Blogs a necessary tool for some large law firm partners

A 50 year old partner at large law firm without a book of business and the ability to bring in new work is a liability, not an asset to their law firm. That’s what I am being told by more large law firm lawyers who contact me with an interest in blogs.

Margaret Grisdela, a legal marketing expert, posts that some firms such as Mayer Brown, Jenner & Block LLP, and Powell Goldstein LLP are even taking equity stakes away from partners who do not bring in work.

Partners [at AmLaw 100 or AmLaw 200 firms] must bring in profitable new business and expand existing client relationships, or risk the threat of losing an equity position and possibly their job. While ‘finders’ are a hot commodity, partners who fall into the category of ‘minders and grinders’ must learn new business development skills quickly to keep a constant flow of quality prospects in the pipeline.

Not saying they were not rainmakers before, but look at large law firm lawyers such as Cathy Kirkman, Francis Pileggi, or David Donoghue. Their blogs have become an integral part of their personal marketing plans.

Though large law firms have large marketing budgets, they’re generally focused on practice groups and the firm as a whole, as opposed to individual lawyers. It’s up to you to ask what type of work you’d like to do more of and who’d you like to represent in two years. It’s up to you to make it happen.

Niche blogs allow you to make quick strides in developing a name and becoming a rainmaker. What took a decade or two before the Internet, can be done in a year or two with blog.