Table of Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

What is a Virtual Law Firm? by Stephen Furnari . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The 7 Essentials for Running a Virtual Law Firm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Managing Your Business, Clients, and Mattersin the Cloud by Bob Godnik . . . . . . . . . .

Using a Secure Portal to Deliver Legal Services by Richard Granat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

How to Use a Virtual Receptionist in Your Law Practice by Ruby Receptionists . . . . . .

Shared Office Space Just For Lawyers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

11

Ethical Considerations for Runninga Virtual Law Office . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

13

Rules and Tipsto Stay Safe Online . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

15

The Next Step:Going Paperless - A Checklist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

How One Law Firm Went Paperless An Interview with Andrew Kucera . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

19

Virtual Law Firm Marketing: Build Your Brand With Content,

Social Media, and SEO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Contributing Authors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

24

About Rocket Matter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Introduction
Theres no guarantee to landing a lucrative first-year associate position right out of
law school. In fact, more new lawyers than ever before are hanging out a shingle after
they pass the bar. Veteran lawyers, weary of the big law grind, are also feeling their
entrepreneurial oats, as are some in-house lawyers itching to go out on their own.
The quickest and easiest way to start your own practice or to transition from a law
firm to a solo venture is with a virtual office.The barrier to entry is low: You can sit
down at the kitchen table, open your laptop, and start working on client matters right
away. However, any law firm considering virtual lawyering should proceed with
caution, one step at a time, to determine which methods are most effective and
ethical.
In this guide, well share the best tips, tools, and practices that will help you run a
thriving virtual law firm.

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What is a Virtual Law Firm?

by Law Firm Suites
A Virtual Law Firm (VLF) is a law practice that does not
utilize a central office to house attorneys or a
permanent staff. Instead, the firms attorneys work
from home or wherever they choose, and the firm
relies on SaaS applications to handle every aspect of its
practice, from communicating with clients to securely
storing their documents. The VLF has flexible,
contract-based support staff that it increases and
decreases when needed.
Many VLFs maintain a Virtual Law Office, which is an
office rental arrangement where firms get the business
presence of a traditional office and have access to its
resources, such as a temporary office space, an address to receive mail, a physical
location to meet clients, conference rooms, a receptionist, and other administrative
services. They pay for these services only when they need them. Other firms are
purely virtual as they conduct all of their business online and never meet clients in
person.
One note: Its important to check your states ethics rules regarding virtual law offices
to make sure youre actually allowed to practice law virtually in your state. We cover
this subject in detail later in this book.

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The 7 Essentials for Running a Virtual

Law Firm
Running a business takes a special skill set that typically isnt taught
at law school. Additionally, when your firm is virtual, it requires a
number of tools that will help you stay relevant and competitive in
todays market.
Here are seven must-have tools and features for starting and
running a virtual law firm:
1. Professional Business Address
It might sound counterintuitive, but securing a virtual law office
location with a mail-forwarding service is one of the most important
things you can do. Virtual offices can allow you to maintain a
professional relationship with your clients no matter where they are
located.
Business addresses are available in almost every area in the U.S., and they cost just a
fraction of the monthly rent and overhead youd pay for a physical office.
Many businesses that provide virtual law offices also offer access to private day
offices and conference rooms for in-person meetings, as well as a lobby greeting
service.
2. Great Website
The lack of a brick-and-mortar office means that youll have to make sure theres a
way for potential clients to find you. Investing in a great website is an absolutely must,
whether that means hiring a designer or going the DIY route. Sites such as Wix or
Squarespace allow you to design your own website and also offer tools for marketing
and analytics. As you add more content or start a blog, you can upgrade to a content
management system such as WordPress.
3. Dedicated Phone Number
Being virtual is all about saving money and not being tied down to any one location.
This means not having a landline keeping you grounded to any particular spot.
Internet-calling solutions such as Google Voice, Grasshopper, and Line2 will allow you
to set up a dedicated phone number that is filtered through your existing phone. (An

