Get Writing!
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chapter one
Get riting!
A. INTRODUCTION
The rst e-mail tip to my gentle readers was simple: get writing! Or,
more to the point, get blogging and posting to social media.
Blogged content has high visibility and much higher readership
than content that is distributed by e-mail. Unless you have a very
targeted and well-maintained e-mail distribution list, it’s unlikely
that a publication sent by e-mail will be opened (much less read) by
more than 5 percent of its recipients.
Contrast that with material that is posted on a blog, which can
easily get views in the four digits. Blog posts also have the advan-
tage of being picked up by aggregators (Lexology, Mondaq) and can
be reposted to LinkedIn and JD Supra, which widens your reader-
ship even further. By way of example, Lexology’s analytics once told
me that a blog post of mine had been read by someone in the air-
port lounge in Perth, Australia. (The poor sod must have been at a
loose end.)
Lest you doubt the power of social media, after I posted a short
announcement on LinkedIn that I was publishing this book, the
post was viewed nearly 8,400 times (I had only about 1,300 people
in my network at the time), and it received lots of “likes” and com-
ments. Let’s hope all the viewers buy a copy.
So, what to post about? Recent developments in the law, of
course, but give them a practical spin. Don’t just announce some
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Guthrie's Guide to Better Legal Writing
new decision or legislation — explain why it’s relevant to your cli-
ents or potential clients. Give your perspective on industry trends
or market developments. A fresh take on things is more likely to
attract readers.
There are a lot of lawyers out there, and writing something that
will resonate with existing and potential clients is a great way to
build your prole, demonstrate your abilities, and advertise your
services.
B. SO WHAT SHOULD I WRITE ABOUT?
The law, for starters — but there is a bit more to it than that.
Here are some suggestions, adapted from the Law Society of
Upper Canada’s Guide to Business Development for Women Lawyers
(they are equally applicable to men).1
zChoose your topic carefully
%Write about something you actually practise, know about,
or want to develop as an area of specialization.
%Don’t allow people to think you’re an expert on the basis
of one article.
zRecycle old work
%A memo for a le could be the basis of a client piece, but:
•be careful to remove any information that could identify
your client;
•strip out technical terms, footnotes, and citations; and
•make sure you bring things up to date.
%The same piece can (within reason) be published in more
than one place, often with only minor adjustments.
zGet your piece in front of the right audience
%A legal journal, magazine, or newspaper may be read by
other lawyers but not by business people.
1 The Justicia Project Business Development Working Group, A Guide to
Business Development for Women Lawyers (Toronto, ON: The Law Society of
Upper Canada, 2013), online: www.lsuc.on.ca/uploadedFiles/Equity_and_
Diversity/Justicia/Business_Development_2013.pdf.
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Chapter One: Get Writing!
%Think about industry/trade publications or general news
outlets — you have a better chance of being read by non-
lawyer clients.
zA descriptive piece on recent developments in a particular
area of law is always good, should be easy to write, and can
get broad readership.
zBe timely
%Publish as quickly as you can on breaking developments,
but don’t sacrice care in thinking, writing, fact-checking,
vetting by someone more senior, editing, and proofreading.
zInclude a picture and brief bio
%Your piece should be accompanied by a professional head-
shot wherever possible.
%Include a short bio (short!); bonus marks if you can be dis-
tinctive without being gimmicky.
%Link to appropriate social media (LinkedIn prole, maybe
your Twitter handle, but not Instagram or Facebook).
%If you’re writing for an external publication, add a disclaimer
that the views expressed are your own and not necessarily
your employer’s, and do not constitute legal advice.
zOther ideas
%What challenges are your clients facing? How do other
industries cope with similar challenges? Tell a story based
on real examples.
%What are the current trends in an industry or area of law
you know about?
%What kinds of questions have you been getting from cli-
ents or readers?
%Avoid writing about “developments” that aren’t really new
(“Court rearms long-standing common-law rule that . . .”),
even if this seems like a way to keep in front of your public
(they’ll lose interest).
%What have you read lately, and what can you add? (But
don’t be catty about other people or present law as a world
of insiders commenting on each other.)
%What interests you about your practice area? (But remem-
ber that not everyone may share your enthusiasm for the
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