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Building Your Personal (Legal) Brand - Some Thoughts for Law Students and Others - Professor Daniel Martin Katz

The document discusses building a personal legal brand for law students and professionals, emphasizing the need to convert legal expertise into a viable business model and client retention strategy. It underlines the importance of developing an authentic personal brand, leveraging various media channels to enhance visibility, and engaging with professional communities. Additionally, it encourages individuals to research market needs, stand for their values, and be patient in the long-term development of their brand.

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Building Your Personal (Legal) Brand some thoughts for law students and others professor daniel martin katz blog | ComputationalLegalStudies.com corp | LexPredict.com page | DanielMartinKatz.com edu | chicago kent college of law
Your Business of Law Challenge Part I:
if you are a prosecutor or public defender then someone like this is your 
 client development officer
but for most of you …
 for at least some part of your career you will be in the private sector
Therefore, many of you 
 have a business challenge
How are you going to convert the expertise that you are developing in your legal education into $ ? #ShowMeTheMoney
How are you going to develop a (plausible) working plan regarding how to navigate your career as it unfolds ?
This challenge remains even if you go inside a firm …
Because law is a business
So you need to better understand where do firms get clients?
And why do clients hire law firms?
why do we have law firms? (in other words what do they solve for …)
The Consumer (client) always faces the decision of 
 make (DIY) versus buy
Help Solve the Peak Load Problem Law Firms
Provide High Value but Rarely Utilized or Hard to Acquire Expertise Law Firms
Provide High Value but Rarely Utilized or Hard to Acquire Expertise Law Firms see this article for more on law firm economics
Without sufficient volume it is not sensible to make but rather to buy …
Over the long term, you need a way to attract + retain clients …
Because despite whatever you are told clients = job security
Don’t Kill the Messenger Part II:
How are you going to develop a working plan of attack as to where you want to go as your career unfolds ?
“I don’t want to think about this” “I am just not sure yet what I want to do … ” People have told me: “I just want to keep my head down and focus on grades, etc.… ”
“He is being too negative” “He is crushing my dreams” People have gotten upset: “What does he know …”
But I hope you will agree that it is a fair question
And again the question is this: How can you convert your expertise into a job or a stream of clients sufficient to support yourself (thrive)?
In part, this course is designed to help you develop a better answer to this and related #BusinessOfLaw questions
Try to Develop Your Own Personal Business Plan (no P&L required)
(1) plan needs to be plausible #HelpMeHelpYou
Dream Big … but also aim for a reasonable starting place
(2) Not Mandatory that you stick to this plan (just need a north star) (pivot / adapt from there)
(3) Plan Needs to be genuine / authentic and display real enthusiasm for something
There is No Gold Watch Part III:
1Job ?
1Job ? ~ 7Jobs (you might have 7 jobs)
Implication is you need to build your personal brand
for the balance of your career…
for the balance of your career… auditioning for the next job while in your current job
There is a tension with your employer …
Go develop business …
Go develop business … But do not do anything different
Go develop business … Do not do anything that gives you a bigger brand than us …
Again, there is a tension with your employer …
Some of why they hired you (even found you in the first place) is because of your brand
Important to walk in the door with media assets that are portable …
You can take it with you when you leave … (and you are going to leave) …
toward a personal media strategy Part IV:
Universities, Academics and Students are (in part) Media Companies
How do you 
 research someone?
Turns out it is the same way someone researches you … Spoiler Alert:
but your 15 minutes (likely) lives in the long tail available at 50 Mbps
Portfolios Resumes> observable evidence noisy signaling
Some of my former MSU folks
http://www.chasehertel.com/
http://www.amanismathers.com/
http://about.me/ karenfrancismcwhite
http://www.andyninh.com/
http://briancpike.com/
http://patellis.wordpress.com/
while at my former employer
some of placements for my students
It is a big world with lots of folks needing a way to stick out
For what do you stand?
What Story Do You Want to Tell?
Think Carefully about needs in Your Market(s) …
https://westaway.co/
I Love Kyle’s Story …
Kyle Westaway - Breaking into New Markets https://vimeo.com/60855326 (Watch This)
Think Carefully about needs in Your Market(s) … (or emerging markets for law)
(a quick word on emerging markets for law) how does one establish they are a ‘great’ lawyer on some topic?
(a quick word on emerging markets for law) how does one establish they are a ‘great’ lawyer on some topic? figure out who is judging and how they are judging…
(a quick word on emerging markets for law) Data Breach, Crypto/Blockchain, Future of Work, Big Data+Privacy, etc. Drones, Internet of Things, CyberSecurity, 3D Printing, Driverless Cars, Augmented Reality,
(does not have to be emerging markets) interesting developments in tax law seven legal mistakes that Startups make updates in labor / employment
danielmartinkatz.com #PracticeWhatYouPreach
{What are your 3 things} Here is my 3 things — Daniel Martin Katz { Scientist, Technologist, Law Professor } An Exercise: The 140 Character Version Here is my 140 characters— Prof. Daniel Martin Katz + Prof. Mike Bommarito Helping Invent the Future of the Legal Industry = 
 #Law+#STEM+#Design+#Entrepreneurship
channels of distribution Part V:
(1) LinkedIn (2) Twitter (3) Personal Webpage 
 (4) Facebook Page (5) Blog with relevant content (6) Video Content (7) Slideshare (8) Pinterest / Instagram Distribution Channels (make it professional or at least not unprofessional)
Probably 3 most important: (3) Blog/PersonalSite (2) Twitter (1) LinkedIn
Need a LinkedIn Page ASAP https://www.americanbar.org/content/newsletter/publications/ law_practice_today_home/lpt-archives/november13/a-linkedin-marketing-plan.html/ make sure you are broadcasting what you want to broadcast
Join up with Twitter as well https://twitter.com/briancpike/status/621725034986479617 http://briancpike.com/
Join up with Twitter as well http://abovethelaw.com/2016/08/survey-majority-of-americans- likely-to-hire-a-lawyer-whos-active-on-social-media/
Build a Personal Webpage No Coding Required http://www.squarespace.com/ http://www.wix.com/
communities + networks Part VI:
Find and Join Relevant Communities (Virtual + Physical)
www.meetup.com/Chicago-Legal-Innovation-and-Technology-Meetup/ this is one from my area of the world
connect with relevant parts of bar associations, etc. 
 (again from my slice of the world)