By Anastasia MacLean
1. How did you get started working in the legal arena and how has your career path developed to date?
I started my own business, EC Writing (www.ecwriting.com), in 2004 after working at the University of Toronto Press as a copy editor and desktop publisher. While at U of T Press, I took on the staff newsletter as a volunteer project and found that I enjoyed writing and interviewing more than editing.
My law work began when a friend who worked in the marketing department at a legal publisher told me that his boss was looking for “a good writer who wasn’t a lawyer.” I enjoyed writing direct mail materials for a wide range of legal books and research tools. In 2006 I took a maternity leave contract at McCarthy Tétrault LLP as Senior Strategic Writer, which solidified legal marketing as my niche.
Today my clients are a mix of law firms, other professional services firms, and other business-to-business companies. I write practice group descriptions, bios, press releases, success stories, sales letters and emails, and all types of web copy. I also edit legal alerts and client publications – anything that needs to be translated from legalese into plain English.
2. What do you love about your work?
I love the educational aspects, such as interviewing Supreme Court judges and learning about areas of law that affect daily life. As a writer, I enjoy presenting technical information in clear persuasive language that appeals to a business audience. As a self-employed professional, I appreciate being able to focus on my strongest skills – writing and interviewing – and work on a variety of projects.
3. What are some of the challenges in your work?
Waiting for revisions can be time consuming and frustrating. The longer it takes to receive changes to a draft, the more a project can lose momentum. I’ve also had to learn how to navigate legalese and the complex terminology of securitization, structured finance and carbon exchange markets.
4. When did you join the LMA and how has it helped you in your career?
I joined the LMA in October 2005. Being a member gives me exposure to prospective clients on a regular basis and helps me bring valuable insights to my clients about the most effective types of marketing and communications materials.
5. What advice would you give to new members of the legal marketing profession and those considering membership in the LMA?
If you’re new to legal marketing, take some time to learn legalese. You can find helpful plain language legal dictionaries and specialized glossaries online, such as for finance words.
Our monthly chapter programs will also help you learn about major aspects of legal marketing that you can use on the job. And if you like to write, the Communications Committee is always looking for writers and editors to produce event invitations, program reports and member communications. If you want to get involved, please contact me at alerts.toronto@legalmarketing.org.
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Anastasia MacLean is Writer/Editor at the Toronto office of Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP.