LinkedIn Profile Tips for Legal Professionals

LinkedIn stands as a powerful tool for legal professionals, extending well beyond a digital resume and evolving into a vital networking platform. Manoeuvring through the LinkedIn landscape can be a transformative move for legal professionals seeking to establish thought leadership, foster meaningful connections, and elevate their digital presence.

Creating a Professional and Engaging Profile

The cornerstone of your LinkedIn presence is your profile. It is your first impression, your personal brand statement, and a dynamic showcase of your professional life. Here are some key elements to consider when creating an engaging LinkedIn profile:

• 1. Your Profile Picture

  Your LinkedIn profile image is often the first impression you make on potential connections and clients. And as we all know, us humans are more than happy to judge a book by its cover, so the image you choose to represent you can significantly impact how others perceive you (before they even connect with you).

  Your profile image serves as a visual introduction and goes a long way in setting the tone for any potential interaction. A well-taken photo can more easily convey professionalism, approachability, and confidence.

  What makes a ‘good’ profile image?

  • Well-Lit Photo: Ensure the photo is clear and well-lit, focusing on your face. Good natural light or even professional lighting can really go a long way in enhancing the quality of your image.

  • Professional Attire: Dress in a manner appropriate for your industry or role, it’s a good idea to opt for business or business-casual attire (make sure your outfit is neat and clean too).

  • Neutral Background: Choose a simple, uncluttered background that doesn't distract from your face. Solid colours, subtle patterns or blurry backdrops work well to keep the focus on you.

  • Natural Expression: Present a friendly and approachable expression with a genuine smile or a neutral yet confident look.

  • Recent Photo: Make sure your profile picture is up-to-date and accurately represents your current appearance.

  Depending on your role, or your photography resources, you might be able to sneak in something a bit more candid and relaxed. Just make sure the scene doesn’t distract from your face or look to forced.

  And while you can have fun with it, it’s good to remember that it should be an accurate representation of you as a person, as well as reflect your job role. It needs to have the right balance of being you but at the same time not scaring off serious clients or connections.

  What to avoid when it comes to your profile image:

  • Backlighting: If you don’t have a professional headshot, or the resources for professional photos and have to go the DIY route, just make sure that your light source isn’t behind you. This goes for the sun, or even a window. You should always be facing your light source as much as possible.

  • Overly Edited Images: As with using an image that reflects your current, up-to-date appearance, avoid using photos that are overly edited. Using filters can dilute the authenticity of the image and its accurate portrayal of your appearance. Best leave these types of images for the ‘gram.

  • Group photos: While you might look good in the image, how are new connections supposed to know which one you are?

  • Holiday Photos: Another faux(to) pas is using an image of you on holiday as your profile image. The lighting is likely off, the background likely too distracting (plus it might seem ‘braggy’ to those who get jealous easily).

  • Selfies: Please don’t use a selfie as your professional representation. If you do need to take your photo on your own, prop it up or use a tripod and a self-timer.

  But the ultimate no-no? Images that you wouldn’t want potential clients to associate with you, or more importantly, your firm. LinkedIn is connected to your professional reputation. Any image that you use, or share has the potential to be permanent (simply due to the nature of the internet). So, avoid using images that could negatively impact your career or influence perceptions of the firm you work at (since you are associated and connected to that as well).

• 2. Your Headline

  Your LinkedIn headline is one of the first things people see when they visit your profile, and it also appears in LinkedIn’s search results. A compelling and descriptive headline can attract attention and showcase your specialisation more clearly.

  Crafting a Good Headline

  • Current Role and Expertise: Include your current role and area of expertise. 

  • Unique Value Proposition: Highlight what sets you apart from others in your field.

  • Keywords: If possible, use keywords relevant to your specialty to improve your visibility in search results.

  Here’s an example:

  • Corporate Lawyer at [firm] | M&A Specialist | Guiding Businesses Through Strategic Growth and Transactions

  • Intellectual Property Attorney at [firm] | Patent Litigation Expert | Protecting Innovations and Creative Works

• 3. Writing a Captivating Summary

  Your LinkedIn summary, or the ‘About’ section of your profile, is an opportunity to provide an overview of your accomplishments, expertise, and goals. It’s a chance to highlight the value you bring to clients.

  • First Person and Authenticity: Write in the first person and be genuine in your tone.

  • Your ‘why’ for joining the legal profession: Share why you chose this professional or specific practice area. Do you have a specific passion for the legal field and the impact you have?

  • Key Achievements: Highlight any significant achievements, areas of focus within your specialisation, and any industry recognition.

  • Call-to-Action: End with an invitation for visitors to connect with you or reach out for more information.

  Note: This is not an introduction to your CV. Instead, it is an opportunity to tell a story of your career and the way that you solve problems through your work.

  While I’m not a lawyer, go have a peek at mine.

• 4. Your Profile URL

  Your profile URL is the extension of the LinkedIn link you’ll see in your top address bar. Customising your LinkedIn profile URL makes it easier for others to find you and can enhance your personal brand. A personalised URL is simpler to remember, looks professional, and is easier to share on business cards, email signatures, and other marketing materials.

  To edit your URL, head to your profile and click the pencil icon next to ‘Public Profile and URL’. You can choose a URL that incorporates your name and a relevant keyword.

• 5. Detailing Your Experience

  Listing relevant work experiences, internships, and volunteer work on your LinkedIn profile can demonstrate your expertise and dedication to the legal profession. Plus, it gives a glimpse into your skills and problem-solving abilities in a subtler way.

  Tips for Listing Experiences:

  • Brief Descriptions: Provide concise descriptions of your responsibilities and roles. Example: You managed a team of junior lawyers in conducting legal research and drafting legal documents.

  • Notable Outcomes: Highlight significant outcomes and achievements in each role. Example: "Successfully led a litigation team to win a landmark case, resulting in a favourable verdict for our client."

  • Quantify Achievements: Where possible, use numbers or percentages to showcase your impact. Example: "1000 successful trademark applications filed”

  • Correct Links: Make sure you link to the correct profiles for past and present employers.

• 6. Gathering Endorsements and Recommendations

  Adding relevant skills and requesting endorsements on LinkedIn helps others understand your areas of expertise and can improve your visibility in search results.

  Tips for Showcasing Skills and Endorsements

  • Relevant Skills: Include both hard skills relevant to your practice area, like contract negotiation, legal research, etc., and soft skills like communication and problem-solving.

  • Request Endorsements: If you feel comfortable, ask colleagues, clients, and mentors to endorse your skills. This will just help to validate your expertise.

  Tips for Gathering Recommendations:

  • Request Specific Recommendations: Ask people who can speak to your specific and unique strengths. Like requesting a recommendation from a colleague who can highlight or speak to your leadership skills.

  • Write Recommendations: Offer to reciprocate by writing recommendations for others. Be honest and thoughtful when writing recommendations for colleagues to encourage reciprocation.

  • Balanced Mix: Aim for a mix of recommendations that showcase various aspects of your professional experience. For example, you could collect recommendations that highlight your client relations, legal expertise, or teamwork.

LinkedIn is more than just an online resume or a platform for job hunting. It’s a incredible networking tool and a valuable resource for legal professionals to showcase their expertise, broaden their reach, and connect with colleagues, clients, and influencers in their industry.

Mastering LinkedIn requires a bit of effort and strategy, but the potential benefits make it well worth your time. Whether you're looking to strengthen relationships, expand your network, or establish your expertise in the field of law, LinkedIn is the platform that can help you achieve these goals. And it all starts with an optimised profile.