Ethics

Lawyer advertising is frequently criticized, but the criticisms often fail to consider how attorney advertising can benefit the public.  For example, in this article, the authors claim that lawyers could reduce the rate of intestacy by learning to market wills more effectively.  The claim seems both intriguing and quite plausible.  (Tip from the Wills, Trusts, and Estates Law Blog.)

Many segments of the profession grudgingly accept advertising, and law schools don't really teach lawyers about effective marketing.  But there is an argument to be made that we should encourage lawyers to market themselves in ways that both serve the lawyers' financial interests and advance important public policies.  The two are not always mutually exclusive, and wills seem like a good example of how the two interests can be served simultaneously.

Law is quite clearly a business.  Business students are trained about effective marketing techniques, but I don't know of a single law school course that teaches lawyers how to engage in effective lawyer marketing.  Does anybody know of one?  Should we teach law students more about marketing?