Demanding Accountability in Law Firm Marketing

Demanding Accountability in Law Firm Marketing

Law firm managing partners often express deep frustration with marketing vendors, noting large spends with little to show for it. In an article in Attorney at Work, Sasha Berson, Managing Partner at Grow Law, outlines why many marketing efforts fail law firms and how leaders can reverse this trend.

Berson argues that most vendors fall short because they prioritize activities over outcomes. Firms are promised blogs, social posts, and ad buys, but these rarely translate into paying clients. Agencies also tend to rely on vanity metrics—such as traffic, clicks, and followers—rather than tracking qualified leads and signed cases. 

Compounding the problem, many ration their labor by preset hour caps and dodge accountability with excuses about algorithms, market conditions, or timeframes. The result, Berson notes, is wasted resources and stalled growth while competitors surge ahead.

For managing partners, the path forward begins with demanding a genuine business case rather than a sales pitch. Vendors should be able to project lead volume, cost per signed case, and a timeline for results. Accountability must be tied directly to revenue, not activity. Equally important, law firms must strengthen their intake systems, ensuring a live response, trained staff, and prompt follow-up, as even the strongest campaigns can collapse under weak intake.

Berson emphasizes hiring specialists rather than generalist “full-service” agencies, particularly for search marketing in Google and AI-driven platforms. Finally, partners must enforce accountability with ROI reviews, performance-based commitments, and decisive action when vendors underperform.