Real lawyers blog for business development

Posted by Robin Hensley on June 21, 2011

iStock_000016707897XSmall.jpgStill on the fence about blogging?

Clients often ask if they should be blogging. Take a look at an article that LexBlog posted in their "Talk of The LexBlog Network" where I give my thoughts on blogging, its importance to business development and why you can never stop marketing. Blogging is one way to do that but doesn't require that you create your own blog. Well-placed comments that add to the online conversation on topics that represent you well can also be an effective strategy.

BTW, more important than taking time to blog is learning how to blog. A big THANK YOU to Lyda Hawes at LexBlog for helping me be a better blogger! 

Until next time,

Robin

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ABA Ethics Commission paper clarified--No implication for law blogs--for now

Posted by Robin Hensley on November 09, 2010

iStock_000002874487XSmall.jpg(Want to make a comment? Click the title above to go to the RTB blog homepage. Scroll down and follow the prompts to leave your comment.)

The following is an excerpt from a blog post from Kevin O’Keefe’s Real Lawyers Have Blogs from Monday, November 8. You can read the full post here.

In August 2009 the American Bar Association announced the formation of the ABA Commission on Ethics 20/20. The Commission was formed to review legal ethics rules and regulations in light of technological advances and globalization in the legal profession.

Over a year later, on September 20, 2010 the Commission issued a Paper announcing that the Commission was examining a number of legal ethics issues arising from lawyers’ use of technology, including issues arising from Internet-based client development tools.

The goal of the Paper was twofold.

  1. To describe several issues that the Commission has identified in this context.
  2. To elicit comments by December 15, 2010 on possible approaches that the Commission is currently considering.

The Commission made clear that it was taking no positions in this Paper. The Commission merely wanted to elicit comments on the issues in order to facilitate the development of reports and proposals that the Commission plans to draft during the next two years.

That's it. A Commission. A Paper. No positions taken. Comments requested. We'll hear more in 2013.

Furthermore, neither the ABA nor the Commission have any authority to promulgate ethics rules governing lawyers behavior. That's the province of individual state bar associations and state supreme courts, depending on which governs lawyers in respective states.

Two years from now the Commission could suggest that the ABA's Model Rules of Professional Conduct be amended. Amendments which presumably would take a year or two for the ABA to adopt. Before any lawyer would be impacted by any such amendments, individual states would need to adopt the amended Model Rules.

Even if new ethics rules are passed regarding blogs, and that's no sure thing, we're likely looking at four or five years before we'll see them.

It's true that the Commission is examining lawyer's use of blogs. But the issues the Commission is considering relative to blogs are minimal. The proposed amendments relating to Blogs the Commission is considering are also minimal.

Even if there are ever amendments passed regarding lawyers use of blogs, and that's no sure thing, lawyers current use of blogs is not going to be impacted in any significant way. More on this point in an upcoming blog post.

Again, you can read the complete Lexblog posting here.

Until next time,

Robin

 

Robin, should I be blogging?

Posted by Robin Hensley on July 20, 2010

Man with Question MarkWelcome to the new Raising the Bar blog. I’ll be answering your questions here and offering comments on topics that are relevant to your business development success so let's get started!

Clients often ask if they should be blogging. This is what I say about that.

Blogging requires both a real commitment to posting on a regular basis and to pushing out content that goes beyond serving your own PR goals. If you are ready to say yes to both, then you'll be sharing information and connections to others that can help them reach their objectives and help you reach yours, as well.

Could you be missing opportunities by not blogging? If your best work comes by word-of-mouth, then blogging (and other social media initiatives) expand the possibilities for that. Blogging can enhance your reputation, demonstrate professional competencies and build trust in you as an authority in your practice areas. It can also showcase you as self-serving and myopic, so check your motives before committing to a blog.

What should you do?

  • Study and follow other blogs.
  • Look for what’s common among the blogs you like.
  • Build a blog strategy around what you like and benefit from and then, use it.

But Robin, what about time?

Time is not an excuse unless you want it to be. Kevin O’Keefe (Real Lawyers Have Blogs) talks about that in his discussion of the new business bestseller, Rework. If you “don’t have enough time” it’s because you don’t want it enough.

Should you blog? Only if you want what blogging can do for you enough to do it right.

Do you have a question about business development? Ask it here and I'll answer in a future posting.

Until next time,

Robin