Why No One’s Reading Your Thought Leadership (And How to Fix It)

By Becky Bergman

Estimated Reading Time: 10 minutes

We hear the words “thought leadership” all the time. It’s become one of those buzzy phrases that gets tossed around in the legal space, making it feel like every firm is cranking out articles, client alerts, and commentary in a race to be heard.  It’s easy to tune it out.

True thought leadership – the kind that drives authentic conversations – isn’t about producing more content. It’s about creating strategic, bold, and different ideas that inspire action. In today’s oversaturated market, law firms that want to break through the noise must rethink how they present information and be able to differentiate their messaging.

In this post, we’ll dig into what it takes to create lasting credibility and influence in 2025 and beyond – and how to do it in a way that feels authentic, intentional, and impossible to ignore.

Move Beyond Safe Takes: Find Your Firm’s Bold POV

It’s tempting to play it safe when speaking to the media – especially in today’s high-stakes, fast-moving news cycle, where it feels like every word is evaluated under a microscope. But playing it safe won’t help you to be remembered. Reporters aren’t looking for the same cautious takes they’ve heard a dozen times. They’re looking for honest perspectives and ideas that are fresh, sharp, and willing to push the conversation forward.

For law firms, this means getting intentional about your point of view. Instead of reacting to what everyone else is saying, think bigger. Where are the emerging risks and opportunities your firm already sees? How can you help shape the conversation around major issues like AI regulation, ESG litigation risks, or shifting workplace policies after the latest SCOTUS rulings?

One of the smartest things a firm can do right now is to have internal conversations on important industry topics.  What do we believe others aren’t saying yet? Where are we willing to go a little deeper – or bolder – to serve clients and advance the dialogue? What trends have we identified that we can speak on that will help our readers move the needle in their business?

Taking a stand doesn’t mean being reckless. It means being clear. It means having a thoughtful, well-supported, and meaningful viewpoint. The firms making headlines and getting quoted are often willing to offer a forward-thinking or even slightly contrarian take when others are still hedging.

When you stop trying to say everything and start focusing on saying something that matters, your thought leadership starts to lead.

Tell Stories, Not Just Summaries

Lawyers are trained to be detailed – it’s one of the things that makes them great at what they do. However, accuracy and details alone don’t cut it regarding thought leadership. Facts without a story behind them don’t stick. The human element – the storytelling component – makes ideas relatable, memorable, and worth sharing.

The law firms building real authority aren’t just recapping legal developments or rattling off a list of bullet points and statistics. They’re positioning the information in a way that relates to their clients’ needs and concerns.

They’re answering the bigger questions: What does this mean for businesses navigating a shifting landscape? How should clients be thinking differently next quarter – or next year? What’s broken and how can our readers fix it?

The best way to make insights stick is to tie them to real-world examples that are relevant and interesting. Without breaking confidentiality, bring your points to life with client experiences, industry shifts, or cautionary tales that people can picture. The adage “show, don’t tell” is a helpful one to remember. Your article or thought leadership piece should help your audience see how a regulatory change plays out in practice or how a court decision is already reshaping boardroom strategies.

People don’t remember a list of facts. They recall the story that resonates with them, and made them think differently, or see a challenge they hadn’t spotted before. Don’t just explain what happened if you want your ideas and information to leave a mark. Tell the story of why it matters – and what’s coming next.

“A common mistake I see in law firm content pitched to me is that it summarizes a recent development, and stops there — in other words, it doesn’t analyze the broader, forward-looking implications and explain why the development really matters,” says Betty Vine, an expert analysis editor at Law360.

“Stand-out thought leadership goes beyond simply stating facts. I look for pieces that contextualize, predict, compare, contrast, identify patterns and trends, make recommendations, etc. As legal experts, they’re uniquely positioned to offer this kind of deeper insight.”

Here are a few examples to show how small changes can make a big difference in how we create stories with impact:

Example 1:

Original (Summary-Only): New guidelines on overtime eligibility will impact mid-sized employers nationally.

Edited (Story-Driven): The Department of Labor’s new overtime rule isn’t just another update for mid-sized businesses to glance over. For companies feeling the pressure of rising labor costs and operating expenses, it’s a concern that could potentially reshape budgets and staffing plans.

