8 Tips for Writing the Perfect Social Media Bio
Noreen Fishman
The Impact of AI Overviews on SEO for Law Firms
Julie Lorson
How to Create an Effective Content Calendar
Laurie Villanueva
Key Takeaways From the 2024 Future Lawyer Conference in Boston
Rick Clark Does Legal Project Management Beat Motivation? Carla Landry
How to Move Forward With Good Plans … Instead of Waiting for Perfection
Paula Black
Law Firm of the Month
San Diego
Rising to the Challenge: Employees First Labor Law’s Remarkable Growth and Impact
• $22,659,551 settlement for clients defrauded in a local Ponzi scheme in Levin v. Chicago Title, et al. (2021)(Michael Kirby & Jason Kirby).
• Complete defense jury verdict in real estate dispute and more than $400,000 collected for attorneys’ fees and costs in Batter v. McElhinney, et al. (2019)(Jason Kirby).
• $2.1 million jury verdict for firm client in Doe v. San Diego Unified School District, et al. (2018)(Jason Kirby & Michael Kirby).
• $1.1 million arbitration award for firm clients on cross-complaint after zeroing plaintiff on $6 million damage claim in Step Strategy Advisors v. Solid Gold Health Products for Pets, Inc., et al. (2018)(Jason Kirby lead counsel).
When it comes to setting up a social media presence, one of the areas that most lawyers overlook is the bio section of the various social platforms. The bio section is often filled out almost without a thought, in haste, and rarely updated. This is a big mistake.
Although it may seem like an afterthought, the bio section of your profile on any social media platform is often viewed more than any content you share. It’s also the final piece of information that readers will look at when deciding if they should trust you or not and if you will be useful to them or not. It’s your last chance to make a good impression and draw them in.
Writing your social media bio is not something that should be done off the top of your head and as quickly as possible, but it doesn’t have to be overly complicated either. The following are some tips to help you create and implement the perfect social media bio.
The first rule of writing your professional bio is to make the most of the very limited space you have. Some platforms give you more space than others, but most will only give you enough room for a few sentences. You need to get right to the point and let people know why they should care what you have to say.
Think of your bio as a sort of headline above all of the content you share. Just like the headlines of articles are designed to grab a reader’s attention and pull them in, your bio should do the same thing when someone follows the content you’ve shared back to your profile.
For more tips on how to write for social media concisely and effectively, check out this free eBook: Advanced Social Media Strategies for Law Firms.
If someone is looking at your professional profile, it’s because they think you might be able to help them with some kind of problem. To put it bluntly, the people looking over your professional profile are more interested in what you can do than who you are. To help you stand out from your competitors,
by Noreen Fishman
think about “showing” versus “telling” when writing your bio. Demonstrate that you are a leader in your niche. The trick here is to try not to sound like everyone else.
You should take advantage of the available space to highlight events or skills that make you stand out as a lawyer in your area of practice. Explain what you’ve done, major accomplishments, professional and educational background, etc. In a humble manner, find ways for your accomplishments to speak for themselves through your body of work.
Just because your social media bio is short doesn’t mean that it has to be written quickly. Take your time. Think about what you want to say and how you might be able to get your point across in an original way. Again, the point is to try to stand out from other lawyers.
Most attorneys have very bland and impersonal online bios. Law firms want everyone to sound and look alike. It’s really important to break the mold and take off the professional mask. You can accomplish this by including a personal statement about what you do and why you do what you do. It’s an opportunity to say something more personal in your profile by explaining why your work is important to you (instead of just telling people you’re good at it).
Furthermore, if you look through a few bios of people in any given profession, you’re sure to see the same overused buzzwords repeated again and again. Creative, innovative, dedicated, and devoted are just a few of the words that come up when two out of three people talk about themselves. When someone is browsing profiles looking for help, they see these words so many times that they lose their meaning.
Remember, social media is, after all, about being social. You want to project an image of friendliness and approachability. Don’t be afraid to use the words “I” and “me.” Your bio is personal. It shouldn’t read like it was written by someone else.
Your overall goal, of course, is to promote yourself as a
top-notch attorney, but there’s a fine line between looking professional and seeming unapproachable. Your skills and accomplishments should be a priority, but make sure that you also include something that shows a little bit of your personality and lets people know you are human. Say something about your interests outside of work, including community involvement, hobbies, or family life.
In addition to highlighting your achievements and skills, leverage social proof in your social media bio. Share client testimonials, endorsements, or any recognition you’ve received in your field. This not only adds credibility but also builds trust with your audience. People are more likely to engage with and trust a lawyer who has positive feedback from previous clients or industry experts. Consider adding a brief quote from a satisfied client or mentioning any awards or honors you’ve received. Social proof reinforces your expertise and helps potential clients feel more confident in choosing you for legal assistance.
Your social media bio is a great way to incorporate all kinds of keywords relevant to your services and the problems you help solve. As you’re talking about yourself, you’re naturally going to mention the services you provide, your education, notable past cases, etc.
Even a short bio is going to be rich with the keywords that your target audience will enter in a web search. When it comes to SEO, social media profiles have a very good chance of ranking well for large numbers of different keywords and phrases. So, by including relevant industry keywords, your profile will be instantly more discoverable.
Keep in mind that you don’t want to make your social media bio so keyword-stuffed that it reads like a robot put it together.
If applicable, consider including a lead gen form so prospects can easily reach out to you, or something like a phone number or email so it’s easy to get in touch. Potential clients may happen upon your page but not be sure how to reach out or if you’re even accepting clients. Including an easy-to-follow CTA and link in your bio will be helpful in these cases.
So now that you’ve got some general tips on what to include in your bio as a lawyer, let’s look at how you can maximize your bio space on two social platforms crucial for lawyers — LinkedIn and Facebook.
• LinkedIn: With LinkedIn being designed for professional social interaction, this platform gives you the most space to promote yourself. Like Facebook, the key is to take advantage of all of the options available to you.
LinkedIn automatically monitors and gives you feedback about your profile. Follow the suggestions and make sure you’ve got everything 100% complete. Reference your website(s) and anything else that’s relevant to what you do as a lawyer. More than any other platform, LinkedIn gives you plenty of opportunities for SEO-boosting links and keywords.
