Media & Communications Corner: <b>Jack of All Trades ' With Help from the Outside</b>

Law firms have a remarkable number of ways to market their expertise, almost too many at times. Most firms still utilize the more traditional avenues such as advertising, firm seminars, speaking engagements at industry events, and client newsletters. Don't forget the capabilities brochures, the content of the firm's Web site, and community relations. Add to that media coverage, client relationship databases, and recruiting efforts. And each year brings more ideas and more outlets. Consider, for example, that none of us even knew of the word “blog” just a few years back, and yet now a blog can play a very important role in marketing. The marketing director is the one charged with handling all of these tasks and many more, often with a limited in-house staff. Whether the firm is staffed with one marketing director, a staff of marketing pros, or if the bulk of the job falls on one attorney who has expressed an interest in marketing, it is clear that the job now entails much more than it did years ago.