The 2025 Chief Marketing Officer Survey from the Legal Marketing Association and Above the Law takes the pulse of nearly 100 legal marketing and business development leaders across firms of all sizes. The findings confirm what many in the industry already know: CMOs have become central players in firm strategy, technology adoption and business development. Read the full report here.

For law firms, the survey results are more than numbers. They offer a roadmap for how to approach communications, visibility and resilience in a way that supports growth.

From Back Office to the Boardroom

The survey puts data behind a reality many of us in the legal industry already recognize: the CMO role has expanded and evolved in significant ways. Below are some key points as to how this has happened:

• Strategic role: More than half of CMOs are directly involved in firmwide strategic planning and nearly 20 percent say they actually take the lead in drafting the plan. Communications and marketing are no longer support functions – they are tied to the firm’s direction.
• Budgets on the rise: Most firms report budget increases above inflation, signaling that investment in growth remains strong.
• Technology adoption: About 70 percent of CMOs now guide firmwide technology and AI adoption, bridging innovation and client-facing work.
• Content as a differentiator: Written content and brand-building remain the most effective tools for attracting and retaining clients.
• Awards fatigue: Many CMOs consider directories and award submissions among the least effective activities, despite the visibility they can bring.
• Business development integration: Coaching attorneys, gathering client feedback and preparing for pitches top the list of business development priorities.

Where Communications Counts Most

These results echo what we often hear from our clients: the challenges are real, but so are the opportunities and communications strategy is often the difference-maker. Here are some ways to make this happen:

• Align narrative with strategy: If marketing is part of firm planning, messaging must consistently reflect that direction across client communications, media and leadership platforms.
• Scale content and thought leadership: With content seen as the top driver of client engagement, the challenge is producing a steady stream of high-quality material that reinforces the firm’s brand.
• Rethink awards and directories: While many marketers express fatigue, a more selective, story-driven approach can transform recognition into meaningful visibility.
• Maintain crisis readiness: Even if not top of mind in the survey, reputational risk is ever-present. Preparing leaders to respond with clarity can help preserve brand value.
• Equip leaders as communicators: With CMOs now shaping firmwide planning, there is greater need to coach leaders on how to deliver messages that resonate internally and externally.

Collaboration, Not Competition

The survey also shows that firms continue to lean on external vendors in areas such as PR and media relations (57%), communications (27%) and awards/directories (25%). That reflects a simple truth: CMOs are doing more than ever and no single team can do it all.

That is where collaboration comes in. We have seen that the most effective partnerships are not about replacing internal teams but complementing them. Sometimes that means stepping in during a peak cycle –

a major launch, a high stakes deal announcement or an unexpected crisis. Other times it means providing expertise in thought leadership, award submissions or leadership communications, where precision and perspective matter most.

The key is flexibility. External support works best when it allows CMOs and their teams to focus on client priorities while ensuring that critical communications milestones are managed with rigor and care.

Future-Proofing Legal Marketing

The 2025 survey underscores how far legal marketing has come. Today’s CMOs are not just marketers – they are strategy shapers, technology guides and business development partners. With expanded responsibility comes the need to prioritize, communicate effectively and prepare for the unexpected.

For firms that want to strengthen visibility, align messaging and build resilience, communications is not an add-on. It is a strategic function and one that benefits from collaboration inside and outside the firm.

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.