How to Position Yourself as More Than “Just Another Attorney”

What Is the Importance of Positioning Yourself as a Legal Specialist?

Do you know the old saying, Jack of all trades, master of none? When it comes to your law practice, this is not how you want your clients and other referrers to recognize you. Marketing yourself as a specialist practice lawyer, you are setting yourself apart from every other practice that claims they can do it all.

One advantage of promoting yourself as a specialist is the ability to set your pricing structure at a higher rate. People expect to pay more for a specialist.

Imagine you want to remodel your kitchen. You’ve saved up and you’re ready to invest tens of thousands of dollars into a showstopper, entertaining kitchen; do you hire Jack the general contractor or a highly recommended kitchen designer? Sure, it’s going to cost you more money than if you went with Jack, but you know you will get out of the project what you pay for with the specialty designer.

Becoming a specialist practice lawyer, you are positioning yourself to be seen as the best legal specialist firm in your area. Clients will come to you because they expect you to achieve better results than Jack the general law practitioner.

When selecting a specialty, location of your firm is an important factor. If your firm is in rural Wyoming, where you have difficulty finding reliable internet, launching a venture into intellectual property would be unwise; if you’re in Silicon Valley, this focus makes sense.

Colleagues are more apt to send refer clients to a specialized attorney, because they will not be seen as a competitor if they concentrate in different areas. You will have the opportunity to develop a deeper knowledge of your specialty, as well as your specific clientele, making you not only a specialist, but as an expert. You will be the natural choice to send referrals to.

What Are the Top 10 Legal Trends to Watch in 2021?

2020 transformed what going to work looks like for industries around the world and the legal industry is not exempt from these changes. Workplace environments, changing demographics, and evolving technology top the legal trends to watch in 2021.

-Outsourcing Office Support

Larger numbers of workers are seeking flexible employment, on their terms, as compared to pre-pandemic life. An increase in temporary, contract, and freelance workers, in a vast number of industries, means support staff will increasingly be outsourced, providing the benefit of quickly up- or down-scaling practices.

-Billable Hours Limits

The desire to have a better work-life balance has not escaped the legal industry. Leaders in the community are researching ways to make practicing law less stressful. Among the strategies being considered is to limit the number of hours an attorney can bill within a year.

-Industry Growth

Experts that monitor the legal industry are predicting a continued small and steady growth over the next year. Specific sectors will see more growth than others.

-Paralegal Job Growth

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a “faster than average” job growth for the field of paralegal and legal assistants. Paralegal support will play a greater role as the legal industry expands.

-Baby Boomer Effects

As Baby Boomers continue to reach retirement, many of the generation will be leaving the industry, creating opportunities for younger attorneys to fill these gaps. As Boomers age, the demand in areas of estate planning and family law will grow.

-e-Discovery

Electronic discovery is the way to electronically collect and share evidence. Electronically stored information (ESI) will streamline the process of sharing evidence, but also may eliminate claims of evidence tampering.

-Global Legal Services Growth

The global legal service markets are projected to see continued growth. Law firms are analyzing ways of growing their services to meet the global market demand. This growth is likely to effect law firm planning for years to come.

-Specialized Legal Services

Industry research has shown that clients prefer specialized law firms over firms who advertise a wide range of services. Choosing a targeted niche allows for a deeper understanding of specific clientele and the intricacies of that concentration.

-Diversity, Inclusion, & Equality

There is a greater awareness in industries across the U.S. to make equality a priority business matter. The industry will likely see improved policies regarding gender equality and greater participation in programs that recognize commitment to diversity and inclusion, such as the Mansfield Rule Certificate.

-Technology & Client Experience

Clients have continued to raise the bar on their expectations of the overall client experience. Using technology to boost client experience will continue to gain traction among competitive lawyers; with increases seen in technologies, such as chat bots, electronic forms, and online payment portals.

