Attorney Web Sites
The Benefits
This presentation has thus far focused on the perils of attorney use of the Internet, and how the attorney can protect himself. This may have had the practical affect of scaring the attorney away from the Internet. However, the Internet provides many advantages for the attorney. Eventually, the jurisdictional issues will be worked out, most likely in a manner that does not discourage attorney use of the Internet. Thus, the attorney should be aware of the benefits of Internet usage. Some of these are covered below.
Cost Effective Advertising
An attorney or law firm can develop and maintain a multi-page Web Site for less than the cost of a full-page Yellow Pages advertisement. These Web Sites can contain listings of the legal expertise available, links to the attorney's e-mail account(s), questionnaires to get information about potential clients, links to legal resources to aid clients, notices of class action lawsuits the attorney may be involved in, and any other information that may be found useful to the potential client.
In addition, the web site can contain photographs of the attorney(s), the office environment, etc. to make the potential client comfortable, and to put a human touch to the advertising page. The page should also contain any disclaimers necessary to protect the attorney from a myriad of hazards that Internet advertising can expose him or her to.
Internet users tend to be sophisticated, successful, active, and moneyed individuals, exactly the client base that many attorneys are seeking. And Internet users look favorably upon professionals that are technologically up-to-date. An attorney web site portrays just such technical savvy. There are potential clients out there who wouldn't even consider retaining an attorney who wasn't on the 'net!
Listings & Searchings
An attorney web site can be listed on many useful Internet search engines, such as Yahoo, Alta Vista, and Web Crawler, sorted according to specialty, so that clients that are actively searching for an attorney on the Internet can find a match. In addition, there are many special Internet resources that can aid potential clients find an attorney. Below, for example, are links to a few attorney searching & referral services available on the Internet:
For examples of a few of the many attorney web sites available on the Internet, see Attorney Web Page Examples.
Notification & Client Information
Attorney Web Sites and e-mail can also be useful tools to enable an attorney to better inform his clients of status and other information. The attorney can set up a unique, password protected area of his site that is accessible to the clients, with links to calendars, important documents, status information, and other useful features. This makes it easy for the client to be kept informed about his case or circumstances, and allows the attorney to make his client feel comfortable about the progress of the case, without the requirement for constant phone calls or other forms of contact. Secure web sites can also be used by the clients to leave ask questions and comment on the activities as they are occurring.
Web pages can also be used to notify potential clients of class action lawsuits that may affect them. These explanatory pages can be individually listed on search engines, providing a mechanism for the attorney to locate parties that may not be easily found by other methods. This will also help the class action attorney to meet his obligation to utilize methods reasonably calculated to notify the potential litigants, as required by law.
Because Web Sites are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year, they make effective tools to increase the "visibility" of the attorney or law firm at a reasonable cost.
Forums, Listservs, & Newsletters
The attorney can also set up a number of forums, listservs, and newsletters to aid clients in keeping abreast of the law, and notifying clients of new services. The attorney can transmit presentations, statutes, rulings, opinions, etc. to the client. The Internet makes dissemination of such materials easy and cost effective. However, the attorney should be sure to post dates and disclaimers on each item to warn the client that the law changes, and the material may be outdated in the future.
The Future
In the future, the Internet will be an effective tool for real-time communication, providing such capabilities as real-time video links, interactive presentations, etc. These features could greatly decrease travel expenses and increase flexibility. Thus, the attorney would do well to keep abreast of such innovations.
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This page developed by Robert F. Bodi
for a Cyberlaw class at The
University of Akron - School
of Law
This page hosted by CleveNet; Original
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used by permission. This page last updated on Friday, November 20, 1998
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