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Challenges in large law brings increase in law blogs

20130809-210544.jpgJulia Love (@SFjlove), covering the business of law for The Recorder, reports that law blogs are really coming of age.

With my company, LexBlog, being in the business of empowering lawyers to network through the net via blogs and other social media for ten years, I’d love to say “Baloney, law blogs came of age years ago. Heck, the majority of the 200 largest firms in the country use blogs for professional and business development.”

But Love makes a good point, that with big law challenged, law firms and their attorneys are drawing on blogs to boost their revenues and profiles.

As Kent Zimmerman (@kentzimmermann), a consultant to leading law firm chairs and chief marketing officers, told Love,

Lawyers have been blogging in large numbers for about a decade, but firms have made a more concerted effort to get their lawyers on the blogosphere in recent years. To land the high-value work they crave, firms need to be seen as thought leaders in the field—and blogging can help.

I explained to Love that leading legal bloggers can be hot commodities in the lateral marketplace. Another reason lawyers in large law firms are drawn to blogs.

In addition to the almost 70% of the Am Law 200 blogs that are on the LexBlog Network, Love shares that Orrick, Allen Matkins, Duane Morris, Shearman & Sterling have also turned to blogs to boost revenues.

There’s little question that blogging among large law is still in its infancy. Niche areas of the law remain wide open for lawyers and law firms. Those areas in which blogging is vibrant represent an opportunity for lawyers to join the discussion among thought leaders. After all, you don’t cease networking when there’s competition.

I’m right there with Zimmerman that with the challenges large law is facing, blogging is going to be even more important to increase revenue by landing high-value work. It’s also critically important for individual lawyers in some firms who find themselves in an uncertain environment.

In the economic downturn of 2008, LexBlog saw a tremendous growth in law blogs. Despite marketing budgets being cut at many firms, individual lawyers and law firms viewed blogging as a way to nurture relationships and enhance their reputation.

Those who acted landed and continue to land quality work. I expect the same, and much more in the years ahead.

Image courtesy of Flickr by Children of Darklight.

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