Marketing Attorney Blog

Published on: August 14, 2012

Lawyers Are Big Players in the SEO Game

This month’s Web Marketing Today column focuses on the impact, cost and level of sophistication that search engine optimization (SEO) has had on law firms–primarily in regard to the plaintiffs’ bar. It is a dog-eat-dog world out there when it comes to finding your next client online…or really the opposite, the next client finding you. And if you are in a “high rent” space – geographically or practice-wise–the cost of competing can be ridiculous.

The impetus for this column topic came from re-reading “The Plaintiffs’ Bar Goes Digital: An Analysis of the Digital Marketing Efforts of Plaintiffs’ Attorneys & Litigation Firms,” prepared by the Institute for Legal Reform, a politically-motivated think tank, which begins its nearly forty page report by stating that the U.S. tort system costs $265 billion in 2010. Personally, I was fascinated by the report–not in regard to whether the system is right or wrong–but more as to the various digital media techniques that have changed the marketing landscape for many of these law firms.

I was impressed by the sophistication of some law firms. I was appalled by the questionable ethics issues by others. And I found the three top spenders to be interesting as well. While I would have expected Sokolove Law to be number one, they were number two in spending (at $6 million-plus) to Danizer & De Llano, who blows away every other law firm in spending north of $16 million annually in online spending (according to the report). I had never heard of them. Third in spending was The Lanier Law Firm at nearly $5 million. In this case, I certainly know who Mark Lanier is, and was surprised to see him spending at this level. Of course, I always remind other law firms of two things. First, they have the money to spend; and second, if these efforts were not paying off, they would not likely be investing this heavily in these initiatives. When you get some big hits, there is no reason not to reinvest additional dollars in channels that might deliver the next huge award and fee.

Published on: August 6, 2012

Buchdahl Receives ABA Presidential Appointment to Standing Committee on Continuing Legal Education

by Micah Buchdahl

Micah Buchdahl is honored to have been appointed by incoming ABA President Laurel Bellows to the Standing Committee on Continuing Legal Education. The committee is chaired by Vince Polley. The Director of the ABA Center for Professional Development is Jill Eckert McCall.

The ABA Center for Professional Development (formerly Center for CLE) is guided by this committee, working closely with experts from the ABA Sections and other entities and from the profession at large in developing programs and products. It serves as the central resource for the ABA and the profession for up-to-the-minute, quality CLE distributed through a variety of convenient formats.

Micah’s experience with educational programming inside and outside of the ABA makes him well suited to serve in this capacity. As a former section officer (a past chair of the Law Practice Management Section), he has been involved in decision-making discussions of the ABA’s CLE arm for many years. In LPM, he served as the education board chair (many years ago, where his ABA staff liaison on CLE was Ms. McCall). In LPM, he also helped create and develop the organization’s first standalone ABA Law Marketing Strategies Conference. He has been a faculty member, teaching ethics, for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute for over a decade, and frequently teaches CLEs internally at law firms, as well as through every “delivery mechanism” possible for CLE. For the ABA Center for Professional Development, he has been both a program chair and speaker. Of course, as an ABA member, he has also been a client–taking advantage of many of the member benefits regarding CLE programming. Outside of professional development programming in law firms, Micah does not participate in for-profit CLEs, limiting his teaching time to professional organizations such as the ABA, PBI and state bars.

Published on: August 1, 2012

PBI CLE — Lawyer Rankings & Ratings: The Impact on Ethics and the Profession

by Micah Buchdahl

If you are a PA lawyer, and it feels like you’ve been hearing me deliver marketing ethics CLE hours for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute for more than a decade now, it is because you have. My very first ethics CLE ever was given in Philly, New York and Houston in the summer of 1997. I opened with some lame canned joke involving Morgan Lewis and domain names. Trust me, I’ve gotten better. But the even weaker handout is now a collector’s item. I still have an original (see “Hoarders” and related illnesses).

Each year, I change the focus and try to cover hot topics, and changing rules, as they relate to areas of law marketing ethics. Quite honestly, some years my “show” (as I call it) is better than others. Last year’s focus on ethics of social media was very well received. But this year’s focus on ratings, rankings and reviews might be the best one yet. I mean, really, who does not debate the value, interest and impact on the multi-zillion dollar “sell stuff to attorneys” industry?

I’ve written and spoken on the rankings & ratings subject for many years, including multiple ABA Annual Meetings, as a focus of the ABA Law Firm Marketing Strategies Conference, for PBI and in at least a half dozen publications. I’m not sure if the publishers of these companies will tell you they love me or hate me (it is probably a mix, leaning more toward the negative), but it is a market that continues to fascinate. This holds true in my marketing roles, in my ethics roles, and certainly in speaking as a leader in law practice management circles.

Published on: July 26, 2012

Yes Virginia, A Law Firm Blog is Advertising

by Micah Buchdahl

In April, I organized a CLE teleconference for the ABA Center for Professional Development entitled, “Is Your Legal Blog Compliant? Ethical Considerations in the Wake of Hunter v. Virginia State Bar“. The roundtable featured me, Virginia legal ethics legend Tom Spahn of McGuireWoods, big-time blogging employment lawyer Molly DiBianca of Young Conaway, and the man himself–Horace Hunter of Hunter Lipton. While the case, and the discussion, touched upon a number of legal ethics issues, the one that I personally paid the most attention to was the ongoing debate as to whether a lawyer blog constitutes advertising (thus, marketing) under the Rules of Professional Conduct.

