Teaching lawyers to fish better than selling them a fish

Fred Wilson, Managing Partner at Union Square Ventures and a prolific and widely followed blogger, has a Friday fun feature each week on his blog. This week’s theme — doing good – helping someone in need.

Though Fred had in mind helping the less fortunate during this holiday season, in his case as to education, my thoughts went right to LexBlog’s mission — especially with some of the things he said in his post.

I founded LexBlog, in large part, to help good lawyers.

Rather than lawyers buying a website, content, SEO, and the like from Internet marketing companies, let’s teach lawyers how to network through the Internet to enhance their reputations and build relationships. After all, relationships and a strong word of mouth reputation are how lawyers retain clients and get new ones.

When I think of helping lawyers, I think of empowering lawyers. I think of what my Dad always told me and what Fred also said in his post:

Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today.

Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime.

Why help lawyers by teaching them how to network through the Internet?

To do exactly as Fred says as to helping people, to give “…[T]hem the skills to succeed and build a rich and fullfilling life for themselves and their loved ones.”