Press Releases for Lawyers and Law Firms: A Practical Guide

Law firms have unique opportunities to use press releases strategically. Learn which announcements build credibility, attract clients, and strengthen your firm's reputation.

Why Law Firms Should Use Press Releases

The legal profession runs on reputation. Clients choose attorneys based on perceived expertise, trustworthiness, and track record. Yet many law firms rely entirely on referrals and their website to communicate those qualities, missing a powerful channel that builds credibility in ways self-promotion cannot.

Press releases create third-party validation. When your firm's announcement appears on Bloomberg, Reuters, and Yahoo Finance, it sends a different signal than the same information on your own website. It tells potential clients, referral partners, and the legal community that your firm is active, growing, and engaged in work worth covering.

This guide covers the specific press release opportunities available to law firms, the compliance considerations you need to be aware of, and how to structure legal press releases for maximum impact.

Press Release Opportunities for Law Firms

New Partner or Associate Announcements

Adding a new partner is one of the strongest signals of firm growth and stability. A new partner announcement communicates that your firm is attracting experienced attorneys, expanding its capabilities, and investing in its future. These announcements are particularly effective when the new partner brings expertise in a practice area that strengthens your firm's positioning.

Associate announcements, while less dramatic, are valuable when the hire brings notable credentials—a judicial clerkship, experience at a major national firm, or specialized expertise in a high-demand practice area like intellectual property, healthcare law, or cybersecurity.

When writing personnel announcements for law firms, include the attorney's educational background, bar admissions, notable case experience (where appropriate and permissible), and any professional recognitions. These details add substance and credibility that generic announcements lack.

Practice Area Expansion

When your firm adds a new practice area or significantly expands an existing one, that is newsworthy—especially if the expansion responds to a growing market need. A family law firm adding a mediation practice, a business law firm launching a startup advisory service, or a personal injury firm expanding into mass tort litigation all represent strategic moves worth announcing.

Frame the expansion in terms of client benefit. Rather than simply stating that you have added a new practice area, explain why: what need are you addressing, what expertise are you bringing, and how does this expansion serve your existing and prospective clients?

Notable Case Results

Case result announcements require careful consideration of ethical rules, but when appropriate, they can be among the most powerful press releases a law firm distributes. A significant verdict, a precedent-setting ruling, or a favorable settlement in a high-profile matter demonstrates your firm's capabilities more effectively than any marketing claim.

Important caveat: attorney advertising rules vary by jurisdiction. Before distributing a press release about case results, consult your state bar's rules regarding advertising and communications. In Utah, the Rules of Professional Conduct govern attorney advertising and require that communications about case results not be misleading. Include appropriate disclaimers where required.

Awards and Rankings

Legal industry awards and rankings—Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers, Martindale-Hubbell ratings, Chambers rankings, local bar association recognitions—are ideal press release material. These are third-party validations from recognized organizations, making them inherently credible and newsworthy.

When announcing awards, include the specific award name, the granting organization, the selection criteria, and what the recognition means for clients. Avoid the temptation to simply list every award every attorney has ever received. Focus on the most significant recent recognitions and provide context that makes them meaningful.

Community Involvement and Pro Bono Work

Law firms that engage in community service and pro bono work have natural press release opportunities that also build goodwill. Announcing a new pro bono partnership, a community legal clinic, or a firm-sponsored charitable initiative demonstrates values that resonate with both potential clients and the broader community.

These announcements are particularly effective in local markets like Utah, where community involvement is highly valued and local media actively covers stories about businesses giving back.

Office Openings and Expansions

Opening a new office or expanding an existing location signals growth and commitment to a market. For Utah law firms, geographic expansion is especially relevant as the state's population growth creates demand for legal services in emerging communities.

A firm opening a new office in Lehi to serve the Silicon Slopes tech community, expanding into St. George to serve Southern Utah's growing population, or adding space in downtown Salt Lake City to accommodate a larger team—each of these represents a genuine milestone worth announcing.

Compliance Considerations for Legal Press Releases

Law firm press releases must navigate ethical rules that do not apply to most other industries. Here are the key considerations.

Truthfulness and accuracy. All statements in your press release must be truthful and not misleading. This applies to descriptions of your firm's capabilities, case results, attorney qualifications, and any other factual claims. Exaggeration or misleading implications can result in disciplinary action.

Case result disclaimers. If your press release references case results, many jurisdictions require disclaimers stating that past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Check your jurisdiction's specific requirements.

Client confidentiality. Never include information in a press release that could violate attorney-client privilege or client confidentiality. If your press release references a specific case or client, ensure you have the client's explicit written consent.

Specialization claims. Rules regarding claims of specialization vary by state. In some jurisdictions, attorneys cannot claim to be specialists unless they hold specific certifications. Verify your state's rules before describing any attorney as a specialist in your press release.

Review process. We recommend that all law firm press releases be reviewed by a partner or ethics committee member before distribution. This additional step takes minimal time and prevents potential compliance issues.

Structuring a Law Firm Press Release

Law firm press releases should follow a specific structure that balances professionalism with accessibility.

Headline: Include your firm name, the nature of the announcement, and geographic context. Example: "Salt Lake City Family Law Firm Adds Collaborative Divorce Mediator to Serve Growing Demand in Utah County."

Opening paragraph: State the news clearly and concisely. Who, what, when, where, and why—answered in three to four sentences.

Body paragraphs: Provide supporting details including attorney backgrounds, strategic context for the announcement, and quotes from firm leadership.

Quotes: Include quotes from the managing partner or relevant attorney. Quotes should add perspective that the factual body text cannot, such as strategic vision, personal motivation, or forward-looking statements about the firm's direction.

Boilerplate: Your firm's standard description should include founding year, location, primary practice areas, and key differentiators. Keep it factual and concise—three to four sentences.

SEO Benefits for Law Firms

Law firm SEO is among the most competitive in any industry. Press releases provide several specific advantages.

Legal keywords are expensive in pay-per-click advertising. Terms like "divorce attorney Salt Lake City" or "personal injury lawyer Utah" can cost $50 to $200 per click. Press release placements that rank for these terms provide organic visibility that would cost thousands in advertising.

Attorney name searches are common. When potential clients receive a referral, they almost always Google the attorney's name. Press release placements that appear for name searches reinforce the referral with third-party credibility.

Practice area pages benefit from the domain authority that press release backlinks provide. When Bloomberg links to your website through a press release, the authority boost improves rankings for all pages on your domain—including the practice area pages that drive client inquiries.

Building a Press Release Strategy for Your Firm

We recommend that law firms distribute at least two to four press releases per year, timed around their most significant announcements. A practical annual calendar might include a personnel announcement in January as new partners or associates join, a community involvement announcement in spring, a practice area or capability update in summer, and an awards and recognitions roundup in fall.

This cadence keeps your firm visible in media, builds cumulative SEO authority, and creates a documented history of growth and achievement that influences how potential clients, referral partners, and lateral candidates perceive your firm.

Getting Started

If your firm has never distributed a press release, start with your strongest announcement—typically a new partner hire or a significant award. See the results, evaluate the impact, and build from there. The credibility that comes from professional media placements is something that no amount of website content or social media activity can replicate.