Constant Content : Legal Ghostwriting & Content : Janet Raasch : Copy for Lawyers & Attorneys, Law Firm Business Development

Here is part four of my article on broadcast journalism for lawyers and law firms:

Using the Internet, lawyers and law firms can bypass the traditional mainstream media entirely and self-broadcast their own video and audio – on their own Web sites or on sites that accept user-generated broadcast content.

 

When lawyers appear on television or radio, law firms can post links on their Web sites or blogs or even request the files for posting.  In addition, using inexpensive equipment and applications, they can easily create their own video and audio podcasts for download from law firm Web sites.  It helps to have a good video/audio editor on staff.  In this day and age, no lawyer presentation should go unrecorded.  Law firms can also “broadcast” these reputation-building podcasts to clients and prospects via email alerts.

 

Once created, law-firm-generated video and audio can also be posted on a wealth of online content sites, which provide automatic RSS feeds that attract search engines.  (RSS should also be added to any of your own Web site content.) 

 

The line between print, broadcast and online news has become increasingly blurred.  Print publications host audio and video on the Web sites – some of it generated by professionals and some of it contributed by “citizen journalists.”  Television and radio station Web sites also include text and photographs.

 

A law firm, for example, that cannot get the local TV station to cover the opening of its remodeled lobby can now make its own video and post in on the station’s well-optimized Web site.

 

All modern media sites host blogs by their reporters, which can include links to video and audio.  All of them offer versions for mobile devices.  All of them offer subscriptions via Facebook, Twitter, RSS, email or text.  All of them accept user contributions.

 

Law-firm-produced video and audio can also be easily posted on a wide range of social networking sites like LinkedIn, Facebook and Martindale-Hubbell Connected.  It can be added to social content sites like JDSupra, Legal OnRamp and HubStreet.  Legal Talk Network is a “talk radio” vehicle for lawyers and law firms.  Savvy lawyers and law firms are even posting their own videos (and broadcast ads) on YouTube.

 

Finally, use Twitter to send out a short notification and a link every time you appear in the traditional broadcast media or self-broadcast your own video and audio content.

 

Be that lawyer!  By consistently and carefully pitching, catching and self-promoting -- using traditional and online broadcast media -- lawyers and law firms can optimize search engine results and successfully spread the word about their professional expertise.

Here is a link to the entire article:

Lawyers and law firms:  Broadcast your expertise, build your reputation

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Here is part three of my article on broadcast journalsim for lawyers and law firms:

 

In the case of a breaking news stories, news directors and reporters often come to you – looking for a comment (if you are directly involved in the story) or background (if you are an expert in a particular subject area).

 

If you are involved in a newsworthy event, understand that “no comment” is a terrible response to a media inquiry – especially if you are captured fleeing on camera with your hand in front of your face.  If the case or matter is truly newsworthy, the story will appear with or without your input.  Strategize with your client and, with the client’s permission, make sure that your client’s point of view is included in a dignified fashion in the report.

 

If you are asked to provide background on breaking news in which you have no direct involvement, it is usually because you have let the stations know ahead of time that you are an expert, are available to comment, and can speak coherently and intelligently in front of a camera or microphone.  Do not be afraid to make this contact.  Broadcast reporters are always interested in deepening their pool of qualified legal experts.

 

It never hurts to be on-site, either.  When terror suspect Najibullah Zazi was inside the Denver Federal Courthouse, hundreds of reporters were waiting outside for hours in the frigid winter weather.  Local lawyer and media commentator Craig Silverman was not sitting behind his desk waiting for the phone to ring.  Instead, he braved the weather to circulate in the crowd of local, national and international reporters.  As a result, his face and voice were all over the evening news.

 

Be aware of a major change in the way modern news directors and reporters “catch” their stories and expert commentators in the Internet age – Google and other search engines.  According to recent reports, 85 percent of all reporters use Google on a daily basis.  If you want the call to comment on a particular legal development, your name must show up in Google results for the keywords used by a researching reporter.

Here is a link to the complete article:

Lawyers and law firms:  Broadcast your expertise, build your reputation

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“Pitching” to the traditional broadcast media

Here is part two of my article on broadcast journalism for lawyers and law firms:

When “pitching” news to the traditional broadcast media, remember that it has to be real news – and not self-promotion.  News is information that a station’s viewers or listeners need to know in order to make good decisions about their personal and business lives.  Always emphasize how your story will be of value to viewers or listeners.

 

In other words, news is important to people outside the law firm – not inside the firm. It often contains an additional element of new, first, best or most.

 

News that an associate has made partner, for example, is not likely to generate coverage.  That happens all the time.  News that the new partner is a deaf, orphaned, immigrant associate who worked his or her way through college and law school in the mail room at your firm might generate interest.

 

Make the story as easy as possible for the reporter.  Never mail a press release.  Call or email the right reporter with your story idea.  If the reporter expresses interest, send additional information.  New on the scene is the electronic press release, which includes not only background, but also direct email links to your experts as well as online links to photos, audio, video and other related news stories and Web sites.  Imagine how helpful this material can be to a reporter rushing to complete a story on deadline!

 

Broadcast news directors and reporters like to produce exclusives – stories that none of the competitors can cover.  Offer exclusives – and honor them.

 

Once the station has expressed interest in your pitch, time is of the essence.  Broadcast news directors and reporters face multiple deadlines each and every day (with Internet publishing, the deadline has become “right now”), and are driven to feature their stories in a timely fashion – preferably sooner than anyone else.  Make sure that you are actually available, at work or at home, in person or by phone (in the case of radio) to do the interview on deadline.

 

Think like a broadcast reporter.  Television stations like stories that offer more than “talking heads.”  They can be attracted to a story that includes a good visual setting, physical activity and interesting props.  Radio stations find “value added” in stories with interesting sound effects (like an IP case involving recorded music).

 

Finally, know what you are going to say and who is going to say it – even before “pitching” the broadcast media.  Practice in advance the 30-second “sound bites” you will use.  Videotape and review them.  Work with a media expert if necessary.

Here is a link to the complete article:

Lawyers and law firms:  Broadcast your expertise, build your reputation

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Recently, I posted an article on broadcast journalism in the Internet age.  The article was based on a panel discussion and I felt, after I'd written it, that I wanted to expand the article to include points not made by the panelists.  So I wrote another article on the subject of lawyers, law firms and broadcast journalism.  Here is the introduction (the entire article will appear over the next few days):

“Hey, you’re that lawyer!  The lawyer from the TV news about that case last night!  The lawyer who was interviewed on public radio regarding that issue last week!  The lawyer on the podcast about pending industry regulation that I downloaded and listened to last month!  You’re obviously the expert.  Let’s talk.”

