{"id":154922,"date":"2026-06-16T15:27:27","date_gmt":"2026-06-16T23:27:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2026\/06\/16\/making-your-law-firms-culture-a-true-differentiator\/"},"modified":"2026-06-16T15:27:27","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T23:27:27","slug":"making-your-law-firms-culture-a-true-differentiator","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2026\/06\/16\/making-your-law-firms-culture-a-true-differentiator\/","title":{"rendered":"Making Your Law Firm\u2019s Culture A True Differentiator"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ed. note:<\/span> This article first appeared in <\/em>Strategies & Voices, a publication of the Legal Marketing Association. <\/em><\/p>\n

After years as an afterthought, law firm culture is drawing renewed attention. In Right Hat\u2019s 2026\u00a0Top of Mind Report<\/em>, a biennial survey of 100 legal services buyers, information about a firm\u2019s history, philosophy and values ranked alongside industry focus as a priority on law firm websites. In other words, your culture, as much as your expertise, can set you apart.<\/p>\n

So why now? Despite the importance of analytics for measuring visibility and the convenience of AI for generating content, legal services remains, at its core, a people industry. While algorithms may drive clicks, culture drives relationships and brand identity \u2014 and only people can create a culture.<\/p>\n

With so many firms defaulting to the same handful of adjectives to describe their cultures (i.e., \u201ccollaborative,\u201d \u201cclient-focused,\u201d \u201centrepreneurial\u201d), how can you stand out and be believed? Today, learning to articulate an authentic culture is more than a branding challenge. It\u2019s a business development imperative.<\/p>\n

The Door Is Open<\/strong><\/p>\n

Back when my son was touring colleges, a counselor recommended a school I knew little about. She said it was known for a culture of kindness. \u201cThey have an unwritten rule,\u201d she told us, \u201cthat you always hold the door open for the person behind you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Everyone we spoke with confirmed the importance of door-opening as a sign of the school\u2019s culture. One student wrote in a newspaper article: \u201cFor me, it is simply a matter of feeling valued by my fellow classmates. Each literal door-opener is a temporary friend, a new person to smile at \u2026. It has taught me that making the effort to go out of the way for someone does not go unnoticed, even if the gesture is not necessarily grand.\u201d<\/p>\n

The opening doors story set that school apart, and it stayed with me. When it comes to a culture story, you can\u2019t get better than something that\u2019s simple, memorable and visible in daily behavior.<\/p>\n

The question for law firm marketers is: What\u2019s your version of holding the door open? How will they remember you?<\/p>\n

Find the Story That\u2019s Already There<\/strong><\/p>\n

The good news is that you don\u2019t need to build a culture from scratch \u2014 you need to find the one that already exists and give it language. These techniques can help.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Adjective-Free Brainstorming<\/em><\/p>\n

Gather a cross-section of the firm for a culture brainstorming session and impose one rule: no adjectives or adverbs. Ask people to describe the firm in terms of specific behaviors, decisions and moments. What did someone do here that surprised you? How does this firm act in a way others wouldn\u2019t? The constraint forces the room away from claims and toward evidence.<\/p>\n

Organizations with well-known cultures understand this. Mayo Clinic doctors won\u2019t simply say their culture is collaborative. They\u2019ll cite the \u201cdry lab\u201d methodology that requires consultation with colleagues before ordering expensive or invasive tests. Employees at the famously service-oriented Ritz-Carlton hotel chain might\u00a0share that\u00a0any employee can spend up to $2,000 per guest, per incident, to resolve problems or create memorable experiences, no questions asked.<\/p>\n

In both cases, the proof gives weight to the claims.<\/p>\n

\u2022 The Photo Safari<\/em><\/p>\n

Ask participants to collect images \u2014 torn from magazines, pulled from the internet, photographed on their phones \u2014 that feel like the firm. Not law firm images. Anything else: landscapes, buildings, works of art, people, textures. Then ask them to explain their choices. This technique bypasses the verbal filters that typical culture conversations trigger and surfaces information in new ways.<\/p>\n

