Why so many experienced lawyers struggle to articulate their value
By mid-career, most lawyers are technically excellent. Many are specialists. Some are moving towards partnership, leadership, or firm ownership.
And yet, a persistent challenge remains: clearly articulating value in a way that resonates with prospective clients and referrers – beyond other lawyers.
In a 2025 session for the Law Institute of Victoria, I shared common brand challenges I see in my work with law professionals:
1. Lawyers are time-poor and risk-aware – roadblocks to building a brand.
Brand building can feel like a “nice to have” rather than a core professional capability, particularly when client work, people leadership and billables dominate the week. Add confidentiality constraints and a justified fear of “over-sharing”, and visibility quickly drops down the priority list.
2. Many lawyers are highly technical communicators in a non-technical world.
Expertise is often expressed through education — explaining the law, outlining risks, flagging what can’t be done. While essential, this can unintentionally position the lawyer as someone who “puts the brakes on”, rather than as a trusted commercial advisor who helps clients move forward with confidence.
This becomes particularly problematic at senior levels, where the role shifts to include client acquisition and development (read: ‘sales’!). Yet the ‘bridge’ between an educational or discovery conversation to a project commitment conversation can be a difficult one for trusted advisors to cross.
3. Finding ways to meaningfully differentiate is tough for a lawyer, whether one of many or one of few.
Many lawyers are specialists — but they are among many in their field. Some, conversely, are so niched that they struggle to know where and how to build a visible profile with a very specific audience, not all of whom are active online. Without a clear “go-to” position, even excellent practitioners risk blending into the background.
In the world of AI, clients and colleagues are no longer just buying legal answers; they are looking for judgement, context, foresight and leadership.
What a strong legal brand looks like
The legal landscape is shifting rapidly: regulatory change, new risk categories (cyber, mental health, AI), evolving client expectations and increasing competition from both national and global firms. In this environment, those who can clearly articulate what they are known for, who they help, and why their perspective matters are better positioned to stay relevant and top of mind.
Strong specialist brands are not about self-promotion. They are about leadership. They combine technical depth with clarity, commercial understanding and a consistent message — across introductions, conversations and online visibility — that builds trust rather than noise.
For experienced lawyers, the real question is no longer “Am I good at what I do?”
It’s “Can the right people clearly see the value I bring?”
And if not, what’s getting in the way?
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