Building A Law Firm Intranet
March 30, 2006
The intranet has developed into the preferred platform for internal communication within many law firms. <br>Similar to the Web, there is a lot of value to be gained from a strong intranet presence. Everyone had his or her own ideas on what should be included and posted on the intranet. After a number of group meetings with IT, each department was given a page with basic components.
Translating Professional Development Into Business
March 30, 2006
How do you get the highest and best use out of your firm's professional development investment, over and above the clear benefit to your own lawyers and staff? Odds are there is a huge amount of intellectual property already in existence as a result of your firm's internal programs. Consider turning what is a valuable cost center into an invaluable business development resource.
Growth Potential: Law Firm Earns $900,000 Selling Services Online to Clients
March 30, 2006
London-based Eversheds recently won the 2005 'Best Use of Technology' award from the European Managing Partners Forum. The annual practice-management competition is open to law, accounting, property management, management consulting and other professional services firms. Categories cover marketing, human resources programs, diversity efforts, financial management and more.
<b>Media & Communications Corner</b>Securing Media Coverage in Key Publications
March 30, 2006
Over the next few months in our monthly column on media relations, Jaffe Associates' media relations team will take a closer look at several of the top publications for legal coverage. We will interview the editors and reporters who cover the news and bring you their perspective on what is important to them and the direction in which they think legal reporting is heading.<br>Our first article in the series looks at the Wall Street Journal Law Page. In January of this year, the WSJ greatly expanded its online coverage of legal issues with a new page dedicated to law-related content and launched a legal industry blog, the only one of its kind by a major daily. We sat down with <b>Ashby Jones</b>, the editor of the page, and <b>Peter Lattman</b>, a WSJ Online legal reporter and the primary writer for the blog, to learn more about the page and its content.
<b>Meyerowitz on Marketing:</b> Lawsuits Too Bad To Be True
March 30, 2006
Lawyers have long been the subject of jokes and put downs, but apocryphal anecdotes demeaning lawyers, the courts, or the legal system particularly irk Karen M. Balaban, a Harrisburg attorney and one of three chairs of the Pennsylvania Bar Association's Public Relations Implementation Task Force Committee. Lawyers, she believes, 'should not allow these urban legends to proliferate' to the detriment of lawyers and judges and the public's opinion of the profession. Instead, Balaban says, lawyers, who are trained to help adjudicators find the truth, 'should be more conscious about getting at the facts of the matter.' Balaban emphasizes that faux facts make all lawyers look bad, and asserts that lawyers should investigate and then, when they discover that some stories are false, should say, 'these things are not true.'
Use Marketing Technology to Get a Foot in the Door
March 30, 2006
'Who knows whom?' That's the question. <br>In today's hypercompetitive legal marketplace, the need to leverage information is at an all-time high. It's no longer sufficient to rely solely on law school, a golf club or other social affiliations to get new business. While relationships are still key to opening doors, winning the work requires more.
How To Be Among the 'Listed'
March 30, 2006
Legal publications' lists of lawyers can increase the reputation of a particular attorney, practice or law firm. While getting listed can be a boon for a firm's marketing efforts and for lateral and associate recruiting, unfortunately, 'Sorry, maybe next year,' is the most common phrase heard by law firms vying for these sought after spots.
Think Inside The Box
March 30, 2006
As much as we might try to brand, differentiate, cross-market, and otherwise distinguish our law firms in the legal services marketplace, a law firm's success ultimately comes down to individual lawyers. They are the ones who must bring in the business, retain it and grow it. That is good reason for law firm marketing departments to focus on their internal clients first and foremost. Think inside the box, then build outward to devise strategies and tactics for building and retaining external clients.
