I just saw the new “Michael Clayton” movie over the weekend. Overall, it was a little slower than I hoped, and I definitely saw Steven Soderberg’s input (he was an executive producer). I thought it showed a rare and honest picture of the struggles faced by attorneys in large defense litigation firms.
The insight into the “war room” of a large defense litigation firm was intriguing, but the moral struggles by the main character, played by George Clooney, in determining whether to break attorney-client privilege could have been more fully explored. The character seemed to go from wanting to fully protect his client, a big, evil corporation, to quickly working in conjunction with the LAPD. Perhaps the fact that the corporation’s CEO tried to have him killed made an impact.
Many of my legal client’s best PR efforts come from writing about a hot topic, like the release of a new movie. Here’s a couple ways to use the release of a new legal movie in your law firm marketing strategy:
1. Go watch the movie right away. If you wait until it comes out on DVD, no one will be talking about it. Right now, George Clooney’s movie is everywhere (especially if you live in Los Angeles). Don’t hesitate, act on it right away. There’s often a 3-4 day window in which the media’s attention may be focused on a particular topic, event, or movie. Act within that window and you are most likely to attract attention.
2. Be controversial. It’s ok to say you either liked or disliked the movie, but find something you disagree with and make that the point of your story. In the Michael Clayton movie, you can easily disagree with the ethical breach by the main character. It also did not show any consequences of this behavior in the movie. Another example, recently Brittney Spears had her children taken away. A smart family lawyer could find some reason why that was the absolute wrong thing to do. It’s easy for the media to find someone who agrees with the situation. Be contrarian in your marketing. Find a way to go against the flow.
3. Write about current events on your blog. Don’t have a blog? You can get one at www.OneLily.com. Blogs are possibly the fastest, cheapest, and easiest way to build your online presence. An added bonus is that journalists look for SMEs (Subject Matter Experts) who have blogs.