Here, you can be a bit more verbose and get into more details about your professional life, but as we said above, don’t forget to include some things here and there to express your humanity as well. In most cases, you’re creating your profile to attract new clients, not to impress other lawyers. Don’t forget that.
• Facebook: Make use of all the options available to you. On your main page, you can write a short introduction. Beyond that, though, click on “About” at the top of your profile and make sure you’ve thoroughly filled in the various sections there.
You can include links to your personal and business websites and even other social profiles. Take advantage of those linking opportunities and be sure to include relevant keywords where you can for an SEO boost.
The tips we’ve laid out above should give you a solid foundation for creating a great social media bio. Don’t stop there though. You should come back from time to time (at least once per quarter) and see if there is anything you’d like to change or update. Just like the content you share, your bio should always be up to date and relevant. n
Noreen Fishman is the director of client services at Good2bSocial. Her primary responsibility is to help clients achieve their digital marketing goals. This includes managing the Good2bSocial team, ensuring constant communication with clients and updating them on their progress. Connect with Noreen on LinkedIn or www.good2bsocial. com. This post has been edited and republished from Sept. 15, 2022.
Lots of people think that if you can just tap into the magical fountain of motivation—either for themselves or their employees—life would be a lot simpler. That may be true, but perhaps we give motivation a little too much credit.
After all, motivation isn’t exactly sustainable. In the short term, it’s easy enough to generate excitement and mobilize a new team. It’s more difficult to keep the energy going indefinitely. Money is nice, but it’s limited and, in any case, is proven to be a poor motivator in the long run. Recognition is great, but it’s fleeting as well.
We’re a fickle species when it comes to resolutions. The motivation to eat a healthy diet may wane when you catch a whiff of the pepperoni pizza brought in for a lunch meeting. The motivation to get up 30 minutes earlier to work out may dissipate by the time Monday morning rolls around.
Of course, motivation can certainly come from within. Internal motivation is considered more reliable than external motivation like, say, a bonus. You may be motivated internally by personal values, such as sending your kids to music camp, or interests, such as leveling up your area of expertise. The problem is that by definition, when it comes to other people, internal motivation is largely beyond your control. Further, internal motivation may still rely on external factors that also fluctuate.
What if instead, everyone just followed a plan? Plan to bring your own version of a healthy pizza. Sleep in your workout clothes and put your shoes beside the bed. That way, motivation becomes less important.
We wrote several articles about the book Atomic Habits where James Clear tells us that real change doesn’t come from motivation. Sure, motivation is nice. But real change comes from making a few small decisions consistently and over time. But even that can be easier said than done when you’re in decision overload.
by Carla Landry
According to the Harvard Business Review, the average adult makes between 33,000 and 35,000 decisions every day. Some of them are very small, such as what to eat for breakfast. But others can be monumental and life changing like whether to start a family. All of the daily brain gymnastics can lead to decision fatigue. This may manifest in the diminished capacity to make a high-quality decision when you most need it. It can also increase stress levels, leaving you less energy to focus on the things that really matter.
There are undoubtedly people in positions of responsibility that have to make even more than 35,000 decisions. Perhaps you’re one of them. These decisions can have significant consequences for employees, your practice group, the client, or the entire firm. Every decision doesn’t merit the same level of effort, however.
The late Steve Jobs was asked why he always dressed in black. He responded that it eliminated some of the trivial decisions in his life so that he could focus his mental energy elsewhere. He may never have perfected the whole emotional intelligence side of leadership, but the man certainly knew how to focus on simplicity and efficiency. Even though Jobs was a 40,000-feet visionary, he was also an advocate of effective planning, including the implementation of systems that would ultimately help Apple reach its goals.
Most amateur chefs consider themselves intuitive cooks. A dash of this, a pinch of that. But some traditional and highly technical recipes defy one’s ability to remember all of the ingredients. The country classic, French cassoulet, for example, requires upwards of 20 ingredients. And that’s simple peasant food. Alton Brown and Martha Stewart are not amateurs and they don’t trust their reputations to produce the dish they perfected three years ago, or even yesterday. They both follow recipes meticulously to ensure that they consistently get the results they want.
A recipe is a plan, a blueprint to get the desired outcomes. It’s no different in a law firm. Every viable firm has processes, procedures, templates, software and collaboration tools for communication and document management, risk management, resource allocation, etc. While the law can be quite complicated, many aspects of the management of legal matters can be made less complex with the right approach. That approach is LPM.
Even Jobs deviated on occasion from his signature style. He was said to have worn a suit at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference in 2000. Of course, you don’t have to reserve your brainpower for rare events, but the point is that if you can find a way to redirect your energy to the highest use, why not?
Any time you have an opportunity to free up some bandwidth in your brain by simplifying your life, whether personal or professional, it’s probably a good idea to do so.
That’s what legal project management does. It provides a structured approach using techniques and principles that will improve your outcomes. Clients are more satisfied, risk is more manageable, resources are more efficiently allocated, and stress levels decline among the matter team.
Motivation definitely has its place. But a good plan has crossed the finish line by the time motivation laces up its shoes. Legal project management is your planning tool that will greatly improve your ability to help the entire team align their interests and aspirations with the project objectives to get the results you want. n
Carla Landry is a Principal at LawVision and leads the Legal Process Improvement practice. Carla coaches legal teams on implementing legal process improvement and legal project management techniques into their matters, working with teams to identify costsaving opportunities by streamlining the delivery of services and improving existing processes. She has worked in the legal industry, in-house and as a consultant, for over 25 years. Learn more at: www.lawvision.com.
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Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) has evolved, ushering in a new era with AI Overviews. Launched to the public in the U.S. on May 14, 2024, and set to roll out globally by the end of the year, these AI-generated search results are poised to revolutionize how we interact with search engines. This blog post explores AI Overviews and their implications for SEO, particularly for law firms.
Google’s AI Overviews are AI-written responses to search queries that appear at the top of the search results page. Unlike traditional featured snippets that pull information from a single source, AI Overviews aggregate data from multiple web pages. This is made possible by Google’s Gemini large language model (LLM), which synthesizes content into a cohesive answer.