As many of you know, as a marketing ethics guy, I’ve argued for years that a blog constitutes advertising, in the same way that any other web site would. The marketing part of me would love to agree with those that claim a blog is an editorial vehicle of sorts, and not necessarily promotional in nature. Hint: If a blog was not a marketing vehicle, I would not be writing this post! However, Micah the Ethics Lawyer will argue vehemently that a blog is unquestionably a form of marketing. You simply can’t start evaluating every online presence–a web site, a blog, a microsite, a Facebook profile, a tweet–to determine “on a case by case basis” if the content is marketing or not. If you’ve read hundreds of ethics opinions, disciplinary letters to firms, state by state versions of the model rules, you know that most state bars are simply incapable of effectively and accurately making those distinctions.

Recently, a three judge panel reaffirmed what I believed. The blog is advertising. Thus, an appropriate disclaimer was necessary on the web site. Mr. Hunter did prevail on the charge that probably was more serious in nature (for him) on whether client confidences were violated in the posts themselves. But in this case, Virginia has spoken–a blog is a web site and requires disclaimer language in step with what you would include on any other similar advertising component. Of course, this interpretation is limited to a single state. But everyone was watching to see this outcome, as a lawyer pushed the envelope and challenged the bar. According to Horace Hunter, though, he will appeal…and this story is not yet over.

Published on: July 23, 2012

Print Makes A Comeback! Wait…Did YOU just say print makes a comeback?

by Micah Buchdahl

A law firm marketer from an AMLAW 200 firm called me after reading my marketing column for Law Practice, the ABA Law Practice Management Section‘s bi-monthly print publication. In the July/August 2012 issue, I discuss the revival of hard copies. “You, the Internet Marketing Attorney, wrote about going back to print?” Yeah, I said, but it is true. And he said, “yes it is.”

Like it or not, lawyers are screaming for print stuff. And I’ve found they are not in the wrong. Much like a handwritten thank you note stands out so much more in an e-mail world; strong “handouts” are also standing out as well. We can talk from now until the end of time about electronic this and that, but the truth is that the biggest deals still come through most doors the old fashioned way–in-person communication, networking and meetings. In a world where many large firms are using the same digital proposal systems, a carefully and cleverly crafted print piece (you can still use a computer, feather pen and ink are not required, nor is carbon paper), will go a long way. So, the next time you (the attorney) or you (the marketing team) find yourself racing to put together a hard copy print piece, think of me. The concept won’t sound so ridiculous.

Published on: July 9, 2012

Game-Changer: How the Internet Has Changed the Legal Profession

by Micah Buchdahl

In my inaugural monthly column for Web Marketing Today (WMT), I discuss how the Internet has changed the legal profession. The article serves as an introduction of sorts to an entirely new audience for me. Many people have come to know me from the Internet Marketing Attorney web site (with the IMA awards and reviews, and the Nifty Fifty lists) that I first started espousing about in 1997. I can’t say that I’ve been reading WMT since its inception a few years earlier in 1995, but it is pretty close. When they came to me and asked if I could serve as the voice of the legal profession on Internet marketing, I thought it would provide a nice change of pace, replacing the IMA site.

There is no cost to subscribe to WMT (you’ll see the subscription box on the home page). And you can find all my columns neatly tucked away on one page. Look for them around the middle of each month. If there is a particular Internet marketing topic (pertaining to the legal profession), give me a shout.

Published on: October 27, 2011

National ABA Law Firm Marketing Strategies Conference in Philadelphia November 8-9

by Micah Buchdahl

The American Bar Association’s only standalone law marketing conference happens just once every two years, and it is less than two weeks away.

For a few hundred dollars and less than two days of your time, bring back to your law firm the latest in business development tools and information-on social media, measuring return on investment, lawyer rankings, ethics, use of video, business development training and many more topics.

The conference at the Four Seasons Hotel in Philadelphia includes five networking meal functions–two breakfasts, two lunches and a cocktail reception.

Published on: September 12, 2011

ABA Journal Essay Submission – What can large law firms do to better the profession?

by Micah Buchdahl

This was my submission for the 2011 ABA Journal Ross Essay Contest. The theme revolved around what “big law” can do to positively impact the practice of law.

On a daily basis, there are success stories in regard to client representation by solo practitioners, boutique and midsize law firms. At the same time, perusal of the Wall Street Journal or New York Times serve as reminders that most “bet the farm” situations still fall in the laps of the nation’s largest law firms.

As an attorney, I have had the opportunity to work with and interact with the “large law firm” from numerous vantage points. I’ve been the “client” as an in-house attorney. I’ve had the opportunity to watch colleagues as an adviser to friends and family. In recent years, I have worked with large law firms on business models and strategies. All of those experiences color my belief that they are uniquely positioned to have the greatest positively changing the practice of law.

Published on: January 26, 2011

ABA New Partner & New In-House Counsel Conference

by Micah Buchdahl

If your law firm is not yet sending people to the ABA’s New Partner and In-House Counsel Conference in Philadelphia on February 25-26, you are missing out on one of the premier business development opportunities that will come your way.

Besides a ridiculously low registration cost for a two-day conference at the Four Seasons Hotel ($385 before February 1), there are two tracks-one for new partners and another for new in-house counsel. The networking opportunities, including dinners and receptions, afford a chance to mingle with many major in-house corporate attorneys that are looking to work with firms like yours each and every day.

This is designed as an intimate conference that allows for a lot of interaction among people in positions to give out work and refer work to others. Consider forwarding this information to your firm’s newest partners and professional development staff. They will find that it is a low-cost, high impact, CLE opportunity.