The Best of MLF 2009: What You Missed!

FEBRUARY

Christy Burke, another past member of our Board of Editors, wrote a sleek article in the Place to Network column on “Advanced Online Strategies for Lawyers.”

As 2009 moves into full swing, many lawyers have already dipped at least one or two tentative toes into the fast-rushing waters of online social networking and blogging. Creating a LinkedIn account, a Facebook page, responding to a blog post, or joining relevant legal listservs are all valuable steps toward harnessing the power of this exciting new wave of Internet-based communication.

However, an elite subset of attorneys has decided to go above and beyond the basics, maximizing use of these new online outlets to build law practices in a substantial way. Sometimes enlisting the help of outside experts, these lawyers have accelerated way past Social Networking and Blogging 101, and have begun to blaze trails into previously uncharted virtual territory.

Beyond the Basics

David Snead (http://www.dsnead.com/) is an attorney who works with companies and individuals that support the Internet, and that create and distribute products and services electronically. Snead says that using online technology is incredibly important to attorney communication at present. He says, “Lawyers who are resisting [social networking] technology are shooting themselves in the foot ' there's nothing to be scared of. The Internet is where the interaction is now.”

Being Successful

Ronald Coleman is a copyright, trademark and new media attorney at Goetz Fitzpatrick LLP (http://www.goetzfitz.com/). He is a blogger and avid social networker who has aggressively leveraged the Internet to develop his law practice. Coleman says, “Successful social networking requires that you deliver value, in the form of content (or at least personality!) If you haven't got that, you come across as someone who is mainly looking for referrals. There's nothing wrong with that, because everyone is looking for referrals, but ' everyone is looking for referrals!”

Coleman's blog, Likelihood of Confusion (http://www.likelihoodofconfusion.com/), has made a huge difference in his self-promotion efforts as an attorney. “It's a great marketing tactic to write a blog that lots of people want to read. I have increased my blog's readership by developing and nurturing relationships with other influential bloggers ' some of whom first became aware of me when I was advertising on their blogs.” Coleman suggests that lawyers choose a focus and a theme for their social networking activities, rather than a scattershot or generalist approach.

Blogging and social networking is certainly not for everyone, especially when people really have no real content to contribute. For some attorneys, avoiding participation in online networking will not greatly hurt their business prospects ' right now, anyway. However, Coleman's perspective is that opting out of social networking altogether, due to fear or lack of time, may have consequences down the line, if not right away. “Are people who don't participate also 'missing out' on the only way business will be done in the future, or something dire like that? Probably not, but younger people who are social-networking savvy coming into the profession will eventually eat the lunch of many who do not get it.”

Use Your Web Sites!

Jayne Navarre, a social media analyst and consultant to the legal industry and founder of Florida-based LawGravity.com (http://www.lawgravity.com/), agrees that using online tools is a crucial element of business development for lawyers to explore. Having once been a marketing director at law firms, Navarre now specializes in teaching lawyers how to leverage Web 2.0 communications, including social networking and blogs, to dramatically further their legal client development efforts.

She notes that lawyers are becoming more sophisticated with online applications, and she encourages clients to use their Web sites as more than just online brochures. “I work with lawyers to create Web sites with Web 2.0 components. Their sites foster two-way communication, as well as featuring web analytics to track activity, search engine optimization so people can find them online, and conversion of traditional business development efforts into online equivalents.”

Conclusion

Advanced social networking and blogging is certainly a vital and expanding area of communication in the legal world, and those who learn how to unlock its potential stand to gain much from leveraging these tools. Clearly, there are many levels of participation, ranging from the very basic to the most complicated and content-rich communication outlets. The most important factor is really to understand whether you want to float down a lazy river, or ride the rapids, and what the consequences and benefits are of both approaches. Whichever option you choose, though, the message is clear ' when it comes to using online marketing tools to build your legal practice, make sure not to miss the boat!

MARCH

In his Career Journal column, Michael DeCosta, another esteemed member of our Board of Editors, presented us with Real Advice for the Real World.

Let's get practical here. Dishing out career advice during a recession of unprecedented scope ' at least in the last quarter century ' is a bit like telling Sir Ernest Shackleton what to expect as he set out to explore the South Pole in 1914. While not necessarily as perilous a journey, it can be nonetheless as unnerving when exploring the great unknown of the world of job searching.

Over the last year, I have written this column with the idea of offering longer-term career management advice. My recommendations have been more about career positioning and relationship building, disciplines critical to exercise in today's corporate environment for any executive on the move. Yet, these actions are simply a way of planting long-term seeds with potential upside results. What if you need to eat now? What can you do to navigate these treacherous waters? Perhaps the following suggestions can help guide you through a situation you have not previously found yourself in before ' looking for a job in a really bad economy.

Strategically Target Key Executives

Everyone likes to be flattered. It is human nature. If you take the time to target a select group of people in your industry or with your same functional expertise, you can establish relationships that will potentially pay dividends in a job search. You may be usurping your competition for a possible position before they even become aware of it.

For example, perhaps you have read with interest an article in an industry publication in which an executive is quoted. If you think his comment has merit, you should take the time to reach out to that person to express your shared philosophy. Send an e-mail or letter with your impressions. Comment at the end of the note that you would welcome the opportunity to meet briefly with him or her. Certainly, that is fairly forward thing to do. But think about this: If you were the one receiving that e-mail or letter, would you respond, perhaps? Of course, if there is no response from an executive you try to contact, move on. Don't become a professional stalker.

