Building Your Personal (Legal) Brand - Some Thoughts for Law Students and Others - Professor Daniel Martin Katz

1. Building Your Personal
(Legal) Brand
some thoughts for law students and others
professor daniel martin katz
blog | ComputationalLegalStudies.com
corp | LexPredict.com
page | DanielMartinKatz.com
edu | chicago kent college of law

2. Your
Business of Law
Challenge
Part I:

3. if you are a prosecutor or public defender
then someone like this is your
client development officer

4. but for most of you …
for at least some part of your career
you will be in the private sector

5. Therefore, many of you
have a business challenge

6. How are you going to
convert the expertise that
you are developing in your
legal education into $ ?
#ShowMeTheMoney

7. How are you going to
develop a (plausible)
working plan regarding
how to navigate your
career as it unfolds ?

9. This challenge remains even
if you go inside a firm …

10. Because law is a business

11. So you need to better understand
where do firms get clients?

12. And why do clients hire law firms?

13. why do we have law firms?
(in other words what do they solve for …)

14. The Consumer (client)
always faces the
decision of
make (DIY) versus buy

15. Help Solve the
Peak Load Problem
Law Firms

16. Provide High Value but
Rarely Utilized or Hard
to Acquire Expertise
Law Firms

17. Provide High Value but
Rarely Utilized or Hard
to Acquire Expertise
Law Firms
see this article for more on law
firm economics

18. Without sufficient volume
it is not sensible to make
but rather to buy …

19. Over the long term,
you need a way to
attract + retain clients …

20. Because despite
whatever you are told
clients = job security

22. Don’t
Kill the Messenger
Part II:

23. How are you going to
develop a working plan
of attack as to where
you want to go as your
career unfolds ?

24. “I don’t want to think about this”
“I am just not sure yet what I want to do … ”
People have told me:
“I just want to keep my head down and
focus on grades, etc.… ”

25. “He is being too negative”
“He is crushing my dreams”
People have gotten upset:
“What does he know …”

26. But I hope you will agree
that it is a fair question

27. And again the question is this:
How can you convert your
expertise into a job or a
stream of clients sufficient to
support yourself (thrive)?

28. In part, this course is designed
to help you develop a better
answer to this and related
#BusinessOfLaw questions

29. Try to Develop
Your Own Personal
Business Plan
(no P&L required)

30. (1)
plan needs to be plausible
#HelpMeHelpYou

31. Dream Big …
but also aim for a
reasonable starting place

32. (2)
Not Mandatory that you
stick to this plan
(just need a north star)
(pivot / adapt from there)

33. (3)
Plan Needs to be genuine /
authentic and display
real enthusiasm for
something

35. There is
No Gold Watch
Part III:

37. 1Job ?

38. 1Job ?
~ 7Jobs
(you might have 7 jobs)

39. Implication is you
need to build
your personal brand

40. for the balance of your career…

41. for the balance of your career…
auditioning for the next job
while in your current job

43. There is a tension
with your employer …

44. Go develop business …

45. Go develop business …
But do not do anything different

46. Go develop business …
Do not do anything that gives
you a bigger brand than us …

47. Again, there is a tension
with your employer …

48. Some of why they hired you
(even found you in the first place)
is because of your brand

49. Important to walk in the door with
media assets that are portable …

50. You can take it with
you when you leave …
(and you are going to leave) …

52. toward a personal
media strategy
Part IV:

53. Universities, Academics and Students
are (in part) Media Companies

54. How do you
research someone?

55. Turns out it is the same way
someone researches you …
Spoiler Alert:

57. but your 15 minutes (likely) lives in the long tail
available at 50 Mbps

59. Portfolios Resumes>
observable evidence noisy signaling

60. Some of my former MSU folks

61. http://www.chasehertel.com/

62. http://www.amanismathers.com/

63. http://about.me/
karenfrancismcwhite

64. http://www.andyninh.com/

66. http://briancpike.com/

67. http://patellis.wordpress.com/

68. while at
my former employer

71. some of placements
for my students

73. It is a big world
with lots of folks
needing a way to stick out

74. For what do you stand?

75. What Story Do You Want to Tell?

76. Think Carefully about needs
in Your Market(s) …

77. https://westaway.co/

78. I Love Kyle’s Story …

79. Kyle Westaway - Breaking into New Markets
https://vimeo.com/60855326
(Watch This)

80. Think Carefully about needs
in Your Market(s) …
(or emerging markets for law)

81. (a quick word on emerging markets for law)
how does one establish they are
a ‘great’ lawyer on some topic?

