The Topography of a Strong Attorney Biography

First, when an attorney describes what legal matters she has and does handle, she needs to be as specific as possible and include as many details as she can.

Describing a legal matter or case sometimes requires asking for client approval, to speak about a specific matter. That leads, of course, to asking a client if he can mention them (the “for whom”). Attorneys are often hesitant to ask clients if they can mention them in marketing materials, etc., but clients are asked that all the time — competitors do it constantly so you should, too.

There are also a number of firms — some I have worked for — that include verbiage in the engagement letter to approve the use of the client's name for promotional purposes. Clients use their client names in their promotional materials, why shouldn't you use theirs? Using client names and results are one of the most powerful forms of third-party endorsements. Prospective clients use this information when selecting a firm — so your attorneys should do their best to gain clients' approval.

Another valuable tool is mini “case studies” included in lawyer bios. Essentially, these case sketches tell the story of a matter in an interesting and compelling way. Lawyers need to ensure that the information has been made public and the client knows it will be made public, via their lawyer's bio.

Always leave them wanting more. Encourage lawyers to resist the temptation to include everything he/she has done since law school. They can always share more later, but on the website, attorneys should share just enough information to pique a client's interest.

Bio Dos

• Be authentic and unique. In the interest of full disclosure, as a consultant I worked on a number of Bryan Cave bios and the way they are written make them very authentic and communicate who the attorney is, his or her personality, etc. Bryan Cave also set the bios up with a final section called “The Bottom Line,” which was a great opportunity to present a pithy statement about the attorney and allows the attorney to present him- or herself as real and unique. Here's an example of The Bottom Line:

John masterfully manages his clients' real estate deals, coordinates all the moving parts and efficiently works with all the parties involved to ensure that clients get the best results.

• Lead with the lede. Another element of a solid bio is beginning with a good lede (an old journalism term that means the opening sentence summarizing the most important aspects of the story). Some attorney bios begin with “Mary Smith is a senior partner in the firm's corporate practice and is the former head of the firm's San Francisco office,” or something similar to that. This approach does not articulate a clear picture about Mary's practice or what she does, whereas the lede below begins strongly and describes exactly what Jack does right away (this is also very helpful with SEO, which we will address later.)

In his counsel to public and private companies, Jack Sprat often serves as deal steward and outside corporate counsel, quarterbacking the deal process from pre-sale through closing and positioning clients for expansion, strategic partnerships and changes in ownership.

• Be approachable. Clients seek competent attorneys, but they also want to work with solid individuals. Constructing an inviting bio helps draw in the reader to want to read more. Composing bios in this manner also helps the attorney present him-/herself as a real person — and given the importance of developing solid relationships with clients, having clients know who an attorney is in addition to what she does can make a significant difference in developing those relationships. Below is an example of how an attorney can clearly communicate her essence:

Jane Doe is an attorney who cares about her clients and her community. Her professional and personal philosophy includes giving back in ways that make a meaningful impact to the local and global communities to which she dedicates her practice.

Bio Don'ts

• Bore/talk down to your reader. Sometimes, attorneys write their bios considering how they will be perceived and the bios either put the reader to sleep or the lawyer alienates the reader by delivering an often unintended message that the lawyer is smarter/better than the reader. Remember, clients are busy, smart people — don't put them to sleep or insult them. It's best practice to request that a colleague provide candid feedback to a draft bio before it is finalized.
• Dwell on the past. Unless it's a U.S. Supreme Court win or a multi-billion-dollar deal, attorneys shouldn't include matters that are older than five years. There are always some exceptions, but they should try hard to keep matter information current. Clients look at that and want to know what an attorney has done recently, not 10 years ago.
• Use legal jargon. Save legal jargon for legal briefs. Legal jargon has its place, but not in a lawyer bio. Remember not every client who is reading attorney bios is a general counsel. CEOs, COOs and others routinely review attorney bios. Using legal jargon is a turn off, can be too cumbersome to wade through and is likely to cross an attorney off a short list.
• Be braggadocios. Caution your lawyers to go easy on the self-promotion. A little chest-beating is okay, but too much is too much. Arrogance is a client repellant. Humility is a much more appealing “voice” that can attract more interest.

In Part Two, we'll look at how to effectively use social media, including search engine optimization (SEO), to make your attorneys' bios attractive to search engines.

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John J. Buchanan, Senior Manager of Communications at Sheppard Mullin, provides senior level public relations and communications counsel to lawyers. He can be reached at [email protected], 415-774-3181.