GETTING THE public and the media to notice a lawyer does not have to be a daunting task, according to public relations experts.

There are steps a law firm should take, either alone or with the help of a public relations person, to get their names out there.

First, a small firm or a solo practitioner must establish a calendar of events for the entire year, said Christine S. Filip, an attorney and president of Filip & Caminos, a marketing and public relations firm in Manhattan. The calendar should contain information such as when a firm will be filing court papers, when will it be in court and when it predicts a newsworthy event will occur, thus giving the media advance notice.

According to Ms. Filip, many lawyers inform the media of a newsworthy event long after it has taken place. This tactic is ineffective, said Ms. Filip, because news organizations discuss events as they are about to occur or while they are occurring, not long after.

Second, establish relationships with the media. "Think, 'how can I establish myself as a media contact in the future.' Think long term," Ms. Filip said.

For example, send out a press kit with information about yourself and your firm, including areas of expertise.

But tailor the press kit to the right media outlet and the right reporter within that organization, stressed Ms. Filip. A lawyer must know, or hire someone to know, the area of coverage of each media contact, she explained. Otherwise, phone calls and mailings can go to waste, she said.

Also, a law firm should write a short, two-page newsletter detailing the expertise of the lawyers in the firm, said Gina Pirozzi, of Gina Pirozzi Public Relations firm. With desktop publishing, anyone can now put out a newsletter themselves, she said.

Another way to establish relationships with the media is to become a resource for a reporter, said Ms. Filip.

Creating a Web site is one great way to be a resource and get noticed, said Ms. Pirozzi. "It has tremendous research value. Everybody expects it," she added.

Another approach is to "work as a network for the reporter," said Ms. Filip."You have to give something in order to get something back. The trading of information is both important to law firms and the media," she said.

Conferences

And finally, a lawyer should promote himself or herself as a speaker to trade organizations and at conferences and bar associations. This tactic gets a lawyer known by the public, and eventually the media, according to Ms. Pirozzi.

Ms. Filip also suggested that the firm use its most qualified person to contact the media about legal information. Law is not easy to explain, and a person who does not understand the law or its significance will not get the importance of the information across to a reporter, she said. Having secretaries or administrative staff contact the media is a common mistake, said Ms. Filip.

But if this seems like a daunting task while maintaining a successful and
busy practice, a law firm can hire a public relations expert either to promote specific events or to represent the firm on an ongoing basis.

For example, Ms. Filip charges a law firm on the average $ 200 per hour when promoting a specific event, depending on the number of lawyers she is representing. An average small firm with one to five lawyers will generally use Ms. Filip's services for 10-12 hours per month, she said.

For those firms hiring a public relations firm on an ongoing basis, retainers can range from $ 2,000-$ 4,500 per month, depending on the size of the firm and the type of services provided, according to Ms. Pirozzi.

"Just like a house that is under construction, solos have to build their practice from the bottom up and constantly improve upon it," she said. "It is not just about practicing law, it is about building relationships, building visibility and building name recognition."

© Copyright 2002, The Success Group

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