Mid-Atlantic Region

Ask Me Anything: Maria Woehr

By Rebecca Edwards
Senior Marketing & Business Development Manager at Williams Mullen

Maria Woehr is the Director of Communications at Wiley Rein LLP. She has worked in law firm communications for over 10 years and prior to that was a journalist for over a dozen years.

Favorite part of your current role?
My favorite parts of my current role are collaborating with other departments within the firm to generate creative content and helping our partners develop relationships with reporters.

Favorite part of being a member of the LMA community?
The LMA community is a wonderful way to network and learn how different firms within the legal industry are approaching opportunities and challenges.

Favorite weekend activity?
Spending time with my family and going on adventures.

What are some time management or productivity tips that you have found useful?
For me, I always like to “swallow the frog” first thing in the morning. That is, that big project, or that important email – that’s what I will handle first thing. Getting the big thing done and out of the way in the morning helps me get on with the rest of my day.

How can I make my regular check-in calls with a manager more productive?
Be proactive. Come prepared, and come with an agenda. Tell your manager what you want to be doing and ask them for feedback on how to progress. This is what I want to learn, and this is how I can best serve my team.

How can you—as a member of the marketing department—impact the DEI movement?
Listen to how you could best offer assistance, offer ideas, and offer to collaborate. Work closely with DEI leadership to ensure you are communicating firm initiatives and success stories both internally and externally.

What are your recommendations for dealing with burnout? Or if you are just having trouble maintaining focus amid distractions.
Different people have different ways for dealing with stress and burnout. Create a project management list to keep your projects on track. Take time for yourself during the day. Put a walk or coffee on your calendar. Try to purposely connect with other people. Also, if you are feeling stressed or overwhelmed, reach out to your manager to talk through these issues. They may be able to help delegate tasks to another member of the team or find another solution.

Do you believe that to be a successful marketer, a person needs to be in the office?
It depends on how you can cultivate relationships. Most law firm staff worked successfully remotely for the last couple of years. Still, lawyers like face time. A lot of staff do need to be in the office once in a while for lawyers to build up a certain kind of trust. If you work at any law firm with multiple offices then you know that you regularly have to check in virtually with attorneys in offices outside of yours. Regular check-ins are pertinent to make sure you are learning about what they are working on and showing your lawyers that you care enough about them to check in regularly. Phone calls and video calls are much better than emails to ask lawyers specific questions and build a relationship. When you do visit an office, make sure you go by people’s offices and set aside time to catch up in person.

What’s the best way to get feedback (from managers, from lawyers, etc.)?
Ask for it. Be open to having difficult conversations. Feedback, whether good or critical, can help improve your work and how you handle situations in the future.

What’s your favorite podcast/book/tool?
I like The New York Times’ “The Daily” Podcast and PBS NewsHour, and my favorite tool to recommend to others is Grammarly. It is a fast way to check your work to make sure what you are writing is the most effective way of communication.