Kuwait Lawyers Society announced on social media that it has issued a decision to refer all lawyers who use social networking sites for marketing to themselves and their law firms to the disciplinary board. It further called to delete of their names from the legal profession, because that is contrary to the charter of honor and is rather degrading to the legal profession and ethical practice. This attitude remains controversial knowing that all present members of Kuwait Law Society Board continue to market themselves through social media! I find this behavior contradictory. Since when is marketing and seeking to attract new clients a crime, a degradation, and an attempt against manners?

Some consider the mission of the legal profession to be a humane profession that may not involve marketing, although medicine and charitable activities are as humane. Yet, see their marketing campaigns all over the streets and TV along with social networking sites and newspapers.

It’s perfectly fine that a counsel seeks to maintain the image of being honest and practical, and at the same time be careful while marketing himself across the social media channels to preserve that image. He has to understand that marketing today has gone beyond the limits of creativity; where innovative and directional marketing is a favorite and quick option for most businesses.

It is unreasonable to continue to work according to the old traditional mentality and prevent lawyers from marketing themselves. It is not a crime. It is the right of every lawyer to market himself and attract new clients to increase income and dispose of his professional and living commitments. The challenge is enormous. It's a crowded and saturated market and it is really hard for the lawyer to stand out unless he pursues a marketing continually.

So, the Kuwaiti Lawyers Society instead of posing warnings on social media and threaten to refer all male and female lawyers to the disciplinary board and impend to remove them from the legal profession for the offence of marketing via social networks in their pursuit to attract new clients, it would have been better for it to work in a more developed manner and introduce controls for marketing. It could have made preparations training courses to enhance the art of marketing, and develop the skills of lawyers in marketing similar to other lawyers organizations worldwide, including the International Association of Lawyers which organizes many marketing training courses, to teach lawyers how to market their legal work.

The question is: what is the right type of marketing strategy for modern law firms to pursue?

Legal marketing was not common throughout history, such as the traditional sector. It wasn't common to see large glamorous billboards presenting lawyers or law offices.

In the traditional "old-school" marketing era, the only option for law firms in Kuwait was to put desk signs in black and white so it wouldn't attract attention.

Growth in marketing and law firms: why should the legal sector evolve?

Traditional advertising days are over, and we're starting to see some super companies testing waters using marketing. Law firms are, first and foremost, a business; therefore every business must see growth as part of its strategy and have an overall objective in the development of the business to create a reliable and stable position.

When marketing of the law firm becomes necessary.

Marketing is really important to legal offices in this era. When law offices start the journey to grow and the legal market becomes more competitive, the carving of a slice of the market for your firm is vital to stay afloat. This doesn’t mean you launch a full-fledged singing campaign to dance with social media celebrities with a huge budget.

It's a fact that professionals, including lawyers, have to market for survival.

If you moonlight or run a private practice, you are in business and in sales, and have commitments you need to meet. How can you work without marketing to attract and appeal to new clients! If you can't afford marketing for your legal business, then maybe you should think about finding a job with a company or government department where marketing is not needed.