 

Under national and state bar ethics rules, lawyers usually cannot call themselves experts in a given subject area.  But they can use broadcast media to position themselves as experts in the eyes of consumers of legal services.

 

Until recently, it took a lot of work with a public relations expert for a lawyer to appear on television or radio as an expert.  Broadcasters owned and controlled the airwaves, and access was limited.

 

Over the past ten years, with the advent of the Internet, the rules of the game have changed completely.  Today, users own and control the Internet, and access is unlimited.  There are many more opportunities to “broadcast” your expertise than ever before.

Upcoming sections include:

       "Pitching" to the traditional broadcast media

       "Catching" from the traditional broadcast media

       "Self-broadcasting" in the world of social media

For the impatient, here's a link to the entire article:

Lawyers and law firms:  Broadcast your expertise, build your reputation

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When it comes to the latest developments in social media usage, Kevin O'Keefe of LexBlog is one of the best resources around.  Go to his blog and subcribe to his feed!  Just this weekend, he added two posts that are must-reads for anyone in the legal marketing profession.

And he's not afraid to evolve with the times and trends.  Last year, O'Keefe advised his lawyer/clients to stick with the "big three" of blogging, Twitter and LinkedIn.  On Saturday, based on the latest stats on the meteoric growth of Facebook, he noted that "more people are hanging out on Facebook than any other place on the net" and added Facebook to this list.  "With the world going to Facebook, how can I ignore it and survive as a successul business leader?"

Today, O'Keefe reported on a recently released social media study from the Nielsen Company, which states that the time spent by Americans on social media sites increased 210 percent in 2009 (the increase was 82 percent for global users).  The top U.S. social media sites are Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, Classmates and LinkedIn.

O'Keefe concludes his post by questioning the fact that -- in spite of these statistics -- 45 percent of US law firms continue to block the use of social media and social networking sites.

I agree completely.  Law firms need to trust their lawyers to act appropriately in "public."  You don't ask them to stay home from "real world" business networking opportunities on the off chance that they'll say something inappropriate.  Social networking sites are no different.

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According to a post by Larry Bodine, an overwhelming majority of reporters and editors now depend on social media sources when researching their stories.  Larry gets his data from a national survey conducted by Cision and Don Bates of George Washington University.

89 percent use blogs for story research

65 percent use social networks for story research

61 percent use Wikipedia for story research

52 percent use microblogs like Twitter for story research

Mainstream media have clearly hit a tipping point in their reliance on social media for research and reporting.  What do reporters and editors find out about you when they search these sources while researching and writing an article?

Have you populated blogs, social networks, content sites, Wikis and Twitter with the kind of informative, useful content that positions you as a reputable source for a reporter or editor?

Create good content.  Post it on sites that accept user-generated content.

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Thanks to the Internet, the line between print, radio and television news has become increasingly blurred.

Print publications host audio and video on their Web sites -- some of it generated by professionals and some of it by "citizen journalists."  Radio and television station Web sites include not only audio and video podcasts, but also text and photographs.

All of these sites host blogs by their reporters, which can include links to audio and video.  All of them offer versions for mobile devices.  All of them offer subscriptions via LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, RSS, email or text message.  All of them accept user contributions.

Any lawyer, law firm or professional service provider can get into the broadcast game, publishing original audio and video content on their own Web sittes or on a wide variety of user-populated "content" sites like YouTube.  To see the entire article:

Lawyers and law firms:  Broadcast journalism in the Internet age

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Kevin O'Keefe of LexBlog posts that social media are being used by nearly all Inc. 500 companies. 

If you're a law firm not using social media,  how are you to engage and network with corporations who are effectively  using blogs, Twitter, Facebook and the like to build relationships?  Aren't you going to be viewed as an outsider looking in?  To leaders of America's fastest-growing companies, isn't your law firm going to look behind the times?

Amen, Kevin.

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The recent economic crisis has had a significant impact on everyone -- including most law firms.  The following article summarizes a presentation made Nov. 10 by Kristin Stark of Hildebrandt International to the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Legal Marketing Association.  In this presentation, Stark presents and interprets  third-quarter 2009 Hildebrant Peer Monitor index results.  She also specifically addresses the impact that the economy has had on the marketing function at most law firms.

Hildebrandt interprets impact of economic crisis on legal industry (download)

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Although the number of lawyers on LinkedIn is steadily increasing, very few of them are taking full advantage of the site's potential as an inexpensive thought-leadership and business development tool.  This article is a synopsis of a presentation on LinkedIn and other social networks made by John Reed of Jaffe Associates and Laura Hazen of Ireland Stapleton Pryor & Pasco.

LinkedIn:  Lawyers and law firms can use social networks to develop new business

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Reporters, editors and publishers from the mainstream media now rely on social media to learn about breaking news -- and to locate resources for the stories they write and publish.  In this Sept. 24 Webinar, Kevin O'Keefe of Lexblog discusses how lawyers and law firms can use social media to create and nurture relationships with mainstream media. 

In this Webinar, O'Keefe discusses how to use social media to listen -- to clients, prospective clients, referral sources and influencers (reporters, bloggers, associations and publishers).

Once you have listened carefully and know what interests these parties, you can use social media to create a relationship and give reporters, editors and publishers the information they need to know in order to do their jobs.  If you've done your homework, they will appreciate your input.

In addition, O'Keefe discusses the correct way to cite and build upon the work of others in your own blog and in social networks -- and let them know how your efforts have increased their circulation.  He also discusses the role played by Twitter in "getting out the news" about your practice or firm.

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Now more than ever, law firms of all sizes need good leadership in order to thrive.  The characteristics that traditionally make a good practicing lawyer, however, are quite different from the characteristics that make a good leader -- or a good follower.  It's time to change that tradition. 

This article is a synopsis of a presentation made to the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Legal Marketing Association by Mark Beese of Leadership for Lawyers, who discusses the importance of leadership in law firms and how to transform good lawyers into good leaders as well.

Good lawyers.  Good leaders.  Are they mutually exclusive?

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According to research conducted for LexisNexis, 86 percent of lawyers under the age of 35 are members of social networks like LinkedIn, Facebook and MySpace.  Among lawyers age 46 and older, a surprising 66 percent are members of social media.  Obviously, the role of social networks in marketing a law practice cannot be ignored.

