Writing

Be normal

June 11, 2026 by David M. Ward

News flash: lawyers are people. Human beings with personal problems, interests, and quirks. We have a lot in common with our bretheren (and sisteren) but we’re also different.

Different personalities, looks, and styles. Which prospective clients notice, are attracted to, and remember.

Which is why we all need to embrace our individuality and not try to be like everyone else. We need to be who we are, not who we think our clients want us to be. When we all look and sound alike, nobody pays attention.

We need to be who we are, but normal. Because clients don’t want to hire weirdos.

Clients want an attorney who looks like an attorney. And sounds like an attorney. Professional, well-dressed, well-groomed, and well-spoken.

Your headshot photo on your website and marketing materials needs to tell the world you know what you’re doing and are successfull doing it. The car you drive should tell the world you’re no slouch. How you dress, shine your shoes, and conduct yourself from the stage or speaking to clients and prospects and business contacts needs to fit an image that makes people like and trust you.

You don’t have to hire a stylist or pay big bucks for a photo shoot. Just pay attention to the basics and don’t look like a slob.

But don’t go the other direction, either. You don’t need $7,500 suits or $400 haircuts. Plastic surgery isn’t a requirement. You want to look your best but not look like you spend (your clients’) money recklessly.

Perhaps the most important element to pay attention to is your writing. Your articles and blog posts, letters and emails, reports and memos, are often not only the first impression many people see of you, they live on the Internet for a very long.

Write like a lawyer, but to be understood, not to impress.

Spell-checking is a must. Grammar-checking and ai can help a lot. You don’t need to be paranoid about your writing or hire an editor for everything, but it couldn’t hurt to have someone look over your shoulder before you hit publish.

Lawyers are expected to write formally, mostly, use upper-and-lower-case words and complete sentences, avoid emojis, and do their best not to sound glib. But lawyers can also be familiar and informal, plain spoken, and down-to-earth.

Don’t write like a professor or intellectual, unless you’re writing to professors or intellectuals. You can be warm and personable, and have a little fun with your words.

You know, normal.

And if you want clients to feel comfortable with you and want to speak to you and work with you, you will.

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Filed Under: Client relations, Communication, Content creation, Writing

Stop writing articles and blog posts

February 17, 2026 by David M. Ward

You know that articles and blog posts and other forms of content can attract prospective clients and repeat clients, and you know how to write them. But, unless I miss my guess, you don’t write them as often as you should.

Because they take a lot of time. Planning, research, writing, editing, posting, reading and responding to comments—it’s a lot of work and you’re busy guy or gal.

So, don’t write them. Write an email instead.

Emails are easy to write and don’t take a lot of time. And because it’s “just” an email, you don’t feel the pressure to write something worthy of publication, so you don’t resist writing it.

Write an email to your prospect or client, or professional contact and tell them something you think they need to or want to know. Share a thought, ask a question, tell them something you recently learned or did or thought, and thought might interest them.

So much easier than writing an article, isn’t it? No pressure. It’s just an email. A couple of hundred words and you can write it and get it out the door in ten or 15 minutes.

Which is why you’ll do it.

And guess what? The best part is that a short, informal email like this is often more effective than longer, formal articles and other content.

Because your reader doesn’t have to set aside time to read them or take notes, so they read them more often They open their email, skim your article, think about you in a positive light, and go on with their day.

What’s quick and easy for you to write is quick and easy for them to read. And they do.

Content marketing isn’t just about being a lawyer and showing how much you know. or do It’s at least as much about connecting with people and letting them know you’re still around and thinking about them.

Yeah, staying in touch.

If you want, you can convert your emails into longer content. I’ve published several volumes of books based on my blog posts and emails, and you can, too.

Start with a daily or weekly, or even a monthly email to stay in touch with the people in your professional life.

In fact, I challenge you to do that right now. Grab an idea, write a few paragraphs, and send it to someone.

No planning or research, simple prose, edit spelling and punctuation, copy, paste and send.

You can still publish blog posts and articles or other content. But if you resist doing that, don’t write them, write an email instead.

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Filed Under: Blogging, Communication, Content creation, Relationship marketing, Writing

Most lawyers don’t create this type of content (but should)

January 27, 2026 by David M. Ward

Many lawyers use informational articles, blogs, newsletters, reports, videos, seminars, and other content for marketing their practice. They write or speak about the law and legal procedure, talk about the problems they see and the solutions they have delivered, and in this way, educate readers and listeners about what they do and how they can help them.

