For over 20 years, Real Lawyers Have Blogs has explored how lawyers use publishing to build relationships, grow their business and share their expertise with the world. In that time, I’ve spoken with thousands of legal professionals, marketers and technologists who care about the same thing I do—how we can help lawyers get better at sharing their insight, commentary and story.
The Real Lawyers podcast is a new extension of that conversation. Each week, I’ll sit down with a guest who has a unique perspective on legal publishing—whether they’re driving innovation, studying industry trends or just rolling up their sleeves and doing the work.
We kick off with John Corey, co-founder of Greentarget—a strategic communications firm that has shaped the voice of thought leadership in the legal industry for two decades. Few have done more to elevate law firm publishing and earned media as a discipline rooted in trust, expertise, and credibility.
Greentarget publishes the respected State of Digital and Content Marketing Report, a resource that’s shaped how law firms and professionals understand their audience and define thought leadership. We covered everything from blogs and earned media to the AI era and the opportunity it presents for lawyers—especially the ones just getting started.
Watch the full episode right here or subscribe and listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. I share below a time stamped outline of the topics covered and the key takeaways.
Topics Covered
- 01:00 — Why Green Target launched its annual research project
- 03:15 — How law firms can use client voice to shape relevant publishing
- 06:00 — Blogs and thought leadership sites: why they remain resilient
- 11:00 — Distinguishing real thought leadership from marketing content
- 17:30 — How publishing drives trust, referrals and client development
- 22:00 — The role of AI in search, authority and content strategy
- 27:30 — What clients want from law firms when it comes to AI
- 36:00 — Advice for law students and early-career lawyers
- 45:00 — The enduring power of the written word
- 51:00 — How Green Target helps firms earn authority and stay relevant
Key Takeaways
- Blogs and thought leadership platforms remain among the most trusted resources for in-house counsel and the C-suite—second only to trusted referrals.
- Publishing isn’t about chasing trends. It’s about being relevant, timely, novel and—most importantly—useful.
- Clients are asking for actionable guidance on AI, yet many law firms haven’t stepped up. That gap is a major opportunity.
- Younger lawyers can build a name and a network simply by engaging online with curiosity and consistency—even before they have deep expertise.
- AI is changing content, search and authority, but it’s not replacing original insight. That still takes a real lawyer.
This is the kind of conversation I hope to keep having with smart people doing important work in and around legal publishing. If you’ve wondered what it takes to stand out with your ideas, this episode with John is a good place to start.