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added bonus: You dont have to use your personal number for both business and
pleasure.) You can also look for a service with voicemail transcriptions, conference
calls, call recording, and other invaluable features.
4. Virtual Communication and Collaboration Software
As an attorney, meeting with associates and clients is an important part of the job.
Connecting eye-to-eye with your clients is incredibly important when it comes to
establishing trust. So when running a virtual law firm, its imperative that you use
cloud-collaboration technology that interacts with a webcam so that you can meet
without having to be in the same physical location. Explore options such as Skype,
Slack, GoToMeeting, and Google+ Hangouts.
5. A Virtual Assistant
Consider using a virtual assistant to reduce your administrative workload and allow
you to spend more time practicing law. Fortunately, many companies provide this
service at an affordable rate. See the chapter by Ruby Receptionists for more
information on this.
6. Document Signing Software
Long gone are the days of printing, signing, and faxing. Instead, when it comes to
documents that require a signature, you can invest in a digital signing application like
DocuSign which allows you to access and sign documents on your computer or mobile
device. If you require the signature of another party, you can upload documents from
your computer, send an email alert, and indicate where all signatures and/or initials
are needed.
7. Cloud Legal Practice Management
As a virtual attorney, it is imperative that you have the ability to manage your entire
firm from anywhere. This is where a reputable cloud practice management program
comes in. All-in-one software solutions like Rocket Matter will allow you to stay on
top of calendars and tasks, invoice clients and accept online payments, organize
documents with unlimited storage, exchange documents with clients, and much more.
Not only can you access your information on your computer, but the cloud also
ensures you have military-grade secure access to your information 24/7 from your
mobile devices.

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Managing Your Business,Clients, and

Cases inthe Cloud
by Bob Godnik, an attorney in Illinois and founder of The Legal Techie, a company that
helps other lawyers grow their practices through legal technology, website design, and
digital marketing.

When it comes to growing your virtual practice, the most

obvious way to do that is by getting new clients.
However, its not the only way. In fact, increasing your
number of clients takes more time, energy, and capital
than does maximizing profit through your existing
clients. Of course, youll still want to expand your
client base, but you should first make sure youre
using your practice management software to its
fullest potential to maximize revenue for your
firm. Heres what such software can do for you:
Ensure Accurate Time Tracking
Accurate time tracking remains a weakness for many attorneys, even though there
are a seemingly infinite number of time-tracking apps available for Windows, Mac,
and mobile devices. If youre using a strong legal practice management system, youll
find many opportunities to enter your time. Whether youre sending an email,
performing a task, working on a document, or attending an event, there should be a
place for you to record your time. You should also have the ability to keep multiple
time trackers open simultaneously, so you can easily track multiple matters when
switching between tasks.
Streamline and Increase Collections
One of the most effective ways to increase collections is to make it as convenient as
possible for clients to pay. While there are dedicated online invoicing services,
integration wont be as tight as if you use the bill payment feature included in your
practice management system where you can create and send and invoices from the
time and expenses you already entered. Another benefit of using your practice
management softwares online payment processing feature is that the client will be
more comfortable going to the same portal they already use to share documents and
communicate.
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Billing practices that include sending delayed or unclear statements will lead directly
to delayed or incomplete payments. The more time you let pass between helping your
client and actually billing them, the more likely they might question that the bill is
correct. The fewer details you include on the bill, the less clients will trust it. Law
practice management software can help you avoid these mistakes by making it easier
to record your time as you spend it. That means you can provide clients with timely,
detailed statements while putting in a lot less effort.

