Eleven reasons blogging for senior lawyers makes sense

Zusha Elinson wrote an article for The Recorder entitled ‘Senior Lawyers Are Still Billing After All These Years.

Appears a combination of large firms eliminating partner pensions, striping equity partner status at a fixed age, and very capable senior lawyers wanting to work creates a real dilemma. Zusha reports on some of the creative ideas innovative firms have come up with the create a win/win for the firm and the lawyers.

Why not add blogging to the mix? Here’s eleven reasons why blogging for senior lawyers makes sense.

• Senior lawyers have more real life legal experiences to share than other lawyers in the firm.
• Blogging attracts older lawyers. Despite the fact we have some dynamite younger lawyers, the average age of the lawyers blogging in the LexBlog network is between 45 and 60.
• Senior lawyers are not comfortable with current law firm marketing, business development, and sales. Senior lawyers are more accustomed to obtaining work via networking, word of mouth and by showcasing their intellectual capital. Lawyers my age and older went to law school when marketing was shunned. Blogs are a return to the future – clients come because of networking, word of mouth and expertise.
• Some senior lawyers may have more time for blogging than younger lawyers.
• Senior lawyers become marketing assets. Large firms are pressured to terminate relationships with senior lawyers when the lawyers are no longer rainmakers. At a time when effective online networking and marketing is as important as offline marketing large law firms are very weak in their online efforts.
• Many senior lawyers have a great passion for the law as a profession. There was a day when we looked at the law as a noble profession more than a business. The best blogs require this passion.
• Blog publishing is easy to learn, it’s not techie. LexBlog clients are quick studies in picking up the goals, nature, and how to of blogging. If not fast on a keyboard, blog posts can be dictated in 5 minutes.
• Most senior lawyers are excellent writers. They’ve been writing letters, memorandums and legal briefs for decades.
• Blogged content on niche legal area in the context of years of legal experience becomes an incredibly valuable knowledge base for younger lawyers. Why let that wisdom go as lawyers retire?
• Senior lawyers become mentors to younger lawyers inside and outside the law firm. In a day when younger lawyers are starved for intellectual and moral leadership, most young lawyers don’t even know anything about the senior lawyers in their firms. Blogs are a perfect medium for mentoring.
• Senior lawyers may continue relationships with existing clients the firm would otherwise be at risk of losing.

I’m sure you have other reasons why blogging makes sense for senior lawyers. What are they?

Imagine the wealth of legal knowledge we could create by having a nation of blogging senior lawyers. Imagine the win/win for senior lawyers and large law firms. What are you waiting for?