Shouldn’t Law Firms Invest in Their Lawyers as Legal Publishers?
A recent Clio Legal Trends Report breaks down where mid-size law firms allocate their budgets:
- Staff salaries: 28%
- Other expenses: 41%
- Rent and office expenses: 11%
- Professional fees: 4%
- Marketing: 5%
- Insurance: 5%
- Software: 2%
Noticeably absent—at least to me—is a dedicated investment in legal publishing—specifically, empowering lawyers to write, reflect, and share their insights with the world. And to do so in a way that leaves a permanent record in the lawyer’s name in libraries of legal research.
Lawyers begin their work in the law engaged in writing, be it through law school coursework, law reviews, clerkships, or legal memoranda. Some of this writing shaping legal discourse.
The experience instills an understanding that legal writing can influence arguments, educate others, and advance the law, even if not on a large scale—yet.
However, within law firms, the inclination to write can diminish, overshadowed by billable hours and writing directed toward public writing that’s more marketing-driven than mission-driven. The opportunity to build a name in the law through publishing can fade.
This is especially apt to happen in larger firms, where the opportunity to nurture and retain talent through real legal publishing is immense. By providing modern tools—including a blog publishing platform, editorial guidance, and networks that amplify lawyers’ voices and advance the law, law firms not only enhance their reputations but also reaffirm their commitment to their lawyers’ professional growth.
Allocating even less than 1% of the firm’s budget to legal publishing—less than any other expenditure, or by including it under recruitment, training and retention—could yield meaningful returns.
It’s not about marketing; it’s about fostering thought leadership via a permanent and public record of one’s publishing, giving lawyers a voice, and bridging the gap between the legal profession and the public it serves.
Legal publishing need not be viewed as a miscellaneous or discretionary expense—but as a strategic investment in people, evidence of the firm’s values and advancement of the law.
h/t to Gyi Tsakalakis for bringing the Clio report to my attention.