Increase Productivity
A legal practice management platform can greatly help increase law firm productivity.
Find one that offers the following features:
Automated Document Assembly
Many attorneys create the same documents repeatedly, from retainer agreements to
documents filed with the court. Automated document assembly is an easy way to cut
down on time and errors.
Workflows and Templates
It is likely you are repeating the same group of steps when handling matters of a
similar type. Instead of recreating these steps each time you open a new matter, you
can create a template of steps and then apply it with one click when needed. Your
cases may need different sets of fields based on the matter type, such as pre-made
tasks, due dates, calendar events, contacts, and custom fields.
Firm and Client Insight with Analytics
Many firm owners only look at how much revenue a practice area generates without
considering all of the costs involved to acquire those clients and to service those
cases. Without knowing the full picture, you may be focusing your efforts in the
wrong areas. Fortunately, a legal practice management system can make it easier than
ever to gather useful such useful data.
Origination
When you create a new contact or matter, you can enter precise information on how
you connected with that client. If it was through a referral, for instance, you can enter
the name of the referring person, the company, and a category such as accountant or
real estate agent.

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Collection Reports
Invoicing a client doesnt necessarily mean collecting on an account. Collection
reports will give you accurate insights into which clients pay and which dont. When
you compare the revenue collected with the cost to acquire a client and the cost of
handling the matter successfully, youll know exactly how much money you made from
each client, each case type, and each practice area. Armed with this information, you
can make informed decisions.

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Using a Secure Client Portal to Deliver

Legal Services
by Richard Granat, a lawyer in Florida and founder of DirectLaw, Inc., a virtual law firm
platform provider.

Virtual law practices need to provide attorneys and their

clients the ability to securely discuss matters on-line,
download and upload documents for review, create legal
documents and handle other business transactions related to
the delivery of legal services in a secure digital environment.
For instance, such transactions include review of invoices,
payment of legal fees, and updates on case status. In other
words, you need a way to safely communicate such
information to your clients. Thats where a client portal comes
in.
A law firm must have a secure client portal in order to offer legal services and
communicate and collaborate with clients online. Heres how it works: A client can
only access the portal by entering a unique username and password. Within the client
portal, the client can communicate and collaborate with their attorney securely with
military-grade encryption for every communication. The attorneys and their clients
can securely discuss matters, download and upload documents for review, pay bills,
schedule appointments and meetings, review case documents, and handle other
business transactions all in a secure digital environment.
Client portals are not a new concept. Larger law firms have provided this form of
access to clients for years now in client extranets. These client portals are custommade for the firm by their IT specialist. Attorneys interested in adding a client portal
to their firms website should look for a web-based application that includes a high
level of encryption both in transit and at rest. The good news is that many practice
management solutions now contain a client portal that is ready to use with no
additional programming, making them much more accessible and affordable for solos
and smaller-sized law firms.

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How to Use a Virtual Receptionist in

Your Law Practice
by Ruby Receptionists, a ubiquitous presence in the legal profession that
providespersonalized live, virtual receptionists to small businesses throughout the
United States.

Attorney-client relationships are built on trusta process

which begins with the very first phone call. If a potential
or current client is unable to reach a real person or
happens to catch you at a bad moment, those poor
experiences can damage that trust. Having a real person
answering your phone not only creates a great experience for
your callers, it also continues to build your clients faith in you.
A virtual receptionist servicesuch as the one provided by Ruby
Receptionistsis a great tool for ensuring every call is answered
promptly and professionally, creating a great experience for callers and saving you the
cost of an in-house hire. Ruby is unique in that they have created a platform for
fueling solo and small firm growth through robust call-handling software, smart
proprietary mobile technology, and a unique mission to create world-class customer
experiences.

How a Virtual Receptionist Can Support Your Virtual Practice

Stay Connected to Clients Even While Youre Out.
Attorneys are often in court, in meetings with clients, or otherwise occupiedand by
having a live person answering phones, you can establish your firm as attentive and
professional. Instead of calls routinely going to voicemail, a friendly, live person will
respond each and every time.
Delegate the Intake.
Virtual receptionists are typically great at engaging potential clients and taking care
of them. For example, if a potential client calls, they can gather information for a short
intake form. You get all the vital details about the lead (first and last name, info on the
case, how they heard about the firm, email address, etc.) in order to have an informed
conversation with them when you return the call.
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10

Keep Callers Informed of Your Status.

