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Presented by the ABA Standing Committee on Bar Activities and Services and the Division for
Bar Services
Ink on the PageOp-Eds & Presidents’ Messages
Tim EigoState Bar of Arizona
Our roadmap
Op-eds and letters to the editor
Defining your challenge
The Big Kahuna: The President’s column
Engagement: Ideas and suggestions
Moving the dial from …
Op-Eds and letters to the editor
Timing matters
The news cycle is not your cycle
News could overtake your op-ed or letter
Hat tip:Rick DeBruhl,
State Bar of Arizona
Did I mention that timing matters?
The day after tomorrow … may be too late.
Presidents’ Columns: Why o why?
Assisting members in their law practice
Association brand awareness
Event notification/Event follow-up
Oh, yeah: Correcting misimpressions/lies; Apologizing; Congratulating; Showing mom
It all begins with THE READER in mind.
Your job …
A bar leader’s multiple
challenges =
Competing deadlines = difficult
… so you need a plan
No plan … ?
Reader researchThe human
brain consuming poor
Presidents’ columns:
The human brain consuming irresistible Presidents’ columns:
Interesting events
Take note …
Member conversations
Movies/plays/events that resonate with the profession
A fellow lawyer said something (about the bar) that made you smile/wince.
A great event may have great visuals. Pick them up, save them, share them.
Hat tip:Brad Carr,
Alabama State Bar
Images matter
Does anyone here have a … cellphone?
But where are all the good ideas?
Consider your (kitchen) cabinet.
So, I crowdsourced many people, asking …
I asked: What doesn’t work?
… writers who never ask themselvesa basic question …
… writers who have one good idea and repeat it multiple times …
… writers who use “I” too much and focus on themselves …
… writers who patronize, talk down to, or preach …
We’ve all read essays by smart people, scratched our heads, and said:
Practice tip: Don’t be that guy.
So: What else
helps us achieve
stellar content?
Some kitchen cabinet ideas
Write about ways for readers to become better lawyers. And tell members’ stories.
If your bar association produced a great
program or speaker, use that presentation as the
core message.
Some kitchen cabinet ideas
Invite reader response to columns, and always invite emails. Include one or two of the most interesting responses as a post-script to the next column.
Some kitchen cabinet ideas
Whenever possible, include a call to action, and provide a next step.
Some kitchen cabinet ideas
Steal from great feature articles; why not “7 Things You Don’t
Understand About Your Dues.”
Some kitchen cabinet ideas
Humor always works—and if it doesn’t, the effort is appreciated.
Some kitchen cabinet ideas
We know images and punchy titles draw
people in; Presidents should use them more.
… some examples …
Some kitchen cabinet ideas
Reveal something of yourself—related to law practice, but not necessarily directly related. (Who gives a damn about the new rules about arbitration?)
Some kitchen cabinet ideas
Hat tip:Dan Wise,
New Hampshire Bar
Connecting matters
Finally, size matters …
A Modest Proposal:
Your homework (or mission) …
We know that the legal profession is changing, so consider how your President’s message should change along with it.
Like you, your column is looked to as an industry leader.
Your goal …
less this …… more this
Kitchen cabinet reassurance
If you can: move and engage members, lead the association, and make your
practice and bar thrive …
Questions
Tim Eigoarizona.attorney@azbar.orgPhone: 602.340.7310Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ArizonaAttorneyMagazineTwitter: @azattyBlog: www.azatty.wordpress.comTumblr: http://itsadrylaw.tumblr.com/
CONTACT:
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