Ben Boman* A mission statement is a critical component of any law firm’s branding and marketing strategy. It communicates the firm’s values, goals, and purpose to clients, employees, and partners, regardless of whether your law firm is a Baker + McKenzie or a small DUI or family law firm. Missions are for everyone – and every law firm.
Crafting a compelling mission statement can be challenging, but it is essential for creating a clear and consistent identity for your law firm.
Remember too that there is a difference between a ‘vision’ and a ‘mission’ statement, as you can read here, but often the two will be combined.
It will also comprise part of your law firm’s branding, but still sits apart and above pure ‘branding’ – which includes so many additional elements such as your logo, website, sponsorship and advertising and other factors.
There is nothing Mission IMpossible about creating a great vision statement or mission statement. So how do you go about this great ‘mission possible’ task?
Here’s what I believe is a step-by-step guide to developing a mission statement that effectively communicates your firm’s unique strengths and values.
And on the way through, you can check out some of the law firm mission statements that create interest and engagement.
Zander Harden Law –
Identify Your Firm’s Core Values
The first step in crafting a mission statement is to identify your firm’s core values. These could include principles like integrity, professionalism, client service, teamwork, or innovation.
By outlining your law firm’s values, you can create a mission statement that reflects what your firm stands for and what it aims to achieve.
Your core values are the principles and beliefs that guide your firm’s decisions, actions, and behavior. They represent what your firm stands for and what you aspire to achieve.
To identify your firm’s core values, start by reflecting on what is important to your firm and your clients.
Consider questions such as:
- What do we want to be known for?
- What are our greatest strengths and areas of expertise?
- What values do our clients expect us to embody?
- What do we want to achieve as a firm?
What are some common core values that law firms might think about?
They include:
Integrity: This represents honesty, transparency, and ethical behavior. It is a critical value for law firms, as clients trust their lawyers to act with integrity and uphold the law.
Client Service: Your firm focuses on meeting clients’ needs and exceeding their expectations. This includes listening to clients and communicating promptly. And providing high-quality legal services.
Professionalism: Your firm has high standards of conduct, competence, and service.. It includes being responsive, respectful, and diligent in serving clients’ needs.
Teamwork: This represents the importance of collaboration, communication, and support within the firm. It includes sharing knowledge, skills, and resources to achieve common goals.
Once you have identified your firm’s core values, it’s important to ensure that they are reflected in your mission statement. Your mission statement should communicate your firm’s purpose and values clearly and succinctly, so that clients, employees, and partners can understand what your firm stands for and what it aims to achieve.
Below is a mid-size law firm’s compelling message –
PryorCashman Mission –
Define Your Target Audience
Next, you should consider your firm’s target audience. Who are your clients, and what do they expect from your firm?
Your mission statement should address the needs and expectations of your target audience, as well as your firm’s unique strengths and capabilities. By understanding your audience, you can create a mission statement that is uniquely yours. Reflecting your firm’s personality and focus.
Defining your target audience is an important step in crafting a mission statement that resonates with your clients and prospects.
Your clients and future or potential clients are the group of people or organizations that you are trying to reach and serve through your legal services. Identifying your target audience can help you tailor your messaging, marketing, and service delivery to meet their specific needs and preferences.
To define your target audience, consider the following factors:
Demographics: Who are your clients? What are their ages, genders, locations, and businesses or professions? Knowing about your target audience can help you tailor your law firm messaging and marketing to their specific needs and interests.
Psychographics: Understand your clients’ values, beliefs, interests, and lifestyles? This will help you resonate with their motivations and needs.
Legal requirements: What are the legal needs and challenges of your target audience? It’s critical to understand what their legal needs are in order to meet them.
Pain points: What are the pain points and challenges that your target audience is facing?
Who are your competitors? What are their strengths and weaknesses? Understanding your competitive landscape can help you position your law firm as the superior choice for your target audience.
Understanding these points lets you create a great mission statement that hits the spot in terms of what your firm means to both yourselves and to your clients.
It will go towards meeting their needs and how your firm can help them.
It is also key towards helping to build your law firm brand and authority. And building those will also build your online profile and legal SEO efforts.
Keep it Concise and Clear
A good law firm mission statement is concise and easy to understand. It should be no more than a sentence or two and use clear and simple language that everyone can understand. Your mission statement should communicate your firm’s purpose and values in a way that is easy to remember and repeat.
When crafting a mission statement for your law firm, it’s important to keep it concise and clear.
A mission statement should be a brief statement that communicates your firm’s purpose and values.
