WWW.LAWYER-MONTHLY.COM | AUG 2022 60 THOUGHT LEADER - DANIEL KIDD Crafting an Effective Legal Directory Submission Legal directories are an often overlooked but highly effective means of marketing legal services for both firms and sole practitioners. To maximise one’s chances of success in a submission, however, significant work must be undertaken. This article delves into the process and best methods to ensure a successful legal directory submission, with insights shared by Daniel Kidd, co-director of Kidd Aitken Legal Marketing. who the legal directory researchers will contact during the research cycle. These referees will be asked to give feedback about their experience working with the relevant practice group or partner. How can a strong legal directory ranking have a positive impact on a law firm’s marketing efforts? Successful legal directory rankings greatly impact a law firm’s marketing effort – I think they are not talked about enough. A ranking is an objective, third-party endorsement of firms’ and partners’ expertise, and should be celebrated as such. Not only are rankings great marketing in their own right, with potential clients and employees consulting the legal directories for counsel recommendations, but they can be leveraged in a firm’s own marketing strategy. Talking about them on social media or through blog posts, newsletters and more are all effective ways of communicating and celebrating rankings. Why might it be difficult, or otherwise inadvisable, for law firms to effectively handle such submissions in-house? Legal directory submissions are time- and resource-heavy. They require a great deal of attention, not only when compiling the submission document but in the preparation leading up to submission and the post-submission feedback process. Compiling a legal directory strategy requires short-, medium- and longterm planning in order to maximise the effect of the submissions for that year’s research cycle. It is then important to take the time to consider a range of factors that demonstrate why your work highlights are innovative and complex – a task that demands more attention than on first consideration. Similarly, when compiling client referee lists, there To give a brief overview, what are the common process elements involved in a legal directory submission? A legal directory submission comprises two main elements: a submission document and a client and peer feedback process. Both are important to a successful ranking, although different directories place different emphasis on each part. The submission document includes a narrative pitch and work highlights. The narrative pitch introduces the practice group or partner that is the subject of the submission. Highlighting their standout attributes, the description here is evidenced by the work highlights. These are real-life work examples that should demonstrate well-rounded experience and innovative matters that depict depth and breadth of expertise. The client referee feedback process takes place after the submission document has been uploaded. Each submission requires a list of referees,
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