A distinct feature of AI Overviews is their transparency. Unlike ChatGPT, Google’s AI highlights the sources of its information, providing a carousel of websites from which data was derived. This feature allows users to click through and explore the original sources, offering a richer and more credible search experience.
For instance, a query like “symptoms of the flu” would not only list common symptoms but also provide detailed descriptions and direct links to the original sources. This enhances the searcher’s experience by saving time and effort while ensuring the information is comprehensive and reliable.
AI Overviews provide a concise summary of information from multiple web pages. This means searchers can quickly get an overview of a topic without having to sift through numerous articles.
by Julie Lorson
2. Source Transparency
The inclusion of source links in AI Overviews adds a layer of credibility and allows users to verify and explore the information further.
The AI-generated answers are tailored to the searcher’s specific query, presenting information in the most useful order.
Google envisions its AI Overviews as the future of search, enabling users to get comprehensive answers to complex queries with a single search. Some of the future benefits include:
• Multi-step Reasoning: AI Overviews will handle more complex queries, providing detailed answers that would otherwise require multiple searches.
• Video Search: Users will be able to add context to their searches by uploading videos, enhancing the relevance and accuracy of search results.
• Personalized Search Results: For specific verticals like local search or travel planning, AI Overviews could dominate the search result page, reducing the prominence of traditional blue links.
• Information Customization: Searchers will have the option to adjust the detail level of the AI Overview with ‘Original,’ ‘Simpler,’ and ‘Break it down’ options.
Law firms must recognize that AI Overviews will change how people find information. Traditional SEO practices, such as optimizing for featured snippets, will need to evolve to ensure visibility in AI-generated results.
With AI Overviews pulling content from multiple sources, law firms must focus on creating high-quality, authoritative content. Ensuring your web pages are rich in valuable information will increase the likelihood of being included in AI Overviews.
Google’s emphasis on user experience means law firms should prioritize creating content that is not only informative but also engaging and easily navigable. Incorporating multimedia elements like videos and infographics can enhance content appeal.
For law firms targeting local clients, optimizing for local SEO becomes even more critical. Ensuring your practice appears in AI Overviews for local legal queries can drive significant traffic and potential clients.
Law firms should be aware of the ethical implications of AIgenerated content. Maintaining transparency and accuracy in your content will be essential as users increasingly rely on AIgenerated answers for legal information.
The introduction of Google’s AI Overviews marks a significant shift in the landscape of search engine optimization. For law firms, this presents both challenges and opportunities. By focusing on creating high-quality, authoritative content and adapting to the new AI-driven search environment, law firms can maintain and even enhance their online visibility. n
Julie Lorson is thrilled to be the Director of Search Engine Marketing at Good2bSocial. She has been working in SEO for over 15 years! Founded by a former attorney who fell in love with digital marketing, Good2bsocial is uniquely positioned to help lawyers, law firms, and legal-centric businesses and organizations realize a superior ROI from their digital marketing efforts. Learn more at: www.good2bsocial.com.
Monty A. McIntyre, Esq. Mediator, Arbitrator & Referee ADR Services, Inc.
To schedule, contact Haward Cho: (213) 683-1600 and (619) 233-1323 or haward@adrservices.com
Short summaries (one-paragraph), organized by legal topic, of every new published CA civil case, helping CA attorneys save time, win more, and make more money. Monthly, quarterly, annual, and annual practice area publications are available. Subscribe at www.cacasesummaries.com
by Dan Baldwin
Since we were last profiled (2020), we have more than doubled the size of our firm and I expect to double that size again in the next year by fueling our growth using mass torts in employment,” says Jonathan LaCour, founder and Managing Attorney of Employees First Labor Law (EFLL).
LaCour’s confidence in the future is based on experience. The firm, established in 2011, currently employs 20 people, including six attorneys. They have moved into a new 5000 sq. ft. office in Pasadena to accommodate the increase in staff and the case load. They also have offices in Irvine, Pomona, Riverside, Bakersfield, and Fresno. Their primary practice areas are sexual harassment, wrongful termination, retaliation, workplace discrimination, workers’ compensation, business litigation, and employment law.
LaCour notes specific successes validating the value of his approach. The firm settled a case for $2,650,000 using the mass torts method last August. In April of 2023 they settled a pregnancy discrimination case for $2,187,500. In April of 2024, they achieved a wage and hour settlement of $2,367,850 in Kim v. Veyo. In October of 2022, Employees First Labor Law obtained a $1,750,000 settlement in a disability discrimination
matter and in November of 2022, secured a $1,000,000 settlement in a race discrimination matter. In December of 2022, Employees First Labor Law obtained a number of sevenfigure settlements, including a $2,187,500 settlement in a pregnancy discrimination matter, a $1,200,000 settlement in an associational discrimination matter, and a $1,750,000 settlement in a wage and hour class action. Additionally, in September of 2023, Employees First Labor Law obtained a $2,250,000 settlement in a retaliation matter. In addition to these success stories, LaCour also received what is believed to be the first ever attorneys’ fees award under 1102.5(j) in the State of California.
The attorneys serve a wide variety of individual people and families, but the typical client is someone who has been fired for an illegal reason, has been discriminated against because of their race or gender or religion or sexual orientation, has been sexually harassed or retaliated against, hasn’t been paid overtime or their fair wage, or is facing a workplace injury.
“We have considerable expertise in employment law and now we’re applying that know-how mass tort style. We’re doing more work, better work and serving more people in real need than ever,” LaCour says.
LaCour says he never had an “ah-ha” moment about choosing his practice area, but he does note that early experiences in the workforce did have an effect. His first job was in a pizza restaurant where management subjected the employees to serious and ongoing wage and hour violations. One of the examples he remembers involved abuses of comp time, which is illegal in California. For example, an employee working a seven-hour shift has to work extra hours because another employee did not show up, which has the employee now working nine or ten or more hours. The restaurant would not pay for the overtime, but would, instead, allow the employee to leave early the next day. The restaurant, of course, then did not pay overtime. The abuse and the effects it had on him and his fellow employees stayed with him.
