The Business Of Law

This morning, the ABA Journal recognized our blog initiatives here at Sokolove Law and showcased my blog I wrote back in September to kick off their “Legal Rebels” online and editorial project.

The piece came from a blog post I wrote back in September entitled “This blog post would cost you $400: Billable Hours RIP”. In the article I stated:

“All told, that whole process took me about an hour plus maybe 15 minutes by my secretary for proofing and editing.

If I were a lawyer at a big firm, this blog post would have cost my client as much as $400. That’s a little crazy and I’m not the only one who thinks so.”

To read the entire article click here.

Evan Brown, who’s a well known legal blogger recently published a great piece over at Law.com.  He outlines 5 reasons why lawyers should use social media.  His list is as follows:

1.     TO LEARN
2.    TO EXPAND AND MAINTAIN A NETWORK
3.    TO BECOME A BETTER COMMUNICATOR
4.    TO DO SOMETHING GOOD FOR THE PROFESSION
5.    TO HAVE FUN

You’ll notice that Brown leaves off one obvious one: “To get clients”.  That might seem a bit counter-intuitive given the importance of digital and social media to the marketing world.  But let me explain a bit (with Brown’s help).

Here’s what Brown says:

“(Getting clients) is intentionally absent from the list because all the other reasons merge into that one. By learning, networking, helping others, communicating better and having the appropriate amount of fun, you will become a better lawyer. Clients want good lawyers. You see the connection.”

He goes on to write:

“Avoid thinking of — and using — social media strictly as a means to get clients. This looks phony, and your readers and contacts will see through it. Just be yourself. Be genuine and authentic, and people will read and follow you.”

To be sure, he’s 100% correct on both of these points, but I’ll take it a step further.  I would add to Brown’s list “Connect with your customers”.

As I’ve said before, as Sokolove Law, social media is a vital part of how we stay engaged with the two audiences who matter most to us, our co-counsel firms, and our clients.  Social media allows for an engagement and exchange of ideas that was simply not possible before.  That’s why it’s so valuable.

But to be fair to Brown, lists always sound better in groups of five not six!