These stats were cited in an article that appeared in Sunday's The New York Times.  The article has received a lot of attention because it discusses the situation of a lawyer who was reprimanded and fined by the Florida Bar Association for an intemperate blog post.

All of those lawyers -- younger and older -- who are now using social media would to well to remember that publishing is publishing.  The ethics requirements governing the conduct of lawyers don't change just because you are online.  Use social media -- but do not publish anything there that you would not publish in a magazine or newspaper.

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You've heard of speed dating and speed networking -- but what about speed marketing?

The Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Legal Marketing Association recently adapted the format of "speed" networking for social and business purposes to a "speed" exchange of marketing tips among local lawyers, legal marketers and consultants to the legal industry.  For a synopsis of these tips, go to the following link:

Each one, teach one

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My friend John Temple is now blogging about journalism and the media at Temple Talk.  John is the former editor, president and publisher of the Rocky Mountain News, which printed its final edition -- after nearly 150 years -- earlier this year.

John blogs about online journalism and its impact (positive and negative) on traditional media.  Recent posts include "Pulitzers lost, what a cost," which explores the impact on public discourse when thousands of professional journalists lose their jobs.  In this series, he interviews winners of the Pulitzer Prize who are no longer at a newspaper -- for their reflections on what happened to their careers and how they view the future of journalism.  Thought-provoking stuff.

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Anyone who questions the value of social media in the realm of reputation management should ask United Airlines.  A Canadian musician who had a bad experience with United created a music video and posted it earlier this month on YouTube -- "United Breaks Guitars."  So far, it has been viewed by more than 4.3 million people.  Within four days of posting, United's stock had declined by ten percent.  Cause and effect or random coincidence?  It remains to be seen.

In the era of social media, anyone can be a publisher or producer.  There is no longer a need to go through the editors of print or electronic publications or the gatekeepers of public events in order to have your say.  Not only can you produce and publish your own unfiltered content, but you need be aware of content published about you by others.  After this video came out, United offered (finally) to replace the musician's guitar.  By then, the damage had already been done.

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Todd Defren of SHIFT Communications just posted an nice video (just short of 15 minutes) on his blog (www.pr-squared.com), in which he discusses the value of content marketing.  He describes content marketing as what you bring to the neighborhood pot luck.  If your neighbors are all lean vegetarians, you won't make a very positive impression showing up with a big platter of meat.  Do your research and provide a dish (content) that appeals to your neighbors (target audience).  He also discusses how social media allow entities -- like law firms -- to present content directly to the interested end-user -- completely bypassing the gatekeepers of the mainstream media.  The video itself is also a good example of how easy it is to record and post a presentation.  Here's the link:

Content Marketing

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To network successfully in the course of a job search, you must first develop a personal brand and then clearly communicate your brand to others.  Your personal brand states who you are and differentiates you from all others seeking the same position.  This article is a synopsis of a presentation made June 9 by Linda Sollars of Creating Purpose to the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Legal Marketing Association, as well as comments by panelists.

Job hunting in the current economy:  It's a "brand" new world for legal professionals (download)

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A couple we know started buying season subscriptions to repertory productions of the Denver Center Theater Company nearly 30 years ago -- and has resubscribed every season since.  For the past ten years, our "theater group" has grown to include five couples buying season tickets. 

When the entire group did not renew this year, our 30-year member (and group coordinator) got a call asking if we were going to resubscribe.  She said no, and that was it.  There was never a follow-up question or call to find out why -- and what the DCTC could do to change our minds.  We were a good source of revenues.  How could they not, especially in these tough ecomonic times, try to find out why we would change our minds -- after 30 years of loyalty -- and use this information to improve their product and service?

Unbelieveable.

If they'd asked, we'd have provided a good answer.  For the past five years, we have been trying to get the DCTC to work on how they schedule the plays.  Every year, we get tickets for three Saturdays in a row -- and then nothing for two months.  Couldn't they perhaps space them out better?  For five years, the DCTC has said they cannot.  Too bad.  It is just too much work for subscribers to go out to dinner as a group and then to the theater three weekends in a row.

We've come up with a solution that works well for our group -- but not for the DCTC.  Five couples, ten individuals, ten months of the year (with two months off).  Each person is assigned a month to come up with an interesting cultural activity on the third Saturday of the month (so we can plan).

This summer, we are traveling to The Santa Fe Opera to hear Natalie Dessay in her debut as Violetta in La Traviata.  Locally, we will attend the Denver Art Museum's exhibition of The Psychedelic Experience (art from the Sixties) and a Broadway touring production of August: Osage County at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House.

Our tired old theater group has been reenergized as a "culture club."  Remember, your seemingly loyal clients always have a choice.

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When it comes to blogs and other social media for lawyers and law firms, Kevin O'Keefe and his team at LexBlog are recognized as the industry experts.  Because LexBlog designed and hosts my Constant Content Blog, I am invited to participate in LexBlog's regular online Webinars.

Over the years, we've all been snookered into worthless Webinars -- where presenters drone on endlessly about concepts that are obvious to 95 percent of the audience.  Or simply read their slides.  Not so with the LexBlog series.  I consider myself pretty "cutting edge" when it comes to social media, but I always come away from these sessions with a number of good ideas that I can easily put into action myself.  Each one is an hour well spent.

The June 28 LexBlog Webinar was Creating effective blog posts and engaging in online discussions to enhance your online reputation. 

The month before, the subject was Twitter:  What is it?  Why should I use it?  How do I use it?

And there are many more.  A recording of each Webinar is posted online.  Try them.  You'll like them.

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Thanks to Mister Thorne of the Set in Style blog, who posted a nice interview regarding my practice.  Questions and answers include:

What does a ghostwriter do?

What are the ethics of ghostwriting for lawyers?

How do you "bridge the gap" between lawyers and readers?

How can attorneys get articles published?

What is it like to work with lawyers and law firms?

How does your journalism and teaching background affect your work?

What is an attorney's "on-line reputation"?

How important is design?

What are the elements of persuasive writing?

How can young attorneys use writing to enhance their careers?  Partners?

Who is your ideal client?  What is your ideal project?

What is the best part of your job?

