Jay Lazega
LAW FIRM: Weissman, Nowack, Curry & Wilco
CATEGORY: Outstanding Client Newsletter or Communique
BUDGET: $30,000 (annual)
WEB: wnccwlaw.com
WEB SITE: http://www.foley.com
Trying to get attorneys to do non-billable work is like Marge Simpson trying to get her carnivore husband Homer to go vegan. It's not going to happen unless there's an incentive.
That's exactly the approach taken by Jay Lazega, a partner in the law firm Weissman, Nowack, Curry & Wilco, who is also editor of the firm's thrice-yearly Community Advisor publication, which launched in 2003 (after running as a
newsletter for many years).
To give his attorneys, er, reporters, enough time to plan, write and edit articles -- and not to feel taxed on top of dealing with clients and making courtroom appearances -- Lazega makes sure to lighten their loads.
Freeing his attorneys' time so they can put together Community Advisor is part of the overall marketing strategy at the Atlanta-based law firm that specializes in real-estate law and corporate defense.
"Focusing solely on billable hours is short-sighted," Lazega says. "We recognize that you have to do more in PR to not only build and develop, but also to retain clients. It's a hurdle to get attorneys to do non-billable work, but having them work on the newsletter
gives us more breadth."
About 2,000 copies are printed for each issue, 1,500 of which are sent to retainer client presidents and treasurers, with the remaining issues used for marketing purposes. A pdf file of each issue is then placed on the client-only section of the firms' Web site for
associations and clients to reference.
In addition to covering legal trends in real estate, Lazega and his team encourage reader feedback. The "You Make the Call" section, for example, asks readers to test their knowledge (on a particular topic) by answering the current question posed.
The publication also takes pains to be timely. Each issue centers on challenges law firms' boards of directors are likely to face during the time immediately following the publishing date. To wit: The spring issue would cover the contract maintenance arena, with
community issues like pool openings, and landscape improvements being topics of conversation at that time of year throughout the real estate/legal orbit.
"Although we have 1,600 clients, the issues tend to be repetitive," Lazega says. "So to minimize repetition in our communications, we use [the magazine] to educate the industry and also to generate more client work. It's also a great opportunity to grow the
reputations of our individual attorneys."
The formula is succeeding, with the firm growing between 15% and 20% a year, says Lazega. He adds that each issue of Community Advisor has sparked a surge of interest in the firm - so much that it's considering increasing the frequency to quarterly
starting next year. The firm is also mulling whether to sell the publication to commercial markets. "We're not writing a legal magazine, but a magazine that can be picked up and enjoyed at Borders," Lezega says.