The firms that succeed in business development don’t just rely on a handful of rainmakers. Instead, they build systems, mindsets, and cultures that support relationship-driven growth at scale. To illustrate what this looks like in action, I sat down with three professionals who live and breathe it every day.
Generative AI is here to stay. The firms that succeed will not be those running the most pilots, but those that build deliberate strategies, align leadership, and embed AI into the way work gets done.
In today’s legal marketplace, AI-powered algorithms have become the new gatekeepers of visibility and credibility. As these algorithms scan, validate and surface expertise, the traditional legal PR playbook, centered on press releases announcing lateral hires, client wins or firm milestones, is losing impact. Success now depends on understanding how AI evaluates expertise through third-party endorsement and on adapting PR strategies accordingly.
As law firms race to modernize, the differentiator won't be access to AI, but how leadership guides its adoption. A new era demands a human-driven approach: one that can articulate vision, lead through change, reshape culture and reengage people.
For legal marketers LinkedIn remains a valuable social media platform in the toolbox. And despite the buzz around newer platforms or shifting algorithms, its role in marketing has only grown more central.
A crisis can greatly threaten an organization's reputation and operational stability. Whether a major product failure, cyberattack, or public health scandal, how a company reacts can define its future. Recent crises involving industry giants underscore the need for a coordinated response that integrates both legal and public relations expertise.
The more we become commodities — and most legal marketers are happy to assist in this process — then the less we can charge our clients, the less we can match up with the right clients, and the easier we are to be replaced by AI. The old tricks that fooled Google will soon stop working.
Over the past six to 12 months, the way people consume, interact with and trust media has undergone a dramatic transformation. From shrinking newsrooms and skyrocketing social media use to the rise of “newsfluencers,” the world of media relations is no longer what it was even a year ago. For law firms, this changing environment presents a critical choice to either adapt or get left behind.
By partnering with the firm’s professional development or talent team, marketing and communications professionals can provide cost-effective in-house training on nonlegal skills that are critical to a lawyer’s success in today’s client-driven market.
As AI continues its rapid march through the legal industry, law firms are facing a new kind of strategic imperative. No longer is the question whether to use AI — but rather how to do so responsibly, effectively and competitively.