Work with an Executive Search Firm

Search consultants may not bear the brunt of as many jokes as lawyers do, but it is one of the few professions in which a pejorative term is regularly used to describe it. Certainly, there is good reason why some are called “headhunters” as they may come across as serving their own self-interests over yours. But there are incredibly talented search consultants in the profession who produce great results for their clients and treat people with respect. However, by design, our profession is somewhat cloaked in secrecy as we are actually paid to be discrete. That can create an awkward dynamic with executives in terms of “full disclosure.”

Moreover, we are often not in a position to help many jobseekers, certainly even less so in a tough job market. Our lack of response can be frustrating to some. How, then, can you be effective in reaching us? Certainly, if you have ever worked in the past with a search consultant, stay in touch with that individual and see if he or she is willing to introduce you to others. Do not be discouraged if they are not, because they have to be respectful of their colleagues' time as well.

If you don't have a lot of contacts in the industry, you should work to find the right person online. Using industry association Web sites, for example, the Association of Executive Search Consultants (http://www.aecs.org/), can be an effective portal to navigate your way to the right consultant in an otherwise highly fragmented industry. Click through to the listing of members and start narrowing your search for the right consultants who recruit in your sector. Ultimately, the same rule applies in contacting a search consultant as contacting the targeted executives I spoke about earlier. Contact consultants selectively ' those who recruit in your space. I pay particular attention to how jobseekers approach me. If their e-mail starts out with, “Dear Executive Recruiter,” I disregard it. You are essentially spamming and wasting the multiple recipients' collective time. Conversely, if someone writes me and points to the type of recruitment I do as being germane to what he or she does, I reward their due diligence and take the time to respond and in some cases, meet with that person.

Perseverance

Looking for a job is an art form, not a science. There is not a set formula one can apply to create a job. But by carefully targeting the right people to contact and selecting the right places to be can greatly increase your chances of success. You may try all of these things and in a down market like this one, still not have any luck. But persistence will pay off. By being discerning and trying to establish key relationships of potentially mutual benefit will reap rewards.

By the way, old Ernie died on his last doomed excursion down to the frozen tundra ' but don't let that be a deterrent to you.

APRIL

Your humble Editor-in-Chief wrote about The Road to Leadership for Women in Law: Not What you May Be Thinking!

A couple of months ago, I was watching two recent DVD releases, “Mamma Mia!” and a remake of the “The Women.” Both of these movies made me think of how Hollywood has figured out that women are a target demographic where there is money to be made. Has the legal profession figured it out? The answer is still to be determined.

Leadership Defined

There's been a lot of talk about leadership, especially inside the ranks of women who aspire to hold powerful positions within law firms. This article is not aimed at those women. I am not going to address how to achieve a leadership position, for indeed not everyone wants to be chair, managing partner or a practice group leader of a law firm. What I am going to talk about is how leadership outside the confines of one's practice can take center stage in attaining the personal satisfaction that often leads to a successful career. There are roles outside those confines that can showcase a woman's leadership capability. Leadership at this level can translate into business development. From there, if leadership within your firm is what you aspire to achieve, you will be on your way to attaining that career goal.

Hundreds of articles have been written about leadership. One I just finished reading is in the January issue of The Harvard Business Review. It addresses the topic of women as visionaries ' something that the authors of the article believe is an important facet to becoming a leader. The article is detailed in its argument for and against how leadership qualities resonate among women. One should read it to get a more statistics-laden approach to what it takes to be a leader. I have my own thoughts on the subject and being a visionary is among them. After all, imagination inspires and leads to the vision becoming a reality. Leaders can do that!

The Four I's of Leadership

In my opinion, leaders are born, not created. I believe there are four basic qualities that can be identified in people who are born to lead. I call it the “Four I's of Leadership” ' inspiration, individualism, intuition and involvement. Forget everything you have heard about being a good soldier, keeping your head down and just doing “good work.” If that is all you plan on doing with your life, do not continue reading because this article is about succeeding in non-traditional settings and translating those activities into a successful and profitable career.

So here we go. First step ' get involved! For those with small children, it's a no-brainer. There are school and after-school activities, weekend play dates and countless social events. For those with college-age young men and women, there are fund-raising activities where one can get involved and get noticed. For singles, the world is your oyster. Pick a charity, pick a cultural institution, pick a political party and then get involved. Use that law degree to become an adviser to the organization. This is your fist step on the road to leadership. Make your voice heard. Getting people to understand your value is a key component in career development. You need to have a “vocal pocket resume” at the ready that basically consists of who you are, what you do and what you can bring to the table within the organization.

Being an individual is important to any success story. Natural-born leaders set themselves apart from the crowd. They have smarts, tenacity, make the best of their God-given talents and always look the part. I have advised many women and lots of men about being true to yourself, staying real and never compromising who you are for the sake of getting ahead. Doing so can lead to career suicide.

Being able to “see the future” can be defined as women's intuition or having good insights. Logic plays a big role in having good intuition and lawyers use logic in every aspect of their practices, especially in quantifying outcomes. Intuition and being insightful are key to mentoring the next generation.

Women-Friendly Firms and Leadership

In thinking about firms that define themselves as “women-friendly” and those that claim to have women's initiatives in place, I look to those firms to see how many of them have created leadership programs, including leadership workshops that include legacy themes and implementation. Women-in-law programs within law firms may include social events and networking which nurture existing clients and give tips on how to get new clients, but are they really empowering women to become leaders if that is a career goal? Do women-in-law programs aspire to be enclaves of women who only think about being part of the environment without going outside the environment to create success stories?

