At the intersection of public and relations.

• Author: Weber, Jill
• Position: FROM THE PRESIDENT

"Help me ... help you!"

--Jerry Maguire

This issue of Strategies delivers valuable insights into how law firm marketing and public relations (PR) professionals can build effective PR programs that drive results. Like Tom Cruise's character in the movie "Jerry Maguire," PR professionals can help law firms deliver more targeted and effective communications to help educate and inform their clients on key legal developments and industry trends.

The traditional PR role of distributing formal news releases and placing articles with key industry publications has evolved into a sophisticated, multi-faceted position with communication across a wide array of distribution networks. With instant news distribution via social media and online news channels, legal PR professionals play a vital role in managing and monitoring a law firm's brand and delivering key messages 24/7.

While we typically refer to public relations by its acronym PR, it is important to remember the underlying term. PR is both "public"--enhancing the visibility of a law firm and its lawyers within the marketplace--and "relations"--building strong relationships with the reporters who write stories and the industry leaders who post and tweet on key developments. PR success is built on the intersection of these two core concepts--you cannot have a great one-way public communication...