How to Make the Most of 'Love Your Lawyer Day' This Year

Love your lawyer day is upon us. But if Love Your Lawyer Day is news to you, you might ask: Do people even know Love Your Lawyer Day exists? Do lawyers even know if it exists? By all odds, most people probably don't.

It was created in 2001 by legal marketers as a campaign to soften the appearance of lawyers in the public's eyes. The idea is to provide a day where people can share positive experiences with lawyers. And if you think that one day a year isn't enough, there's also "Be Kind to Lawyers Day" and "Love Litigating Lawyers Day." (Leave it to lawyers to come up with more than one day.)

Love Your Lawyer Day is a chance for free social media advertising and connecting with clients. (Note that we use the term "advertising" loosely here — be sure to follow ethical rules when advertising online.)

Five Ways To Make the Most of Love Your Lawyer Day:

1. Send an Email to Your Clients

Use this day to thank your clients, and you may find you get some appreciation back as well. Thank them for the opportunity to serve them and wish them well. They will appreciate the email, which may prompt them to contact you for future services. At least you will be on their minds, which can result in referrals of your legal services to others.

2. Post on Social Media

You can post ironically (or unironically) about this special day, and you may find your clients respond with praise and gratitude. Here are some tips to keep in mind when posting on social media:

• Raise awareness early among your followers and friends on social platforms. Ideally, you'll start in advance of Love Your Lawyer Day by sharing a blog post or other article on your social media about Love Your Lawyer Day that might speak directly to legal consumers.
• It will help if you've been active on social media during the weeks leading up to Love Your Lawyer Day. This is a reminder that you should regularly post comments of encouragement, be positive, be informative, and avoid negative interactions online.
• If you receive any love, show that love right back and respond with thanks or by reposting/retweeting. This process of user engagement on a public platform essentially amounts to free adverting for you. And this is all part of a healthy strategy for effective social media marketing.

3. Send Love to Other Lawyers

Love Your Lawyer Day is also an opportunity for you to reach out and thank mentors and fellow members of the bar. Show your gratitude for their help in your success. Not only will you make their day, but it also provides a chance to network. Lawyers will be reminded of you, which may result in them referring clients to you or sending you business.

4. Take Care of Yourself

It is well known that attorneys have high incidences of depression and drug and alcohol abuse. If you need help, contact the American Bar Association's Directory of Lawyers Assistance Programs. It will give you information for resources from your state bar association.

Lawyers are notorious for meeting the needs of others but not taking time for themselves. Find a way to treat yourself. Take a half-day from work. Book a massage. Go on a hike or yoga class. Recognize that you need to recharge yourself before helping others.

5. Watch Inspirational Movies About Lawyers

Sometimes a way to appreciate the legal profession is to see how lawyers make positive change. Viewing classic legal movies may inspire your love back into your work. Or watching comedies can help too. Some classic films about lawyers:

• 12 Angry Men (1957)
• Inherit the Wind (1960)
• To Kill A Mockingbird (1962)
• A Few Good Men (1992)
• My Cousin Vinny (1992)
• Legally Blonde (2001)

Hopefully, this Love Your Lawyer Day will show you an appreciation for your hard work. At the very least, may it inspire you to love your profession and yourself.

Related Resources:

• Self-Assessment Strategies for Lawyers (FindLaw's Careers)
• Top 5 Ethical Issues With Attorney Advertising (FindLaw's Practice of Law)
• For Love Your Lawyer Day, Love Yourself (FindLaw's Practice of Law)