Writing Your Law Firm Bio

Your bio is important! There, I said it. I know you better than you think I do. I know that when you started working at the firm, the marketing department asked you to write a bio and you never did. Then, they wrote one for you based on your resume and something they overheard you say about your previous work; and now that’s the biography of your career life. Something someone who doesn’t know you or your experience wrote and put on a website. Probably four paragraphs or less, and most of it is about your undergrad and law school – two things that were most likely not the highlights of your career (at least I hope not).

People (prospective clients) read your firm profile. It needs to make you look like the attorney you are – a star! You need to make sure that someone who reads the biography will get a sense of who you are, your experience level and a few of your greatest career achievements (or maybe more than a few of those achievements). Trust me, it’s important. So, take a little time and create the perfect profile. After all, this is how most of the world knows you – only a few simple paragraphs.

1. Talk about your experience

This is the one thing that, ironically, many attorneys leave out the law firm profile. This is the most important part! Explain the type of cases you have handled in the past and in the present. Emphasize the types of cases you want to continue getting. Be sure to add a few specific cases where you had an outstanding result or a case that is right in line with the types of cases you want to continue getting. You want potential clients to read your profile and think to themselves “This attorney handled a case very similar to the one I have pending. Maybe I should give her a call.”

2. Don’t be shy

Be sure to add many of your achievements. Don’t skimp. Were you ever published? Make sure to include the name of the article, the publication and a sentence or two about the content. Have you been recognized by your peers with an award or an honor? Add this to the bio, as well.

3. Keep your education to a minimum

Really. Where you went to undergrad is nearly irrelevant, and where you went to law school is just a touch above that. There are some advantages to adding your education, like making a personal connection with a potential client (“You went to the University of Oregon, too? What year? What a coincidence!), but beyond that education is merely filler. Keep it short and mention is at the bottom of the profile.

4. Make sure that you have a nice picture to add to the profile

It needs to be a close-up of your face. You should be the only person in the picture, and it should be relatively recent. Make sure you like the picture, as well. First impressions count!

5. Be sure to update your bio

Keep everything current and check back once every quarter. It’s so much easier to update a few little things every quarter than to completely re-write the profile every two years.

Need more help? Don’t hesitate to contact us! We’d love to help you!