LaCour says, “Once I became a lawyer, I ended being on the defense. I saw how the same wrongs, and more, were unfolding right before my eyes. That’s when I decided I didn’t want to be on the wrong side of these types of claims. My moral compass drove me to operate on the plaintiff side. I started out in private equity and corporate and then I ultimately went out to defend a little guy. I haven’t looked back since.”
He is not shy about having his firm take on “super-righteous” cases. He cites a case involving a medical technology provider. One of the company’s customers discovered that he was having kidney problems. A blood test revealed very high levels of creatine
causing severe deterioration of each of his kidneys. His kidneys were failing and he needed a transplant. LaCour says he and the firm had to really study the medicine to fully comprehend and to properly handle the case. For example, a kidney transplant doesn’t remove one organ to replace it with another. The new kidney is placed alongside the failing kidneys. His client therefore had three kidneys, of which only one functioned.
Their client was allowed time off by his employer, but when he was ready and able to return to work, they wouldn’t allow him back in because they didn’t want to deal with his medical issues. The future EFLL client was told about a hiring freeze supposedly caused by the firm’s financial challenges. “We can’t bring you back; we’re actually laying off people,” he was told. When LaCour’s team filed the case, they discovered that the socalled financially challenged firm had raised $72 million on a billion-dollar valuation and had actually gone on a hiring spree. This case is still pending and is set to go to trial later this year.
LaCour says one of the reasons so many people come to the firm is their solid reputation online. “People talk and word gets around. They know I don’t go after baby money. I’m not trying to file a case to do a little bit of work for mediation, put my hand out, and just benefit from my clients’ misfortune. That’s not my goal. My goal in every single case is to be able to give them life-changing money, every single one of them.” Some members of the firm joked that between 2022 and 2023 LaCour should have been nominated as realtor of the year because the firm helped eight people buy houses.
LaCour says that many firms may take on a disability case telling their client that the attorneys can do a little bit of discovery, get into mediation, and then perhaps get a $50,000—$100,000 settlement. According to LaCour, this is the point an attorney has to ask, “Am I just a settle-this-quick attorney where I’m going to not have a lot of interaction and not have a lot of work done and go to mediation and hope for the best? Or am I really going to get real money for my client?” He adds, “We never settle for less, for the baby money. That’s the recipe for our success, because we’re business partners with all of our people. If I just took $50,000 or $100,000 settlements, you know, that wouldn’t put us in a position to succeed as we have.”
Numbers don’t lie. A few case results illustrate the success of LaCour’s approach: $7,900,000 Projected Value Settlement, Workplace Injury & Wrongful Termination; $5,150,000 Settlement, Workplace Injury & Wrongful Termination; $2,650,000 Settlement, Wage and Hour & Wrongful Termination; $2,367,850 Settlement, Wage and Hour Class & PAGA Action; $2,187,500 Settlement, Pregnancy Discrimination; $1,950,000 Settlement, Wage and Hour Class Action; $1,800,000 Settlement, Pregnancy Discrimination; $1,750,000 Settlement, Wage and Hour Class & PAGA Action; and a $1,200,000 Settlement for Associational Disability Discrimination.
LaCour says that EFLL gets much higher on average than other firms because they put all their resources into every case. He works up the file and is one of the few attorneys in employment who is unafraid to try tough cases. “The fact that we did those nine trials in that 12-month period shows that
there are some attorneys terrified of going to trial but that is not my firm. The other side always knows that I am willing to go the distance for my clients.”
LaCour says, “I’m always trying to do the very best I can by empowering our team, by constantly training them, and by carefully listening to and evaluating what they say. I’ve learned this the hard way, but the lessons stayed with me.”
He has organized leadership meetings to prod employee learning and experience. Each department has its designated leader who is responsible for that department’s work product. He or she also conducts the leadership meetings. Knowledge is shared department-to-department so that everyone is in the loop on the firm’s activities and its cases. Each attorney has his or her own docket and is supported with another Associate Attorney and a partner in litigation support. The offices feature attorney lounges in an open seating plan that fosters interaction. The firm routinely has several attorneys working in the lounge together where they bounce ideas, strategies, and best practices off of one another.
“My management style is to work hard and to play hard. I look for the best talent that there is and then I do whatever is necessary to retain and grow that talent. That’s kind of been the ongoing recipe for success,” LaCour says.
He is not shy about bragging about the quality of his people. He singles out Lisa Noveck, Esq. Assistant Managing Attorney; Jameson Evans, Esq. Associate Attorney; Amanda Thompson, Esq. Trial Attorney; and Adrian Flores, Paralegal. EFLL has two incoming associate attorneys, Shayan
Shirkhodai and Ben Twisk, who were in the top 20 percent and top 10 percent at Loyola, respectively.
He calls Lisa Noveck a “future legal rockstar” whom he predicts will have her name embedded in many published opinions. Noveck recently spearheaded a successful appeal in the Court of Appeal for the State of California, Fourth District, (Anthony De Leon v. Pinnacle Property Management Services; (Super. Ct. No. 30-2020-01142813)) with significant implications for illegal arbitration agreements in the State of California. She is set to present oral argument in two separate appellate matters this summer. Noveck graduated from Loyola Law School within the top five percent of her graduating class, St. Thomas More, and Order of the Coif, and immediately became Employees First Labor Law’s top motion drafter, trial brief writer, and team lead for trial preparation. She has proven herself an exceptional brief and motion writer and was instrumental in developing the strategy that helped plaintiffs secure successful outcomes. She has also played a heavy role with LaCour in developing the mass tort approach to employment law for EFLL. She says, “The mass tort litigation style proves an effective approach to casting a much larger net for the number of people our firm can help in a wage and hour case where we know our initial client was just one of many employees subject to Labor Code violations.” Noveck was promoted to Assistant Managing Attorney in January 2024 to allow LaCour to take on more trials.
Evans is a proficient law and motion attorney and though early into his practice, already has years of hands-on firm experience at Employees First Labor Law handling all facets of litigation. He has participated in multiple trials, including
handling every facet of trial document preparation.
