Getting your law firm in the news takes more than sending press releases or announcing new partners. It requires understanding what journalists need, identifying timely story opportunities, and positioning your attorneys as credible sources who can explain complex legal issues.

During my years as a reporter, I received thousands of pitches from PR firms, companies, and organizations. Most went nowhere.

Before founding Inside Advantage PR, I spent five years in broadcast journalism, reporting for outlets including ABC News and the BBC. That newsroom experience continues to shape how I approach media relations for law firms and attorneys.

Lawdragon profiled my approach to legal communications, including how I use my experience as a former reporter to build relationships with legal journalists and secure earned media for attorneys and law firms.

I’m also a contributor and listed PR expert with O’Dwyer’s PR News, where I’ve written about crisis PR and litigation communications.

The pitches that became stories during my reporting career usually shared three qualities: they were relevant to something I was already covering, they connected me with someone who understood the subject, and they arrived when I needed them.

Law firm media relations works the same way.

Getting your attorneys featured in The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Reuters, CNBC, or other major news outlets isn’t primarily about promoting your law firm. It’s about making your attorneys useful to reporters.

How Do Law Firms Get Media Coverage?

Law firms get consistent media coverage by connecting their attorneys’ expertise to stories journalists are already covering.

The strongest opportunities often involve breaking news, major litigation, regulatory developments, government investigations, court decisions, significant transactions, original research, and emerging legal or business trends.

One common mistake is waiting until the law firm itself has news.

Your attorneys already know things reporters need to know. Effective law firm PR connects that expertise with the right journalist at the right time.

Here are 10 ways law firms can improve their media relations and earn more news coverage.

1. Make Your Lawyers Available for Breaking News

Some of the best media opportunities happen quickly.

A major court decision comes down at 10 a.m. A government agency announces an enforcement action at noon. A CEO is indicted. A large company files for bankruptcy.

Reporters immediately need experts who can explain what happened and why it matters.

The attorney who responds tomorrow may be too late.

When I was reporting, availability mattered enormously. If I had a deadline and needed an expert, I wasn’t necessarily looking for the world’s foremost authority on the subject. I needed a credible expert who could talk now.

Law firms that understand this have an advantage.

Identify attorneys ahead of time who are willing to speak with reporters and know which subjects they can discuss. Maintain clear profiles of their expertise, availability, and preferred contact methods.

Then, when news breaks, you’re ready to respond.

2. Stop Treating Every Firm Announcement as News

Law firms generate plenty of announcements: new partners, new offices, new practice groups, awards, rankings, and promotions.

Some are legitimately newsworthy. Many aren’t.

One of the biggest differences between marketing and journalism is that a firm’s priorities and a reporter’s priorities aren’t necessarily the same.

Your firm may care deeply about an announcement. That doesn’t mean a reporter’s audience does.

Before pitching an announcement, ask a simple question:

Why would this matter to someone who doesn’t work at our law firm?

If there’s no compelling answer, the announcement may be better suited for your firm’s website, LinkedIn page, or client newsletter than a media pitch.

That’s one reason law firm PR and law firm marketing serve different functions.

Effective legal public relations focuses on relevance, news value, and the interests of the audience—not simply on promoting the firm.

3. Give Reporters Expertise They Can’t Get From Google

A reporter doesn’t need an attorney to repeat basic facts. They need insight.

Suppose a federal agency announces a major enforcement action.

A weak source explains what the agency announced.

A strong source explains what the announcement means.

What happens next? What’s unusual? What are companies overlooking? Does this signal a broader enforcement trend? Could the government’s legal theory survive a challenge? Who should be concerned?

That’s where an attorney becomes valuable.

The best media sources don’t simply know more than the average person. They help reporters understand what matters.

Law firms can improve their chances of earning coverage by identifying the questions their attorneys are uniquely qualified to answer and preparing them to communicate those insights clearly.

4. Identify Attorneys Who Make Strong Media Sources

The lawyer with the biggest title isn’t always the firm’s best media source. Neither is necessarily the attorney with the longest résumé.

A strong media source needs expertise, but also the ability to communicate.

Can the attorney explain a complicated subject in two sentences? Will the attorney answer the reporter’s actual question? Can they speak without burying every answer under legal qualifications? Can they make time when a journalist has a deadline? Can they offer a distinctive perspective?

Those qualities matter.

A technically brilliant attorney who takes three days to respond and speaks entirely in legal jargon can be difficult to establish as a regular media source.

Effective attorney PR involves more than identifying credentials. It also means preparing lawyers to give concise, accessible, and useful commentary.

