Once upon a time, for about 20 years, I managed communications and PR inside law firms. One firm was particularly PR-savvy, having run a successful media relations program alongside an external agency for several years. We were producing a steady stream of content outside of our media outreach, so we eventually brought on JD Supra (I’d been a long-time client of JDS at that point).
Even as a long-time JD Supra client, I hadn’t considered JD Supra as part of our media strategy. My favorite part had always been readership data, so I didn’t register its other benefits…until it basically dropped in our lap.
One of our lawyers focused on independent contractor issues for large employers in Minnesota and California. Following a legislative change that impacted employers, they wrote a brief piece explaining the new legislation and how employers should adapt their practices. As usual, the piece of content was posted to our JD Supra account. This time, though, the firm received a message through our JD Supra admin dashboard from a California-based reporter. She’d read our lawyer’s recent piece, alongside a few of others, and wanted to interview the lawyer for her upcoming article on the recent legislation.
This is a win for the firm for a few reasons:
- We reached an external target market that was previously inaccessible. Because the firm was located in Minnesota and most of our lawyers were barred in the state, it was a bit harder to target locations outside of our region, particularly on the coasts. Our PR agency had established relationships with national publications, but we intentionally selected a local agency that didn’t have another law firm as a client, so we didn’t have as many connections to niche or trade publications.
- We didn’t have to do anything extra to get the media attention. No additional resources or budget were needed; no extra effort was required. (Huge win for us small teams!)
- The lawyer was quoted, and the story had legs. This one interaction led to a lot of other opportunities for the lawyer and even the firm. It was the gift that kept on giving.
- The message led to an extended relationship with the journalist. She called this particular lawyer for several other pieces on this and other subjects within their expertise.
- We were often called not just for a quote, but for context and education. Our lawyers developed a knack for explaining the most complex subjects to anyone, and journalists are usually very appreciative of information that gives them facts they can print.
- Media relationship extended to other lawyers. Eventually, the lawyer was asked about a topic he wasn’t as familiar with, which led to an introduction and conversation with another lawyer.
How we got here, and how you can replicate this at your firm
- There’s no substitute for good content. It needs to be clear, timely, and genuinely helpful. That often means investing in internal and external experts (not AI) who can translate what’s in your lawyer’s head to their target audience.
- Consistency. Not frequency, but consistency. Your firm should post content with some regularity (weekly, bimonthly, or even monthly if that’s all you can manage). It needs to be there at the right moment, which means your presence must be established before the opportunity shows up.
- Make your content bingeable. Link to related articles by the same author or on the same topic (JD Supra does this for you). Journalists often read more than one piece before reaching out—it’s your job to make that easy.
- Third-party credibility (and reputation) helps. JD Supra isn’t just a distribution tool—it’s a platform with its own reputation (and that’s the in-house legal marketer in me talking). When your content shows up there, it benefits from the site’s existing trust with legal professionals and media. Same content as your firm's website but with more reach and credibility.
- Train media-savvy lawyers so they’re ready when the opportunity shows up. We leveraged our outside PR agency and developed a short training program for attorneys that empowered them to speak with the media (and treat them like clients!). That way, when they got the call, they were confident they could provide accurate, media-worthy quotes and build long-term relationships with journalists, not just one-off mentions.
- Be responsive. I mean you, the marketer or business developer. I received an email from JD Supra stating that we’d received a message from a journalist, and I promptly contacted the lawyer-author to connect the two. The media cycle moves quickly; minutes matter when publication deadlines are involved.
Media wins don’t always come from pitches—they can come from visibility, too. Just make sure you're using yours to its full potential!