Leadership Roles Outside The Scope of Your Practice

Now what I am about to say may be a bit controversial, but I counsel women to not take on leadership roles within their firms that have “no red meat.” There are only two roles within a law firm that count: the governing body of the firm and the compensation committee. The truth be told ' traditionally, these spots are filled by those within the firm who have books of business. So if that's the case, then there must be a process to develop business. I believe that without question it is a jungle out there and you need to bring to bear all of your resources to prospect for gold. The route to business development is to market yourself utilizing your talents beyond what they teach you in law school. Everyone assumes you are a good lawyer.

Other Avenues

Other avenues of non-traditional roles that can lead to business development include fund-raising, either at the college or law school alumni level or through your children's schools. Asking for money is difficult and may not be suited for everyone. That being said, all fundraising is really about is making connections and connections are key to leadership. I personally have been involved in all types of fundraising and most of the people I have worked with on various charities are still my friends. I have also never said no to a colleague or friend who has asked me to contribute to a charity that I believe in. My list is limited, but it is important to realize the personal and professional value that comes with being charitable.

Conclusion

In closing, let me borrow a line from the movie “Working Girl” that says: “Who makes it happen ' you make it happen!” So why are you still sitting there. Get busy!

MAY

In his Media & Communications Corner column, another of our wonderful Board members, Nick Gaffney, wrote a fascinating piece on how to Channel the Information Deluge into Knowledge You Can Use.

Feel like you're drowning in a flood of information? Join the club. More than ever before, we're incessantly being showered with information. It flows through our personal and professional lives, threatening to overwhelm our ability to access and evaluate. And it seems to be getting worse. In fact, there are entire companies and organizations whose sole mission is helping people keep their information organized and actionable.

Communications professionals are adding to this relentless torrent as they constantly put out messages about their firm, attorneys, and subjects their clients care about through stories, press releases, alerts, blogs, and tweets. Take press releases. They're a valuable source of information, and they can help you keep abreast of your competition, stay on top of industry news and spot trends that you can leverage to create your own buzz. But with so many swirling through cyberspace, how do you efficiently snare the valuable material? Fortunately, we can tap the same tools and skills we use to promote ideas to transform the glut of information into valuable, actionable knowledge and perhaps even competitive intelligence with only a modest investment of time or capital.

Here are some proven shortcuts that will help you channel the flood of information:

On the Trail of Big Law

If you're looking to keep abreast of Big Law, PinHawk http://www.pinhawk.com/ is a great solution. The company monitors thousands of Web pages, including worldwide and local news sources; corporate, law firm, and association sites; commentary and working papers from international banks and universities; federal, state, and local governments and blogs. For an annual subscription of $199, you will get a daily e-newsletter containing top-level links sorted into categories you've selected.

Across the Information Universe

Alternatively, if you invest a small amount of time to WatchThatPage http://www.watchthatpage.com/, you can create your own newsletter customized with information vital to your clients, your business or even your hobbies, culled from the sources of your choice. This site watches any Internet page you select, from competitors, partners, online news and magazines, reports or events. The service is free, and it lets you decide how you'd like to be alerted to content changes. The information can be collected in one e-mail, or several sorted

Find, Sort and Send

Subscribing to RSS feeds by using a service such as Newz Crawler, http://www.newzcrawler.com/, allows you to funnel news tailored to your needs to your in-box. One valuable feature of this service is that it will check for updates on pages of sites that do not provide their content in syndicate-able format, which includes most law firms' Web sites.

Tweet Repeats

Twitter is one of the hottest communication sites because it allows you to tap into myriad conversations and follow news that you might otherwise miss. But the sheer volume of Twitter posts (called “tweets”) can quickly overwhelm even the most dedicated followers. Again, turn to tools to help. Tweetdeck http://www.tweetdeck.com/ beta is invaluable for managing Twitter feeds. By organizing your contacts into groups, you can quickly determine what's important as you keep an eye on top trends and build your network. Consider a three-pronged organizational approach: Set up one group for people you regularly converse with, another for people you're just getting to know, and one more for influencers you'd like to know better.

But Use Caution

The first reports of the terrorist massacre last November in Mumbai, India, came not from TV stations but from tweeting bystanders and witnesses. Information spread at lightning speed, but the unfiltered, chaotic reports turned out to be highly inaccurate. So if you're following newsmakers on Twitter, temper your craving for breaking news with caution. Touch base with a reliable source to verify what you've heard so you don't disseminate or react to potentially incorrect information.

Tap Your Network

Perhaps one of the most creative ways to manage “news” is by leveraging personal networks of trusted contacts on sites such as LinkedIn, MySpace or Facebook. You choose the right networks, they can help you indentify the information you really need, with little effort. LinkedIn and others can provide trusted sources of useful, timely and reliable news and information. Consider joining groups with passionate members who do lot of reading and news vetting that will save others the effort finding information. This aspect of social networking is priceless. As Twitter illustrates, social networks can also deliver potentially useful information faster than the traditional media.

Conclusion

With a small investment of time and effort, you can not only stem the flood of information constantly lapping at your door, but you can make it work for you. Turning the information overload into news you can leverage puts you where you need to be professionally: back in control.