5. Pitch the Attorney, Not Just the Law Firm

Reporters generally aren’t looking for a law firm. They’re looking for a person who knows something.

Instead of pitching:

“XYZ LLP has extensive experience in antitrust matters.”

Give the reporter a specific attorney, explain why that person understands the issue, and offer a timely angle.

For example:

“Former FTC attorney Jane Smith is available today to discuss why this case could change how regulators approach vertical mergers.”

Now the reporter knows who the source is, why she’s credible, and what she can add to the story.

Make the decision easy.

The same principle applies to litigation PR, regulatory commentary, employment law, cybersecurity, healthcare enforcement, and other specialized practice areas. A targeted pitch that explains an attorney’s relevance is more useful than a generic description of the firm.

6. Make the Story the Focus of Your Pitch

This is where a lot of PR goes wrong.

The pitch begins with a long description of the firm, its history, its awards, and its attorneys. The reporter hasn’t yet been told why any of it matters.

Start with the story.

What happened? What’s interesting about it? What can your attorney explain? Why is that insight relevant to the reporter’s audience?

Then establish why the attorney is credible.

When I was a reporter, I wasn’t opening pitches hoping to learn more about someone’s organization. I was trying to do my job.

The best pitches helped me do it.

A strong law firm media relations strategy prioritizes timely, relevant story ideas over promotional language. Keep the pitch concise, make the connection to the news clear, and give the reporter a reason to respond.

7. Respond Quickly Without Wasting the Reporter’s Time

Speed matters. So does relevance.

Sending a reporter an attorney within minutes of breaking news doesn’t help if that attorney has nothing meaningful to say.

Good legal media relations requires both.

You need to understand the news quickly enough to recognize the opportunity and understand your attorneys well enough to know who belongs in the conversation.

That’s why effective media relations can’t simply begin after something happens. The groundwork has to be done beforehand.

You should already know your attorneys, their backgrounds, their practice areas, and the subjects where they can offer something distinctive.

When an opportunity arises, a prepared law firm can respond with a relevant expert and a clear explanation of what that expert can contribute.

8. Build Relationships With Journalists Before You Need Them

The goal isn’t one interview. The goal is for reporters to come back.

An attorney who helps a journalist once may get interviewed. An attorney who repeatedly provides fast, useful, and understandable insight can become a trusted source.

That’s much more valuable.

Over time, the relationship can reverse. Instead of constantly pitching the reporter, the reporter starts calling the attorney.

We’ve broken down that process further in How Lawyers Get Quoted in The Wall Street Journal, Reuters & Bloomberg.

The best law firm PR builds relationships, not just placements.

That means respecting deadlines, responding promptly, being accurate, and understanding when an attorney isn’t the right source for a particular story. Journalists remember sources who make their work easier.

9. Handle Litigation PR Carefully

Litigation can create significant media opportunities. It can also create significant risks.

A high-profile lawsuit may attract attention from legal publications, business reporters, local media, and national outlets. But the communications strategy must support the legal strategy, not interfere with it.

That means coordinating with counsel, understanding what can and cannot be discussed, and recognizing that public statements may be scrutinized by opposing counsel, clients, employees, and the court.

Litigation PR isn’t about saying the most. It’s about understanding when to speak, what to say, and when silence is the better strategy.

A thoughtful litigation communications plan can help a law firm or client respond to media inquiries, prepare appropriate spokespersons, and communicate key information without creating unnecessary legal or reputational risks.

Our guide to common litigation PR mistakes explores these risks in greater detail.

10. Don’t Wait Until Your Law Firm Has News

This may be the biggest mistake law firms make.

They call a PR agency when they hire someone, win a case, or open an office. Then nothing happens for three months, so media relations stops.

That’s backwards.

News happens every day. Courts issue decisions. Regulators act. Companies merge. CEOs get sued. Congress changes laws. Industries face new regulations. Technology creates new legal questions.

Your attorneys don’t need to be the subject of those stories to be part of them. They need expertise relevant to them.

Consistent media relations helps law firms identify these opportunities, prepare attorneys for interviews, and connect with journalists before a major announcement or legal development occurs.

That’s why waiting until your law firm has news can leave valuable media opportunities on the table.

What Types of Stories Can Get a Law Firm in the News?

Law firms can earn media coverage through far more than press releases and firm announcements.

