This document discusses how to build a legal career using social media. It emphasizes the importance of developing a strong online profile that highlights your expertise and differentiates you from others. The profile should include details about your work experience, publications, interests and demonstrate your active involvement in professional networks and organizations. The document also stresses regularly engaging with your network by participating in discussions, sharing relevant content and maintaining relationships over time. Building an online presence and network is a crucial part of developing your personal brand as a legal professional.

1. Building Your Legal Career with
Social Media tools

2. Focus of this presentation:
 Presentation: Your Profile
 Communication: Building your network
 Differentiation: You as The Brand
 Use #sm4law on Twitter for questions

3. Your Profile

4. Shape Your Image
At the core of online communication is your profile
= How people
perceive you
online
Slide from ‘Social Media for Lawyers’ http://tinyurl.com/mx9wf8

5. Full Profile for Maximum Benefits
• Online First Impression counts
• Cover all Basics: Profile picture, title, full resume
• Update frequently: what are you doing now
• Give dimension to your profile that would not fit on resume
• Give your network reasons to come back
• Increase chances for more connections
• Increase your chances of visibility: connect with at
least 20 people in the network

6. Personal Touch
• State your hobbies and interests:
Increases chances for
your next client/boss/referral
network to connect
with you

7. Link to Other Sources
• Opportunity to impress before the first
impression
– Blogs,
– Articles,
– Cases,
– Decisions,
– Briefs
– Allows profile viewer to learn
about other aspects of you
– Demonstrates participation,
skills, expertise

8. Not just a Resume: Bridge to Relationship
• “Write your profile for the future” (Chris Brogan)
“I need to hire this person.”
as a member of my firm or as my outside counsel
• Where is your focus?
• What do you want to do?
• What differentiates you from others?

9. • Current Activity
• Your name in URL
• Keywords – SEO benefits
• Organizations and committees
• Articles, Publications,
Presentations, Books you are
reading
Professional Profiles

10. • Be reachable and accessible
• Effective photo and contact
information
• Expertise and area of practice is
clear and well defined
• Credible authority established
• Link to all community posts –
showcase expertise
• Links to others = well connected
• Interests give personal feeling
• Activity and frequency of use
establishes commitment
Slide from ‘Social Media for Lawyers’ http://tinyurl.com/mx9wf8
10
Lawyer Profiles

11. Profile Best Practices
• Differentiate yourself
• Be Honest and transparent
• Personal and Professional – know your boundaries
• Set your profile on Multiple networks
• Be responsive & trustworthy
• Remember: All other media and company policies apply

12. Network

13. Start Building Your Network Yesterday
• Joining and profile creation are just the first step:
• Start early
• Get involved
• You get what you give
• You can’t build credibility in an instant
• Building a network happens over time
• But it shouldn’t take all of your time – 10 minutes a day can yield a wealth of
connections through outreach, posting short items, and sharing links
• Maintain Relationship
• Check in on your connections – Participate in their conversations
• Send an occasional email/InMail

14. Searching for Connections
Find
Connections
using the
search tools
Look for people who you:
• Already know
• Met at conferences
• Had interactions with on the network

15. Expanding Your Network
• Use ‘Suggested Connections’
• Connect with members with mutual interest
• It is ok to connect with someone you don’t know:
– Brief intro: how you know them, why you want to connect
– Don’t chase
– Bring value to relationship: send them links, ideas, articles they may
be interested in

16. Searching for a Job
• Building new relationships that can lead you to
open positions
• Make it known you are looking for a job
– Periods of transition can be springboards to reinvent yourself
– Use announcements, status updates, and Twitter to broadcast

17. You are The Brand

18. But it’s Not Just About You
• Visibility on Others’ Spaces:
– Participate in conversations in different networks,
share your knowledge, get involved
• Be Present:
– Pose questions
– Answer questions
– Link to sources (refs)
– Ethical rules still apply

19. • Blog, Blog, Blog
– Blog about your passion/interest,
– Point of view on decisions and opinion, legal
trends, on appointments
– Key: Add value
– Practical How To’s: ProBlogger site
http://www.problogger.net/
Showcase Expertise

20. Lead
• Taking a discussion to the next level
• Getting people engaged
• Leading a Group
– Build and empower a network
– If you can inspire passion in others –
that’s the hallmark of great leadership

21. Keep on Listening and Learning
• Twitter
• Google Alerts
• RSS

22. and…Privacy is important
• Share whatever you feel comfortable
sharing
But…
• Remember that limiting your connections
limits your visibility

23. All presented here is from personal experience
… Thanks also to Kelly Newcomb and Ohad Reshef
Twitter: @alinwagnerlahmy
Twitter: @mhtweets