Director of Strategic Communications, Eleni Chalkidou, provides you with highlights and the tips/tricks of the trade to improve your legal content writing, following he webinar on the subject.
- It’s all about the case narratives
Rather than presenting dry facts, weave a narrative around a legal case, emphasise the human aspects. Describe the individuals involved, their struggles, and the impact of the legal outcome on their lives. While at Chambers Publishing, I often worked on the section relating to defamation, reputation management and Privacy law. It was easy to see how individuals were impacted when those were breached, and it was hard to discuss due to confidentiality issues. But what about companies? If say for instance you are working on a huge deal in Algeria and this means bringing investment into the country or a client representation will lead to new infrastructure improvements in Portugal, that is the angle to use. Make it relatable but telling people how the locals will be impacted.
- Historical context
When I was at law school I was fascinated with learning where certain laws came from.
Provide historical context to legal issues. Explain how laws or legal precedents have evolved over time and highlight significant events or cases that have shaped the current legal landscape. This can help readers understand the broader implications of the topic….and it is exciting to know as long as it is put in simple terms
- Share client success stories:
Share success stories of clients who have dealt with legal challenges successfully. Focus on the journey, the obstacles faced, and the strategies employed. When your readers see this and it is shared on your social channels this can inspire confidence in your legal expertise and demonstrate your ability to bring positive outcomes.
- Legal dilemmas in daily business life:
Create scenarios that mirror everyday situations to show the potential legal dilemmas people might encounter. This can make legal concepts more relatable and help your audience understand the relevance of legal issues in their lives.
Example: Has your jurisdiction seen an increase in mediations and a decrease in litigations? Have you considered how much time and money you could save by considering ADR, etc? Then give an example (a short paragraph of a company you helped save time and money). If you need some help with creating something like this, please reach out to the team. By the way this serves twofold as it also relates to point 3 above, sharing client successes.
- Share your personal experiences but with a twist
As mentioned in the webinar make it a priority to share personal anecdotes or experiences related to the legal field. This makes the content come across as “human” and provides readers with insights into the challenges and rewards of practicing law. One thing I learned is to never compromise who I am and
Personal stories can be the most powerful tool and will be vital in establishing a connection with your audience.
During my legal studies I worked for a law firm that represented Sir Elton John, needless to say meeting him was an experience and a half. I won’t go into the detail of waiters serving refreshments on Bauer roller skates but I will mention one thing: When considering how to position a story that was to be printed as an apology by the defaming tabloid newspaper, I causally said to the room. “Those who like you, won’s suddenly dislike you for who you are. And those who don’t who cares?
He liked that. In some form this very thought ended up in print. It’s all about perspectives.
The tricks of the trade:
- Know Your Audience:
Tailor your stories to resonate with your target audience. Understand their interests, concerns, and level of legal knowledge. Craft stories that speak directly to their experiences and needs.
If your question is how do I know what they are interested in, then consider polls , surveys and one -on one conversations. After all, clients want to know that you invest time into understanding their needs, fears and trends impacting on them. It’s a win-win scenario.
- Start with a captivating hook
Think of your angle, or what we call the hook. Capture attention from the beginning with a compelling introduction. Again, consider your audience. Are you talking to a judge, a law student, your client?
Whether it’s a shocking fact, a thought-provoking question, or a brief anecdote, make sure it draws readers in and encourages them to continue reading.
- Keep a clear structure:
Organize your content in a logical and coherent manner. Use a clear beginning, middle, and end. Structure your narrative to guide readers through the information seamlessly.
- Balance the dry legal info with emotions
We all know that legal content requires factual information, but exactly for that reason don’t forget to inject emotion into your stories. Help readers connect emotionally with the subject at hand. Whether it is by highlighting the human impact of a legal issue or expressing empathy for those that are facing challenges.
- Whenever possible use visuals
We are visual creatures, and it goes without saying that because of this you should enhance your storytelling with things such as images, infographics, or videos. Why are so many of us afraid of recording a video. Try this at home: Take your phone and turn it to selfie mode. Think of your favourite quote or saying that you used to hear from your parents. Say it out loud a couple of times. Then record yourself saying it on video. Then record your yourself saying it and adding a sentence about what it taught you or what it means to you. I know this sounds like baby steps but believe it or not, my biggest fear in life is not spiders, but presenting with a mic to a vast audience in a large hall. Then again, this may be because I once tripped going up a stage, lol
So, just to reiterate, remember that visual elements can complement your narrative and make the content more engaging. They can also help break up large chunks of text, improving readability.