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Research indicates that an individual's emotional intelligence (EQ) accounts for 60-80 percent of success in the workplace and in life, while cognitive intelligence (IQ) accounts for just 20-40 percent.  In an environment like law, where everyone is cognitively smart, EQ is a significant differentiator.  In this article, Dr. Laura Belsten discusses how lawyers and law firms can master emotional intelligence -- and put it to good use.

Emotional intelligence:  The ability to assess and manage emotions is key to professional success

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I just received my copy of SUE Magazine, a specialty publication for women in litigation (although a quick review of the content leads me to believe it would be useful for ANY litigator).  This magazine is especially interesting because it is designed from the ground up to be an electronic publication (although it is possible to print a pdf).  Subscriptions get you an electronic version only.  The current issue includes two articles written by me.  My article on media relations appears on pages 26 and 27, and my article on marketing in a down economy appears on pages 37 and 38.

Lawyers and law firms should consider this model for their newsletters and magazines!

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Lawyers and law firms often maintain a non-productive love-hate relationship with reporters.  A panel of reporters and editors for daily, weekly and monthly publications in Denver discussed the reporter's perspective before members and guests of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Legal Marketing Association.  Participants included Greg Griffin, reporter at The Denver Post; Cara DeGette, managing editor of Law Week Colorado; Renee McGaw, reporter at The Denver Business Journal; and Mike Cote, editor of ColoradoBiz magazine.  The complete synopsis appears below.

Forget about love and hate:  Strive for "professional" in your relationship with reporters

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This past weekend, my husband and I were in Winter Park, Colorado, for the Wells Fargo Cup -- an annual event that supports the National Sports Center for the Disabled.

We saw some mighty fine skiing -- by both the corporate teams (including Denver law firm Holme Roberts & Owen) and world-class disabled skiers.  After the races on Saturday, we met an outgoing and highly competitive young woman who had broken her back snowboarding seven years ago.  She is competing for the wheelchair Olympic ski team and played on the wheelchair women's basketball team that took the gold in Beijing.  She could beat me down the mountain any day -- despite the disability that put her in a sit-ski.

How did she earn a gold medal in Beijing?  By slicing and dicing the market of all sports into a niche in which she could be Number One.  To succeed at marketing, lawyers, practice/industry groups and law firms must do the same.  They cannot all be Number One at all things for all clients -- and only Number One will consistently get the call for new business.  Law firms need to slice and dice the legal market into a niche in which they can be a dominant player.

It would be very difficult (if not impossible) for a small law firm to be a dominant player in international construction law, for example, but entirely possible for that same firm to dominate the niche of law firms providing construction law defense to commercial designers and builders in the rapidly developing northeast quadrant of Denver surrounding Denver International Airport.

In order to take home the gold, carefully define your sport -- and your market.

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As the economy contracts, law firm clients have laid off more than 600,000 employees -- in January alone.  Law firms are feeling the ripple effect.  In just two days in February -- Black Thursday and Friday the 13th -- 1,100 legal professionals lost their jobs or received buyout offers.  According to industry experts, this is just the start.

As books of business continue to shrink, what is a fearful lawyer to do?  This article is based on a Feb. 10 presentation on this subject to the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Legal Marketing Association, made by relationship development coach Cindy Rold.

Does this economic cloud have a silver lining?  More time for business development!

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It's about minus 15 degrees here in Denver this morning -- and there are about 18 robins fighting for a spot at the small-but-heated birdbath outside my window.  Weren't they supposed to fly south a while ago?  Anyway, that got me thinking about the power of branding -- offering the right product in the right place at the right time.  The rest of the year, we see a few robins -- but nothing like this thirsty and purpose-driven flock.  My heated bird bath offers needed water in an urban neighborhood where robins are congregating on a minus-15-degree day.  Is your legal practice this well-focused?  Are you the "only show in town" for your clients in a particular practice/industry area?

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Social networking sites like LinkedIn bring the kind of interaction that lawyers and other professionals enjoy in "live" business, industry, professional, civic, religious, charitable and personal interest groups onto the Internet -- and supercharge it.  In this September 2007 article, commissioned by the Canadian Bar Association, Janet Ellen Raasch interviews lawyers, law firms and legal consultants about the legal marketing uses of online social networks.

Linked in or left out:  Software and the Internet supercharge social networking

Sidebar:  For the truly adventurous:  Law practice in Second Life

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When it comes right down to it, client service is the quality many clients use to distinguish one law firm from another.  To keep their clients happy and to differentiate themselves from the competition, an increasing number of market-savvy law firms are creating, implementing and marketing formal client service standards.  In this December 2006 article, commissioned by the Canadian Bar Association, Janet Ellen Raasch discusses ways in which progressive Canadian law firms are creating and using client service standards.

Canadian law firms using client service sgtandards to set themselves apart

Sidebar:  Basic client service standards

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As a law firm grows larger -- subdividing into practice groups, moving onto more floors or into additional facilities, merging with or acquiring other firms -- it becomes much more difficult to know "who knows whom" and "who knows what."   A CRM system allows a law firm to manage all of its contacts in a central database, with several levels of security.  In this May 2006 article, commissioned by the Canadian Bar Association, Janet Ellen Raasch discusses the marketing uses of CRM systems by progressive Canadian law firms.

Know what you know:  Canadian firms use CRM systems

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Podcasting is a means of publishing and distributing digital audio (and increasingly video) files over the Internet.  They are becoming increasingly popular with lawyers and law firms -- as a tool to showcase expertise in an established and credible format.  In this January 2006 article, which was commissioned by the Canadian Bar Association, Janet Ellen Raasch discusses the successful use of podcasts by law firms in Canada.

Write about it?  Blog about it?  Broadcast it!

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The term "RSS" draws a blank stare from most lawyers and many of the administrators who work with them.    RSS is the technology that has fueled the amazing success of blogs on the Internet.  In fact, RSS feeds can propel much more than blogs.  In this January 2006 article, which was commissioned by the Canadian Bar Association, Janet Ellen Raasch discuses the marketing applications of RSS feeds and aggregators.

On beyond blogs:  RSS supercharges legal communciations for Web 2.0

Sidebar:  Different flavors of syndication

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In the modern marketplace, savvy businesses and law firms are adopting weblog technology as a useful and proactive tool -- to promote products and services and to manage their images.  In this November 2005 article for the Canadian Bar Association, Janet Ellen Raasch discusses the use of weblogs by forward-looking law firms in Canada.