Thompson is trial counsel for Employees First Labor Law and is an accomplished second chair for trials. She was recruited from her class for the specific purpose of handling trials for the firm. She routinely participates in the questioning of witnesses and in the firm’s most recent trial, was tasked with the direct and cross examination of three witnesses. Thompson also spearheads the preparation of trial documents including jury instructions, special verdict forms, and motions in limine LaCour says, “During last few years we have focused on working up files to get significantly more value per file on average and we have accomplished that with our typical settlement being a multiple six-figure result if there’s insurance or an ability to pay by the defendant. We are now turning our focus to adding size and depth to the files by filing a number of actions against Defendants in an employment style mass torts manner. Over the past several years, through our successes we have experienced significant growth and we are poised to more than double the size of the firm. EFLL is now bigger than many employment law departments of the big law firms in our area.” n
Contact Employees First Labor Law P.C. 1 S Fair Oaks Avenue, Suite 200 Pasadena, California 91105 (310) 853-3461
www.employeesfirstlaborlaw.com
by Paula Black
Being a perfectionist can be an asset as a lawyer. It’s VERY important for you to get the details right when working on a client matter or appearing in court.
But in other ways, being a perfectionist can actually hold you back. Especially when it comes to business development. Being a perfectionist can keep you from making progress with plans that are good but perhaps not quite “perfect”… plans that would move your practice forward. Instead of sitting still. Here are three specific opportunities to STOP waiting for perfection and instead make progress. I’m sure there are many more that you could identify for yourself.
How many articles do you have on your computer that are mostly completed but you haven’t finalized yet? You may think they are not quite perfect yet … but meanwhile, how many opportunities have you missed out on because potential clients or referral sources haven’t seen the articles? If the articles or blog entries are very good … get them published and start building your credibility!
I encourage most of my clients to get very involved in a small number of strategically important organizations. This involvement is a chance for the lawyer to build key relationships and demonstrate his or her expertise in front of an important audience. But so many lawyers are afraid to put the wheels in motion because they haven’t figured out EXACTLY how they will respond to every
possible contingency that may come up in the next year. Don’t overthink it. Have confidence in yourself, in your abilities, and in your plan!
Unless you’ve got all the business you could ever want, both currently and in your pipeline for the future, it’s important to have a business development plan. And you need to devote time and strategic thought to creating this plan. But you can’t let your perfectionism make you obsessed with getting every single detail of every single initiative exactly right. Get started! Get out there! Build relationships and generate business! Don’t feel the need to figure out every last detail… you can adjust and adapt your plan as necessary. The important thing is that you’re out there doing it. n
Drawing on over twenty years’ experience in branding and positioning, Paula Black has advised law firms around the globe on everything from powerful and innovative design to marketing strategy and business growth. She is the award-winning author of The Little Black Book on Law Firm Branding & Positioning, The Little Black Book on Law Firm Marketing and Business Development, and The Little Black Book: A Lawyer’s Guide To Creating A Marketing Habit in 21 Days , as well as founder and President of Miami-based Paula Black & Associates. For more information visit www.paulablacklegalmarketing.com.
In the dynamic world of legal marketing, maintaining a robust and consistent online presence is more crucial than ever. The year 2024 brings with it new challenges and opportunities for law firms looking to enhance their digital footprint. At the heart of this effort lies an indispensable tool: the content calendar. In this blog, we’ll delve into how to create an effective content calendar specifically tailored to meet the unique needs of law firms.
Before diving into the nuts and bolts of creating a content calendar, it’s important to understand why it’s essential for your law firm:
• Consistency: A content calendar ensures regular posting, keeping your audience engaged and your firm’s name top of mind.
• Strategic Planning: By mapping out your content in advance, you can align your posts with key dates, events, and marketing goals.
• Resource Management: Allocating tasks and deadlines helps your team manage their workload efficiently.
• Performance Analysis: Tracking what content works and what doesn’t allows for data-driven decisions to improve future efforts.
Start by identifying what you aim to achieve with your content. Common goals for law firms might include:
• Generating Leads: Attracting potential clients who need legal services.
• Establishing Authority: Position your firm as a thought leader in specific areas of law.
• Client Retention: Providing valuable information to keep existing clients engaged and informed.
by Laurie Villanueva
Understanding your target audience is crucial for effective content creation. For law firms, your audience may include:
• Potential clients seeking legal advice.
• Current clients needing ongoing service updates.
• Other legal professionals and industry stakeholders.
Diversify your content to keep it engaging and relevant. Consider including:
• Blog Posts: In-depth articles on legal topics, case studies, and industry news.
• Social Media Posts: Short, timely updates and engaging visuals.
• Newsletters: Regular updates delivered directly to your subscribers’ inboxes.
• Videos and Webinars: Educational content that can be easily shared and consumed.
Organizing your content into themes can make the planning process smoother. For example:
• Monthly Themes: Focus on different practice areas each month (e.g., family law in January, corporate law in February).
• Seasonal Topics: Tie content to relevant seasonal events or holidays (e.g., tax law tips during tax season).
• Industry Events: Align content with significant legal conferences, seminars, or regulatory updates.
Now it’s time to plot your content on the calendar. Use a digital tool like Google Calendar, Trello, or a dedicated content management system (CMS) to keep everything organized. Key considerations include:
• Frequency: Decide how often you’ll post new content. A mix of weekly blog posts, daily social media updates, and monthly newsletters can work well.
• Deadlines: Set realistic deadlines for each piece of content, including drafts, reviews, and final publication dates.
• Assignments: Clearly assign tasks to team members to ensure accountability.
Ensuring your content is search engine optimized will help it reach a wider audience. Tips for legal content include:
• Keyword Research: Use tools like Google Keyword Planner to find relevant keywords. For example, “content creation for law firms.”
• On-Page SEO: Incorporate keywords naturally into your titles, headers, and body text.
• Backlinks: Link to authoritative sources and encourage other sites to link back to your content.
A content calendar is not a set-it-and-forget-it tool. Regularly review your analytics to gauge the effectiveness of your content strategy. Key metrics to track include:
• Engagement: Likes, shares, comments, and social media interactions.
• Traffic: Website visits, page views, and time spent on each page.
• Conversions: Leads generated, contact forms submitted, and new client inquiries.
Use this data to make informed adjustments to your content calendar, optimizing for what resonates most with your audience.
Several tools can assist in creating and managing an effective content calendar for your law firm:
• Google Calendar: Simple and versatile, ideal for basic scheduling.
