Articles
How to make a law firm desirable
Professional with more than 20 years of experience in communications and legal marketing. She spent nine years at Mattos Filho and also led the marketing and branding function at ASBZ, advising leading law firms on positioning, reputation, and strategic growth.
When was the last time a client approached your law firm because they wanted to work with you, rather than because they found you through a search, received your name through a referral, or saw you listed in a legal ranking?
If you had to think about your answer, this article is for you.
I have worked in legal marketing for more than two decades. We have supported more than 15,000 lawyers across twelve Brazilian states and eighteen countries. And what I have learned over the years is that there is one fundamental difference between law firms that grow and those that struggle to grow.
It is not their practice area. It is not the size of their team. It is not even their track record of matters.
It is how desirable they are.
What does desirability mean in the legal market?
Desirability is not popularity. It is not about having the largest number of followers or attending every industry event.
Desirability is when a client walks into the meeting having already decided they want to work with your firm. They are not comparing fees because they are no longer comparing firms. They are simply confirming a decision they made long before meeting you.
That does not happen by chance. It happens because, over time, the firm’s brand has built such a strong perception that the client feels choosing anyone else would be a mistake.
Why the legal market struggles with this
For decades, the legal profession was built on a principle that worked remarkably well: great legal work sells itself.
And it did.
Until it stopped.
Today, clients have access to more information than ever before. They research, compare firms, read articles, watch interviews, and follow lawyers online. They often arrive at the first meeting far better informed than most law firms realize.
In this environment, technical expertise is no longer a competitive advantage.
It has become the minimum requirement.
What differentiates one firm from another today is the perception it has built before that meeting ever takes place.
The three pillars of legal desirability
Over the years, I have noticed that the most desirable law firms in the market share three characteristics. You do not need to build all three overnight, but you do need to develop each of them consistently.
- A distinctive point of view
Desirable law firms have opinions. They do not simply repeat court decisions, they explain what those decisions mean for their clients’ businesses. They do not merely comment on the news, they anticipate its impact.
When a partner writes an article, the key question is not “What happened?” It is “What does this change, and what should you do now?” Repeating this approach consistently builds genuine authority, not authority based on credentials, but authority based on insight.
- Being present before clients need you
The most common mistake I see is law firms that only communicate when they have something to sell. A new partner joins the firm, an award is announced, or a legislative change “may affect your business.”
Clients do not build relationships with firms that only appear when they have something to promote. They build relationships with firms that consistently provide value before any commercial conversation begins.
Desirability is built in the time between one engagement and the next.
- An image that reflects the quality of the service
This is the most overlooked aspect, and the one that surprises me the most because it is also the most visible.
If a law firm charges premium fees, advises sophisticated clients, and handles complex matters, its communication should reflect exactly that. An outdated website, a generic visual identity, and low-quality social media templates send a message that contradicts the firm’s actual capabilities.
Packaging does not replace the product. But it is the first thing prospective clients see, and it shapes perception long before the first conversation takes place.
What should you do next?
I am not going to give you a ten-step checklist because that is not how desirability is built. It is an ongoing process, not a campaign.
The good news is that expectations in the legal market are still relatively low.
Most law firms communicate in exactly the same way. They talk about the same topics and, from the outside, look almost interchangeable. Even large firms. Even award-winning firms.
Very few firms are competing to become the most desirable. Most do not even realize that this is something worth pursuing.
That means the law firm that chooses to build a distinctive brand with a clear identity, a strong point of view, and a consistent presence does not have to be extraordinary to stand out.
It simply has to stop being invisible.