Web logs help lawyers estalbish themselves -- quickly and inexpensively -- as thought leaders in a niche market

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One way to satisfy your precedent-hungry lawyers is to provide them with a copy of Marketing Success Stories:  Conversations with Leading Lawyers -- written by Hollis Hatfield Weishar and Joyce K. Smiley.  This 2005 book review appreared on Larry Bodine's Web site.

Marketing Success Stories:  Conversations with Leading Lawyers

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Passion and accounting.  These are two words that, until recently, you'd rarely find in the same neighborhood.  At Grant Thornton, these two seemingly contradictory concepts have been paired to create a memorable marketing campaign.  The article, which appeared in the September 2005 issue of Professional Marketing magazine, is based on an interview with Edmond Russ -- who was named Marketer of the Year by the Association for Accounting Marketing.

A passion for accounting -- and marketing!  "Marketer of the Year" discusses his approach

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The business climate of the 21st Century is increasingly diverse.  In order to succeed in this environment, law firms must take active steps to mirror the business culture of the present and the future -- not rest blindly in the culture of the past.  In this March 2008 article, U.S. Magistrate Judge Kristen L. Mix discusses diversity in the legal profession and the work of the Colorado Campaign for Inclusive Excellence.

Beyond diversity:  Inclusion in the legal workforce

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One of the key responsibilities of a legal administrator is the need to interact effectively as a leader with lawyers and staff -- one-on-one or in groups -- in order to get things done.  In addition, legal administrators need to build and maintain networks of people they can rely on for support in their professional and personal lives.  This March 2008 article summarizes presentations made by Sarah Michel of Perfecting Connecting at the two-day annual retreat of the Mile High Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators, held at The Historic Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado.

Effective law firm administration depends upon connecting with others

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At many law firms, there is a significant knowledge and experience gap between the "finder" generation of senior partners and the "minder and grinder" generations of junior partners and senior associates.  Who will fill the gap when the rainmakers retire?  In the April 2007 article, business development consultant Mark Maraia of Maraia & Associates discusses training young lawyers to become the next generation of rainmakers.

Mind the gap:  Train today's young lawyers to become tomorrow's rainmakers

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A ghostwriter works discreetly behind the scenes, and lets the "author" take full credit for the articles, white papers or other products that result from their collaboration.  Therefore, although Janet Ellen Raasch has written on many legal marketing subjects for some very well-known consultants in this field, she cannot include samples of "ghosted" work on this site.  However, she has included some of the many legal marketing articles that have appeared under her own name.  These include:

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A successful law career is built upon personal relationships with many people -- clients, potential clients, referrral sources and colleagues.  Although these relationships are often created by necessity, they are nurtured into productive maturity and maintained by casual conversations -- small talk.  In this February 2008 article, networking expert and author Debra Fine discusses how lawyers can use small talk to build relationships and further their careers.

Small talk makes a big impression:  How to use causal conversation to built your career

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Any time the name of a lawyer or a law firm shows up in the media, it is usually the consequence of either advertising or public /media relations.  The two are very different -- in cost and in impact.  In this April 2008 article, Cheryl Bame of Bame Public Relations (LosAngeles) discusses media relations opportunities for lawyers and law firms. 

Good news, bad news:  How lawyers and law firms can maximzie media relations

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The skills a law student needs to succeed at law school and the skills a lawyer needs to succeed in the "real worl" are distinctly different.  Academic intelligence is a given.  Relationship intelligence is what helps you develop and maintain new business -- and sets you apart.  In this May 2008 article, based on a presentation he made to the graduating class of Harvard Law School, lawyer and consultant Arnie Herz (New York) discusses the value of relationship intelligence.

Relationship intelligence:  To succeed as a lawyer, you must supplement your IQ with RQ

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If a law firm's marketers are doing their jobs right, potential clients have formed a pretty strong positive impression of a firm, practice group or lawyer before they even start to "talk business."  If they are not doing their jobs, potential clients will have no impression at all -- or will be swayed by the impressions of others.  In this June 2008 article, Norm Rubenstein and Melissa Hoff of Zeughauser Group discussed stratetic marketing trends for lawyers and law firms.

Setting the state for lawyers:  Trends in strategic marketing for law firms

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Lawyers: Use public speaking

To reinforce your professional reputation

Janet Ellen Raasch

Janet Ellen Raasch is a writer and ghostwriter who works closely with professional services providers – especially lawyers, law firms, legal consultants and legal organizations – to help them achieve name recognition and new business through publication of keyword-rich content for the Internet as well as articles and books for print. She can be reached at (303) 399-5041 or jeraasch@msn.com.

Clients want to hire lawyers and other professional service providers who are thought leaders within a specific area of expertise. One of the best ways to establish yourself as a thought leader is to make a compelling presentation -- on the right subject -- in front of the right group of clients, potential clients or referral sources.

Your presentations can be intimate (face-to-face in a conference room) or public (to a large group in an auditorium) – or somewhere in between. No matter the size of the venue, the principles behind making an effective presentation are the same.

“Just think of Viginian Patrick Henry's 'Give me liberty or give me death' speech,” said Steve Hughes. “What if Henry had put the whole thing on PowerPoint (complete with schematics) and just read his speech off slides to the patriots assembled in St. John's Church that day back in 1775? Would his speech have had the same impact – enough impact to spark the American Revolution? Probably not.”

Hughes discussed presentation skills before members and guests of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Legal Marketing Association (www.legalmarketing.org/rockymountain) at a program held Nov. 11 at Maggiano's Little Italy restaurant in downtown Denver. Hughes is president of Hit Your Stride (www.hityourstride.com), a St. Louis-based communications consultancy that helps clients create and deliver world-class presentations. His seminars have been featured on National Public Radio.

“With a bad presentation, a lawyer's best ideas will die a painful death on the conference room table or in the hotel meeting room,” said Hughes. “They will never have a fighting chance.”

Always remember that content is king. “When people think about presentation skills, they tend to think about how they will stand, and speak, and make eye contact and gesture,” said Hughes. “These physical skills are important, but not nearly as important as having something useful to say. Delivery is forgivable. Wasting the time of your audience with bad content is simply unforgivable.”

As you prepare your presentation, consider three things. “First, consider what you would like the audience to do, think or feel as a result of your presentation,” said Hughes. “Be specific. Do you want them to take action to update their employee handbook, to think about a new change in mining law or to feel worried about the new ADAAA – so they will follow up with you for additional information?

“Second, ask yourself why they should want to do, think or feel this way,” said Hughes. “What's in it for them? Third, combine what and why into a single theme sentence. If you can't state your theme in one sentence, you won't be able to discuss it in one hour.”

