How Lawyers Can Show Personality and Connect with Clients — While Staying Professional
When it comes to legal marketing, most law firms focus on expertise, case results, and client success stories. But here’s the truth: potential clients don’t just hire a lawyer—they hire a person. If your online presence feels too stiff or generic, you risk getting lost in a sea of competitors.
Showing personality in your legal marketing can make you more relatable, memorable, and approachable. But where’s the balance? You don’t want to seem unprofessional, overly casual, or out of touch. Here are some fun, innovative, and business-friendly ways to inject personality into your law firm’s marketing—along with a few pitfalls to avoid.
7 Ways Lawyers Can Showcase Personality Without Losing Professionalism
Your law firm’s expertise matters, but clients also want to connect with a lawyer who feels approachable and trustworthy - here are social media do’s and don’ts for law firms and how to show personality while maintaining professionalism.
🎶 Make Your Firm Memorable with Unique Branding
A great example of personality-driven branding comes from a criminal and DUI defense attorney who uses the James Bond theme song as hold music on his phone lines. It’s instantly recognizable, aligns with his brand of strategic defense, and makes an otherwise boring experience (being on hold) more interesting.
✅ DO:
Choose branding elements that reflect your niche and style, whether it's music, colors, or slogans.
Use humor or pop culture references if they fit your brand (e.g., an estate planning attorney could have a slogan like, “Because even superheroes need a will”).
❌ DON’T:
Pick branding elements that are gimmicky, offensive, or too obscure. You want to stand out in a good way—not confuse or alienate potential clients.
🏍️ Showcase Your Passions to Build Trust
A personal injury and car accident attorney who is also an avid motorcycle rider connects with clients by sponsoring motorcycle safety events and giving away branded SWAG like riding gloves, safety vests, and helmet stickers at biker rallies. His personal passion for riding makes him a trusted advocate among motorcycle accident victims, who see him as "one of us" rather than just another lawyer.
✅ DO:
Align your legal niche with your hobbies or interests to build trust with specific audiences.
Sponsor or participate in industry-related events (e.g., a workers’ compensation attorney attending construction trade shows).
Give away useful branded merchandise that speaks to your target audience (e.g., a real estate attorney giving out keychains shaped like houses).
❌ DON’T:
Promote personal hobbies that have nothing to do with your law firm (e.g., a tax lawyer sharing rock climbing videos).
Alienate potential clients by taking strong stances on divisive topics within your hobby or community.
Lawyers whose practice is built on controversial topics WILL want to stay topical and on brand by showcasing their divisive opinion and where they stand.
📹 Show the Human Side of Your Firm with Video
Potential clients want to know you before they step into your office. Video content is one of the best ways to show personality while maintaining professionalism.
✅ DO:
Post short “behind-the-scenes” clips of your team at work.
Record brief Q&A videos where you answer common legal questions in a friendly, approachable manner.
Share success stories (with permission) to build trust and credibility.
❌ DON’T:
Use overly scripted, robotic language - be yourself!
Post videos that are too informal or off-topic (e.g., a divorce attorney sharing prank videos may not sit well with potential clients in distress).
📱 Make Social Media Engaging and Relatable
Social media is where your personality can shine the most—without losing professionalism.
✅ DO:
Use humor wisely. A personal injury attorney might post: “You slip, we grip!” or “Accidents happen—justice doesn’t have to be one of them.”
Share team spotlights or “day in the life” posts to showcase your firm’s culture.
Engage with comments and questions using a conversational, approachable tone.
❌ DON’T:
Post about controversial topics (politics, religion, or anything that could alienate a large audience) UNLESS that’s your personal brand and mission.
Many lawyers have personal social media platforms separate from their business profiles.
Use slang or excessive emojis that diminish credibility.
🖊️ Inject Personality into Blog Posts and Email Newsletters
Legal blogs don’t have to be dry and lifeless. A little personality goes a long way.
✅ DO:
Write in a clear, conversational tone.
Use relatable analogies (e.g., “Creating an estate plan is like building a safety net—you don’t need it every day, but you’ll be glad it’s there.”).
Share personal insights about why you practice law or what motivates you to help clients.
❌ DON’T:
Overuse legal jargon - keep it client-friendly.
Write long, complex paragraphs that feel like law school lectures.
🏆 Host Fun and Educational Events
Hosting events is a great way to connect with potential clients outside the courtroom.
✅ DO:
Offer free legal Q&A sessions at local coffee shops (“Coffee with a Lawyer”).
Run a fun legal trivia night at a local bar, where guests can win free consultations.
Participate in or sponsor community events and share them on social media.
❌ DON’T:
Make events too promotional—focus on educating and engaging, not selling.
Host anything too informal that could harm your reputation (e.g., “Beer & Lawsuits” night might send the wrong message).
🎭 Be Authentic—but Stay Professional
Being authentic doesn’t mean oversharing personal details—it means showing genuine compassion, confidence, and a little bit of personality.
A family lawyer handling divorces and child custody cases, for example, should focus on being empathetic and reassuring rather than humorous.
✅ DO:
Show that you understand your clients’ emotional struggles by sharing compassionate insights.
Use a warm, conversational tone in blogs and videos rather than stiff legalese.
Share client success stories (with permission) that highlight your dedication to families.
Be relatable—maybe you’re also a parent, and you can subtly weave that into your content (e.g., “As a parent myself, I understand how important it is to protect your child’s future...”).
❌ DON’T:
Use sarcasm or humor in sensitive topics like divorce or child custody—it can come off as tone-deaf.
Share overly personal details about your life (e.g., your own divorce story, unless it directly adds value to your brand).
Use language that sounds cold or overly aggressive (e.g., “We destroy your ex in court” sounds unprofessional compared to “We fight to protect your parental rights”).
Making Your Law Firm Stand Out
Your brand is more than just a logo or tagline - it’s how you make potential clients feel. By showing personality strategically, you can connect with your audience, stand out from competitors, and turn website visitors into paying clients.
💡 Need help making your law firm’s content more engaging? Let’s chat! SEO My Law Firm specializes in legal content that gets results.
SEO My Law Firm can help with legal SEO content writing, strategy and marketing for your law firm.
Get in touch for a free consultation!