• Trello: A visual project management tool perfect for teams.
• CoSchedule: A comprehensive content calendar tool with robust features tailored for marketers.
Creating an effective content calendar is a strategic move for any law firm looking to enhance its online presence in 2024. By defining your goals, understanding your audience, diversifying your content types, scheduling thoughtfully, optimizing for SEO, and regularly reviewing performance, you’ll be wellequipped to navigate the digital landscape and achieve your marketing objectives. n
As Content Manager, Laurie Villanueva writes and edits engaging copy for social media, website landing pages, digital ads, newsletters, and more. A graduate of Penn State University, Laurie has more than 14 years of copywriting experience. Learn more at: www. good2bsocial.com.
The Future Lawyer 2024 Conference was held in Boston, MA, and hosted by Ropes & Gray LLP in their Prudential Tower offices. This two-day event hosted private practicing attorneys the first day and corporate in-house personnel the second day.
The law firm day topics hovered mostly on how Generative and Predictive AI are gaining more steam in the legal industry, with the corporate agenda track more focused on change management. What was surprising to me? The general sentiment that Generative AI is still under development but will eventually create incredible solutions for a wide array of legal processes. Potential AI applications are outlined below.
The conference was emceed by Zach Abramowitz, Founder of Killer Whale Strategies, who kicked off the conference with opening remarks about the exciting growth of AI in the legal industry. His first and most powerful statement was on just one application of AI, “Legal Ops isn’t outsourcing their legal research questions”: the use of AI in Lexis Nexis and Westlaw has made it easier for in-house teams to do their own legal research rather than traditional outsourcing, and not enough teams are taking advantage of this new way of getting traditional legal work done.
In her keynote, International Legal Technology Association (ILTA) CEO Joy Heath Rush emphasized the value of “Innovation and the Race to be Second.” She highlighted at this conference that coming in second is still a win, contrasting it with the failure of those who merely follow the crowd like lemmings. She discussed the legal industry’s precedent-driven culture, noting that innovation isn’t limited to technology but can also mean improved processes. To innovate effectively, she advised defining success, setting realistic quality levels, valuing quick wins for hypothesis testing, reviewing, and iterating, and accepting limited failure to encourage safe innovation. Her key message: race to be second when it makes sense but avoid being a lemming.
In the “Building an Innovative Legal Workforce—Hiring Strategies and Skills for Private Practice Firms” panel, industry experts shared their insights on fostering innovation within law firms. Josh Rosenzweig of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP emphasized that innovation is about differentiation and driving change across departments. Steve Gluckman of Skillburst, a digital learning company for law firms, highlighted that innovation stems
by Rick Clark
from culture and doesn’t always require a technological component or grand initiatives. Amy Tenney Curen from Morrison & Foerster LLP underscored the importance of a growth mindset and broad thinking, while Madelyn Mateo from Skadden Arps LLP pointed to the necessity of creating a safe space for sharing ideas to encourage a culture shift.
When discussing how firms can empower employees to share innovative ideas, the panel agreed that an open and safe environment is crucial. Gluckman noted that client expectations are evolving, with clients demanding efficiency, effectiveness, and advanced technology and soft skills. Curen added that junior attorneys should be equipped with knowledge beyond traditional lawyering, including business acumen and relationship-building skills. Rosenzweig suggested that firms should also focus on improving operations to meet client needs.
Looking to the future, the panel discussed the evolving landscape of law firms with innovation and hiring. Curen observed a growing interest in technology among law school graduates and the need to adapt to the changing workforce, especially with GenZ. Gluckman proposed eliminating the “lawyer/non-lawyer” terminology to foster a unified firm culture. Mateo emphasized the importance of agility and iterative processes, while Rosenzweig highlighted the value of leveraging external partners to bridge gaps in workforce and technology.
Regarding new job skills, Mateo mentioned the need for expertise in product and project management, data understanding, and implementation. Rosenzweig emphasized the role of Customer Success Managers to support attorneys with technology platforms. The panel also discussed change management as a crucial component of professional development. Curen stressed the importance of aligning change management with the firm’s business strategy, while Gluckman advocated for microlearning and continuous education.
In closing, the panelists shared key insights for building an innovative legal workforce. Rosenzweig advised seeking curious candidates and aligning innovation teams with firm culture. Curen emphasized the importance of intentional planning and identifying champions. Gluckman encouraged embedding innovation throughout a company’s culture, and Mateo highlighted the value of ideas from all levels. Moderator Toby Franklin concluded with a reminder to be intentional about skill development and to look outside the organization for new perspectives.
In the “ABC of Legal Products” session, panelists delved into the evolving landscape of legal services, focusing on Alternative Legal Services Providers, Building New Solutions, and Meeting New Client Expectations. Thomas Hansteen, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer of legal tech company Etain, moderated the discussion with insights from Joe Davis, Management of Knowledge Management Solutions at Davis Wright Tremaine LLP; Peter Hitson, Director of Legal Project and Practice Management at Carlton Fields, LLP; Kyle Dumont, Sr. Director of Transformation and User Experience at Morgan Lewis & Backius LLP; and Jesse Klee, Practice Innovation Manager at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton.
Joe Davis emphasized the distinction between the practice and business of law, stressing that legal products should elevate the practice of law and enhance client relationships. Peter Hitson added that products should either simplify lawyers’ work or add client value to drive profitability. Kyle Dumont highlighted the importance of a firm’s brand perception in determining the products needed, while Jesse Klee discussed the balance between addressing business technology issues and maintaining focus on core legal practice.
The panelists debated the buy vs. build approach to legal technology. Hitson mentioned that while traditional sales processes are common, there’s a shift towards proactively defining business requirements before seeking solutions. Dumont noted the importance of understanding organizational culture and making a compelling case to stakeholders for any change. Klee warned against over-collaboration, suggesting a focused initial team for tech rollouts. Davis pointed out that sometimes existing technology can meet needs without new acquisitions.
The discussion turned to what triggers the search for new technology. Klee observed that many initiatives originate from attorneys’ experiences with technology but finding time for strategic planning amid daily work is challenging, as Dumont noted. Hitson recommended engaging with staff to identify challenges directly. Davis highlighted the difficulty of promoting new solutions without initial success, especially in a remote work environment.