Once you know what you are going to say, and why it is important to your listeners, you can work on how to say it. “It is always a good idea to 'open big',” said Hughes. “You only have a minute – three minutes at the very most – to 'hook' your audience and get their attention. If you waste those first few minutes on generic niceties like thanking the sponsors, as many speakers do, you risk losing audience interest. You'll see the Blackberries start to come out. Make a strong start -- you can always insert the niceties later.

“I use the acronym 'SPARQ' as a reminder of ways you can 'spark' up your opening and the interest level of your audience,” said Hughes:

–        Surprising statement: Spark your listeners' interest by opening with an interesting fact or a surprising statistic – something with an “ah ha!” effect. If a number is big, break it down into something easier to understand and more meaningful (like how much the federal bank bailout would cost each worker). If a number is small, project what its impact would be if you multiplied it by many people (like how a few drips of gas spilled in the course of each gas-station fill-up add up to many thousands of gallons).

–        Picture: If you are using visual aids, spark your listeners' interest by opening with a good picture or chart (supporting your theme) – and talk about it.

–        Anecdote or story: Spark your listeners' interest by telling a story or anecdote that grabs their attention and indicates the importance of what you are going to say.

–        Real life example: Spark your listeners' interest by opening with a real life example. Think like a news reporter on television, who opens with a specific situation or individual, uses that to introduce the general issue, and then closes by referring back to the opening situation.

–        Question or quote: Spark your listeners' interest by asking a question. This engages their brains in trying to come up with an answer and, by extension, in what you are saying. The question can be actual (call on them for answers) or rhetorical. An interesting quote (especially from an expert in the subject you are discussing) also works well. 

In the body of your speech, focus on the clear development of your theme. Focus on providing the information that your audience needs to know in order to reach a conclusion about what you are saying. “Keep you information straightforward – especially if you are trying to persuade,” said Hughes. “According to a study by Stanford research, a confused mind always says ‘no’. In Missouri, the number-one complaint about CLE presentations was that they went into agonizing detail with no logical flow.”

Hughes recommends the use of PowerPoint for presentations – as long as it is used to clarify and focus listener attention on what you are saying rather than confuse and distract listener attention from your message. “When listeners see a lot of text on a slide, they stop listening to you -- and start to read the slide,” said Hughes. “In that split second, you've lost their attention. Never, never use prose as a visual aid.

“Use words or phrases on your slides, not sentences or paragraphs,” said Hughes. “Put important words in bold and use a lot of white space. Don't make everything equal; use layout and font size to indicate hierarchy. Slides should be speaker-dependent – featuring just headings or images and relying on the speaker to fill in the words. If you want to leave listeners with more information, put it in the form of handouts to be distributed after your presentation.”

Hughes also cautions against the common practice of ending a presentation with a question and answer session. “Save a strong statement for last so you can 'stick the landing' – and leave your listeners with a rousing call to action (what they should do, think or feel). Do not abdicate control of your presentation by ending with a flat Q&A session that could potentially turn negative or veer off topic.”

To accomplish this goal,” said Hughes, “position your question-and-answer session second-to-last in your presentation. “Say something like, 'I have one more important point to make – but first, I'd like to know what questions you have.' If there are none, be prepared with, 'A lot of times, people ask me “x.” Here is what I tell them.' Follow up with 'What other questions do you have?' This simple tactic helps you avoid the dread deafening silence after a call for questions – when folks start gathering up their materials, checking their Blackberries and starting the leave the room.”

Prior to any presentation, be sure to think about the “three S's” – slides, speech and souvenirs. “Check your PowerPoint slides for clarity and simplicity and practice your slide navigation,” said Hughes. “The strategic tactic of hitting the 'b' key on your keyboard to temporarily blank out the screen, for example, can help focus attention on your spoken words. Hitting 'b' again refreshes the slide – as well as audience attention. There are many similar and equally useful tactics.”

Practice delivering your speech out loud until you are comfortable – preferably in front of a small, friendly audience of colleagues who can be trusted to provide honest feedback. Finally, prepare a useful print-out of your presentation (to hand out at the end) that includes not only your slide headings, but also your spoken comments – as well as any additional supplementary materials your listeners might appreciate.

“Your listeners are there for a reason,” said Hughes. “Even before you open your mouth – they believe that you will have something interesting to say. Don’t blow it. Make sure your content is clear and useful, and that your presentation skills are engaging and well-rehearsed.”  

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If you think that most of your clients are satisfied, think again.  Research shows that law firms consistently rank themselves much more successful at client satisfaction than their clients do.  The only way to know what your clients are thinking is to ask them.  In this October 2008 article, consultant Martha Cusick Eddy discusses the results of more than 100 interviews she has conducted with in-house counsel.

Don't be an ostrich:  Ask general counsel, "How're we doing?"

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Just 100 years ago, law firms were composed mostly of men of a single generation.  Today's law firms can include members of as many as four different generations -- Traditionalists in their 60s and older, Boomers in their latae 40s and 50s, Gen Xs in their 30s and early 40s, and, in the most recent associate classes, Generation NEXT.  In this January 2008 article, diversity coach Mary Crane discusses the key events shaping the attitudes, values and outlook of eachof these generations.

Have you been "duded" yet?  Bridging the generation gaps in today's law firms

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In this September 2008 article, legal consultant Merrilyn Tarlton moderates a panel of Denver-based law firm marketing veterans who discuss how they "beat the odds" to achieve a sustainable career in this volatile field -- each by a different path.  Panelists include Sara Kraeski, Connie Proulx and Lorri Salyards.

Legal marketing "survivors" share their best practices

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What is the difference between marketing and sales?  Now that law firms are starting to join the "real world" of business and thinking about sales as a discrete function, this question is generating much debate within the legal marketing profession.  In this November 2007 article, Wade Clark, director of sales and marketing with BKD, discusses what lawyers and law firms can learn from their counterparts in the accounting profession.

Marketing and sales:  Different roles in support of a common goal

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Legal marketers cannot just demand a "seat at the table" in law firm management and expect to get one.  They have to earn it -- through careful collaboration with colleagues across the firm and through creation and implementation of successful initiatives.  They will be invited to the table only when they bring value.  In this October 2007 article, a panel of managing partners and senior marketing professionals discusses what it takes to earn a seat at the table.

Law firm marketers:  Is there a seat for you at the table?