It should be easy to understand and remember, so that it can be effectively communicated to clients, employees, and partners.
Skadden Mission:
How to keep your mission statement concise and clear:
Focus on your core values: Your mission statement should be centered around your firm’s core values. Focus on the most important values that define your firm’s purpose.
Focus on your core values: Your mission statement should be centered around your firm’s core values. Focus on the most important values that define your firm’s purpose.
Be specific: Use specific and concrete language to describe your firm’s purpose and values. This can help avoid confusion or misinterpretation and create a clear and compelling message.
Keep it short: A mission statement should be no longer than a few sentences. It should be easy to remember and communicate, so keep it short and sweet. No novels required.
Get Feedback: Once you have drafted your mission statement, test it out on others. Ask employees, clients, and partners for feedback to ensure that it is clear, concise, and effectively communicates your firm’s values and purpose.
Involve your Team
Involve your team in the process. Your employees are the ones who will be responsible for bringing your mission statement to life, so it’s important to get their input and buy-in. Consider holding a brainstorming session or survey to gather ideas and feedback from your team.
You need to accurately reflect your firm’s values and goals, and ensure that everyone is aligned and committed to working towards your goals.
Once you have a final mission statement, make sure to communicate it clearly and regularly to your team and clients, so that it becomes a part of your firm’s culture and identity.
Involving your team in the process of developing a mission statement for your law firm can create a sense of ownership and commitment toward the statement.
It can also help ensure that the statement reflects your firm’s values, vision, and goals.
Gray Injury Law Firm –
Involve Your Team in Building A Mission Statement
Involving your legal team in the development of a vision or mission statement is a key way to build the team along with your law firm’s culture, branding and overall image.
By brainstorming and gathering ideas, collecting feedback and different versions of your proposed mission statement you can help create a sense of ownership and commitment from the firm staff and partners, as well as cementing key ideas to drive your firm ahead.
I have been involved with one medium-sized law firm that had ‘boot camps’ that involved fun and team-building events centered around also developing the firm’s proposed mission statement.
The enthusiasm and palpable positivism that came from the ‘camps’ was something that created an energy and commitment that has continued to push the firm’s success.
Part of this success has been because of the inclusive culture of the firm. Building that culture has been part of the success and building a positive mission statement helped focus the firm participants in that process.
This helps align everyone towards a common goal and create a strong sense of purpose and direction for your firm.
Denton Peterson Dunn –
Make it Aspirational
Your mission statement should be aspirational, expressing the goals and ambitions of your firm.
It should inspire and motivate your employees, while also reflecting your commitment to excellence.
A good mission statement should be something that everyone in your firm can rally around and work towards.
An effective mission statement should not only describe your law firm’s current purpose and values, but also inspire and motivate your clients, employees, and partners towards a shared vision of the future.
Making your mission statement aspirational can help align your team towards a common goal and create a sense of purpose and direction for your firm.
Baker + McKenzie Mission –
Make your mission statement aspirational:
Use inspiring language: Use language that is inspiring and motivates people towards action. Use words that evoke emotions and create a sense of purpose and direction.
Emphasize the impact: Your mission statement should communicate the impact that your firm wants to make in the world. Reference the positive change that your firm can bring to your clients, your community, and society as a whole.
Align with your values: Ensure that your aspirational mission statement aligns with your firm’s core values. Your values should guide your vision for the future and the impact you want to make in the world.
Communicate your commitment: Your statement should communicate your firm’s commitment to achieving its vision for the future. This can help create trust and build a strong reputation for your firm.
By making your mission statement aspirational, you can inspire and motivate your team towards a common goal and create a sense of purpose and direction for your firm.
These values will help build your leadership and firm vision.
Carbon Law Mission –
Review and Refine Your Statement
Once you have drafted your mission statement, it’s important to review it carefully to ensure that it accurately reflects your firm’s values and goals. Make revisions as needed, and seek input from others in your firm to ensure that everyone is on the same page.
Conclusion:
A compelling mission statement is an essential tool for any law firm that wants to build a strong brand and attract clients.
Your mission statement should be aspirational, concise, and easy to understand. It should reflect your firm’s unique strengths and capabilities.
But remember that you can revisit your mission statement. Firms change and so too do their values and their ‘mission’. Your mission statement should be a living document.
With a compelling mission statement, you can set your law firm apart and achieve your objective to have a compelling law firm mission statement.
Author –
Ben Boman is a freelance writer and online marketing expert who has worked with law firms and businesses developing strategies for online growth. He is currently working on a book on online marketing and his last article for lawfuel was published here. He may be contacted through news@lawfuel.com