Common opportunities include:

• Breaking legal and regulatory news

• Major court decisions and appeals

• Government investigations and enforcement actions

• Significant litigation and high-profile trials

• Mergers and acquisitions

• Bankruptcy and corporate restructuring

• Antitrust and competition developments

• Employment law changes

• Cybersecurity and data privacy incidents

• Artificial intelligence regulation

• Healthcare enforcement and compliance

• White-collar investigations

• Real estate and commercial property trends

• Original research, surveys, or industry data

• Major transactions and business disputes

• Significant verdicts or settlements

• Emerging business and legal trends

The best opportunities depend on the firm’s practice areas and the expertise its attorneys can offer.

A white-collar defense attorney and a real estate attorney shouldn’t have the same media strategy. Each needs a targeted approach based on the news, the intended audience, and the questions journalists are likely to ask.

How Do You Get a Lawyer Interviewed by Major News Outlets?

Start by making the lawyer useful on a story the outlet is already covering.

Major national outlets don’t generally interview attorneys simply because they want exposure. The lawyer needs relevant credentials, a timely reason to be included, and something worthwhile to say.

Former government officials can be particularly useful when their prior experience directly relates to a story. The same is true of attorneys handling significant matters or lawyers with deep knowledge of specialized industries.

But credentials only open the door. The attorney still has to deliver.

Be responsive. Be concise. Avoid jargon. Understand the reporter’s deadline. And don’t turn the interview into a commercial for the firm.

An attorney who consistently provides clear, relevant commentary can become a trusted source for future stories.

Does Media Coverage Help a Law Firm Get Clients?

Media coverage isn’t a substitute for business development, but it can make business development easier.

A prospective client may see an attorney interviewed on television. A CEO may search an attorney’s name and find several Bloomberg or Reuters interviews. A referral source may repeatedly see a lawyer explaining developments in a particular practice area.

That creates familiarity and credibility before the first conversation takes place.

Earned media can also strengthen attorney biographies, social media profiles, newsletters, proposals, and other marketing efforts.

PR creates third-party credibility. Marketing can amplify it.

The strongest strategy connects media relations with a broader business development plan while recognizing that media coverage doesn’t guarantee new clients or specific business outcomes.

How Long Does It Take for a Law Firm to Get Media Coverage?

There isn’t a universal timeline.

An attorney whose expertise suddenly intersects with a major breaking story may receive an opportunity almost immediately. Building a sustained national media profile typically requires ongoing effort.

The objective shouldn’t simply be to generate one placement as quickly as possible. It should be to establish attorneys as reliable sources in specific areas so reporters have a reason to return to them.

That requires consistent pitching, good timing, strong positioning, and attorneys who deliver when opportunities arise.

The results depend on the firm’s expertise, the news cycle, the competitiveness of the subject, and the relevance of the attorney’s commentary.

What Should a Law Firm Look for in a PR Agency?

When evaluating a legal PR agency, look beyond its media list. Ask how it actually gets attorneys into stories.

Consider these questions:

• Who develops the pitches and identifies news opportunities?

• Who contacts reporters and manages media relationships?

• Does the team understand the news cycle and journalists’ deadlines?

• Can it identify opportunities when your firm doesn’t have an announcement?

• Does it understand the difference between promoting a law firm and helping a reporter?

• Can it prepare attorneys to communicate effectively during interviews?

• Does it understand the sensitivities involved in litigation PR?

• Can it demonstrate relevant earned media results?

If an agency says it specializes in earned media, you should be able to review evidence of its work and understand how it positions clients for interviews and coverage.

For law firms seeking meaningful media exposure, a strong agency should understand both the legal industry and the newsroom perspective.

Work With a Law Firm PR Agency That Understands Journalists

Getting your law firm in the news starts with understanding what journalists need.

At Inside Advantage PR, our approach to legal public relations draws on newsroom experience and an understanding of how reporters evaluate story ideas, identify credible sources, and work under deadline.

We help law firms and attorneys identify relevant media opportunities, develop targeted pitches, and build relationships that support sustained earned media visibility.

Whether you’re looking to position a partner as an industry expert, increase visibility for a practice area, or navigate communications surrounding significant litigation, a focused media relations strategy can help connect your expertise with the right audience.

The Bottom Line: How to Get Your Law Firm in the News

If you want to get your law firm in the news, stop starting with the law firm. Start with the story.

Find where your attorneys’ expertise intersects with what journalists are covering. Give reporters knowledgeable sources who respond quickly, communicate clearly, and offer something they can’t get from a press release.

Then do it consistently.

That’s how attorneys go from chasing media opportunities to becoming the people reporters call when news breaks.

Jonathan Beaton is President of Inside Advantage PR and a former ABC News Radio correspondent. Inside Advantage PR helps law firms and attorneys build national media profiles through earned media, expert commentary, television, radio, and podcast interviews.