Career Journal: Does Having a J.D. Help a Career in Legal Marketing?

The marketing function is expanding within law firms. Despite of, or perhaps because of, the legal industry's economic woes of late, the expectations around marketing ' from increased business development to enhanced practice support ' has never been greater. While there have been cuts in marketing budgets and personnel, that has simply meant that executives now have to do more with less. Given increased client demands and the dynamic competitive environment in which they operate, attorneys no longer have the luxury of waiting for the phone to ring or responding to RFPs as they come along. Law firms now need to implement much more aggressive approaches to developing new business and keeping existing clients in order to stay in front of the competition. Legal marketing executives are playing a critical role in assuring their firm's continued success in the midst of this changing landscape.