82. (a quick word on emerging markets for law)
how does one establish they are
a ‘great’ lawyer on some topic?
figure out who is judging
and how they are judging…

83. (a quick word on emerging markets for law)
Data Breach, Crypto/Blockchain, Future of Work,
Big Data+Privacy, etc.
Drones, Internet of Things, CyberSecurity,
3D Printing, Driverless Cars, Augmented Reality,

84. (does not have to be emerging markets)
interesting developments in tax law
seven legal mistakes that Startups make
updates in labor / employment

86. danielmartinkatz.com #PracticeWhatYouPreach

87. {What are your 3 things}
Here is my 3 things —
Daniel Martin Katz
{ Scientist, Technologist, Law Professor }
An Exercise:
The 140 Character Version
Here is my 140 characters—
Prof. Daniel Martin Katz + Prof. Mike Bommarito
Helping Invent the Future of the Legal Industry =
#Law+#STEM+#Design+#Entrepreneurship

89. channels
of
distribution
Part V:

90. (1) LinkedIn
(2) Twitter
(3) Personal Webpage
(4) Facebook Page
(5) Blog with relevant content
(6) Video Content
(7) Slideshare
(8) Pinterest / Instagram
Distribution Channels
(make it professional or at least not unprofessional)

91. Probably 3 most important:
(3) Blog/PersonalSite
(2) Twitter
(1) LinkedIn

92. Need a LinkedIn Page ASAP
https://www.americanbar.org/content/newsletter/publications/
law_practice_today_home/lpt-archives/november13/a-linkedin-marketing-plan.html/
make
sure
you are
broadcasting
what you want to
broadcast

93. Join up with Twitter as well
https://twitter.com/briancpike/status/621725034986479617
http://briancpike.com/

94. Join up with Twitter as well
http://abovethelaw.com/2016/08/survey-majority-of-americans-
likely-to-hire-a-lawyer-whos-active-on-social-media/

95. Build a Personal Webpage
No Coding Required
http://www.squarespace.com/ http://www.wix.com/

97. communities
+
networks
Part VI:

98. Find and Join
Relevant Communities
(Virtual + Physical)

99. www.meetup.com/Chicago-Legal-Innovation-and-Technology-Meetup/
this is one from my area of the world

100. connect with relevant parts of
bar associations, etc.
(again from my slice of the world)

101. Leverage the Alumni Network
(Both your law school and undergrad)

102. GOAL:
25 Coffees over next 6 months…
learning more from folks …
http://www.forbes.com/sites/lizryan/
2015/01/31/how-to-arrange-a-
networking-coffee/#215d412f51a9

104. Final Thoughts

105. (1) Stand for Something
if you stand for everything you stand for nothing

106. (1) Stand for Something
(2) Find Your Voice
show folks why you are interesting
if you stand for everything you stand for nothing

107. (1) Stand for Something
(2) Find Your Voice
show folks why you are interesting
if you stand for everything you stand for nothing
(3) Increase Distribution Channels
you are not in the witness protection program

108. Be Patient + Play Long Game
(1) Stand for Something
(2) Find Your Voice
show folks why you are interesting
if you stand for everything you stand for nothing
(3) Increase Distribution Channels
(4)
you are not in the witness protection program
SEO, Brand is developed over the long haul

109. Additional Suggested Resources:
John Chisholm, Unleash Your Inner
Company: Use Passion and Perseverance
to Build Your Ideal Business
Reid Hoffman & Ben Casnocha,
The Start‐Up of You

110. Additional Suggested Resources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7T4RKvZo_U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2X54ALRkZg

111. Daniel Martin Katz
@ computational
computationallegalstudies.com
lexpredict.com
danielmartinkatz.com
illinois tech - chicago kent college of law@