I cannot believe it’s been a week since LMA’s 2010 Annual Conference in Denver, and a YEAR until we meet again in Orlando, April 4-6, 2011 @ Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resort. There’s so much to do, see and learn at LMA’s annual conference that you can’t do it all. Lance Goddard is tracking the recaps on his blog Are You Reading These Posts?, and I’m trying to post them all at The Legal Watercooler Facebook Fan page. One program that I did miss was the Wednesday Quick Start Sessions. Quick Start came about to give our newer colleagues (either to the industry or to their careers) a way of gaining insights into the world of legal marketing.
My good friend Jonathan Fitzgarrald, CMO, Greenberg Glusker, presented Playing Politics: How to Successfully Navigate the Law Firm Environment. Jonathan presented his five top techniques/considerations for doing so … but, come on, it’s his political scenarios that are too fabulous (and true) to not discuss on The Legal Watercooler. Over the next few weeks I will submit one of Jonathan’s scenarios for us to have fun with … so, let’s have some Friday fun.
Scenario 1:
You are working with a litigation partner, Jim Crane, on a press release regarding his recent trial win. Jim is not particularly marketing focused, and he’s never been a big fan of the firm’s marketing program, so you decide to go out of your way to ensure this is a successful experience for him. During a conversation, Jim specifically asks that you focus the messaging on the fact that the firm has significant breadth and depth when it comes to trying cases. In the initial draft of the release (which only goes to a few people for review and comment), you use the phrase, “Further demonstrating the firm’s bench strength….” You hear through the grapevine that Jim is furious over the release because he interpreted the phrase you used to intimate that the firm “brought him off the bench” to handle this case (that is to say he’s a second rate trial lawyer who happened to win in this instance). What do you do?