When it comes to funding and measuring the success of technology implementations, Klee mentioned that budgets often come from IT or specific departments, with metrics like usage and feedback being crucial. Dumont suggested using Internal Net Promoter Scores to gauge success. Hitson emphasized the importance of showing ROI, particularly in the context of alternative fee arrangements. Davis pointed out that attorney satisfaction is a key indicator of a solution’s success, often assessed through direct feedback.
Finally, the panelists discussed preferences for building or buying solutions. Davis and Hitson preferred buying, noting the practicality of hybrid low-code options. Dumont described it as a spectrum, emphasizing outcome over process and the importance of providing value to clients. Klee expressed a desire to build more but acknowledged the practicality and lower risk of buying, especially with gaps in internal expertise. Dumont concluded that leveraging contractors and automation for iterative development can be effective, reinforcing that law firms should focus on their core competencies.
Overall, the session underscored the need for strategic, clientfocused approaches to innovation in legal services, balancing the benefits of building and buying technology solutions while keeping an eye on culture, practical implementation, and measurable success.
In the “Enhancing Litigation with Generative AI: Efficiency, eDiscovery and Future Prospects” session, Shannon Kirk, Managing Principal at Ropes & Gray, and Maribel Rivera of ACEDS explored the transformative impact of Generative AI (Gen AI) on litigation. Kirk highlighted that Gen AI is set to revolutionize budgeting and staffing in litigation, particularly in document review, which constitutes up to 80% of litigation costs. She raised concerns about how Gen AI will complicate ESI (Electronically Stored Information) protocols and the potential misuse of productions by opposing parties through AI.
Rivera noted the judiciary’s lack of familiarity with eDiscovery technology and their apprehension towards Gen AI and deepfakes. Kirk added that standing orders now often require certifications on the use of AI, which is not yet clearly defined. She shared insights on piloting various platforms for document review, pointing out that while auto-review can be more efficient, large document reviews still face significant cost and choke points—challenges she expects will soon be addressed.
Kirk reminisced about the evolution from manual document review in warehouses to current technologies like TAR (Technology-Assisted Review), predicting that AI will be the next major iteration. Rivera emphasized that attorneys are increasingly becoming storytellers through the use of AI.
When asked if Gen AI will leapfrog TAR or if both will coexist, both experts affirmed that there is room for both technologies. Kirk concluded by stressing the importance of developing ESI protocols and advocating to judges for the necessary adjustments to accommodate these advancements.
In the “Navigating Generative AI and Predictive AI in the Legal Landscape: Practical Insights Beyond the Hype” session, industry leaders discussed the practical applications and future potential of AI technologies in legal practice. Chris Haley, Vedika Mehera, James Ding, Dan Rabinowitz, and Nordo Nissi shared their expertise on how AI can be leveraged to enhance efficiency and accuracy in legal tasks.
Nordo Nissi of Goulston & Storrs highlighted the use of Generative AI (Gen AI) for case management tasks, such as analyzing deposition transcripts to identify specific issues and creating custodian profiles. Vedika Mehera, Orrick Labs emphasized AI’s role in legal research, summarizing depositions, and connecting ideas and concepts. James Ding, Draftwise, pointed out that in transactional law, AI helps in summarizing, extracting, and generating contract content, promoting consistency and efficiency. Dan Rabinowitz of Pre-Dicta explained that Predictive AI is uniquely used to predict behavior in court, like how Google serves ads based on user behavior.
The panel discussed how to identify and implement AI solutions. Mehera noted that innovation teams need to work closely with attorneys to build solutions tailored to specific challenges, breaking down big ideas into manageable steps. Nissi suggested examining write-offs to see if AI could help mitigate them. Ding emphasized that solving clients’ problems is key to success, while Mehera added that Gen AI has universal applications. The importance of internal champions was underscored by Nissi, who recommended using prompts like branded swag to remind teams to use the AI platforms. Rabinowitz highlighted the need to reassure attorneys that AI augments rather than replaces their expertise, enhancing case strategy.
The transition from identifying to adopting AI solutions was another focal point. Nissi stressed the need for internal champions and consistent reminders to encourage platform use. Rabinowitz and Ding both emphasized the importance of showing how AI can solve specific problems to drive adoption. Mehera mentioned that excitement about AI can motivate learning and adoption, while Ding predicted that the advancements in technology over the next five years would be astonishing. Haley added a powerful reminder: “If you don’t like change, you will like irrelevancy even less.”
The session concluded with reflections on the broader impact of AI. Haley remarked that while this isn’t the first technological revolution in the legal industry, the principles that got us here will continue to guide us, albeit in unpredictable ways. He also stressed the value of conferences and events in helping legal professionals stay ahead of the curve. As the panelists agreed, AI’s potential to transform the legal landscape is immense, and staying informed and adaptable will be crucial for success.
In the second day keynote session “Navigating the Winds of Change: Effective Change Management in Corporate Legal Teams,” Kyle Pankratz, VP of Legal Strategy at MasterCard, discussed the critical need for change management within legal departments. Pankratz emphasized that legal teams often
function as a “black box,” inherently resistant to change due to their traditional nature and fear of the unknown. This resistance makes effective change management essential for any transformation initiatives.
One of the primary obstacles to implementing change is the ad hoc approach often taken by legal teams. Pankratz argued that this is not a sustainable strategy. Instead, he proposed a method based on empathy, enthusiasm, and execution. By empathizing with team members, demonstrating genuine enthusiasm for the changes, and executing plans efficiently, leaders can ease the transition process. This approach helps to secure early buy-in from the teams affected, which is crucial for maintaining momentum throughout the rollout. As more team members adopt the changes, a positive feedback loop is created, encouraging even greater participation.
Pankratz illustrated his point with a powerful example: a video showing a lone dancer gradually joined by a crowd, symbolizing how initial buy-in can lead to widespread adoption. This example highlights the importance of getting a few people to commit early, as their participation can inspire others to follow.
In summary, effective change management in corporate legal teams requires a strategic approach that considers the audience and culture. By clearly demonstrating the value of the changes and addressing the challenges they solve, leaders can successfully kick off new initiatives and guide their teams through the winds of change.