Instead of \u201ccreative,\u201d you might hear, \u201cOur culture is a room full of rolled-up sleeves, ideas flying and blue skies ahead.\u201d A photo showing light trails from fast-moving objects could inspire a description other than \u201cefficient.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2022 \u2018Best Day\u2019 Interviews<\/em><\/p>\n

Sit down individually with a range of people and ask one question: \u201cDescribe a day when you felt most proud to work at this firm.\u201d This produces value statements and can be more effective than simply asking \u201cWhat are your values?\u201d The \u201cBest Day\u201d produces narrative, and narrative connects with audiences.<\/p>\n

Communicate it Externally<\/strong><\/p>\n

Once you have the raw material from these conversations, your job shifts from excavating to curating. These approaches leverage different platforms and create memorable artifacts.<\/p>\n

\u2022 The \u2018One Thing\u2019 LinkedIn Series<\/em><\/p>\n

Ask individual lawyers across practice groups, seniority levels and offices to answer a single rotating question on LinkedIn: \u201cWhat is one thing about this firm that surprised you when you arrived?\u201d or \u201cWhat is one thing a client told you that you\u2019ve never forgotten?\u201d A consistent prompt across different voices over time creates a portrait that no single piece of content could achieve.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Quick Website Videos<\/em><\/p>\n

Research shows that video content is nearly 50 times more likely to rank on the first page of SEO search results than text-based web pages. Its ability to help form personal connections makes it a natural for culture communications. And it doesn\u2019t have to be a heavy lift.<\/p>\n

If you have an upcoming firm retreat, set up a video booth and ask people to come by and tell their own culture stories. To spark engaging, unusual conversations, invite them to bring an object that represents what the firm means to them, or a moment they\u2019re proud of. It could be a client letter, a photo, a desk toy, a piece of swag or just about anything. The objects themselves matter less than the stories people tell.<\/p>\n

One caveat: produced, pre-scripted videos can undermine the authenticity of your message. What works is a documentary style \u2014 real people, specific stories, unscripted moments. The shorter, the better.<\/p>\n

\u2022 A Culture Chronicle<\/em><\/p>\n

Instead of a conventional year-in-review, produce a well-designed collection of the year\u2019s best cultural stories and images \u2014 the human moments that defined the year. Distribute it internally and to clients. In addition to its value as a communication tool, it\u2019s a great way to memorialize cultural highlights.<\/p>\n

Make Story Sharing a Habit, Not a Project<\/strong><\/p>\n

The techniques shared here will surface good material if the firm develops the habit of noticing and sharing stories. Here are two ways to institutionalize that habit.<\/p>\n

\u2022 The Standing Agenda Item<\/em><\/p>\n

Ask practice group leaders to add a standing question to their regular meetings: \u201cDoes anyone have a story from the past month they\u2019re proud of \u2014 something a colleague did, a client moment, a problem solved in an unexpected way?\u201d Two minutes, no pressure, strictly voluntary. Ask someone at the meeting to pass the stories along.<\/p>\n

\u2022 The Nomination Mechanism<\/em><\/p>\n

Create a simple way for anyone to nominate a colleague for a culture moment: an email address, a brief online form, a dedicated communication channel. The bar should be low and the response should be visible, such as a mention in the firm newsletter, a note at a firm meeting or a personal email from a managing shareholder. What gets recognized gets repeated.<\/p>\n

Consistency Matters<\/strong><\/p>\n

The firms that communicate culture most effectively tend to do it consistently rather than in concentrated bursts. A single culture campaign is less persuasive than a steady, ongoing stream of specific, human moments across multiple channels over time.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Remember, clients are already looking for this information. The challenge is giving them something real to find.<\/p>\n

\n
\"\"
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lise Anne Schwartz is the brand strategist at Right Hat, where she helps law firms and other professional services organizations find what makes them distinctive and translate that into strategies that build trust and engagement. Lise Anne leads initiatives including the Top of Mind Report, a biennial survey of legal services buyers, and hosts the Educated Spaghetti podcast. She is a former lawyer and journalist.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The post Making Your Law Firm\u2019s Culture A True Differentiator<\/a> appeared first on Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ed. note:<\/span> This article first appeared in <\/em>Strategies & Voices, a publication of the Legal Marketing Association. <\/em><\/p>\n

