The Role of the New Legal Marketer.

• Author: Emerson, Tina
• Position: EDITOR'S NOTE - Editorial

We've heard it so many times--the legal industry has changed.

As legal marketers, it has always been our role to devise new and innovative ways to communicate our firms' services and engage with clients and potential clients. We have the benefit of knowing that nothing ever stays the same. But just as the attorneys in our firms are realizing that the clients' needs are much more specific and our competition is tighter than in the past, we are realizing that roles that never existed on our teams before are starting to take shape.

Fortunately, in today's legal environment, many law firms have already adopted business models that mirror those of their clients--with C-suites full of professionals who bring experience, expertise and fresh perspectives from the corporate world.

So, beyond the CMO, director, manager and coordinator, what specific skills are our firms seeking, and where do we look to find the right additions to our marketing and business development teams? After all, we need people who will understand the dynamics of a law firm while bringing subject-matter expertise in areas such as competitive intelligence, CRM systems, social media and design. How many people are we willing to hire full time, and are these even full-time positions? More and more, we are seeing that the answer is, "Yes."

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