Skip to main content

BigLaw Firms Have Podcasts Now; Should Others Follow?

By Casey C. Sullivan, Esq. on July 26, 2016 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

You can't throw a Bluebook without hitting a legal podcast, these days. Of course, there's "Serial," last year's breakout hit that explored the murder of Hae Min Lee, earning more than 5 million downloads on iTunes. (Let's not talk about the disappointing second season.) And there's also "More Perfect," an attempt to recapture the "Serial" magic by telling the tales behind some of the Supreme Court's most famous decisions.

But it's not just NPR spin-offs that are proliferating. Plenty of BigLaw firms are jumping on the bandwagon as well.

The world of BigLaw podcasts has become surprisingly crowded as of late. Davis Polk & Wardwell launched their first podcast last week, according to Bloomberg's Big Law Business. That corporate governance focus podcast joins the ranks of other BigLaw pod-offerings, including a cybersecurity podcast by Steptoe & Johnson and a labor and employment podcast by Littler Mendelson.

And outside of the biggest BigLaw firms, there are plenty of other players. The Legal Talk Network has over 30 podcasts on their website, covering everything from digital forensics to chats with legal authors.

Why Podcast?

We're pretty sure the marketing folks at these firms know their personal injury law podcast probably isn't going to top the iTunes charts, but that's not exactly the point. Bloomberg's Casey Sullivan (no relation, but that guy's got an awesome name nonetheless) spoke with Seth Apple, Davis Polk's business development manager and the man behind their new podcast, and Apple made clear that podcasts can be an effective, but unique, marketing tool:

When people are watching webinars or conferences, they aren't necessarily listening to the content that's coming out of your mouth. They are listening to the cadence, and personality connections, and, thinking 'Oh, I like this guy.' [...] You get the human element.

Which is to say, when someone is listening to a podcast, they may be picking up legal tips, but they're also forming a relationship with the speaker. That sets podcasts apart from the more expertise-focused marketing approaches, such as penning articles or legal blogs. Plus, podcasts require significantly less equipment than video production, but while still helping your audience build a more personal connection. And you can host a podcast in your pajamas.

So, if you like the sound of your own voice and think you have something interesting to say, it might not be a bad idea to follow other legal podcasters' lead and bring your message to the masses -- or at least the discerning few.

Want to hire a podcast producer? Or anyone else for that matter? Post the job for free on Indeed, or search local candidate resumes.

Related Resources:

FindLaw has an affiliate relationship with Indeed, earning a small amount of money each time someone uses Indeed's services via FindLaw. FindLaw receives no compensation in exchange for editorial coverage.

Copied to clipboard