It’s a simple and effective way to bring in new clients, repeat clients, and referrals.

If you’re not doing this now, try it. Write a brief article about your field and post it on your website, share it on social media, or email it to people you know who can share it with people they know.

You can start by imagining you’re speaking to a prospective client who has a problem and wants to know his options. Explain the basics, tell him about a case or client you had with the same or similar issue, and tell him what you did to help that client, and encourage your reader to contact you if they have questions.

You’ll probably find that it’s easy to create educational content like that, and when you get calls or emails asking questions and scheduling appointments, how effective it is at generating business.

When you do, I’m sure you’ll want to create more content.

Educational content works because it allows you to “show, not tell”. Readers and listeners get to see you “in action,” helping people understand the law, their rights, their obligations, and what an attorney can do for them, and through the stories you use to illustrate your points, how you wisely and compassionately work with your clients.

It’s a great way to build trust and show the value you offer, and for many attorneys, this is all the marketing they need to do.

But here’s a tip.

Don’t limit yourself to content about the law and your work. That’s what most lawyers do. You should also create content about yourself.

You, the person, not you the lawyer.

Personal information helps people get to know you. Why is that important? Because it lets people connect with you and see a side of you they otherwise might not see, and they might like what they see.

And because most lawyers don’t do this, when you do, you’ll stand out in a crowded world of lawyer “options” available to clients and business contacts.

So, tell people what you do when you’re not working, what you like to read or do, about your family and background, and plans for the future.

What did you do before law school? What kind of music do you like? What’s your favorite genre of movie and why?

There are two ways to do this. One way to post an occasional story about yourself and update it when something interesting or good (or bad) happens in your life. Talk about your first child or grandchild and what parenthood or grandparenthood mean to you; describe how frustrated you were with your Windows computer and how you finally switched over to a Mac; describe your upcoming vacation plans and what you’re looking forward to seeing or doing.

You know, human stuff.

The other way is to weave into your blog posts and articles about your work parenthetical comments and asides about your personal life. For example, “I was trying out a new recipe for lasagna I was cooking for some friends my wife and I had over for dinner and it made me think about how…”.

They both work. Try them and see.

Filed Under: Communication, Content creation, Marketing legal services, Writing

How to write a blog post in five minutes

January 8, 2026 by David M. Ward

Would you write more blog posts or newsletter articles if it only took a few minutes?

You can. Using voice dictation. Something I’ve done for many years.

When I was in law school and clerked for my father, I dictated everything on a belt-driven recording machine or a cassette tape recorder, and a secretary would type my words and execute my instructions. When I opened my own office (and could afford a secretary), I continued doing that.

Years later, I discovered Dragon dictation software and used it to write several books. It was (and is) clunky, you have to train it, you have to dictate all the punctuation and do a lot of editing, which is why many people, I’m sure, say, “it’s not worth it”.

Technology today is much better. And you have many options, including those that are built into your computer and phone.

They do a great job of quickly transcribing your words into error-free text.

Some programs automatically add punctuation. Some correct your grammar on the fly. Some translate your words into other languages. And some take your raw dictation and, using AI, change the tone of your message, format it, and convert it into mail, text messages, scripts, meeting summaries, and just about anything else you might want.

I type quickly and actually enjoy it. But there’s nothing better than sitting with my phone or in front of my computer, speaking for five or ten minutes, and producing 500 to 800 words of text.

And that’s what I do.

Note, I’m not using any AI functions. Just dictating and creating a first draft. I still have to rewrite and edit and do other things to turn it into publishable content.

For now.

I’m experimenting and learning which program(s) I want to use and how to use them. Eventually, I expect I’ll be able to do things even better—and faster.

If you don’t use voice dictation software, I suggest you try it. If you’ve tried it before and thought, “it’s not for me,” I suggest you try it again.

With or without AI, it’s worth it to be able “write” three or four times faster than you can type, and not have to hire anyone to do it for you.

Filed Under: Content creation, Writing

Marketing without the hype

October 9, 2025 by David M. Ward

Some attorneys resist using certain types of marketing, e.g., blogging, advertising, or email, because they don’t want clients or colleagues to see them as “needing” business and think less of them. Of course, some lawyers think this applies to most marketing and either don’t do it or do it reluctantly.