JUNE

In her Technology in Marketing column, another of our esteemed Board Members, Nancy Roberts Linder, told us Where to Invest Your Marketing Technology Dollars.

Law firms have realized that using technology ' particularly the Internet ' is a powerful tool for creating a more level playing field to enhance their images, expand their visibility in targeted markets and drive business to their firms. However, with so many competing interests for limited marketing dollars, where should you invest your firm's resources to get the most bang for the buck? Consider the following options.

Beef Up Your Web Site

Now might be that time to beef up your firm's Web site. The difference between a “good” and “really good” Web site is all about the content. Clients look to hire lawyers who are authorities in their field and have specific experience relating to the client's legal issue or technical need. If you are a small or mid-size firm competing with the larger ones, trying to be all things to all people is not going to help distinguish your firm from the “brand-name” firms. Do not be reluctant to narrow your focus, target your message and emphasize what you do really well. However, what the Web site looks like also affects a firm's ability to project a sophisticated image, so spending money on a site that looks homemade is not a wise investment.

There are now a plethora of Web site development resources available for a fraction of what they used to cost. Where small firms were spending upwards of $10,000 and larger firms upwards of $50,000 for a custom-designed site, there are many online options that offer very affordable solutions, some for as little as a few thousand dollars. As an example, visit The Modern Firm (www.themodernfirm.com), a Web site development company that offers a variety of site design solutions for law firms, including online content management.

Speaking of content management, it really does not make a lot of sense today to choose a site development solution that doesn't provide a way for you to update your own content. This gives you maximum flexibility to change practice profiles, add news, articles or links, update attorney bios and the like. Also, selecting a Web site development company that understands the importance of keywords and search engine optimization, will help you develop your content, links and other strategies to achieve better rankings by search engines.

Demonstrate Your Capabilities with Media

Podcasts, which are essentially sound files, are relatively easy to create for any law firm Web site or blog, and present lawyers with a great way to educate clients on particular legal topics, build a reputation for the firm's work in certain practice areas, and demonstrate attorney knowledge about specific industries. The unique feature of this technology is that attorneys can actually “talk” to the firm's clients and contacts anytime and anywhere ' clients and contacts can download a firm's podcasts to their MP3 or iPod, mobile phone, computer or PDA and listen at their leisure ' whether they are stuck in traffic or working out on the treadmill. Integrating podcasts into your firm's Web site is not a huge investment of resources and is more versatile than video because you do not require a user to have a video component enabled. To learn more about podcasts and resources for creating and using them, read Joshua Fruchter's article from the March 2006 Technology in Marketing column, which can be found in the Marketing The Law Firm archives (see www.lawjournalnewsletters.com/issues/ljn_marketing/19_11/news/146223-1.html).

Video, which requires a bit more planning and resources than podcasts, can be a very compelling client development tool. Linda Sedloff Orton, President of Intelligent Video Solutions (http://www.intelligentvideosolutions.com/), believes that lawyers should pay more attention to the power of video to attract potential clients and stay connected to existing ones. Orton notes that “the key is to educate, entertain and engage viewers with relevant, simple and exclusive stories. A highly produced, short video is more affordable than many lawyers realize. If goals are set, a script outlined, and business goals are married to creativity, the finished result will be powerful.”

Use e-Mail Marketing

While you can review a tracking report showing hits to your Web site, the technology behind e-mail marketing provides unprecedented insight into who's reading your material and who's not. You will need to use an e-mail marketing service to get this tracking information which will tell you who received the e-mail (and who didn't), who opened it, and who clicked on the links you included in the content. This information will help you objectively assess the value of your message and e-marketing efforts. No investment in design is necessary, these services usually have a wide variety of templates your firm can use. Additionally, e-mail marketing services have the infrastructure already in place so that your e-communication complies with anti-spam rules (CAN-SPAM Act). There are a host of choices out there ' among the most inexpensive are VerticalResponse (which requires no monthly commitment), Constant Contact and Campaigner (which can be as little as $20 per month, depending upon the size of your firm's e-mailing list) and there are many others.

Conclusion

Great articles by great authors with the requisite experience to educate and enlighten. We will complete the year's review with the Feburary issue.

---

Elizabeth Anne 'Betiayn' Tursi is Editor-in-Chief of this newsletter.

Ihave to say that in my long career in law, I've never seen a year quite like 2009. To say the least, it was interesting ' and actually, I think the legal profession may have learned something about how it is perceived and how it perceives itself. I think 2009 was good for the profession, because it forced law firms to find new ways of doing business. They realized that in order to do that, marketing, business development and communications can be an integral part of the strategy and, better still, part of the solution.

So here we go with excerpts from “The Best of MLF 2009,” from January through June.

JANUARY

David Freeman, a past member of this newsletter's Board of Editors and the Co-Chair of this year's LMA Annual Conference in Denver, got the ball rolling with an article on “Leadership: An Economic Stimulus Plan for Law Firms.” Here are some excerpts:

Wall Street and Main Street are not the only places that need a paddle to the chest. While many firms look to cut costs to stop the bleeding, this alone is not a prescription for a return to health.

Leaders who look beyond expense reports and headcounts to focus on finding and keeping great clients will provide the tonic needed for a vibrant recovery. Such revenue-driven leaders will put their groups in far better positions when the inevitable turnaround arrives. Just like our [then] new President and Congress, leaders will have to take stock of the inventory of Economic Stimulus Tools to see which should be used, in what measure and at what times, in order to get the desired results.

