How Does a “Niche” Help Your Legal Practice?

Competition is fierce in most industries, and can be particularly fierce among law firms. Most law firms focus on one practice area of law, such as personal injury law, family law, bankruptcy law, etc. However, a practice area is still quite broad, and puts a firm in direct if generalized competition with every other law firm in the area working in that field. Many law firms narrow this down further by claiming a speciality in one or more areas in their field; for example, a personal injury law firm will likely claim specialties in areas such as car accidents, medical malpractice, and workplace injuries. However, what many attorneys fail to realize that these areas can be narrowed even further. A specialized niche within an already specialized field is a great way to divide the competition and set apart one attorney from another.

A niche is another way of describing an attorney’s speciality with certain types of cases.

For a personal injury law firm, their niche may be in handling medical malpractice or product liability cases. Within that realm, each attorney in the firm should also have one or a few specific niches they have a good deal of experience with and comfort handling. For example, one attorney in a personal injury firm might specialize in handling car accidents where both parties share fault; another attorney in a family law firm might have a niche in inter-state family law matters. It’s a good idea for an attorney to have one to a few niches, but too many can make it sound like the attorney doesn’t have a speciality at all. It’s a good idea to express a general authority over the practice area, and a specialty with certain types of cases in general.

An attorney’s bio on the law firm’s website is a good place to discuss a niche.

A law firm’s website might be their greatest tool for informing clients about their services and offerings. Before a client hires an attorney, even if they were directed there via social media or a referral, they are likely to explore a law firm’s website. While the law firm’s home page and tabs should give an immediate indication of the type of law the attorneys in the firm practice, when the client clicks further into the website it should be quickly apparent which lawyers handle different types of cases, and among those what their niche specialties are. This will appeal to clients with more general issues, as well as those with highly specific issues if they find an attorney with that particular niche.

As with any business, the importance of standing out and offering something unique for law firms is paramount.

Many attorneys naturally have a niche, a type of case they are particularly adept at handling which other lawyers in the field may not be. It’s important for each attorney to sit down and consider their unique strengths when optimizing their bio for a law firm’s website. This is one of the best ways to stand apart and stand out in the legal industry. To learn more about developing a legal niche or for help optimizing your firm’s website to express that niche, reach out to a legal marketing expert.