Ruby has a handy status feature on the mobile app helps keep callers and clients in
the loop. Simply update your status to let us know when youre out of the office, and
our virtual receptionist will inform callers. For instance, they might reply, Shes in
court until 1pm. May I have her return your call then? Its just like giving
instructions to an in-house receptionist as you head out the door.
Designate Priority Callers.
We understand how important it is to be responsive to the courts. Many of our
attorney clients set up special instructions for us, because though a client may be able
to wait an hour for an update on his case, a judge may be a different matter. For
example, when transferring a call to you, we may try your office number if its a client,
but also try a cell number for potentially urgent or time-sensitive calls from fellow
attorneys and people from the courts.

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11

Shared Office Space Just for

Lawyers
Working from home?
What happens when the kids come home from school
at 3pm? Or what if your dog sees her shadow and
starts barking nonstop during a call with a client? Or
what do you do if your corporate client wants to meet
in person, and the Starbucks down the road just wont
do?
Bottom line: While a virtual practice lets you work from home, youll still need a
meeting space, a professional mail drop, and occasional work nook. However, we dont
mean the old-fashioned and very expensive office on the 35th floor of a flashy
building in a fancy neighborhood. Instead, you need co-working space.
Where can you find such office spaces? Here are a few options:
Bar Association
Its time to check out your local bar association. Many now offer office space and
meeting rooms for a nominal charge. More bar associations are offering this vital
service for solos as organizations look to increase their value to cost-conscious
members. Bars also usually provide WiFi and access to photocopy machines, printers,
and food and beverage services. Membership to bar associations has additional
privileges: Access to the law library, Fastcase, and other legal research tools, and
discounts to law practice management software and other tools to manage and grow
your practice.
Larger Firms
Solos can find similar opportunities in larger law firms who rent unused office space.
Flexible Workspace Providers
Regus and WeWork provide everything from fully-furnished workspaces to coworking environments. Check out their websites for detailed information and pricing
tiers.

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Benefits of Co-Working Spaces

A Referral Network
Finding shared office space for lawyers can mean making connections and, in turn,
getting referrals. Its that simple.
Potential Contract Work
If youre a solo starting out, you may need some contract work while you build up your
business. You can use a service like Now Counsel Network or, if youre in a coworking
space with other lawyers, you can forge relationships and wind up with freelance
assignments.
Contact with the Legal Community
One of the biggest drawbacks to working remotely is the lack of access to the legal
community on a daily basis. You miss out on bonding with your team, celebrating
successes, and the opportunity to forge meaningful relationships at work. It helps
having a shared space with like-minded individuals who understand the industry and
share the delights and problems related to the profession.
Flexibility
You dont have to sign up for a co-working space every day of the week. You can
arrange your schedule as it suits you. For instance, if youre comfortable working from
home and only need a day or two at the office, a virtual package may fit the bill. A
typical, super-affordable virtual office rental includes a professional address, mail
drop, a few hours of conference room access per month and at least one day at the
office per week. This option is a good entry point for work-at-home solos.

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13

Ethical Considerations for Running a

Virtual Law Office
The basics of establishing a virtual law firm are not all that
complicated. As we've outlined in this e-book, many of the
essential tools are well within the grasp of the average
attorney. However, its important to pay attention to details.
One such detail is whether or not you're actually permitted to
practice law virtually in your state. States such as Delaware,
Colorado, Florida, and New Hampshire require a bona fide
office presence. Others such as Arizona, Kansas, and
Maryland have no clear prohibition against having a virtual law
office. Some states have other rules and conditions. In the end,
it's up to the attorney to check with their state bar and act
accordingly.
According to the American Bar Association, for states that do
permit virtual practices, one consideration is setting reliable boundary constraints for
your practice. They recommend that virtual practitioners choose to represent only
clients who live in or have matters tied to the state where the attorney is licensed to
practice law. Even beyond the state level, it's clear that you need to exercise
reasonable caution to solicit new clients on a local and regional basis, ones whose
case will be tried and handled by the court systems you work with.
Another consideration is the professional conduct responsibility of the managing
partner(s). According to ABA Rule 5.1, the managing attorney must maintain
conformity to the Rules of Professional Conduct. This may be more difficult when the
supervising attorney is managing other attorneys and legal professionals remotely.
Developing a list of work flow procedures and responsibilities is of crucial importance
when starting your virtual firm, in order to ensure proper collaboration.
Additionally, in maintaining compliance with ABA Rule 7.1, it's important that the
managing attorney prevent any false or misleading advertising or representation
about the size of the firm, scope of its presence, or physical location. This is especially
true in the case of a new or prospective client who may never actually meet anyone at
your firm in person.

