Have a Wonderful Thanksgiving – Attorney Advertising

Nothing says Happy Thanksgiving like an email from a lawyer you have never heard of with the subject line, “Have a Wonderful Thanksgiving – Attorney Advertising.”

A lower Manhattan law firm writes on this Thanksgiving day, “What are you thankful for? We are thankful for you.”

Me? I have never met any from the firm nor heard of the firm.

It gets worse:

I am then prompted to stay connected via Pinterest and to update my email preferences for getting messages from the firm.

It’s amazing to me that one can hold a law license and get away with this junk. But I understand there are no limits to shame when it comes to “Attorney Advertising.” It’s free speech after all.

But what are we doing to our profession when we take a pass on this race to bottom by lawyers?

For lawyers doing this junk, do you really feel comfortable having others send out this sort of tasteless dribble for you? How many thousand emails do you send out? Do you buy an email list sent to you in a digital file?

Lawyers are irrelevant to 85% of Americans. One of the big reasons is trust, not cost. People do not trust lawyers, as a profession we turn people off.

Of course there have been self-serving studies that have found attorney advertising does not diminish the image of our profession. Plain common sense dictates otherwise.

Why do lawyers feel the need or perhaps the right to turn people off? I received no emails from unknown dentists reading, “Have a Wonderful Thanksgiving – Dental Advertising.” Nor from accountants, ad agencies, bankers, venture capitalists, chiropractors, plumbers, consultants or landscapers.

The Internet, used tastefully and effectively, enables lawyers to improve the image of our profession. It’s sad when lawyers use the net to do just the opposite.