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At one time, a law firm associate who wanted to make partner simply had to do good work and stick around for five to seven years.  Today, the path to partnership is much more complicated.  An associate who wants to make partner must know how to develop -- and keep -- a good book of business.  In this September 2007 article, Michael Smith, a strategic business counselor with SBC & Associates, discusses the skills that young lawyers can use to develop business.

Associate today; partner tomorrow:  Business development skills for young lawyers

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When the revised Colorado Rules of Professional Conduct took effect Jan. 1, 2008, Colorado law firms were allowed to practice under trade names.  The changes also allow a Colorado lawyer to enter into a reciprocal referral agreement with another lawyer or non-lawyer.  In this July 2007 article, Nancy Cohen (chief deputy regulation counsel with the Colorado Supreme Court Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel) and Reba Nance (director of law practice management and risk managment for the Colorado Bar Association)  discuss these changes to the Colorado rules.

Changes to Colorado Rules allow trade names, referral agreements

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Today, women and men graduate from law school in equal numbers and are hired by law firms as associates in equal numbers.  And then things start to fall apart.  By the time they are mid-level associates, women are leaving law firms -- for a wide variety of reasons -- in significantly greater numbers than men.  In this June 2007 article, a group of women lawyers -- moderated by consultant Merrilyn Astin Tarlton -- discuss what women want from their profession.

What women (lawyers) want:  Good work; respect; flexible options

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In the increasingly competitive environment for legal services, most law firms recognize the need to make intelligent business decisions.  Decisions made in a vacuum -- based on (often faulty) internal assumptions -- do not fill the bill.  Truly intelligent business decisions are made within the context of a law firm's external competitive environment.  In this May 2007 article, Jillion Weisberg of The Thomson Corporation discusses research on competitive intelligence.

Law firms:  Use competitive intelligence to make better decisions

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Many law firms are creating multidisciplinary teams to craft and implement strategic plans within targeted segments of the marketplace.  These can be industry teams that focus on raising the firm's profile and market share within an attractive industry segment.  These can be client teams that focus on satisfying -- and getting more work from -- existing clients.  In this April 2007 article, consultant Linda Hazelton discusses client and industry teams.

Divide to conquer:  Law firms use strategic teams to master the marketplace

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People who visit business -- and law firm -- Web sites are task-oriented.  They are visiting in order to find specific information.  The perceived quality of the experience in visitors' minds will be based on how relatively easy or difficult it is to obtainthe information they are looking for.  In this January 2007 article, consultant Greg Fredette of Saturno Design discusses the relationship between visitors and law firm Web sites.

How your law firm Web site creates an "experience" that impresses or alienates clients

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Few important legal decisions take place in a vacuum.  Decision-makers are influenced not only by the information they hear in the courtroom or in the boardroom, but also by what they hear, read and observe in the surrounding environment -- the court of public opinion.  In this November 2006 article, a panel of specialists discusses how lawyers and law firms can influence outcomes via issue-oriented research and communications.

When resolving your clients' legal issues, don't forget the court of public opinion

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Every more frequently, law firms are being asked to vie for new business -- especially high-value business -- by competing against other firms in some kind of "beauty contest" -- where two or more firms compete to represent the prospective client as outside counsel.  In this October 2006 article,  consultant Ann Lee Gibson, PhD, discusses achieving a higher win-rate in high-stakes competitions for new business.

Best practices help law firms excel in new-business competitions

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If done right, a well-planned Web site and a strategic, customized approach to marketing can eat up much of your marketing budget.    Where will this money come from?  In this September 2006 article, consultant Deborah McMurray of Content Pilot LLC discusses how legal marketers can check under the firm's "couch cusions" to find the money needed for strategic projects like these.

Check under the couch cushions; Use this money to achieve your strategic marketing goals

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Public speaking is a great way for lawyers and other professionals to establish themselves as experts within a chosen field of expertise.  Although most lawyers can speak in public, not all lawyers can do it well.  In this July 2006 article, speaker and trainer Brigid O'Connor dicusses how lawyers and executives can learn to speak in public with efficiency and purpose.

When engaged in public speaking, eliminate "noise" to improve communication

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In order to make professional careers for themselves in the legal industry -- and support lawyer/clients in their work -- people who work with lawyers must have a basic understanding of how the legal system operates.  This June 2006 article summarizes a half-day seminar on this subject.

The ABC's of the legal world:  Key concepts for people who work with lawyers

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Each lawyer and law firm faces the same problem --how to distinguish the professional services they offer from those offered by every other lawyer and every other law firm.  You must identify your own unique message -- and take it to market.  In this June 2006 article, attorney and consultant Ross Fishman discusses the value of a unique message or brand.

Lawyers and law firms:  Define your market; focus your message

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Any law firm is only as good as the lawyers who walk through the front door each morning.  Aware of this fact, most firms are eager to strengthen their reputations by recruiting the best law school students and the most talented laterals.  In this May 2006 article, a panel of law school placement specialists and legal recruiters discuss the issue of recruiting and retaining talented lawyers.

Law firms must market to recruit talented students and laterals

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The financial health of most law firms relies on the efforts of a few rainmakers -- lawyers who are able to keep the new-business pipeline flowing while their colleagues focus on the practice of law.  Who will make the rain fall at these firms when it comes time for the traditional rainmakers to retire or move on?  In this April 2006 article, Mark Maraia and John Mitchell discuss the creation of a formal structure to pass rainmaking skills from one generation of lawyers to the next.

Rainmakers:  Law firms must look to the next generation

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Each day, editors and reporters are inundated with press releases in a wide variety of formats -- via snail mail, email and even RSS feed.  How can lawyers and law firms make sure that their press releases stand out from all the rest?  In this February 2006 article, a panel of journalists and public relations specialists discusses what makes a good press release.

Please release me:  What do the media look for in a law firm press release?

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Very few attorneys really understand what their hourly rates mean to a client.  Few clients select their lawyers based on fees.  Rather, the decision is usually driven by emotion.  In this January 2006 article, business development consultant Peter Darling discussed the subject of how lawyers can discuss their fees -- with both new and ongoing clients.

Money changes everything:  How lawyers can discuss fees with their clients

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Most businesses make their bet-the-company decisions based on objective, valid market research.  Law firms should do the same.  Market research is a systematic and scientific process for gathering, recording and analyzing outside information as part of both planning and daily operations.  In this November 2005 article, a panel of research experts discusses market research and strategic planning at law firms.