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For states where there is an office requirement, a virtual law office typically meets
the definition for an office as it has all of the features of a traditional office. The only
difference is that you purchased it using an alternative economic arrangement. So if
you need to make this argument in your jurisdiction, just make sure that your virtual
office, in fact, functions like a working office.
Finally, like brick and mortar firms, a virtual firm must maintain due diligence when it
comes to security of data and client information. There are many reputable cloudbased solutions that make maintaining security and secure communications much
easier.

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15

Rules and Tipsto Staying Safe Online

If your nerves havent been rattled by recent distributed denial of
service (DDos) attacks, they should have been. Just a reminder of
what happened: In October 2016, many sites, including Twitter,
Spotify, and AirBnB were inaccessible due to one of the largest DDos
attacks ever.
In the same month, we also saw a steady parade of emails illegally
obtained from John Podesta, the campaign manager for Democratic presidential
nominee Hillary Clinton. The U.S. government has directly accused actors in the
Russian government for this action, and they have threatened to retaliate.
So given the state of a possible escalating cyberwar, how is an attorney to stay safe?
Start by making sure you understand and live by these basic security rules:

RULE 1: Use strong passwords that cannot be found in the dictionary.

Reason: So-called dictionary attacks brute force their way into systems by trying
known words. The best practice is to use a combination of punctuation and numbers.
Tip: Try catchy phrases with numbers, and use punctuation that looks like letters.
Some examples: Tofu2E@t (tofu to eat) or Dog8Hom3work (dog ate homework).

RULE 2: Use different passwords for different sites.

Reason: Usernames are bought and sold on the black market. So if access to one of
your sites is compromised, all of your logins are vulnerable if you use the same
password.
Tip: Use a tool like 1Password to manage your different passwords. Its an absolutely
invaluable resource.

RULE 3: Change default passwords.

Reason: Default passwords for routers or other devices such as baby monitors and
thermostats are easily found online. Access to such devices can be used to launch
attacks.

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Tip: Just do it as soon as possible. It will only take a minute.

RULE 4: Never, ever click on a link in an email to log into an account.

Reason: So called phishing attacks are what got John Podesta and Colin Powell into
email trouble. The perpetrator sends you an email that looks to be legit, telling you
theres something wrong with your account. You click a link, go to an imposter site,
and hand over your username and password to a bad actor.
Tip: Make it a rule to never click on links in emails for account information. Always
type the internet address directly into the browser.

RULE 5: Always lock computers, handheld devices, or anything else

with sensitive data.
Reason: Tens of thousands of people lose devices each month. When someone has
access to your device, make sure youre not giving them keys to the kingdom. In other
words, ensure that they cant log in.
Tip: Set up your computer so that it automatically requires a password after three to
five minutes of inactivity.

RULE 6: Make sure all devices you own are up to date with latest
security patches.
Reason: New vulnerabilities are discovered all the time in the cat-and-mouse game
that is cyberwar. The vulnerabilities, once found, are sold on the black market.
Tip: Turn automatic updates ON for all of your devices operating system.

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17

Taking it to the Next Level: Going

Paperless
In a virtual practice, documents must be digitized so that you can store them and
share them online. Its a good a time as any to go paperless, or more accurately, start
using less paper in your office. On the next page, youll find a checklist to get you
started:

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19

How One Law Firm Went Paperless:

An Interview with Andrew Kucera
Andrew Kucera, a lawyer in California, shares the story of how he took his firm paperless.

