The Rainmaker Blog : Law Firm Marketing and Business Development : The Rainmaker Institute : Stephen Fairley : Professional Legal Marketing

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“While other sectors have struggled, lawyers have endured and prospered unstoppably,” said Richard Susskind, the author of The End of Lawyers?, in an interview with Am Law Daily.

But that is all about to change.

According to Susskind, there is a fundamental transformation occurring in the legal profession that will drive fees downward and push legal services overseas.

There will also be less available work, as clients share legal information and costs on subjects such as standards and compliance.

If what Susskind says is true, how can US law firms respond?

There are several ways individual attorneys and law firms can respond – all of which have to do with embracing change rather than trying to prevent it.  

The first thing attorneys must do is to acknowledge the role technology plays in the world. Networking sites, directories, social media, search engines are not just law firm marketing mediums.

They are desirable alternatives for clients who want fast, low cost legal information.They should be used as part of a creative law firm marketing strategy to reach out to and attract new clients, and to listen to what is on the minds of consumers at large.  

Increasing brand visibility via other law firm marketing means such as blogs, article marketing, etc. is also key.

Law firm marketing is not the only response, however. Firms will need to consider ways to use technology to increase efficiency and to automate in order to lower costs and increase responsiveness. Knowledge management capabilities, for example, can be used to enable attorneys and paralegals to perform research and analysis more quickly and more precisely.

Susskind contends that call centers, online legal services and outsourcing will play a key role in law firms of the future.

In fact, says Susskind, “The Big Four tax firms have already shown how complex professional work can be outsourced to India and other low cost centers.”

As you ponder the future of your law firm – marketing, technology and innovative, new business models that include outsourcing, online capabilities and efficiency should be at the top of your list of considerations.

Stephen Fairley