For law firms, thought leadership is no longer simply a marketing activity. It is a business development tool that helps lawyers demonstrate market awareness, stay visible between matters and give clients, prospects and referral sources a reason to engage.

Yet ask a lawyer to write an article and watch the excuses multiply. Whether it be client demands or a frank admission that writing is not a billable task, content creation routinely falls to the bottom of the priority list.

There is no single path to a strong bylined article. The key is building a process that makes it easier for lawyers to turn their knowledge into timely, useful and strategically aligned content.

Talk First, Write Later

Attorneys who resist writing often thrive in conversation. A structured 20-minute interview conducted by a PR practitioner or firm marketer can produce an excellent starting point for an article. Record it, transcribe it and shape it. The lawyer reviews and approves.

This same approach works well when an attorney records a 10- to 15-minute voice memo on a topic such as a recent court ruling, a regulatory development or an industry trend. With appropriate firm policies in place, AI tools may help organize a transcript, identify themes or create an initial structure. The lawyer’s judgment still has to drive the final product, and any AI-assisted content should be reviewed for accuracy, sourcing, tone, confidentiality and originality.

A prompt library can also help lawyers move from generic commentary to practical insight. Instead of asking attorneys to “write an article,” give them guided questions: “What are clients misunderstanding about this issue?” “What should companies do next?” “What are you watching?” Strong prompts help lawyers think like advisors, not reporters.

Turn Existing Content Into Strategic Assets

Many firms are sitting on valuable content that is never fully leveraged. Webinars, CLE presentations, client alerts, slide decks and panel remarks often contain the foundation for articles, Q&As, social posts, client emails and newsletter content.

Once a session is captured, the transcript can be reviewed, organized and shaped into a bylined piece that captures the lawyer’s key points in a more polished format. A lawyer or staff editor can then review, tighten and add any nuance before publication. This approach works especially well for CLE-style webinars and panel discussions where multiple perspectives are already baked in and allows for a multi-author structure. A single recording can yield one article, multiple social posts featuring video clips and a newsletter item, often with no additional time required beyond a final review.

Additionally, if an attorney has put together a CLE slide deck, the article is halfway written. The outline, the research and the talking points are in place, which means an editing partner or junior associate can convert that presentation into a bylined article with minimal involvement, in quick order. The same process can apply to panel appearances and speaker engagements. Firms should view every substantive presentation as the beginning of a content cycle, not the end of an event.

Use Writing Partners Strategically

While many big law firms deploy junior associates as a writing stable for their thought leadership program and some firms carry senior attorneys hired not for billable hours but for their editorial value, the majority of firms lack the headcount dedicated to content. There are plenty of resources available to assist firms in need.

Ghostwriting and editorial support are standard across professional services, and law is no exception. The lawyer’s experience and perspective should drive the piece, but the lawyer does not need to own every step of the drafting process.

Law school students are another strong source of writing assistance, and they are eager to gain real-world experience while building a portfolio. Consider partnering with a nearby institution to bring on a student writing fellow as an intern who can research, draft and back content production for the practice.

Co-Author with a Client or Industry Partner

Collaborative articles reduce the burden on any one contributor while doubling the credibility of the piece. Pairing a lawyer with an in-house client, a trade association leader or a consultant creates a richer perspective and opens the article to a wider distribution network. 

Beyond the content itself, co-authoring is one of the most effective and underused approaches for solidifying business relationships. Working through a piece together naturally deepens trust and initiates dialog with key contacts and positions the attorney as a credible thought partner rather than a vendor. For lawyers looking to move a contact from referral source to client, or from client to long-term collaborator, a joint byline can be a powerful starting point.

Start with a Q&A Format

A Q&A can be easier to produce, easier to read and highly effective for legal publications, firm websites and newsletters. It removes the pressure of outlining, researching and writing from scratch and lends itself naturally to conversational copy. Questions can lead to the answers and topics the lawyer wants to highlight. The piece can be completed through an interview so as to ease the burden of writing entirely and a marketing communications team member can provide light editing to tighten it up.

Answering the Question of Why

Lawyers are more likely to participate in thought leadership when they understand the business purpose behind it. The point is not to fill a content calendar; it is to create visibility around the issues, industries and relationships that matter most to the firm.

The Edelman-LinkedIn B2B Thought Leadership Impact Report found that 55 percent of decision-makers use thought leadership to evaluate outside advisors, and seven in ten say they are more likely to engage a firm they associate with quality thinking. A Passle Survey of General Counsels notes that GCs read articles and bylines to confirm that outside lawyers are current on the issues most pressing to their business, to stay ahead of regulatory and market shifts and to identify which firms truly understand their industry. 

Lawyers who write are signaling competence, retaining client attention between matters and putting their firm in front of buyers who have already decided to read before they decide to hire. Firms that build the right infrastructure are making an investment in business development, client service and reputation. They are not simply helping lawyers write more. They are helping the market understand how their lawyers think.

Beth Huffman, a managing director at Poston Communications, has more than 40 years of experience in communications, media and marketing. She has spent the last two decades helping major law firms, legal organizations and their global clients create strategic narratives that elevate their reputations and work.

Georgie Palm is a licensed attorney in Minnesota and a seasoned marketing and business development professional with more than a decade of experience in the legal industry. She specializes in content creation, strategic communications and business development, with a proven ability to collaborate closely with attorneys and law firm leadership to advance firmwide goals.