What is your definition of a paperless practice?

Its less about going completely paperless and more about minimizing paper.
Using less paper is also an effort to adopt technological efficiencies so you
can do more.

What led the firm to go paperless?

After founding and building a real estate company, law became a second career for
me. I started out at the firm as a law clerk while in law school and witnessed
the inefficiencies immediately. My real estate company had adopted the latest in
technology to maximize efficiency and productivity, so the law firms deficiency was
especially apparent. I observed well-compensated personnel spending a lot of time
filing documents and moving paper around. For instance, I saw them receiving
pleading documents, two-hole punching them, putting them in the file, updating the
pleading index in Microsoft Word, and printing out a new pleading index. Then, theyd
repeat it all. We have numerous cases, and this took up a good chunk of their day.
Around that time, I went to the ABA Techshow for the first time and discovered cloud
-based legal practice management software. Through observations, attending
sessions, and conversations with techies, I became convinced that my firm could go
paperless. When I returned to the firm, I pitched the paperless idea armed with new,
compelling information. I got the green light.
How did you get buy-in from the firm?
First, I used information from the ABA Paperless book to write a set of procedures
or protocols. This took about 30 days. I used this to get the office manager on board.
She gave me valuable feedback, and we updated the protocols to fit the firms unique
needs.
Getting buy-in from the managing partner was critical. He often takes files home to
work on and would sometimes take the wrong files or forget to take some files
resulting in lost productivity and frustration. Pitching cloud-based practice

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management software + document management solutions + paperless with access to

every document from anywhere was an easy sell and he was immediately on board.
After getting the OK to go paperless, whats the first step?
Without a doubt, the first step is to get educated on the process. Read articles, buy
books, and ask questions. Read. Read. Read. I was the firms paperless advocatea
must-have to move such a project forward.
Then draft protocols for naming conventions, workflows, etc. Get feedback and
revise. Do this before you do anything.
Definitely don't start by scanning every file in the office. Set a date and institute
protocols for everything after that date. It keeps people from being overwhelmed.
Then you can go back later and scan older files as time permits. Experiencing early
incremental benefits will encourage continued participation and compliance.
What tools do you use?
TheFujitsuScanSnapiX500 with Dropbox integration is a favorite of ours and seems
to be a favorite in the legal industry. Everyone who scans at the firm needs one.
Adobe Acrobat Pro is a must, as is a document management solution such as Dropbox
or one of its many competitors.
An overlooked but essential tool is a simple stamp that says scanned on it so you
know which documents have been scanned. Spring for one that includes a date stamp.
Youll be glad you did.
How long does it take for a law firm to go paperless?
It depends on whether youre starting from scratch and doing it without the help of
outside consultants, but it could take as little as one month or even less. After the
protocols have been established, its on to purchasing hardware and software. Then
there's training - interpreting and implementing protocols and explaining workflows.
How much should a firm budget for the initial process of going paperless?
Including the cost of a scanner, under $1000 for solos. Multiple scanners for larger
firms will increase the cost as will additional licenses for software such as Adobe
Acrobat Pro. This does not include the cost of digital storage and backup (document
management solution) or practice management software, both of which are usually
subscription based.

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How has going paperless benefited the firm and clients?

