Does the legal industry need a facelift?

Budgets are becoming more accessible and firms are recruiting. Things are starting to look positive. The legal sector has gone through challenging times lately. Perhaps now is an ideal opportunity to bring in fresh perspective and energy.

While we may have a good wind behind us, a recurring bugbear of mine is the public perception of our industry, which won’t seem
to go away.

Frequently featuring in the ‘UK’s least trusted profession’ polls, solicitors are commonly viewed as dishonest, up there with bankers, estate agents and accountants. We are viewed as premeditating and, at worst, corrupt. This is an incredibly cruel and unfair interpretation of our craft.

A solicitor’s skill set is vast and complex – detail orientated, incredibly organised and expert in argument and cross-examination – the majority in our profession
care passionately about their client’s interests and want to do
a good job.

So, why don’t we have the greatest public perception? What puts people off using a law firm? One reason is that it can be perceived as faceless. In this industry, the simple fact is
people buy people. A down-to-earth, no-nonsense attitude and approach are a must – particularly in the north east.

Over the past 12 months, we have focused on moving away from the perception of the business as being ‘more than just a high street law firm’. We have worked hard as a team, making everyone accountable for marketing their individual departments and areas of expertise, and we are starting to see a shift.

We have instigated a new campaign, which will bring the team to the forefront of what
we do. My firm is named after a real person. Our lawyers have personality and we think this is an opportunity to showcase our talent making them the stars of the show. They are our brand ambassadors. It’s a chance to tell their stories and make them real for our customers.

A change in perception won’t happen overnight, but by putting the building blocks in place, working patiently as a team,
it will start to happen.

At the core of our profession lies integrity, ethics and, most importantly, trust. We will continue to build our business
on relationships. It’s time for
our industry to be given the credit it rightly deserves. We all have a role to play in making sure
this happens. SJ

Kathryn Taylor is managing partner at Gordon Brown Law Firm