Brochures lose gloss

The law firm brochure is one of the world's great constants.

Little changes, not only year after year, but firm after firm.

This remarkable homogeneity has come in for a withering attack by US legal marketing expert Ross Fishman, writing in Professional Marketing magazine.

'Here's what your brochure tells [law students] about you,' he wrote in an effort to make firms realise that they need to be a little more innovative in today's recruitment market.

'Our firm is very old.

We were founded by two lawyers who wanted to create a new kind of law firm, one that treated clients well...

We don't overstaff our matters like other firms.

Our firm has the highest ethical standards and is really committed to client service.

We are dedicated to pro bono.

We represent everyone, from individuals to Fortune 500 companies, in virtually every practice area from ADR to Zoning.

We are the nation's leading experts in every single one of them, as shown over the next 20 pages which contain alphabetical descriptions of each practice.

Look at the professional photos of our building, two busy conference rooms, and a dutiful young lawyer being mentored by a cheerful grey-haired senior partner.' Sound familiar?