And the Wall Comes Tumbling Down

Desperate times permit desperate measures. This economy is your get-out-of-jail card, your window of opportunity to get things done that otherwise would be ignored. Your group needs your leadership more than ever, and it's your job to get them moving in the right direction. You can engage in tougher conversations, break through internal silos, overcome inefficient policies, address dysfunctional behaviors, and demand more business-development activity at all levels.

Now is the time to take decisive action. And that action, as always, should be focused, first and foremost, on the client. Get your people to live up to the hype on your Web site, the pledges in your RFPs, and their personal promises to “partner” with clients. There's a phrase I remember that says “for better or for worse,” and now is the time to show your clients, and members of your own firm, that you will live by that standard. This will require new and different mindsets and behaviors, which can be triggered by the judicious use of your Economic Stimulus Tools.

A Three-Part Approach: The Economic Stimulus Toolkit

As a leader, you have to use the right tools, the right ways, with the right people, in order to have the greatest impact on the firm. The following are three major initiatives that will accelerate your firm's economic recovery.

• One: Turn Leaders into Revenue-Driven Leaders.
• Two: Turn Lawyers into Rainmaking Machines.
• Three: Maximize the Potential of Laterals.

These unprecedented times require firms to pull the right levers. Those who act now, who recognize the flip side of every challenge is an opportunity, will position themselves to thrive.

FEBRUARY

Christy Burke, another past member of our Board of Editors, wrote a sleek article in the Place to Network column on “Advanced Online Strategies for Lawyers.”

As 2009 moves into full swing, many lawyers have already dipped at least one or two tentative toes into the fast-rushing waters of online social networking and blogging. Creating a LinkedIn account, a Facebook page, responding to a blog post, or joining relevant legal listservs are all valuable steps toward harnessing the power of this exciting new wave of Internet-based communication.

However, an elite subset of attorneys has decided to go above and beyond the basics, maximizing use of these new online outlets to build law practices in a substantial way. Sometimes enlisting the help of outside experts, these lawyers have accelerated way past Social Networking and Blogging 101, and have begun to blaze trails into previously uncharted virtual territory.

Beyond the Basics

David Snead (http://www.dsnead.com/) is an attorney who works with companies and individuals that support the Internet, and that create and distribute products and services electronically. Snead says that using online technology is incredibly important to attorney communication at present. He says, “Lawyers who are resisting [social networking] technology are shooting themselves in the foot ' there's nothing to be scared of. The Internet is where the interaction is now.”

Being Successful

Ronald Coleman is a copyright, trademark and new media attorney at Goetz Fitzpatrick LLP (http://www.goetzfitz.com/). He is a blogger and avid social networker who has aggressively leveraged the Internet to develop his law practice. Coleman says, “Successful social networking requires that you deliver value, in the form of content (or at least personality!) If you haven't got that, you come across as someone who is mainly looking for referrals. There's nothing wrong with that, because everyone is looking for referrals, but ' everyone is looking for referrals!”

Coleman's blog, Likelihood of Confusion (http://www.likelihoodofconfusion.com/), has made a huge difference in his self-promotion efforts as an attorney. “It's a great marketing tactic to write a blog that lots of people want to read. I have increased my blog's readership by developing and nurturing relationships with other influential bloggers ' some of whom first became aware of me when I was advertising on their blogs.” Coleman suggests that lawyers choose a focus and a theme for their social networking activities, rather than a scattershot or generalist approach.

Blogging and social networking is certainly not for everyone, especially when people really have no real content to contribute. For some attorneys, avoiding participation in online networking will not greatly hurt their business prospects ' right now, anyway. However, Coleman's perspective is that opting out of social networking altogether, due to fear or lack of time, may have consequences down the line, if not right away. “Are people who don't participate also 'missing out' on the only way business will be done in the future, or something dire like that? Probably not, but younger people who are social-networking savvy coming into the profession will eventually eat the lunch of many who do not get it.”

Use Your Web Sites!

Jayne Navarre, a social media analyst and consultant to the legal industry and founder of Florida-based LawGravity.com (http://www.lawgravity.com/), agrees that using online tools is a crucial element of business development for lawyers to explore. Having once been a marketing director at law firms, Navarre now specializes in teaching lawyers how to leverage Web 2.0 communications, including social networking and blogs, to dramatically further their legal client development efforts.

She notes that lawyers are becoming more sophisticated with online applications, and she encourages clients to use their Web sites as more than just online brochures. “I work with lawyers to create Web sites with Web 2.0 components. Their sites foster two-way communication, as well as featuring web analytics to track activity, search engine optimization so people can find them online, and conversion of traditional business development efforts into online equivalents.”

Conclusion

Advanced social networking and blogging is certainly a vital and expanding area of communication in the legal world, and those who learn how to unlock its potential stand to gain much from leveraging these tools. Clearly, there are many levels of participation, ranging from the very basic to the most complicated and content-rich communication outlets. The most important factor is really to understand whether you want to float down a lazy river, or ride the rapids, and what the consequences and benefits are of both approaches. Whichever option you choose, though, the message is clear ' when it comes to using online marketing tools to build your legal practice, make sure not to miss the boat!

MARCH

In his Career Journal column, Michael DeCosta, another esteemed member of our Board of Editors, presented us with Real Advice for the Real World.

Let's get practical here. Dishing out career advice during a recession of unprecedented scope ' at least in the last quarter century ' is a bit like telling Sir Ernest Shackleton what to expect as he set out to explore the South Pole in 1914. While not necessarily as perilous a journey, it can be nonetheless as unnerving when exploring the great unknown of the world of job searching.

