How important are social networks in the legal profession? On Tuesday, 7 May 2013, law students were able to answer this question after the lecture given by Paula Fernández-Ochoa and Eva Bruch from the direct marketing consultancy More Than Law, on the opportunities provided by Web 2.0 in the legal profession and why attorneys need to use social networks.
With the title, "The Use of Social Networks for Lawyers: Opportunity and Need", Fernández-Ochoa provided an overview of the current situation of social networks with the help of a recent survey and highlighted the importance of using them. "It's a great opportunity", she said. "Because of them, small firms can compete with big ones and put themselves at the same level. It's very beneficial and it's also free."
The legal consultant spoke about the visibility that comes from using social networks, which has effects that include reaching new customers. According to Fernández-Ochoa, "Attorneys should be familiar with new technologies and not use only the traditional tools of their profession. If they do, they will end up becoming outdated."
However, the speaker stressed the need "not to simply participate in social networks because everyone else is doing it. It's important to have a strategy that makes your firm stand out." Fernández-Ochoa mentioned a recent news item that pointed out that the ten Spanish attorneys with the most influence on social networks are not from large firms, but small ones.
Finally, Fernández-Ochoa and Bruch gave the students some advice about the kinds of networks that are the most useful for the profession and how they should be used.