In my previous article (“The ‘Lisa Bloom’ Secret for Getting Your Law Office in the News”), we talked about “hero” positioning.

(AKA “champion” positioning.)

It’s when folks see you as more than “just another lawyer”, more than “just” an experienced attorney, and, yes, more than a “mere” authority.

They see you as a champion of a cause.

A pillar of the community whose name keeps coming up in the media every now and then, who people admire and respect. The first (and maybe only) attorney in your city or metro who immediately comes to mind when your practice area comes up in conversation. The name everyone knows.

Not only potential clients.

But referral partners, journalists, and event organizers too.

You may even build a personal brand that’s so powerful, every man, woman, and legal person in your metro wants you fighting their corner. Even if their legal need or problem has nothing to do with your practice area.

This kind of “hero” positioning isn’t easy to create.

(If it were, everyone would have it.)

And, frankly, it’s not something you can create overnight.

However, there is a way to rapidly accelerate your ascent. A specific thing you can do to align yourself with a cause or ideal, re-launch your personal brand, and take your show on the road. Something that will help you create a lot of momentum quickly and starting getting your name in the news.

Which is?

Author a new book.

But not just any book. A “cause” book.

We’ve helped attorneys author and publish a lot of these over the years. And, to be frank with you, it’s probably my favorite kind of Speak-a-Book project.

Here are a few examples that come to mind:

• Only in America: Case for Immigration and International Human Rights, by Martin Asatrian, Esq. (Immigration in an emotive issue right now, and one that is often in the news. In this book, Mr. Asatrian stakes his claim as the champion for decent folks who want to settle in America and the people, businesses, and corporations that support them. He also positions himself as the voice of lawyers who are pro-immigration.)
• The New Witch Hunt: A Guide for the Accused in Sexual-Based Criminal Prosecutions, by Brent Horst, Esq. (Positions our client, Mr. Horst, as the champion for good men who have been wrongly accused of committing a sex crime and the voice of lawyers fighting for them. Far more than “just another defense lawyer”.)
• Your Guide to Road Cycling Safety in Colorado, Bryan VanMeveren, Esq. (Our client offers a complimentary copy of this book to everyone in the Fort Collins, CO metro area who cycles to work or for pleasure. In doing so, he has positioned himself as the champion of road safety for cyclists, and the local media’s go-to contact for quotes and insight. Accidents unfortunately happen, and when they do, it’s often Mr. VanMeveren who immediately comes to folks minds.)

Can you see yourself authoring a book like one of these?

An officially published book — created using our proprietary method to get the enormous wealth of knowledge and wisdom that’s in your head down on paper, in your own words, and transformed into a tangible asset?

Now, at this stage, I’d normally invite you to apply to the Speak-a-Book program. Or, at the very least, request a sample book and info pack.

Don’t do that! At least not yet.

Here’s why:

Next week, we’re opening the doors on a brand-new service package for our Speak-a-Book program. Something we’ve never offered before.

I’m putting the finishing touches on the information page right now. And I don’t want to spoil the surprise for you. So, I’ll say no more at the moment.

Except this:

A lot of folks are talking about going “back to school” or “back to work” now it’s September. About resuming their old jobs, their old businesses.

This package is for lawyers who don’t want to go back.

Lawyers who don’t want to go back to the way things were before. For solo attorneys and owners/partners of firms who want to reboot their practices, and use this fresh start as an opportunity to step up to the next level.

In other words, to RISE.

And become known as an attorney who is more than “just another lawyer”. An attorney who stands for something, who is seen as an icon.

Does this describe you as well?

If so, my next article shows you how to make this shift.

Tracy Merda

Tracy Merda is the Senior Project Manager of Jacobs & Whitehall Publishing, a publishing house that helps respected professionals who are too busy to write a book the “traditional” way author their own book, ethically, in just 2-3 hours using a proprietary interview method. Since 2018, Tracy has helped 70+ attorneys, dentists, physicians, consultants, engineers, and other professionals become published authors.