Fantastic Lawyer Bios: How to Write One That Wins Clients

One thing you can count on as a lawyer is that clients are definitely Googling you and looking you up on LinkedIn. This means they are actively looking for your lawyer bio and checking it out.

Since most lawyers are wordsmiths who excel at Scrabble as well as courtroom arguments, you’d expect their bios to be compelling masterpieces that grab your attention and inspire you to call their office. Unfortunately, the fine print on a cereal box is more inviting than most lawyer bios.

This doesn’t mean lawyers are necessarily dull. In fact, famed novelist John Grisham and comedian Rebel Wilson both have law degrees. And it doesn't mean they can’t write, because they fine-tine language for a living. What we find is that lawyers have a very different perspective on what clients want from bios than the clients themselves.

Why Fantastic Lawyer Bios Matter for Your Firm?

Lawyer bios shouldn’t be designed to impress rivals, because that would make most people’s eyes glaze over. Many clients don’t primarily want to know where you went to school or what associations you belong to – although those can be important additional details to include, depending on your audience. First and foremost, clients want to know: How can you help me?

You may underestimate just how much an outdated bio or a clunky firm website affects the success of your firm. If you fail to stand out, it doesn’t take much for clients to keep looking and land on your competitors’ websites. We recommend that you don’t just try to blend in.

Crafting a fantastic lawyer bio that helps you stand out from the crowd can be easy with these five simple tips that will have people picking up the phone to call you.

Tip 1: Show You’re a Problem-Solver

The importance of showing you’re a problem-solver cannot be overstated. All potential referral sources are looking for a solution to a specific problem when they’re reading your bio, and wondering if you’re up to the task. Giving examples of what you’ve accomplished for previous clients demonstrates that they can count on you to deliver. Specifics go a long way toward painting a picture prospective clients can relate to.

Great testimonials from clients are a compelling aspect of your bio, showing you provide effective solutions. Consider how often you look for reviews to help you make a decision. Checking Rotten Tomatoes for a moving rating or Yelp for the best kebab in town isn’t all that different from looking for social validation of a lawyer’s expertise. Hearing about someone else's first-hand experience can be incredibly convincing.

Tip 2: Be Selective to Attract the Right Clients

To help the right clients choose you, concentrate on the core of your practice. Claiming expertise in every facet of law may be tempting, especially if you run a general practice. But including a little bit of everything doesn’t guarantee something in your bio will resonate with a client. Instead of making you seem like a super-lawyer, it may come across as an impenetrable wall of text.

Instead, fine-tune your bio so you can connect with the specific clients you’d most like to work with. You can do this by telling them who you routinely work with and what services you typically provide. When people know what you spend most of your time on, they’ll gravitate toward you for your skill in that area.

As a lawyer, you may not be able to be all things to all people, but you can be the best to a chosen few. It’s all about strategic positioning.

Tip 3: Show Personality Beyond the Resume

Clients like to work with a real person who can empathize with them and understand their concerns. A lawyer bio that lacks humanity could make you seem like a faceless billing machine, which doesn’t inspire confidence in your ability to help solve your clients’ problems. Letting them know who you are outside the office can achieve that.

What you do when you’re not at work can help people relate to you, giving them the sense that you have interests in common. People like knowing you volunteer in the community, which shows you’re trustworthy and caring. Letting clients know you have a family can help them feel confident that you’ll understand relationships that matter to them. Athletic pursuits can show your fortitude and team spirit, while participating in the arts shows creativity. Your life outside the office says a lot about how you approach your work as a lawyer.

Tip 4: Don’t Rehash Your Resume - Tell a Story

Ideally, your bio is an introduction to the story of who you are. People quickly become bored if yours is just a condensed version of your resume. While your CV shows you went to law school and got called to the bar, regurgitating it doesn’t provide the narrative people would enjoy reading. We’re not saying you should leave out your credentials; those can provide valuable context for some clients. What we are saying is that your bio needs to answer the client’s fundamental question: Can you help me?

Tip 5: Invest in a Professional Headshot

The most important part of your bio may just be your headshot. Even if you get everything else right, people will still judge you for an outdated photoshoot or a grainy image. If your firm photos look like they were taken with a smartphone, then you’re going to look like a real amateur. You don’t have to look like a celebrity, but you do need to look like a leading professional. You owe it to your firm and your practice to invest in a professional photographer, and though it costs money it also provides one of the best returns on investment.

Final Thoughts: Crafting a Lawyer Bio That Converts

Have you ever heard of the halo effect? It’s the tendency to form a favorable evaluation of someone based on one or more positive traits. The reverse also applies. A lawyer with a clunky bio will seem out of touch, while average bios are far too easy to forget.

The truth is that your lawyer bio is a direct reflection of your expertise. Prospective clients have legal concerns. Show them that you have what it takes to deliver effective solutions.

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Do you have questions about building fantastic lawyer bios on your website? Reach out to our team about optimizing your personal brand.