You can't have one without the other:  Market research leads to strategic plans that work

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Law firms often ask their lawyers to engage in activiites that will create relationships and generate new business -- activities like community service or public speaking.  A few lawyers find it easy and natural to comply with this request.  Many more lawyers do not.  In this October 2005 article, attorney K.C. Veio discusses how he has used community involvement to build his practice.

Serve. Speak. Succeed. How to build your book of business

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Today's audiences are active and interactive consumers of business information.  Increasingly, they expect their lawyers and law firms to communicate with them interactively, using the next generation of electronic communications tools.  In this September 2005 article, a panel of public relations specialists discusses new-media tools like RSS feeds, blogs and podcasts.

RSS feeds, blogs and podcasts -- oh my!  New media marketing tools

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Authority and leadership are different qualities.  A markeeting director or lawyer can have a position of authority within a law firm, but be an unskilled leader.  Conversely, and individual with no formal management authority can be an outstanding leader.  In this July 2005 article, consultant Robert Fortunato discusses how law firms can increase revenues and profits through a systematic approach to leadership, strategy and client development.

True leadership can be cultivated:  Four ways to lead in your law firm

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Law firm marketers can set the stage for new business development -- but it is always the job of the individual lawyer to "close the sale" with a new client.  How can a lawyer get new business without falling victim to the "unpaid consulting" trap -- where you lose control of the relationship and the potential client wastes your time and talent with a wide range of requests prior to a commitment to buy?  In this June 2005 article, Gary Harvey of Achievement Dynamics discusses how lawyers can avoid the unpaid consulting trap.

When to fish, when to cut bait:  When seeking new clients, don't waste your time and talent

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Is it possible for a law firm to market a litigation practice -- a costly and time-consuming professional service that most individuals and businesses would like to avoid?  This puzzle has long perplexed marketers, individual litigators, litgation practice groups and law firms.  In this May 2005 article, a panel of Colorado litigators discuss marketing a litigation practice.

Can you take a litigation practice to market?

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Currently, the rules of professional conduct established by the American Bar Association and generally adopted by the state courts vary greatly from state to state -- which has become a major issue as more law firms are competing regionally, nationally and even internationally.  It is difficult to know just which set of ethics rules governs the game.  In this May 2005 article, Will Hornsby (staff counsel to the ABA Division for Legal Services) and Denver lawyer Michael Berger discuss how law firms can best comply with ethics rules.

Great idea!  But is it ethical?  Quagmire of states' ethics rules makes it tough to tell

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Can you even remember how law firms were marketed before the advent of the Internet?  It seems hard to believe that the first law-firm Web sites appeared only about ten years ago.  Since then, some firms have progressed through five generations of their Web sites.  A few are still launching their first.  Most are somewhere in between.  In this March 2005 article, Micah Buchdahl of HTMLawyers discusses today's best interactive sites.

What a difference a decade makes:  Effective client service and marketing on the Internet

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Law firms have long operated on an opportunistic and reactive basis -- being in the right place at the right time with the right legal skills.  This "fire, ready, aim" approach worked fairly well in the past, when the marketplace for legal services was highly fragmented (local) and when snail mail set the pace for most communications.  In this February 2005 article, Diane Hamlin and Roberta Montafia discuss how serious strategic planning builds and sustains a competitive advantage.

Fire, ready, aim:  Most law firms have it backwards

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There's a maxim in commerce:  You can get it fast, you can get it good, you can get it cheap -- pick any two.  The same maxim can be applied to legal services.  In this January 2005 article, in-house counsel from four Denver companies discuss their "fast, good, cheap" expectations when dealing with outside counsel.

Fast? Good? Cheap? What inside counsel want from their outside law firms

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To improve the quality and strategic value of existing relationships, many law firms are purchasing and installing software packages called client relationship management (CRM) systems.  CRM systems help law firms use technology to understand "who knows whom" and "who knows what."  In this November 2004 article, consultant Nancy Manzo discusses how law firms should select, install and roll-out a new CRM system.

Share what you know:  CRM systems help lawyers maximize client relationships

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If marketers want to succeed as business development coaches to professional services providers, they need to concentrate on the "f-words" -- focus, feedback and follow-up.    In this October 2004 article, consultant Mark Maraia discusses how to implement a successful lawyer-coaching program.

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A group representing the next generation of eager young law firm marketers converged on Denver to participate int he Legal Marketing Association Boot Camp 2004 -- "Roadmap to Your Destination -- Legal Marketing."  In these September 2004 articles, speakers discuss a wide range of topics.

Boot Camp 2004:  Getting in shape for a career in legal marketing

Turn your firm's marketing budget into a strategic planning tool

Success breeds success: Coaching your lawyers in business development

Learn to understand, appreciate, and work with the legal personality

Harvest those golden eggs:  Habits that lead to more work from current clients

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In this July 2004 article, Burkey Belser discusses research on which characteristics are most important to law-school graduates in choosing where to practice law.

Recruiting law students:  Finding the best and the brightest

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Sally Schmidt disagrees with the "umbrella" approach to law firm marketing.  Her experience working with more than 300 law firms around the globe has led her to the conclusion that law firm marketing efforts must be organized at the practice/industry team level.  In this June 2004 article, she discusses practice/industry teams that are market-driven and focused on a particular industry.

Riches from niches:  The best marketing plans originate with the practice/industry team

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Like most businesses, law firms have an approach/avoidance conflict when it comes to dealing with the news media.  When a firm has good news to tell, it actively seeks the attention of reporters and editors.  When the news is not so good, it often prefers to avoid a reporter's professional scrutiny.  In this May 2004 article, Lisa Simon and Larry Holdren present as overview of effective media relations skills for lawyers and law firms.

Working it:  Using the media to convey your message -- in good times and in bad

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The role of a business development coach is to bring focus, skills and energy to the business development efforts of attorneys and their law firms -- just like a sports coach brings focus, skills and energy to an athlete.  In this April 2004 article, consultant Michael Colacchio discusses business development coaching programs for lawyers and law firms.

Business development coaches help partners and law firms dominate their "game"

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Market research is a powerful risk-management tool in all major sectors of business and industry; it promises to be just as powerful a tool in the legal industry.  Appropriately designed and applied research tools can reduce the uncertainly law firms face when making important decisions.  In this September 2003 article, Mark Greene of The Brand Research Company discusses the use of market research by successful law firms.

Business eye for the law guy (and gal):  Market research

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