Curious to know what's on the minds of legal marketing leaders as we head into 2025?
Consider these key takeaways from the Bay Area Legal Marketing Association panel discussion "2025 Legal Marketing Trends, Opportunities, and Challenges."
On the state of the post-Covid workforce returning to the office, working from home, or adopting hybrid arrangements, these panelist comments were among the ones that stood out:
"Clients are going to lead the charge on this."- Brian Colucci
"... the finance industry is turning up heat on a five-day back to office." - Alison Coleman
On professional development for law firm leaders and junior staff:
“Younger team members crave mentorship and facetime." - Barbara Abulafia
"Raise your hand in the gap - encourage learning across teams." - Johnyne Garcia
And on adoption of AI-powered tools, the consensus is that most, if not all, firms are testing various applications, especially for pitches and proposals, writing, and some client work. Law firms are investing resources to discover the best approach, but keeping a tight rein on implementation.
The panel discussion moderated by Littler’s Business Development Director Alison Coleman featured Brian Colucci, Chief Business Development & Marketing Officer at Kilpatrick; Johnyne Garcia, Head of Clients & Markets at Dentons; and Barbara Abulafia, Director of Partner Coaching & Lateral Partner Integration at Baker Botts. The panel represented a wide spectrum of marketing activities within their respective firms, ranging from overall strategy to one-on-one coaching.
Based on a "hold up your hand" survey of the room and panel, firms seem to be adopting a hybrid approach to working from home or the office, with much of the conversation dedicated to approaches for mentoring younger team members in a virtual environment, fostering teamwork, and strengthening relationships with attorneys and senior leadership. All panelists noted that junior team members in particular are interested in working from the office for the sake of mentorship and facetime. Johnyne Garcia captured the sentiment of the panel when she said, "Morale improves with in-person time." But the benefit of in-person meetings is not limited to morale-building; it is important for marketers to hear directly from attorneys, and these conversations don't happen as naturally in the virtual environment as they do in the office.
If you are in a virtual environment, what are some tips for deeper engagement?
"Set monthly team meetings and stick to the schedule. It is important to show up," said Brian Colucci, adding that you might invite occasional guest speakers, such as a practice group leader, to encourage synergy. Johnyne Garcia added that you should "make the agenda about the team by asking, 'What are you working on and how does it impact the team?' " This helps to "leverage each other's knowledge to accomplish a goal." Funtivities might be awkward, but they pay off in the long run. Suggestions included asking team members to share a picture of what they did over a holiday or summer break, holding a trivia contest for prizes, and sharing personal anecdotes like the first concert you attended.
How can marketers continue their own professional development? How do you stay up to date with trends? As a coach, Barbara Abulafia looks to build trust among her attorneys, reading psychological journals and podcasts featuring therapists to sharpen these skills. Barbara also hosts internal workshops, which she described as "advertisements for coaching." Johnyne Garcia reminded the audience of the importance of cross-departmental learning, saying, "Stretching makes everyone more well-rounded." And Barbara reminded everyone about the importance of earning "the trust of people in leadership for internal communication."
Relying on your internal relationships is a cornerstone of professional development, with pricing, IT, and management teams called out as some of the most crucial relationships to a marketer's success. Brian Colucci called the pricing team his "best friend." If you, like many marketers, realize that finance is not your strongest skill, you will find that developing relationships with internal experts will strengthen your own knowledge of the legal industry and your firm's approach in particular. The same benefit holds true for cultivating good relationships with members of IT, leadership, and DEI teams. Outside relationships can also make a positive impact on your career, given that legal marketers are usually willing to share best practices, resources, and inside knowledge. As the panelists noted, "No two law firms operate the same."
How are firms using artificial intelligence? Based on another "hold up your hand" survey of the crowded room, many firms are in the testing phase of AI tool adoption, with pitches and proposals being the most common use case. The panelists all had stories about trying various applications centered around writing, some case work, and issue spotting. Firms are deploying the tools but keeping a close watch on the work, reviewing it closely for any errors and to ensure that private information is not made public.
In summary, for a successful 2025, think about relationships! How are you engaging with your team, your attorneys, firm leadership, and other legal marketers? What opportunities can you find for more in-person time? And how can you improve virtual interactions?
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Legal Marketing Association, Bay Area LSC Panel featured:
Barbara Abulafia, Director of Partner Coaching & Lateral Partner Integration, Baker Botts
Alison Coleman, Business Development Director, Littler
Brian Colucci, Chief Business Development & Marketing Officer at Kilpatrick
Johnyne Garcia, Head of Clients & Markets at Dentons