Example 2:

Original (Summary-Only): A recent Supreme Court decision clarified the standard for personal jurisdiction over foreign corporations.

Edited (Story-Driven): If you’re doing business across borders, the Supreme Court’s latest decision changed the game. It didn’t simply tweak the rules – it rewrote the entire playbook on where and how companies can get pulled into lawsuits. What used to be a low-risk market might now put you squarely in the crosshairs.

Example 3:

Original (Summary-Only): The SEC announced new disclosure requirements for ESG factors in corporate reporting.

Edited (Story-Driven): Companies promoting their ESG efforts are about to be under a much sharper microscope. The SEC’s new disclosure rules aren’t just about filing extra paperwork – they’re putting pressure on businesses to back up their claims.

Bottom Line:

You stop sounding like everyone else when you add a human lens to your insights. You move from background noise to the voice people want to hear.

Quality Over Quantity: How Selective Publishing Wins in the New Media Landscape

Editors at top publications agree that clarity and focus win.

“Articles that stand out in my review are well written and present the recent legal developments and their implications in an organized fashion,” says Elaine Song, Managing Editor of Westlaw Today (Reuters).

“They communicate a solid theme or message that is introduced clearly in the beginning and runs throughout the article. A common mistake I see are articles that don’t crystallize the theme or central point in the beginning and instead write in broad concepts; in those cases, the central points could get lost.”

Song adds, “The reader benefits when they have a roadmap that guides them through the article.”

Stop Publishing Everything. Start Publishing with Purpose

The mindset was simple for a long time: publish more, be seen more. Flood the market with updates, newsletters, press releases, alerts, and articles – anything to stay visible. But in today’s crowded landscape, more doesn’t automatically equal better.

The firms standing out now aren’t the ones saying the most – they’re sharing the right things in the right places with the right audience. It’s about being strategic and intentional about how you show up.

Focus on platforms that carry weight. A strong byline in Law360, Bloomberg Law, or ALM will do more for your firm’s reputation than a dozen lightly read blog posts. Don’t overlook niche opportunities, like targeted podcasts or specialty legal outlets, where you can speak directly to the audiences that matter most to your practice.

It’s not just where you publish – it’s what you publish, too. Deeper pieces that offer clear, thoughtful takeaways are what reporters, clients, and colleagues will remember, and refer to later. When you prioritize quality content over frequency, you are more likely to build a stronger, more credible voice that doesn’t get lost in the noise.

If this sound daunting, take heart. One strong article can serve as a jumping off point for other communications. By repurposing your content, you can turn it into a series of social posts, a speaking opportunity, a media pitch, or even a short video commentary. Thought leadership isn’t about doing more work – it’s about getting more mileage out of the work you’re already doing well.

Why It Works: Thought Leadership Converts

Thought leadership isn’t just about looking smart. It drives business. Clients don’t hire the legal team that simply summarizes the news – they hire lawyers who can explain what’s next, spot the risks before they surface, and lead them through uncertainty with clarity and confidence. Great thought leadership positions you as someone ahead of the curve anticipating what’s ahead, rather than simply reacting to the current environment.

If your thought leadership reads like a sales pitch, it’s not thought leadership – it’s marketing copy. Avoid turning every insight into a promotional ad for your services. The goal here is to offer real value and highlight your knowledge for the relevant audience.

The most effective pieces do one or more of the following:

• Make a bold prediction – even if it’s a little uncomfortable
• Spot a trend others haven’t noticed yet
• Translate complex information into “news you can use”
• Tie legal insights to real commercial implications

When done right, thought leadership articles build credibility, spark media attention, and, most importantly – get clients to think: “That’s who I want in my corner.”

Conclusion

Thought leadership today isn’t about flooding the market. It’s about being intentional – crafting and sharing the right ideas where they’ll have the most impact. In a crowded legal space, the firms that rise above aren’t the ones who say the most – they’re the ones who say something that matters.

When you shift your focus from volume to value, you don’t just capture attention – you earn authority. And when the next big story breaks, or the next major shift happens, the media will already know where to turn: you and your firm.