In the session “Operating the Change: Navigating Change Management in Corporate Legal Teams,” industry experts shared their insights on adapting to cost structures and implementing new technologies within legal departments. Sam Breen, Legal Counsel Privacy at Philips North America; Frank Yu, Assistant General Counsel at GoDaddy; Martin Petraitis, Executive Vice President and Sr. Deputy General Counsel at Advance; Katya Fisher, Chief Legal Officer at Construction Group; and Derek Mogck, Head of Legal Operations at Munich Re America Services, Inc., provided a comprehensive overview of how their teams navigate change.
Derek Mogck emphasized the importance of aligning technological advancements with the specific needs of the legal department through a process of diagnosis and design. This approach ensures that any new initiatives are strategically relevant. Martin Petraitis highlighted the challenges faced by small legal departments with limited budgets. He pointed out that a tech-forward Chief Legal Officer (CLO) can play a pivotal role in forming committees to explore how AI can enhance processes. Petraitis also underscored the significance of involving legal operations in building contract lifecycle management (CLM) systems and suggested seeking advice from external sources who have undergone similar implementations to gain early buy-in.
Katya Fisher shared her perspective on the future of CLM, suggesting that the focus should shift to plug-ins and integrations rather than completely replacing existing technologies. She argued that incremental enhancements, such as those provided
by Microsoft Outlook, can often be more beneficial than disruptive overhauls. Frank Yu agreed on the utility of CLM as a central repository and anticipated the evolution towards a more advanced 2.0 version.
When it comes to upskilling legal teams and driving technology adoption, Mogck introduced the WILL framework: Why, Interest, Look, and Lean In. He advised starting with understanding the strategic alignment (“Why”), identifying team members’ interests (“Interest”), learning from other teams’ experiences (“Look”), and embracing new technologies proactively (“Lean In”). Yu added that effective change management involves recognizing the various personality types within legal teams and addressing their specific concerns. Understanding that change management is essentially pain management can aid in crafting effective change proposals.
Sam Breen cautioned against the “lift and shift” approach, which can obscure the challenges (“pain train”) associated with implementing changes. Instead, a transparent and wellstructured approach is necessary to ensure a smooth transition and adoption of new technologies.
In summary, navigating change management in corporate legal teams involves strategic alignment, incremental technological enhancements, comprehensive upskilling, and a keen understanding of team dynamics. By following these guidelines, legal departments can effectively manage change and drive innovation.
In the recent panel on “Maximizing Legal Efficiency: Strategies for Flexibility and Innovation,” industry leaders Kiran Mallavarapu (Executive Vice President, Legal Operations at Liberty Mutual Insurance), Sara Ann Ludwiszewski (Legal Shared Services at Salesforce), Kate Corrie (General Counsel at Comply360/Vistair), Colleen E. Freeman (VP Global Litigation at UnitedLex), and Shannon Moesaa (VP Commercial and Healthcare Compliance Counsel at Karuna Therapeutics) discussed the crucial role of innovation and technology in modern legal departments.
Kate Corrie emphasized that legal departments must look beyond their own scope and consider the broader organization to keep pace with change. As business operations increasingly rely on mobile technology, legal teams need to ensure they can respond flexibly and efficiently to business objectives. Colleen Freeman highlighted the rise of remote work, which has amplified the role of Alternative Legal Service Providers (ALSPs) as partners to in-house legal teams. ALSPs help vet new technologies, saving time and resources for in-house departments. Sara Ann Ludwiszewski shared how Salesforce’s legal operations leverage their platform for comprehensive project management, from intake to completion, while enabling management to track project statuses effectively. Shannon Moesaa noted the importance of aligning legal innovations with corporate goals, citing the use of chatbots to manage requests as an example of leveraging emerging technologies for flexibility and efficiency.
When it comes to prioritizing innovation, Shannon Moesaa suggested focusing on low-hanging fruit and initiatives that simplify processes, such as setting up online forms to reduce time spent on requests. Creating roadmaps for infrastructure development, spanning one to three years and beyond, helps guide these efforts. Sara Ann Ludwiszewski pointed out that prioritization often depends on who is requesting the technology or service, with requests from the C-suite typically taking precedence.
Kate Corrie defined innovation as creatively solving problems, sometimes using existing resources rather than adopting new technologies. Understanding the tools already in place can often lead to effective solutions. Shannon Moesaa added that it’s essential to understand problems from various perspectives— legal, compliance, business—and start with small tweaks. Sara Ann Ludwiszewski noted that sometimes innovation involves identifying and discontinuing practices that no longer serve the organization effectively.
Colleen Freeman underscored the importance of agility in regulated industries, where compliance requirements frequently change. Leveraging tools and processes, such as Generative AI, can aid in updating policies and procedures swiftly in response to new regulations.
In summary, the panelists agreed that the key to maximizing legal efficiency lies in embracing both technological advances and strategic innovation. By prioritizing initiatives that align with broader business goals and starting with manageable changes, legal departments can enhance their flexibility and responsiveness, driving greater efficiency and effectiveness.
As you can see, the two-day conference covered a lot of ground from artificial intelligence, legal operations, eDiscovery, and change management. Typically, I attend eDiscovery conferences where the content is near-exclusively focused on how to modernize processes in AI and data discovery. It was enlightening to be exposed to many other aspects of legal technology, including leading innovation and change management initiatives, and the practical application of GenAI for legal. n
Rick Clark is the VP of Strategic Partnerships at CloudNine, Rick leverages his expertise in eDiscovery and modern data to empower clients, employees, and the industry with the latest technology and workflows. He is also a prolific speaker, writer, and consultant, who shares his knowledge and passion with diverse audiences and stakeholders. Rick’s mission is to drive innovation and education in the field of eDiscovery and investigations, and to help organizations and professionals achieve their goals. Learn more at: www.cloudnine.com.
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Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP attorneys fight every day to obtain justice for our clients and make a difference in their lives. But our expertise in personal injury litigation doesn’t stop at the California state line. With 20 attorneys licensed in Nevada, we have obtained record r esults in the state. The firm welcomes all joint venture opportunities, including with attorneys who want to stay more actively involved in a case.