Over the last year, I have written this column with the idea of offering longer-term career management advice. My recommendations have been more about career positioning and relationship building, disciplines critical to exercise in today's corporate environment for any executive on the move. Yet, these actions are simply a way of planting long-term seeds with potential upside results. What if you need to eat now? What can you do to navigate these treacherous waters? Perhaps the following suggestions can help guide you through a situation you have not previously found yourself in before ' looking for a job in a really bad economy.

Strategically Target Key Executives

Everyone likes to be flattered. It is human nature. If you take the time to target a select group of people in your industry or with your same functional expertise, you can establish relationships that will potentially pay dividends in a job search. You may be usurping your competition for a possible position before they even become aware of it.

For example, perhaps you have read with interest an article in an industry publication in which an executive is quoted. If you think his comment has merit, you should take the time to reach out to that person to express your shared philosophy. Send an e-mail or letter with your impressions. Comment at the end of the note that you would welcome the opportunity to meet briefly with him or her. Certainly, that is fairly forward thing to do. But think about this: If you were the one receiving that e-mail or letter, would you respond, perhaps? Of course, if there is no response from an executive you try to contact, move on. Don't become a professional stalker.

Work with an Executive Search Firm

Search consultants may not bear the brunt of as many jokes as lawyers do, but it is one of the few professions in which a pejorative term is regularly used to describe it. Certainly, there is good reason why some are called “headhunters” as they may come across as serving their own self-interests over yours. But there are incredibly talented search consultants in the profession who produce great results for their clients and treat people with respect. However, by design, our profession is somewhat cloaked in secrecy as we are actually paid to be discrete. That can create an awkward dynamic with executives in terms of “full disclosure.”

Moreover, we are often not in a position to help many jobseekers, certainly even less so in a tough job market. Our lack of response can be frustrating to some. How, then, can you be effective in reaching us? Certainly, if you have ever worked in the past with a search consultant, stay in touch with that individual and see if he or she is willing to introduce you to others. Do not be discouraged if they are not, because they have to be respectful of their colleagues' time as well.

If you don't have a lot of contacts in the industry, you should work to find the right person online. Using industry association Web sites, for example, the Association of Executive Search Consultants (http://www.aecs.org/), can be an effective portal to navigate your way to the right consultant in an otherwise highly fragmented industry. Click through to the listing of members and start narrowing your search for the right consultants who recruit in your sector. Ultimately, the same rule applies in contacting a search consultant as contacting the targeted executives I spoke about earlier. Contact consultants selectively ' those who recruit in your space. I pay particular attention to how jobseekers approach me. If their e-mail starts out with, “Dear Executive Recruiter,” I disregard it. You are essentially spamming and wasting the multiple recipients' collective time. Conversely, if someone writes me and points to the type of recruitment I do as being germane to what he or she does, I reward their due diligence and take the time to respond and in some cases, meet with that person.

Perseverance

Looking for a job is an art form, not a science. There is not a set formula one can apply to create a job. But by carefully targeting the right people to contact and selecting the right places to be can greatly increase your chances of success. You may try all of these things and in a down market like this one, still not have any luck. But persistence will pay off. By being discerning and trying to establish key relationships of potentially mutual benefit will reap rewards.

By the way, old Ernie died on his last doomed excursion down to the frozen tundra ' but don't let that be a deterrent to you.

APRIL

Your humble Editor-in-Chief wrote about The Road to Leadership for Women in Law: Not What you May Be Thinking!

A couple of months ago, I was watching two recent DVD releases, “Mamma Mia!” and a remake of the “The Women.” Both of these movies made me think of how Hollywood has figured out that women are a target demographic where there is money to be made. Has the legal profession figured it out? The answer is still to be determined.

Leadership Defined

There's been a lot of talk about leadership, especially inside the ranks of women who aspire to hold powerful positions within law firms. This article is not aimed at those women. I am not going to address how to achieve a leadership position, for indeed not everyone wants to be chair, managing partner or a practice group leader of a law firm. What I am going to talk about is how leadership outside the confines of one's practice can take center stage in attaining the personal satisfaction that often leads to a successful career. There are roles outside those confines that can showcase a woman's leadership capability. Leadership at this level can translate into business development. From there, if leadership within your firm is what you aspire to achieve, you will be on your way to attaining that career goal.

Hundreds of articles have been written about leadership. One I just finished reading is in the January issue of The Harvard Business Review. It addresses the topic of women as visionaries ' something that the authors of the article believe is an important facet to becoming a leader. The article is detailed in its argument for and against how leadership qualities resonate among women. One should read it to get a more statistics-laden approach to what it takes to be a leader. I have my own thoughts on the subject and being a visionary is among them. After all, imagination inspires and leads to the vision becoming a reality. Leaders can do that!

The Four I's of Leadership

In my opinion, leaders are born, not created. I believe there are four basic qualities that can be identified in people who are born to lead. I call it the “Four I's of Leadership” ' inspiration, individualism, intuition and involvement. Forget everything you have heard about being a good soldier, keeping your head down and just doing “good work.” If that is all you plan on doing with your life, do not continue reading because this article is about succeeding in non-traditional settings and translating those activities into a successful and profitable career.

