Lawyers are some of the worst marketers on Earth. Not because they’re dumb, but because the skillset that makes a good lawyer rarely overlaps with sales. An attorney keeps their nose to the detail grindstone and if they find an extra minute they’d rather put it into the work than self-promotion. A lot of lawyers view the over-the-top billboard set as gauche — while refusing to admit they hum “800-888-8888” to themselves to go to sleep — but those firms understand that lawyering requires a client walking through the door. And just because most lawyers don’t need the volume of plaintiff megafirms, doesn’t mean they don’t have to do a different flavor of marketing.
So it’s not surprising that a lot of law firms think of marketing data the way medieval monks thought of leeching: maybe useful, vaguely dangerous, and only to be consulted after praying the problem goes away.
This morning, Scorpion and Clio announced a new strategic partnership promises to bring marketing data to lawyers so they can finally replace gut feel and anecdotal wins with full-funnel reporting.
Scorpion’s product — powered, of course, by AI, because it’s 2025 and everything is — integrated with Clio’s legal operating system promises to make it easy to see which marketing efforts lead to retained clients and real revenue.
One of the biggest advantages is how seamlessly we can now tie our marketing efforts to actual revenue. Instead of relying on surface-level metrics, we can see exactly which channels and campaigns are driving retained clients and meaningful growth. This level of detail helps us refine our strategies, allocate resources more effectively, and ultimately improve ROI. Understanding our data at this depth has given us a competitive edge. It ensures we aren’t just making assumptions about what works—we have the clarity to double down on what truly drives results.” – David Zwanetz, Shapiro Zwanetz & Lake
It’s not revolutionary in the abstract. But in law land, where many firms still run their operations on a patchwork of Outlook calendars, handwritten intake forms, and feral paralegals, it might as well be a moon landing.
According to the press release, the partnership will bring all the strands together:
- Clear ROI from Every Marketing Dollar: Track every step from lead to retained client with full-funnel reporting that ties campaigns directly to actual cases, not just clicks or calls.
- End-to-End Lead Management: Website leads from Scorpion automatically sync into Clio Grow, eliminating manual entry and accelerating client follow-up.
- Better Data-Driven Decisions: With real-time performance data from Clio Manage, campaigns are optimized based on what delivers the most value for firms.
- Frictionless Client Intake: Streamline the conversion of marketing leads into active cases within Clio’s case management system.
- Targeted Growth Through AI: Scorpion’s proprietary AI identifies and targets high-value prospects, helping firms reach the right clients and avoid wasted spend.
- Joint Innovation: Clio and Scorpion will co-develop new, exclusive solutions that give firms deeper insights into case progress and marketing ROI, enabling even smarter decisions and more profitable growth.
It’s doubtful that this will make lawyers suddenly love marketing, but it might at least ease the pain of opening up that marketing tab.
And for an industry that still thinks “word of mouth” is an end-all strategy, that’s progress.
Joe Patrice is a senior editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Feel free to email any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on Twitter or Bluesky if you’re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news. Joe also serves as a Managing Director at RPN Executive Search.
The post Lawyers Hate Marketing But This Might Make Them Hate It Less appeared first on Above the Law.
Lawyers are some of the worst marketers on Earth. Not because they’re dumb, but because the skillset that makes a good lawyer rarely overlaps with sales. An attorney keeps their nose to the detail grindstone and if they find an extra minute they’d rather put it into the work than self-promotion. A lot of lawyers view the over-the-top billboard set as gauche — while refusing to admit they hum “800-888-8888” to themselves to go to sleep — but those firms understand that lawyering requires a client walking through the door. And just because most lawyers don’t need the volume of plaintiff megafirms, doesn’t mean they don’t have to do a different flavor of marketing.
So it’s not surprising that a lot of law firms think of marketing data the way medieval monks thought of leeching: maybe useful, vaguely dangerous, and only to be consulted after praying the problem goes away.
This morning, Scorpion and Clio announced a new strategic partnership promises to bring marketing data to lawyers so they can finally replace gut feel and anecdotal wins with full-funnel reporting.
Scorpion’s product — powered, of course, by AI, because it’s 2025 and everything is — integrated with Clio’s legal operating system promises to make it easy to see which marketing efforts lead to retained clients and real revenue.
One of the biggest advantages is how seamlessly we can now tie our marketing efforts to actual revenue. Instead of relying on surface-level metrics, we can see exactly which channels and campaigns are driving retained clients and meaningful growth. This level of detail helps us refine our strategies, allocate resources more effectively, and ultimately improve ROI. Understanding our data at this depth has given us a competitive edge. It ensures we aren’t just making assumptions about what works—we have the clarity to double down on what truly drives results.” – David Zwanetz, Shapiro Zwanetz & Lake
It’s not revolutionary in the abstract. But in law land, where many firms still run their operations on a patchwork of Outlook calendars, handwritten intake forms, and feral paralegals, it might as well be a moon landing.
According to the press release, the partnership will bring all the strands together:
- Clear ROI from Every Marketing Dollar: Track every step from lead to retained client with full-funnel reporting that ties campaigns directly to actual cases, not just clicks or calls.
- End-to-End Lead Management: Website leads from Scorpion automatically sync into Clio Grow, eliminating manual entry and accelerating client follow-up.
- Better Data-Driven Decisions: With real-time performance data from Clio Manage, campaigns are optimized based on what delivers the most value for firms.
- Frictionless Client Intake: Streamline the conversion of marketing leads into active cases within Clio’s case management system.
- Targeted Growth Through AI: Scorpion’s proprietary AI identifies and targets high-value prospects, helping firms reach the right clients and avoid wasted spend.
- Joint Innovation: Clio and Scorpion will co-develop new, exclusive solutions that give firms deeper insights into case progress and marketing ROI, enabling even smarter decisions and more profitable growth.
It’s doubtful that this will make lawyers suddenly love marketing, but it might at least ease the pain of opening up that marketing tab.
And for an industry that still thinks “word of mouth” is an end-all strategy, that’s progress.
Joe Patrice is a senior editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Feel free to email any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on Twitter or Bluesky if you’re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news. Joe also serves as a Managing Director at RPN Executive Search.
