Have you ever wondered why we say we “practice law?” I wonder because I see less and less “practicing” and I think that is scary.

Recently I read an ABA article: Law firms say they want ‘practice ready’ grads—but who are they actually hiring? The article started with a discussion of  Washington and Lee’s Law School’s decision to emphasize practical skills in 3L and the subsequent enrollment surge. Sadly though, teaching practical skills did not lead to the W&L students getting hired at a higher rate than students who had not learned practical skills.

As a lawyer, you need to be able to anticipate issues and present solutions coherently.  One of the best ways to learn these practical skills is to “practice” writing and speaking.

Look to the right and you will see a Blogroll of lawyers I have coached. Are you blogging? Are you creating podcasts for clients and potential clients? If not, you should be.

“Why,” you ask? Scott Ginsberg wrote  that blogging is the single most effective tool at eradicating anonymity.

For further support, here is what Seth Godin and Tom Peters have to say about the blogging.

As you will see, Tom Peters argues that blogging is:

…the best damn marketing tool by an order of magnitude that I have ever had.

Put simply blogging and creating podcasts will force you to stay on top of what is going on that will impact your clients and will enable you to go from being invisible to becoming visible and credible to your target market.

To effectively blog or create a podcast:

  1. Choose a topic your clients and potential clients care about
  2. Create content and present it in a way that your clients will find valuable.
  3. Use social media tools to distribute what you have created.

Each time you pick a topic, and each time you post a Blog or create a podcast you are “practicing” becoming a more valuable resource for your clients.