Labor & Employment Law

Why Every Client Should Want A Lawyer Who Blogs

Teri Rasmussen posted an article recently on her blog that has received a lot of attention on the Internet recently. She explains why a client should want their lawyer to blog. In summary, her reasons are:

1. Knowledge Entrepreneur.
The blogging/blawgging attorney is just going to know MORE about more issues because they have a concrete personal stake and commitment beyond the needs of any particular client to find stuff out. And if I already know something, you the client won’t have to pay me to go find out.

2. Communication 101.
If you are able to “connect” with what I write in my blog/blawg, then at least you know you’ll get something of value when I communicate with you in writing, and hopefully face to face as well.

3. Authenticity and “Real Voice”.
So, when you read my blog/blawg, you as client get at bit of a “sneak preview” of what I’m really like. And if, as is likely, you’re going to be spending some time with me once you ask me to represent you, that’s got to be useful info.

4. Quality and Competence.
Those of us who blog/blawg are “out there”. You can take what we’ve written and ask your favorite friend attorney (who you don’t want to hire because you don’t want to mix personal and business or for some other reason), CPA, financial advisor, etc., what they think – or even research us on the web by seeing what other folks have to say about the same topic, or even about we’ve said about particular subjects.

5. Commitment to “the Law” Made Practical.
Blogging/blawging is fundamentally more practical and pragmatic than traditional legal scholarship in the form of footnoted articles in law reviews and journals.

Blogs definitely should be a tool used by clients looking for a lawyer. Just a few years ago, to find a lawyer, clients relied on their network, the yellow pages, or a lawyer rating company (which was paid by the lawyers it rated).  I strongly believe that one’s network is still the best source for a lawyer referral, and this will probably never be replaced (there is no better review than from someone that has recently work with the lawyer).  Today, however, every client should be able to do some background research on the lawyer they are considering to hire. And this research should include more than where the lawyer went to school and if he or she was on law review. The client should be able to read the lawyer’s opinion about the recent case law in the particular legal area, and also get a sense for the lawyer’s judgment (that is after all what the client will be paying for).

Full post as published by California Labor & Employment Defense Blog on February 13, 2008 (boomark / email).