After years as an afterthought, law firm culture is drawing renewed attention. In Right Hat\u2019s 2026\u00a0Top of Mind Report<\/em>, a biennial survey of 100 legal services buyers, information about a firm\u2019s history, philosophy and values ranked alongside industry focus as a priority on law firm websites. In other words, your culture, as much as your expertise, can set you apart.<\/p>\n

So why now? Despite the importance of analytics for measuring visibility and the convenience of AI for generating content, legal services remains, at its core, a people industry. While algorithms may drive clicks, culture drives relationships and brand identity \u2014 and only people can create a culture.<\/p>\n

With so many firms defaulting to the same handful of adjectives to describe their cultures (i.e., \u201ccollaborative,\u201d \u201cclient-focused,\u201d \u201centrepreneurial\u201d), how can you stand out and be believed? Today, learning to articulate an authentic culture is more than a branding challenge. It\u2019s a business development imperative.<\/p>\n

The Door Is Open<\/strong><\/p>\n

Back when my son was touring colleges, a counselor recommended a school I knew little about. She said it was known for a culture of kindness. \u201cThey have an unwritten rule,\u201d she told us, \u201cthat you always hold the door open for the person behind you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Everyone we spoke with confirmed the importance of door-opening as a sign of the school\u2019s culture. One student wrote in a newspaper article: \u201cFor me, it is simply a matter of feeling valued by my fellow classmates. Each literal door-opener is a temporary friend, a new person to smile at \u2026. It has taught me that making the effort to go out of the way for someone does not go unnoticed, even if the gesture is not necessarily grand.\u201d<\/p>\n

The opening doors story set that school apart, and it stayed with me. When it comes to a culture story, you can\u2019t get better than something that\u2019s simple, memorable and visible in daily behavior.<\/p>\n

The question for law firm marketers is: What\u2019s your version of holding the door open? How will they remember you?<\/p>\n

Find the Story That\u2019s Already There<\/strong><\/p>\n

The good news is that you don\u2019t need to build a culture from scratch \u2014 you need to find the one that already exists and give it language. These techniques can help.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Adjective-Free Brainstorming<\/em><\/p>\n

Gather a cross-section of the firm for a culture brainstorming session and impose one rule: no adjectives or adverbs. Ask people to describe the firm in terms of specific behaviors, decisions and moments. What did someone do here that surprised you? How does this firm act in a way others wouldn\u2019t? The constraint forces the room away from claims and toward evidence.<\/p>\n

Organizations with well-known cultures understand this. Mayo Clinic doctors won\u2019t simply say their culture is collaborative. They\u2019ll cite the \u201cdry lab\u201d methodology that requires consultation with colleagues before ordering expensive or invasive tests. Employees at the famously service-oriented Ritz-Carlton hotel chain might\u00a0share that\u00a0any employee can spend up to $2,000 per guest, per incident, to resolve problems or create memorable experiences, no questions asked.<\/p>\n

In both cases, the proof gives weight to the claims.<\/p>\n

\u2022 The Photo Safari<\/em><\/p>\n

Ask participants to collect images \u2014 torn from magazines, pulled from the internet, photographed on their phones \u2014 that feel like the firm. Not law firm images. Anything else: landscapes, buildings, works of art, people, textures. Then ask them to explain their choices. This technique bypasses the verbal filters that typical culture conversations trigger and surfaces information in new ways.<\/p>\n

Instead of \u201ccreative,\u201d you might hear, \u201cOur culture is a room full of rolled-up sleeves, ideas flying and blue skies ahead.\u201d A photo showing light trails from fast-moving objects could inspire a description other than \u201cefficient.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2022 \u2018Best Day\u2019 Interviews<\/em><\/p>\n

Sit down individually with a range of people and ask one question: \u201cDescribe a day when you felt most proud to work at this firm.\u201d This produces value statements and can be more effective than simply asking \u201cWhat are your values?\u201d The \u201cBest Day\u201d produces narrative, and narrative connects with audiences.<\/p>\n

