@barrettdavid

June 4th, 2009

barrett_profile_pic David A. Barrett

Boston Business Litigation Attorney

Author of the law blog “The Linkedin Lawyer”

Our 22nd Twitterview is with a star of the legal SocMed universe: @barrettdavid, Boston biz lit lawyer, AKA The LinkedIn Lawyer

Thank you Lance, I’m flattered.

@barrettdavid, thank you for joining us today on Twitter. Tell us: who is @barrettdavid?
Father of 2 beautiful children, Husband, social media evangelist, anti-poverty activist, litigation attorney
Tell us about your law practice.
Primary law practice is now a legal referral and collaboration practice – all practice areas. New law mkting biz is pre-launch
Look forward to learning more about that venture. What type of clients do you work with?
I help lawyers find other lawyers for referrals. For marketing I help lawyers leverage new media and traditional marketing.
What is the single most important issue affecting the lawyers you work with?
Attorney fee sharing issues in compliance with the ethical rules of the particular jurisdiction – and effective use of social media
What do you tell every new client before you start working for them?
I tell referral attorneys that I’m interested to remain involved in the matter as a practicing attorney ….
I show social media consulting clients my social media testimonials … as many have their own social media philosophies already
Tell us about one of the more significant representations you’ve been involved with.
Deposed Bill Gates’ former money manager as a new solo for a former Mass. corp against 3 big law firms. I passed Bar in ‘06.
Wow. Why do lawyers come to you for referrals?
lawyers are more interested in my lawyer network than they are interested in me really …
my network attracts referrals because finding the right lawyer nationwide is a pretty hard thing to do really
really really really … haha I guess I tweet like I talk …
How do you market yourself?
Networking, networking, networking. I am a “networking giver” to build quality relationships and I share my expertise.
I use LinkedIn to initiate relationships and other soc media to enhance the relationship – better phone and in person mtgs.
You’re clearly a strong supporter of lawyers using Twitter for biz dev. Is it right for every attorney? Why / Why not?
Yes but attorneys need to deeply understand Twitter. It isn’t right for many do-it-yourself-ers ….
Twitter is a great way for lawyers to get started with blogging (by microblogging) and to stay abreast of their field ….
Lawyers need a marketing plan and a social media marketing plan … just spending all day on TW isn’t a good use of time
Lawyers can build relationships with interactive media – the better others know you the more likely they are to do biz w/you
Lawyers are also a pretty closed group … Twitter is more effective than cold-calling for lawyer relationship initiation
Agreed. How do YOU use Twitter for business development?
Microblogging and building relationships ….
I like to grow the relationships that start on LinkedIn on interactive media before phone and real meetings.
Twitter can maintain relationships – even during contract negotiations … hey I’m still interested – retweeted you today
You claim to have the “largest Linkedin lawyer network.” How many connections do you have? What’s the value of that?
Currently 9385 direct LinkedIn connections of which 4600 are attorneys. http://tinyurl.com/ot3umw …..
The network is valuable in all aspects of law practice … rainmaking … finding a colleague to share expertise …
The network is valuable in all aspects of law practice … learning about how other lawyers work and position selves …
The network has also allowed me to branch into practice areas I couldn’t have handled on my own
Non-lawyer clients also find me on LinkedIn – pretty frequently really
Why did you decide to write a book about Web 2.0 for lawyers instead of using Web 2.0 to transmit the same knowledge?
Many asked for a book. I use my blog and Twitter and I have a new webinar series upcoming – http://tinyurl.com/obo377
Many lawyers use my social media activity as a model … which is flattering
I’m sure it is. You blog at The Linkedin Lawyer (http://bit.ly/YTEf7). How do you decide what to write about?
I use social media to listen for hot topics, and I do a lot of speaking, webinars, interviews and media …
Many topics come to me … lawyers often ask how I have time to do this and practice … so I put together a webinar …
With the blog I try to stay focused on social media and the legal profession
It’s full of useful advice. Other than Twitter and LinkedIn, what Web 2.0 tools add the most value to your practice?
The power of web 2.0 is viral marketing. My new biz with @StephenFairley will inspire …..
… inspire individuals to be marketers of our clients … if anyone has forwarded an email to their friends you know ….
if anyone has forwarded an email to their friends they know what viral marketing is about …
Facebook is also really underutilized … Facebook has great multi-media potential.
Web 2.0 tools for lawyers are powerful … but lawyers have to move past some of the tired imagery used for years
Web 2.0 has transformed me from a lawyer who just passed the Bar into a lawyer with a national reputation …
You’ve answered this in part, but what’s the real impact on referrals/client engagements from your Web 2.0 activities?
The real impact in terms of referrals has been to move from getting referrals into becoming a nationwide referral ntwk …
Now clients want to engage a “lawyer of my stature” for matters that may be media-friendly or otherwise newsworthy …
Its pretty amazing, and I’m not sure this journey would even be possible without Web 2.0
And you are transforming it as well. How much time do you spend each day developing / enhancing your brand?
Everything we do affects our brand. If I’m litigating, talking with clients …
… writing articles or building relationships it is all brand. So I guess all my waking hours … unless I’m fishing.
Depends on who you’re fishing with…. What is the most significant issue currently facing the legal profession?
I think the most significant issue facing the legal profession is transparency …
As consumers get more sophisticated, we need new ways across the understanding gap between lawyers and non-lawyers …
Of course there have been great lawyers forever … and we could videotape them all day and clients would get value ….
But now we are in a new era of transparency … and there are a lot of areas in the profession where light has yet to shine
What will the legal landscape look like in 10 years?
In 10 years – much more transparent, much more specialized, more smaller firms and a harder look by clients at billing …
“Partnering with clients” and social media trends will change how firms interact with clients … at least I hope so
You’re helping bring those changes about…. What would you do if you weren’t a lawyer?
I would spend more time on anti-poverty and international development work, like http://greennamibia.blogspot.com/ …
I am honored to be a lawyer however … and working with the tools of law and policy is where I want to be
How do you want to be remembered?
I’d like to be remembered as a kind teacher and a willing listener …. as someone who loved his kids passionately
You mentioned fishing. What else do you do when you’re not working?
I played college baseball and I’m really into coaching my son (8) in Little League when I’m not working …
He has a Japanese windup and 4 pitches … I’m a recovered vegetarian and I just got 100% on my hunting license exam.
We’ll look for him in a few years… Our last question: what advice do you have for people going to law school today?
I’d tell law students to develop biz skills and legal skills. Learn how to make rain. …
Students should understand we are all entrepreneurs, even if we work at a firm …
Students looking for jobs are more likely to find “of counsel” relationships and will likely “eat what you kill” …
Rather than stepping off the graduation stage into a super salary – smaller firms are leery about spending time training …
and students will have a better time of it pulling their own weight. In their fist job and throughout their careers.