younger women as well as the potential it signals of a democratisation of the field of law itself.
Eileen Donaghey is an independent consultant whose business aims to help law firms and enterprises win new clients by improving business development and marketing skills. She has written previously for Legal Women on imposter syndrome and is committed to training lawyers in developing an online presence and public profile. She brings a note of caution, concerned with the ‘burn out’ legal influencers can experience. There is always extraordinary pressure to create new content, manage algorithms and navigate the rules and risks of over exposure to be aligned with the sector’s own professional standards.
Christina Blackwell, former President of The Law Society for England and Wales, brings an insider perspective, as someone who has become a legal influencer by virtue of her experience and prestige. She seeks to raise consciousness and promote empowerment in relation to equality, diversity and inclusivity. Christina also brings insight into the shifting attitudes of and towards female lawyers today.
David Smith has selected a few online profiles of legal influencers from diverse backgrounds, based on suggestions from the Legal Women team. Each influencer has harnessed their own blend of online mediums; typically comprising a combination of platforms including Instagram, Youtube, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, and some influencers develop their own websites or platforms. He will consider how they share their expertise, experiences and insight to engage a public following, while maintaining a balance between managing their professional life in the law sector and curating their online presence.
In our Autumn issue, the Legal Women team will be exploring the online profiles of some legal influencers from diverse backgrounds to examine the manifold ways in which legal professionals are utilising the ineluctable tool of social media in their careers.
the many ways in which the legal professionals are utilising social media in their careers.
The articles will explore the drivers for creating content and how it interrelates with Big Tech. There will be discussion of the tension that can arise for a lawyer due to constraints by the Bar Council and the Solicitors Regulation Authority. There are clear ethical Implications, including issues related to client confidentiality, professional responsibility, and the potential for misinformation. However, there are also potential benefits, such as, greater access to legal information, enhanced public understanding of legal issues, and new career opportunities for lawyers. ■
