Why Attorney Bios are So Important

You’re looking at the “Biography” section of your legal website, and you have no idea what you want to say. This issue is a real problem because a good attorney biography can provide your customers with a better understanding of who you are and help you reach a more significant number of potential clients.

Thankfully, if you understand the nature of an attorney bio and master these tips on writing a great attorney bio, you shouldn’t struggle to stand out. This basic information is Marketing 101 for legal teams but should be understood even if you have already written an attorney bio for your site.

What is an Attorney Bio?

An attorney bio is a write-up that discusses your skills and abilities as a lawyer. It also highlights your education, successes you’ve had in your field and tries to showcase why you are an excellent choice for someone who needs legal help. A strong attorney biography stands out against weaker ones because they show that you care more about your profession. In other words, they let people read about your skills and successes while making you appear more human and respectable than other lawyers. Doing so will enhance your marketing message and make it easier to make new connections.

But why are lawyer biographies such an important thing to get right? Your bio is your story, how you present yourself to your clients, and proof that you take your job seriously. A poorly written biography is apparent and will annoy and frustrate many potential clients. Just as importantly, there are many advantages to a high-quality bio that you can’t ignore. These include how:

• Potential Clients Trust Them — Did you know that attorney bios are considered the second most important influence on hiring a lawyer? If not, you need to tweak your bio to make it more successful.
• They Produce High Traffic Areas — When people visit a legal website seeking out a lawyer, the first place that they go is usually the bio section. These sites account for 80 percent of all website traffic on legal sites.
• In-House Counsels Use Them to Find Outside Help — Judicial teams seeking out a trustworthy attorney often use a bio to prove their worth. Around 78 percent of all counsels use these bios to find outside help.

All of these benefits make your attorney bio something that you need to take very seriously. Doing so will allow you to stand out and enhance your chances of success. Thankfully, writing an excellent attorney bio isn’t impossible if you understand the unique challenges that this process may provide you and other lawyers like you. So make sure to read the section below to get a better feel for this process.

Writing a Great Attorney Bio

If you’re trying to write a good attorney biography for yourself or others, it is vital to take a step back and understand a few elements that make up a strong bio. Let’s face it: most attorney bios are written by lawyers, not professional writers, and are probably awkward in many ways. Others may use cliched ideas or language and seem too cookie cutter. As a result, you need to follow these steps to stand out:

• Make It Feel Natural — Too many attorney bios seem desperate or like they’re trying to hit a certain number of buzzwords that will make it more impressive. Don’t try to impress anybody but be honest with your profile, highlighting your education, skills, and success with ease.
• Avoid Overused Phrases — How often have you read through a bio and found phrases like “their practice focuses on,” “uniquely qualified,” or other meaningless words? Get rid of these from your bio, and you’ll stand out by being unique and seeming less desperate with your information.
• Know Your Audience — Sit down for a few moments to think about whom you’re writing to in your bio. You want to appeal to people who want your specialized skills. Why should they hire you? What questions might they possess? Answer them to reach the most people with your bio.
• Don’t Brag — Yes, your bio needs to subtly inform your audience that you are a fantastic attorney who deserves to be hired. But if you come across as bragging, then people will be annoyed with you. Simply state the facts as they exist as dryly as possible to keep your bio strong.
• Tell a Story Without Dwelling on Yourself — Your bio needs to tell your story without dropping your name into your profile constantly. Instead, it would help if you focused on your clients, such as how they have been helped. Doing so subtly sends the message that you put your clients before yourself.

These steps are things that even the most amateur writer should be able to handle with minimum difficulty. If you find yourself struggling, you may want to reach out to a professional editor who can help you better understand the strengths and weaknesses of your bio. By understanding this information, you can make it easier to extend your reach towards a broader range of potential clients.