So here we go. First step ' get involved! For those with small children, it's a no-brainer. There are school and after-school activities, weekend play dates and countless social events. For those with college-age young men and women, there are fund-raising activities where one can get involved and get noticed. For singles, the world is your oyster. Pick a charity, pick a cultural institution, pick a political party and then get involved. Use that law degree to become an adviser to the organization. This is your fist step on the road to leadership. Make your voice heard. Getting people to understand your value is a key component in career development. You need to have a “vocal pocket resume” at the ready that basically consists of who you are, what you do and what you can bring to the table within the organization.

Being an individual is important to any success story. Natural-born leaders set themselves apart from the crowd. They have smarts, tenacity, make the best of their God-given talents and always look the part. I have advised many women and lots of men about being true to yourself, staying real and never compromising who you are for the sake of getting ahead. Doing so can lead to career suicide.

Being able to “see the future” can be defined as women's intuition or having good insights. Logic plays a big role in having good intuition and lawyers use logic in every aspect of their practices, especially in quantifying outcomes. Intuition and being insightful are key to mentoring the next generation.

Women-Friendly Firms and Leadership

In thinking about firms that define themselves as “women-friendly” and those that claim to have women's initiatives in place, I look to those firms to see how many of them have created leadership programs, including leadership workshops that include legacy themes and implementation. Women-in-law programs within law firms may include social events and networking which nurture existing clients and give tips on how to get new clients, but are they really empowering women to become leaders if that is a career goal? Do women-in-law programs aspire to be enclaves of women who only think about being part of the environment without going outside the environment to create success stories?

Leadership Roles Outside The Scope of Your Practice

Now what I am about to say may be a bit controversial, but I counsel women to not take on leadership roles within their firms that have “no red meat.” There are only two roles within a law firm that count: the governing body of the firm and the compensation committee. The truth be told ' traditionally, these spots are filled by those within the firm who have books of business. So if that's the case, then there must be a process to develop business. I believe that without question it is a jungle out there and you need to bring to bear all of your resources to prospect for gold. The route to business development is to market yourself utilizing your talents beyond what they teach you in law school. Everyone assumes you are a good lawyer.

Other Avenues

Other avenues of non-traditional roles that can lead to business development include fund-raising, either at the college or law school alumni level or through your children's schools. Asking for money is difficult and may not be suited for everyone. That being said, all fundraising is really about is making connections and connections are key to leadership. I personally have been involved in all types of fundraising and most of the people I have worked with on various charities are still my friends. I have also never said no to a colleague or friend who has asked me to contribute to a charity that I believe in. My list is limited, but it is important to realize the personal and professional value that comes with being charitable.

Conclusion

In closing, let me borrow a line from the movie “Working Girl” that says: “Who makes it happen ' you make it happen!” So why are you still sitting there. Get busy!

MAY

In his Media & Communications Corner column, another of our wonderful Board members, Nick Gaffney, wrote a fascinating piece on how to Channel the Information Deluge into Knowledge You Can Use.

Feel like you're drowning in a flood of information? Join the club. More than ever before, we're incessantly being showered with information. It flows through our personal and professional lives, threatening to overwhelm our ability to access and evaluate. And it seems to be getting worse. In fact, there are entire companies and organizations whose sole mission is helping people keep their information organized and actionable.

Communications professionals are adding to this relentless torrent as they constantly put out messages about their firm, attorneys, and subjects their clients care about through stories, press releases, alerts, blogs, and tweets. Take press releases. They're a valuable source of information, and they can help you keep abreast of your competition, stay on top of industry news and spot trends that you can leverage to create your own buzz. But with so many swirling through cyberspace, how do you efficiently snare the valuable material? Fortunately, we can tap the same tools and skills we use to promote ideas to transform the glut of information into valuable, actionable knowledge and perhaps even competitive intelligence with only a modest investment of time or capital.

Here are some proven shortcuts that will help you channel the flood of information:

On the Trail of Big Law

If you're looking to keep abreast of Big Law, PinHawk http://www.pinhawk.com/ is a great solution. The company monitors thousands of Web pages, including worldwide and local news sources; corporate, law firm, and association sites; commentary and working papers from international banks and universities; federal, state, and local governments and blogs. For an annual subscription of $199, you will get a daily e-newsletter containing top-level links sorted into categories you've selected.

Across the Information Universe

Alternatively, if you invest a small amount of time to WatchThatPage http://www.watchthatpage.com/, you can create your own newsletter customized with information vital to your clients, your business or even your hobbies, culled from the sources of your choice. This site watches any Internet page you select, from competitors, partners, online news and magazines, reports or events. The service is free, and it lets you decide how you'd like to be alerted to content changes. The information can be collected in one e-mail, or several sorted

Find, Sort and Send

Subscribing to RSS feeds by using a service such as Newz Crawler, http://www.newzcrawler.com/, allows you to funnel news tailored to your needs to your in-box. One valuable feature of this service is that it will check for updates on pages of sites that do not provide their content in syndicate-able format, which includes most law firms' Web sites.

Tweet Repeats

Twitter is one of the hottest communication sites because it allows you to tap into myriad conversations and follow news that you might otherwise miss. But the sheer volume of Twitter posts (called “tweets”) can quickly overwhelm even the most dedicated followers. Again, turn to tools to help. Tweetdeck http://www.tweetdeck.com/ beta is invaluable for managing Twitter feeds. By organizing your contacts into groups, you can quickly determine what's important as you keep an eye on top trends and build your network. Consider a three-pronged organizational approach: Set up one group for people you regularly converse with, another for people you're just getting to know, and one more for influencers you'd like to know better.