We used to spend a lot of time at the office looking for paper files. If one person, such
as the office manager wasnt there, it would be near impossible to find certain
documents. Thats no longer the case. So time saved is a significant benefit.
Access to documents and client files when working remotely is another huge benefit.
With regards to clients, our operation is more efficient so our service is faster and
better. Clients also view us as keeping up with technology to better serve them.
Has practice management software been helpful?
A firm can go paperless without practice management software, but there are many
more things that you can do with such a system, such as build reports, automate
frequently used documents, exchange files with clients via a portal, and other time,
billing, and invoicing functionality. So, although a practice management system is not
necessary to go paperless, it adds tremendous value to a paperless firm.
Any final thoughts or advice?
If your firm doesnt have a paperless advocate, become one. Educate yourself, take the
time to show why and how the firm should go paperless, and identify whom to get on
board. If no one at the firm takes the lead and assumes the responsibility, its pretty
much a lost cause.
Remember to update protocols as new processes are discovered and old ones
become obsolete. This is important: If you have a protocols document that you can
rely on, training is just about interpreting and executing. Put the document in a Going
Paperless folder in Dropbox so its accessible by everyone wherever they might be,
and include it in the firms policy and procedures manual.

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Virtual Law Firm Marketing:

Build Your Brand with Content, Social
Media, and SEO
Increasing online brand awareness for your
virtual law office is not easy. It takes consistent,
relevant, useful content, effective use of social
media, and the adoption of the best SEO
practices to really drive it. The most successful
law firms know that promoting their brand takes
an integrated approach that combines these
three elements and allows them to work
synergistically. Heres how:
Start with Great Content
Potential clients, including the general counsels
of corporate clients, say that content is key to finding and validating prospective firms.
You need a home base of operations for your solutions-based content. Such content
could be a blog attached to your firms website or a separate topic-based site. Either
way, use it to become a thought leader in your industry.
Its best to use a content management system for your website and blog and theres
none better or easier to use (and more widely adopted) than WordPress. You can
quickly set up a WordPress blog for your law office, easily optimize your WordPress
blog with SEO Yoast plugin, and get it mobile friendly in less than five minutes.
Get Social
Once youve written some content, then the key is to make sure people actually see it.
Spread the word on social media via your LinkedIn profile and page, on Facebook
(your personal account and your firms page), and on Twitter. Work at engaging on
these channels to organically grow your reach and expand your brand. Boost an
occasional post on the channels for a few dollars. Itll reach more people, and its also a
great way to add followers as they discover you.
Keep SEO in Mind
When someone has a problem, they Google it. Optimize your blog posts so that when
potential clients with problems search for topics related to the ones youre discussing,
theyll find you.
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Here are the basics for using keywords with your posts:
Answer a question
Solve a problem
Teach about a topic
Map each page/post to a focus keyword
Use each focus keyword once
Link page/post content to other page/post focus keywords

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Contributing Authors
Wed like to thank and acknowledge the following contribution authors:
Richard Granat is a lawyer and a recognized expert on the delivery of legal services
over the Internet. Richard created one of the first virtual law firms in the United
States and is also is the Founder of DirectLaw, Inc., a virtual law firm platform
provider. In 2009, theABA Journal recognized Richard as one of 50 Legal
Rebels,throughout the Unites States - individuals who are engaged in changing the
legal profession.
Katie Hurst, Marketing Communications Manager, Ruby Receptionist
Stephen Furnari is a self-employed corporate attorney and the founder of Law
Firm Suites, the operator of coworking spaces and executive suites for law firms.
Through Law Firm Suites, Furnari has helped dozens of attorneys launch and grow
successful law practices.
Bob Godnik is an attorney with a passion for technology. He helps attorneys grow
their practice through legal technology, website design and digital marketing.
Andrew S. Kucera practices real estate/business law, estate planning, and elder law
in Fresno, CA. Kucera is also an Adjunct Professor of Law at San Joaquin College of
Law in Clovis, CA.

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About Rocket Matter

Rocket Matterhelps law firms offer better client service and also increase revenues
by more than 20%. Founded in 2008 as the first cloud-based product on the market,
Rocket Matter offers all-in-one legal practice management platform with the most
powerful, easy-to-use time and billing software in the industry.
When law firms want to make more money, go paperless, or increase confidence in
their trust accounting, Rocket Matter helps them achieve those goals. With awardwinning customer service based in the United States, its no wonder thousands of law
firms swear by Rocket Matter.
Please enjoy this book and become part of our cutting-edge community on Facebook,
Twitter, and Legal Productivity blog.

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