Whatever the cause of their resistance, one way to engage in marketing without the stigma attached to it, real or perceived, is to do it mindfully. In particular, this means paying attention to

Your content or message,
Your language and tone,
Your calls-to-action or offers, and
The frequency of your communication.

If you have testimonials or reviews you would like to use but don’t want to appear boastful, you could convert them into stories. Feature your best testimonials or reviews on your website, perhaps, but in your newsletter or article, speak about the case or matter that resulted in that testimonial to illustrate a point you’re making in your article.

For example, if you’re writing about tax strategies you recommend for high net worth individuals, after you describe the strategy, you might add that you recently used this strategy to reduce a client’s tax liability by 25%. You offer proof that your strategy works without sounding like an infomercial.

Which leads to something else you could and should do in your marketing—focus on strategies about solving problems, not selling your services.

“I’m a tax lawyer” might be an accurate statement but clients want to know what that means for them. If you say, “I help high net worth taxpayers minimize their tax exposure,” and reference your recent successful case to show what is possible, the focus is on the client more than on you.

Talk to clients and prospects about themselves, their business or industry, their wants and needs, more than about you and your services. But don’t take yourself completely out of the picture. After all, you are the one they will hire and rely on, and you should make the case for your ability to help them. Just don’t make it all about you.

To do that, use specific language and examples that show you understand them and have experience with clients like them. That means avoiding the generalities so common in lawyer marketing.

Don’t over-promise, but don’t hide your light under a bushel.

You want to be seen as a serious professional but friendly and relatable. The best way to do that is to talk “to” them, not “at” them, and to do it as plainly as possible.

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Filed Under: Marketing legal services, Newsletters, Online Marketing, Writing

The simplest way to improve your marketing

January 16, 2025 by David M. Ward

There’s a simple way to get more people to read what you write, listen to and engage with your message, and contact you to learn more.

But most lawyers don’t do it. Or do it enough.

Most lawyers do a good job of presenting facts and logic, and that’s certainly important, but you can’t rely on the left side of a reader’s brain when you want to persuade them to do something. For that, you want to stimulate the right side of their brain, i.e., their emotions.

The best way to do this is to tell stories.

Tell them about someone they can relate to and what happened to them. A client, a friend, someone you heard about, or even yourself. Tell them in your articles, blog posts, emails, and presentations. Tell them when you’re talking to them on the phone or in your office.

If you want bring in more clients and keep your clients coming back, if you want your clients talking about what you do to their friends or business contacts, include stories in everything you write or say.

Stories dramatize the facts and make readers feel the fear or other emotions of your “characters”.

Facts tell but stories sell.

Besides making the logical case for hiring you or following your advice, tell your reader or listener about people who did or didn’t follow that advice.

The best stories involve people who are “like” your audience, with a similar background or circumstances. You want clients and prospect to see that the people in your stories are “just like them”.

Stories don’t need to be lengthy. A brief anecdote or mention is often enough. Neither do stories need to be overly dramatic. You can use irony or satire or a bit of fun to make your case.

Clients and prospects often want to do what you’re telling them and are just looking for an excuse to do it. A simple story with a happy ending is often enough to give them that excuse.

Filed Under: Communication, Marketing legal services, Salesmanship, Writing

Separate the planning from the doing

December 10, 2024 by David M. Ward

I used to call it a “weekly review” but now I call it “weekly planning” because I don’t just want to look at what I’ve done, I want to figure out what I need to do next.

Whatever we call it, why do we do it once a week instead of more often? Because we need some quiet time to step back from our busy week to reflect on the big picture. During the week, we need to focus on getting the actual work done.

Planning requires a different state of mind from doing.

When we’re planning, we’re relaxed and thinking about the future. When we’re doing the work, we’re focused on making the calls, drafting the documents, and negotiating the cases.

It’s better to break up the planning and the doing into two separate tasks, and do them at different times. It’s more efficient that way and produces better results.

If you’re writing an article, for example, choose the topic a few days or a week before you do the actual writing. This allows your subconscious mind to “think” about the article ahead of time and find better arguments and examples that make your article easier to write and more effective.

Whether writing an article, planning your week, or starting a new project, give yourself some space between the planning and the doing.