But Use Caution

The first reports of the terrorist massacre last November in Mumbai, India, came not from TV stations but from tweeting bystanders and witnesses. Information spread at lightning speed, but the unfiltered, chaotic reports turned out to be highly inaccurate. So if you're following newsmakers on Twitter, temper your craving for breaking news with caution. Touch base with a reliable source to verify what you've heard so you don't disseminate or react to potentially incorrect information.

Tap Your Network

Perhaps one of the most creative ways to manage “news” is by leveraging personal networks of trusted contacts on sites such as LinkedIn, MySpace or Facebook. You choose the right networks, they can help you indentify the information you really need, with little effort. LinkedIn and others can provide trusted sources of useful, timely and reliable news and information. Consider joining groups with passionate members who do lot of reading and news vetting that will save others the effort finding information. This aspect of social networking is priceless. As Twitter illustrates, social networks can also deliver potentially useful information faster than the traditional media.

Conclusion

With a small investment of time and effort, you can not only stem the flood of information constantly lapping at your door, but you can make it work for you. Turning the information overload into news you can leverage puts you where you need to be professionally: back in control.

JUNE

In her Technology in Marketing column, another of our esteemed Board Members, Nancy Roberts Linder, told us Where to Invest Your Marketing Technology Dollars.

Law firms have realized that using technology ' particularly the Internet ' is a powerful tool for creating a more level playing field to enhance their images, expand their visibility in targeted markets and drive business to their firms. However, with so many competing interests for limited marketing dollars, where should you invest your firm's resources to get the most bang for the buck? Consider the following options.

Beef Up Your Web Site

Now might be that time to beef up your firm's Web site. The difference between a “good” and “really good” Web site is all about the content. Clients look to hire lawyers who are authorities in their field and have specific experience relating to the client's legal issue or technical need. If you are a small or mid-size firm competing with the larger ones, trying to be all things to all people is not going to help distinguish your firm from the “brand-name” firms. Do not be reluctant to narrow your focus, target your message and emphasize what you do really well. However, what the Web site looks like also affects a firm's ability to project a sophisticated image, so spending money on a site that looks homemade is not a wise investment.

There are now a plethora of Web site development resources available for a fraction of what they used to cost. Where small firms were spending upwards of $10,000 and larger firms upwards of $50,000 for a custom-designed site, there are many online options that offer very affordable solutions, some for as little as a few thousand dollars. As an example, visit The Modern Firm (www.themodernfirm.com), a Web site development company that offers a variety of site design solutions for law firms, including online content management.

Speaking of content management, it really does not make a lot of sense today to choose a site development solution that doesn't provide a way for you to update your own content. This gives you maximum flexibility to change practice profiles, add news, articles or links, update attorney bios and the like. Also, selecting a Web site development company that understands the importance of keywords and search engine optimization, will help you develop your content, links and other strategies to achieve better rankings by search engines.

Demonstrate Your Capabilities with Media

Podcasts, which are essentially sound files, are relatively easy to create for any law firm Web site or blog, and present lawyers with a great way to educate clients on particular legal topics, build a reputation for the firm's work in certain practice areas, and demonstrate attorney knowledge about specific industries. The unique feature of this technology is that attorneys can actually “talk” to the firm's clients and contacts anytime and anywhere ' clients and contacts can download a firm's podcasts to their MP3 or iPod, mobile phone, computer or PDA and listen at their leisure ' whether they are stuck in traffic or working out on the treadmill. Integrating podcasts into your firm's Web site is not a huge investment of resources and is more versatile than video because you do not require a user to have a video component enabled. To learn more about podcasts and resources for creating and using them, read Joshua Fruchter's article from the March 2006 Technology in Marketing column, which can be found in the Marketing The Law Firm archives (see www.lawjournalnewsletters.com/issues/ljn_marketing/19_11/news/146223-1.html).

Video, which requires a bit more planning and resources than podcasts, can be a very compelling client development tool. Linda Sedloff Orton, President of Intelligent Video Solutions (http://www.intelligentvideosolutions.com/), believes that lawyers should pay more attention to the power of video to attract potential clients and stay connected to existing ones. Orton notes that “the key is to educate, entertain and engage viewers with relevant, simple and exclusive stories. A highly produced, short video is more affordable than many lawyers realize. If goals are set, a script outlined, and business goals are married to creativity, the finished result will be powerful.”

Use e-Mail Marketing

While you can review a tracking report showing hits to your Web site, the technology behind e-mail marketing provides unprecedented insight into who's reading your material and who's not. You will need to use an e-mail marketing service to get this tracking information which will tell you who received the e-mail (and who didn't), who opened it, and who clicked on the links you included in the content. This information will help you objectively assess the value of your message and e-marketing efforts. No investment in design is necessary, these services usually have a wide variety of templates your firm can use. Additionally, e-mail marketing services have the infrastructure already in place so that your e-communication complies with anti-spam rules (CAN-SPAM Act). There are a host of choices out there ' among the most inexpensive are VerticalResponse (which requires no monthly commitment), Constant Contact and Campaigner (which can be as little as $20 per month, depending upon the size of your firm's e-mailing list) and there are many others.

Conclusion

Great articles by great authors with the requisite experience to educate and enlighten. We will complete the year's review with the Feburary issue.

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Elizabeth Anne 'Betiayn' Tursi is Editor-in-Chief of this newsletter.