Recruiting videos feature firm associates

 National Law Journal

January 17, 2007

Boston—-The tight market for talented associates has prompted a handful of tech-savvy firms to produce Web videos and turn their lawyers into firm salesmen.

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Despite video’s storytelling advantages, few firms have invested in full-motion video. Most opt instead for the lower-cost option of using still photographs that are panned as the clip progresses and narrated by voiceovers, much like the technique used in historical documentaries, said consultant Peter Marx, president of Wellesley, Mass.-based Legal Insight Media Inc., which specializes in media consulting for law firms.

Firms are reluctant to disclose their spending on videos, but Marx said his company’s videos start at around $20,000.

Videos can help law students narrow down their choices and decide which firms they want to visit, said Marx. Legal Insight has produced videos for Latham & Watkins and has just started a project with the U.S. Navy’s Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps.

"The majority of firms have not dipped their toe in the water yet," Marx said. "Those that have are taking advantage of the capabilities of impact, personalization and connection. I would expect it to be big in 2007." ‘Huge’ for recruitment

The video will be a "huge recruiting tool" for the Navy JAG, said Lieutenant Commander Colleen Shook, Navy JAG Corps detailer for accessions and recruitment. Shook said JAG is reviewing its recruiting Web content to see if it meets the needs of law students, who like to do their own research online.

"The law student today is much more technologically savvy," Shook said. "We want to have as much information available to them as I can in the technological medium they’re using the most."

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