Name: Kelly G. O’Malley
Company: Fox Rothschild LLP
Title: Senior Business Development Specialist
Email: komalley@foxrothschild.com
How did you get into legal marketing?
In the summer of 2006 I saw an ad in the local paper for a Marketing Coordinator position at a Princeton, NJ based firm and thought “that sounds interesting!” Seven years and two firms later, I’m still in legal marketing and loving it as much as I did on day one!
Describe one of your best experiences in legal marketing?
At a previous firm, a blog I helped create was highlighted just over a year after it launched for being one of the preeminent resources in the industry. Knowing that I had helped to build something from scratch was rewarding, but to see it highlighted for its good work was one of the best experiences I’ve had in my career.
What is one of your greatest challenges when it comes to legal marketing?
The greatest challenge that I face, on an almost daily basis, is walking the fine line between pleasing my clients (a.k.a. the attorneys) and realizing when to say no. Although you want to do as much as you can to assist attorneys in their marketing and business development initiatives, you have to realize when some things are just not do-able. That for me is a challenge I still face today, and probably will throughout my career.
Do you have any words of wisdom to those who are new to the field?
Be ready for change. Attorneys will come and go; practice areas will rise and fall; and offices will open and close. In this field, no two days will ever be the same and being prepared for an ever-changing career will assist you in your day-to-day role as a legal marketer.
What is one thing that most people don’t know about you?
Something most people don’t know about me is when I was little I wanted to be a Fly Girl on In Living Color. That’s a far cry from legal marketing, but it was all I wanted to be when I grew up back then!