For Law Firms: Client Alert Dos and Don'ts

When it comes to client alerts, both you and your clients are too busy for anything that doesn’t efficiently move the needle in a practical direction.

Consider doing (or not doing) the following: 

1. STOP SIMPLY SUMMARIZING

A recap of facts and holdings doesn’t add real value. Clearly and quickly, your clients want to know:

👉 Why does this matter?

👉 How could this impact me, in practice?

👉 What are my next best steps? 

2. AVOID OVERCORRECTING

As your disclaimer states, you’re not giving legal advice. Speak generally. But not too generally. You can still:

👉 Frame real-world implications

👉 Flag risks your audience may not see coming

👉 Generally point readers in the right direction 

3. GIVE THEM ACTIONABLE—BUT NOT EVERYTHING.

After all, if your content answers every question, there’s no reason to call you.

👉 Think: identify risks, suggest considerations, offer direction and invite a discussion.

👉 Not: deliver a complete roadmap for free.

4. MAKE YOUR CLIENT ALERT EASY TO READ—OR DON’T BOTHER

👉 Clear headline

👉 Tight structure

👉 Lose the legalese.

👉 Ditch the footnotes. Use links if you need sources.

5. PASS UP PERFECTION

Of course, you MUST take the time to be factually and legally accurate. But stylistically, one could tweak forever. Meanwhile, someone else publishes—and gets the business.

👉 Timely + useful beats late + flawless every time.         

6. REPURPOSE

Many people won’t see your alert. Or if they did, they won't absorb all of it. Help increase the odds.

👉 Have your clients opted into getting emails from you? Send them the alert, instead of relying on them to find it on your website.

👉 Forward it to a few specific clients or potential clients with a personalized note explaining why you thought they might be interested.

👉 Republish it (while some external outlets won’t publish already published client alerts, a few will*).

👉 Slice it into angles. Use it in newsletters, presentations, conversations.You've done the work.

Following these steps will help ensure that your alert will also now work for YOU.

*If external publication (with outlets that demand first publication rights) is your goal, and time allows, move quickly and pitch those outlets first.

This post is a slightly streamlined version of "How to Craft Client Alerts Tht Keep Clients Alert," originally published in Feb 2021.

#lawfirms #legalmarketing #clientalerts