I’m a big advocate of information-rich websites for law firms. I think establishing your credibility helps you build trust with your audience. It positions you as an authority on your subject matter.

The Problem With Most Websites

I’m stunned when I visit a site that’s all about the lawyer and barely about the clients and their problems. Do you really think anyone cares that you were on law review? Most of us are far more interested in what kind of dog you have. Does it surprise you that most people come to your site and their first action upon arrival is to leave? Why would they stay?

I could rant all day about the self-centered nature of most law firm websites, but I’ve actually got something else for today.

Sometimes, thankfully, my website rant sinks in, and the lawyers tolerating my insanity want to do something about their site. More often than not, it’s young lawyers who are interested in following my advice.

What’s Experience Got to Do With It?

I had a conversation with a young lawyer last week about building a child-custody-related website.

The young lawyer says, “I’d like to build a site with lots of information, but I don’t feel like I know much yet. I’m inexperienced.” She explains that she doesn’t know much beyond the basics of child custody. She can’t imagine writing about the topic without years of experience handling cases.

How did I respond?

I disagreed (I’m a contrarian, I almost always disagree). I explained that I think she has value to deliver to prospective clients.

My Advice

Here’s what I told her:

You’re trained in the law. You’ve been schooled in legal research and writing. On top of that, you know your way around the courthouse. You know who’s good at trying custody cases, and you know how to watch and listen when cases are being tried. You’ve also made friends with a bunch of lawyers. You can easily ask questions and learn from those folks.

Start writing, I told her.

She’s skilled in legal research. She’s skilled in the art of learning, having been in school for 19 years of her life. It’s time to learn some things and pass them along.

She can learn as she goes. She can be better as time goes by. She can constantly upgrade her site as she learns more and as she gains more insight. She has information in her head that would benefit her readers.

Start writing.