Communicate it Externally<\/strong><\/p>\n

Once you have the raw material from these conversations, your job shifts from excavating to curating. These approaches leverage different platforms and create memorable artifacts.<\/p>\n

\u2022 The \u2018One Thing\u2019 LinkedIn Series<\/em><\/p>\n

Ask individual lawyers across practice groups, seniority levels and offices to answer a single rotating question on LinkedIn: \u201cWhat is one thing about this firm that surprised you when you arrived?\u201d or \u201cWhat is one thing a client told you that you\u2019ve never forgotten?\u201d A consistent prompt across different voices over time creates a portrait that no single piece of content could achieve.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Quick Website Videos<\/em><\/p>\n

Research shows that video content is nearly 50 times more likely to rank on the first page of SEO search results than text-based web pages. Its ability to help form personal connections makes it a natural for culture communications. And it doesn\u2019t have to be a heavy lift.<\/p>\n

If you have an upcoming firm retreat, set up a video booth and ask people to come by and tell their own culture stories. To spark engaging, unusual conversations, invite them to bring an object that represents what the firm means to them, or a moment they\u2019re proud of. It could be a client letter, a photo, a desk toy, a piece of swag or just about anything. The objects themselves matter less than the stories people tell.<\/p>\n

One caveat: produced, pre-scripted videos can undermine the authenticity of your message. What works is a documentary style \u2014 real people, specific stories, unscripted moments. The shorter, the better.<\/p>\n

\u2022 A Culture Chronicle<\/em><\/p>\n

Instead of a conventional year-in-review, produce a well-designed collection of the year\u2019s best cultural stories and images \u2014 the human moments that defined the year. Distribute it internally and to clients. In addition to its value as a communication tool, it\u2019s a great way to memorialize cultural highlights.<\/p>\n

Make Story Sharing a Habit, Not a Project<\/strong><\/p>\n

The techniques shared here will surface good material if the firm develops the habit of noticing and sharing stories. Here are two ways to institutionalize that habit.<\/p>\n

\u2022 The Standing Agenda Item<\/em><\/p>\n

Ask practice group leaders to add a standing question to their regular meetings: \u201cDoes anyone have a story from the past month they\u2019re proud of \u2014 something a colleague did, a client moment, a problem solved in an unexpected way?\u201d Two minutes, no pressure, strictly voluntary. Ask someone at the meeting to pass the stories along.<\/p>\n

\u2022 The Nomination Mechanism<\/em><\/p>\n

Create a simple way for anyone to nominate a colleague for a culture moment: an email address, a brief online form, a dedicated communication channel. The bar should be low and the response should be visible, such as a mention in the firm newsletter, a note at a firm meeting or a personal email from a managing shareholder. What gets recognized gets repeated.<\/p>\n

Consistency Matters<\/strong><\/p>\n

The firms that communicate culture most effectively tend to do it consistently rather than in concentrated bursts. A single culture campaign is less persuasive than a steady, ongoing stream of specific, human moments across multiple channels over time.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Remember, clients are already looking for this information. The challenge is giving them something real to find.<\/p>\n

\n
\"\"
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lise Anne Schwartz is the brand strategist at Right Hat, where she helps law firms and other professional services organizations find what makes them distinctive and translate that into strategies that build trust and engagement. Lise Anne leads initiatives including the Top of Mind Report, a biennial survey of legal services buyers, and hosts the Educated Spaghetti podcast. She is a former lawyer and journalist.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The post Making Your Law Firm\u2019s Culture A True Differentiator<\/a> appeared first on Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ed. note: This article first appeared in Strategies & Voices, a publication of the Legal Marketing Association. After years as an afterthought, law firm culture is drawing renewed attention. In Right Hat\u2019s 2026\u00a0Top of Mind Report, a biennial survey of 100 legal services buyers, information about a firm\u2019s history, philosophy and values ranked alongside industry […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":154923,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-154922","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-above_the_law"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/xira.com\/p\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Designer-GYAzB6.png?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154922","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=154922"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154922\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/154923"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=154922"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=154922"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=154922"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}