Filed Under: Productivity, Writing

Writing non-fiction without an outline?

September 9, 2024 by David M. Ward

Whether you’re writing an article or blog post, a memo to your client or your file, a brief or a demand letter, outlining before you write is almost always recommended.

It helps you include all the key points, put them in an effective order, and save time with the actual writing because you’ve thought about what to say before you say it.

Outlining is your friend. Especially for longer or complicated pieces that contain a lot of information.

But sometimes, outlining slows down the process of getting words on paper, and leads to a less interesting, more formulaic piece of writing. That’s okay for most of the writing lawyers do. We don’t need to be creative; we need to relate what happened (or will happen), what we think and recommend, and convey our thoughts succinctly.

And that’s usually what we do.

But if you’ve ever struggled to construct an outline, found yourself repeatedly re-organizing and re-writing it instead of getting on with the writing, as have I, you might want to try something many fiction writers do.

It’s called “Pantsing” and means “writing by the seat of your pants,” that is, writing (a story) without deciding what to write in advance.

No outline. Or much of one.

Pantsers start with a general idea of what they want to happen in their story, and usually not much more. They know what their main characters are like, what they want and how they might get that, but often only a few paragraphs which serve as a place to start.

They write and see where the story takes them. They let the story surprise them as much as they hope it will surprise their readers.

Pantsers say their writing is fresher this way, because they “hear” the story as they write it. They say it’s more enjoyable to write this way, unconstrained by the rigidity of a detailed outline.

Authors who write this way say they love the freedom and spontaneity this gives them. Authors who are committed outliners say that writing without an outline, without a net as someone put it, scares the heck out of them and they couldn’t do it.

What about non-fiction? Could lawyers write with little more than a general idea and a few points to cover?

I do this all the time with short pieces. What you’re reading now is an example.

I didn’t plan to write about pantsing today and yet here we are. This is where the writing led me.

Writing by the seat of your pants is liberating. I have no plans to make pantsing my primary modus operandi, however. Outlining will continue to be my jam.

On the other hand, for my current work-in-progress, a full length non-fiction book, I’ve completed a lot of the outline, but I’m experimenting with pantsing some chapters and parts thereof. After all, a chapter is really a collection of short essays.

I don’t know how successful I’ll be, but I’m confident it will help me finish the first draft.

Filed Under: Content creation, Writing

Transparency is overrated

August 2, 2024 by David M. Ward

Prospective clients, people who read your articles or listen to your presentations, want to know what you do and how you can help them.

Tell them what, not how.

It’s okay to speak about your process in general terms. A few words about how you’re different and better. But keep the details to yourself.

It’s your intellectual property and you don’t need to share it.

What about paying clients? Aren’t they entitled to know?

Not really. They’re paying for your efforts and results, not your methods. So don’t tell them “how” unless you want to.

In your next article, blog post, or presentation, give folks the big picture, get them excited about the results you can get for them, but just as the magician doesn’t share their secrets, you shouldn’t share yours.

As author William Zinsser put it, “Readers should always feel that you know more about your subject than you’ve put in writing.”

Filed Under: Communication, Content creation, Presentations, Writing

Use more legalese, not less

June 17, 2024 by David M. Ward

Many experts tell you to “speak like your prospective clients speak,” mirroring and matching their language, word choices, and style, so they will more easily understand and relate to you.

They say that most people don’t have a legal background and might be confused and/or intimated by your use of legal terminology and references.

Basically, they’re saying “don’t talk like a lawyer”.

I disagree.

Prospects are looking for a lawyer or looking to learn something that might lead to hiring a lawyer. They expect you to act and speak like a lawyer, and if you don’t, they may think you don’t have the requisite experience and gravitas they’re seeking.

In addition, using appropriate legal terms will help people searching for those terms to find you.

So don’t eschew Latin and legal terms-of-art. But make sure to explain what those terms mean and use examples and stories to give them context that might be important to your reader.

You want your reader to understand you but you also want them to know you understand them. So, also make sure you speak like them.

Localize your message by using your target market’s terminology and references. Mention the names of well-known people in their industry or market, for example, as well as problems and solutions that are familiar to them.

Do both and not only will your readers and listeners better understand your message and how it applies to them, they will be more likely to see you as a better choice for them than other lawyers who don’t speak their language.

Filed Under: Communication, Content creation, Writing