LinkedIn content for law firm websites

LinkedIn content that suits a law firm

Lawyers use LinkedIn for the professional updates clients and referring lawyers read: alerts on new legislation, speaking engagements, bar admissions, rankings and lateral moves. Those are the same things a prospective client checks on an attorney bio page before deciding who should handle their matter.

• Attorney profile cards: headline, current role, experience and top skills, kept in step with LinkedIn when a lawyer changes title or makes partner.
• Credentials: bar admissions, mediator training or certifications listed under Licenses & certifications, with credential links where the lawyer added them.
• The firm's LinkedIn Page: client alerts, event recaps and new-hire announcements for the news or insights page.
• Recommendations: possible, but read the rules below first.

Where to place it on the firm's site

Attorney advertising and confidentiality rules

Once a post or recommendation sits on your website, it's a communication about your services. The ABA Model Rules shape most state rules here, though each state adopts its own version:

• Rule 7.1 bars false or misleading communications. Its comment says truthful reports of past results can still mislead if they create an unjustified expectation of similar outcomes, and that a disclaimer or qualifying language may help. A live feed will pick up any case-win post, so decide where your results disclaimer goes before you embed one.
• Rule 7.2(c) limits saying a lawyer is certified as a specialist to certifications from approved or accredited organizations, with the certifying body clearly named. Headlines and skills shown in a profile card are part of that communication.
• Rule 7.2(d) asks that a communication include the name and contact information of at least one lawyer or firm responsible for its content. Keep it on pages that carry embedded posts.
• Rule 1.6 confidentiality: ABA Formal Opinion 480 warns that lawyers' blogs and other public commentary can reveal protected client information, including information in a public record, and that a hypothetical can still identify a client.
• Client recommendations work like testimonials, and some states set specific rules for testimonials in lawyer advertising. The recommendations widget shows every public recommendation on a profile, with no way to hide one, so screen them on LinkedIn first.

This is general information, not legal advice. State rules and ethics opinions differ, so check with your state bar or your firm's general counsel before embedding.

A setup plan by firm size

1. 1

   Solo practitioner

   Free covers one widget from your own profile: a profile card on your about page. Pro (3 widgets, 2 sources) adds a certifications grid from the same profile and a feed from the firm's Page.

2. 2

   Small firm, two to four attorneys

   Essentials (5 widgets, 5 sources) fits up to four attorney profile cards plus the firm's feed. With two or three attorneys, use the spare widgets for certifications grids, which don't add sources.

3. 3

   Larger firms

   Put the firm's feed and company card on news and about pages, and give profile cards to the practice group leaders prospective clients ask for by name.

4. 4

   Review before launch

   Have the responsible lawyer check each widget in the editor preview, and recheck after anyone edits their LinkedIn headline, since profile cards follow LinkedIn.