Monthly Archives: October 2010

The Attorneys’ Edge in the New Age by Christina Penza

Posted on by Christina Penza
Fingers on Keyboard

Greetings attorneys, friends and fellow legal hounds. While you were busy trying cases, the multi-platform world has quietly invaded our economic lives. In the future, attorneys will measure their success in megabytes. Yes, I am being a bit poetic, but the reality is that the more online mentions you can get about your firm, the greater the public’s awareness that you exist and have the expertise to win their case and/or get them maximum compensation. So, how do you attract more clients on the web?

One way to stay in the public eye is to improve your Google ranking by maintaining an ongoing blog on your own website. This is according to all those SEO (Search Engine Optimization) geeks who keep track of the latest trends in online marketing. They are today’s “Mad Men.”

The problem, of course, is that few attorneys have time to maintain a blog. You can relegate it to an assistant if you have that luxury – or hire an outside firm that employs journalists with strong writing skills and legal knowledge to write your blog at a reasonable price. Either way, I recommend one blog update a week to start. You can pick the topic – i.e. auto accidents, product liability, personal injury, copyright infringement. Your blog can include information on a previous case. You can write about how to choose the best lawyer for a product liability case. There are many ways to go.

First, make sure that your webmaster puts a Blog or WP (WordPress) key on your website. Make sure that the blog actually exists on your site and not on an outside entity so that Google will give you the credit for having the blog. Then, the key is to let a staff member, someone familiar with your chosen topic, spend a few minutes on the phone with your blog writer. A good writer will get enough information in that time to craft a solid 600 to 800 word blog. Make sure to proof read your blog before it is posted and – voila – you have your weekly post. Linking your website to your Facebook page, Twitter account and RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed will further spread your identity. Make sure that the Twitter world knows that there is a new blog on your site which may interest them. This is a whole new world of marketing, but with a little knowledge, you can get the Attorneys’ Edge.

Get The Attorneys’ Edge with a Settlement Documentary

Posted on by Christina Penza

The video settlement documentary can be a powerful tool in getting maximum compensation for your clients at mediation.

This long form documentary typically runs between 20 and 40 minutes. It can include either damages or liability or both. TV News veterans are you best choice for this documentary production. If you choose the right team they will be expert journalists who will automatically know how to present your case in a clear, concise and compelling format.

You documentary should include in depth interviews with your client and all of those victimized by the defendant’s negligence. These delicate interviews are best done by TV veterans with the skill to elicit emotion without causing more harm. You may also want to include expert interviews. These may be done by either your documentary producer or an attorney. But keep in mind, in a documentary you do not want to elicit “yes” and “no” answers. Ask questions in way that will encourage the interviewee to add detail.

The good documentarian will also include home videos, photos, possibly  animation and news reports as well as video of what your client’s life is like today.

The documentary may be done with narration or in the victims’ own words. It will show what your victim’s life was like, recount the tragic incident and give your viewers (the defense) an unassailable view of your victim’s suffering today.

The successful settlement documentary will bring your case to life and show the strength of that case in a way that the written word can never do. When done creatively and correctly, a powerful settlement documentary will truly give you the Attorneys’ Edge.