Note from the Editor

Before I talk about this month's issue I wanted to take this opportunity to remind everyone that there will be a special July/August issue of Marketing The Law Firm in which we will have the listing of the top 50 law firms in marketing and communications. We have received many entries but some firms are missing. And so, if you have not submitted an entry, we are going to make every effort to include those firms that the Advisory Board deems appropriate to be part of this seminal listing. The list is going to be an important barometer for our profession. Just to be clear this listing is not being created as a vanity piece. It is going to be a clear depiction of the state of law firm marketing vis-a-vis the firms that take this profession seriously and have contributed to its development and growth. If you have questions about this list and for whatever reason you have determined that your firm doesn't need to be on this list, you might want to rethink that decision. You can contact me directly and I promise you that in just a short dialogue, I can highlight why your firm should be on the list. I will ask a few questions and you will give me some answers. It will not be all that difficult. Even if you believe that your firm has name recognition when it comes to marketing and communications, you know that the triumphs and tragedies that made your programs and strategies work are often lost in translation. This top 50 list is a place where all that hard work can be recognized in the company of your peers.

We have been receiving many requests from authors to publish original content articles in our newsletter. This, of course, makes us all proud. I wanted to share with you the fact that many of these writers have told me personally that they think MLF is a “stand out” publication in the world of law firm marketing and communications. This month's issue is no exception. Craig Levinson, Director of Business Development & Marketing at the national firm of Brown Raysman Millstein Felder & Steiner and Gabriel Miller, General Counsel of Captivate Network, a Gannett Company based in Westford, MA, have co-authored an article focusing on law firm marketing and sales from the client side. In a similar vein, Larry Bodine and Michael Cummings have contributed a great piece on best practices impacting cross marketing and selling new services to clients. In keeping with these two articles, this month's Media and Communications column, authored by Jay Jaffe and Annette Boyle, talks about how media mentions can strongly support a firm's sales efforts.

This month we have with us three new authors: Gina Rubel, an attorney and founder of Furia Rubel Communications, and Laura Athavale Fitton, Principal of Pistachio Consulting, have co-authored an article on the opportunities that may be out there when a crisis occurs. Their usage of Chinese symbols to evoke the theme of their piece is, in my view, a very interesting way to frame the subject. We also have with us a law firm administrator ' Charles Gillis of Brown & Hofmeister in Richardson, TX. Charles reviews the book Free Publicity by Jeff Crilley, who as a television reporter shares his secrets of getting covered in the news.

Finally, we have an article by my colleague and friend, Paramjit Mahli, the Managing Director for Sun Communications Group. In her fresh, and ever candid, style Paramjit addresses “How Not to Get 'Whacked' by Journalists”.

And don't forget … the MLF 50 Advisory Board will be working hard to present the top 50 firms … be there!

' Elizabeth Anne “Betiayn” Tursi, Editor-in-Chief

Before I talk about this month's issue I wanted to take this opportunity to remind everyone that there will be a special July/August issue of Marketing The Law Firm in which we will have the listing of the top 50 law firms in marketing and communications. We have received many entries but some firms are missing. And so, if you have not submitted an entry, we are going to make every effort to include those firms that the Advisory Board deems appropriate to be part of this seminal listing. The list is going to be an important barometer for our profession. Just to be clear this listing is not being created as a vanity piece. It is going to be a clear depiction of the state of law firm marketing vis-a-vis the firms that take this profession seriously and have contributed to its development and growth. If you have questions about this list and for whatever reason you have determined that your firm doesn't need to be on this list, you might want to rethink that decision. You can contact me directly and I promise you that in just a short dialogue, I can highlight why your firm should be on the list. I will ask a few questions and you will give me some answers. It will not be all that difficult. Even if you believe that your firm has name recognition when it comes to marketing and communications, you know that the triumphs and tragedies that made your programs and strategies work are often lost in translation. This top 50 list is a place where all that hard work can be recognized in the company of your peers.

We have been receiving many requests from authors to publish original content articles in our newsletter. This, of course, makes us all proud. I wanted to share with you the fact that many of these writers have told me personally that they think MLF is a “stand out” publication in the world of law firm marketing and communications. This month's issue is no exception. Craig Levinson, Director of Business Development & Marketing at the national firm of Brown Raysman Millstein Felder & Steiner and Gabriel Miller, General Counsel of Captivate Network, a Gannett Company based in Westford, MA, have co-authored an article focusing on law firm marketing and sales from the client side. In a similar vein, Larry Bodine and Michael Cummings have contributed a great piece on best practices impacting cross marketing and selling new services to clients. In keeping with these two articles, this month's Media and Communications column, authored by Jay Jaffe and Annette Boyle, talks about how media mentions can strongly support a firm's sales efforts.

This month we have with us three new authors: Gina Rubel, an attorney and founder of Furia Rubel Communications, and Laura Athavale Fitton, Principal of Pistachio Consulting, have co-authored an article on the opportunities that may be out there when a crisis occurs. Their usage of Chinese symbols to evoke the theme of their piece is, in my view, a very interesting way to frame the subject. We also have with us a law firm administrator ' Charles Gillis of Brown & Hofmeister in Richardson, TX. Charles reviews the book Free Publicity by Jeff Crilley, who as a television reporter shares his secrets of getting covered in the news.

Finally, we have an article by my colleague and friend, Paramjit Mahli, the Managing Director for Sun Communications Group. In her fresh, and ever candid, style Paramjit addresses “How Not to Get 'Whacked' by Journalists”.

And don't forget … the MLF 50 Advisory Board will be working hard to present the top 50 firms … be there!

' Elizabeth Anne “Betiayn” Tursi, Editor-in-Chief