I am a tax attorney, CPA, and chief executive officer of the tax and commercial law firm Cummings & Cummings Law (https://www.cummings.law) with offices in Dallas, Texas and Naples, Florida. I also teach business and tax law at Florida Gulf Coast University. Digital PR is the practice of earning media placement and third-party mentions that shape what an existing or prospective client perceives when they search a firm name. It differs from ads because the outlet controls the headline and context, so the firm owns less of the message. That is both an advantage (credibility) and disadvantage (loss of control and the propensity to be misquoted or misunderstood). We do digital PR, but we treat it as risk work. A quote about deal terms, tax posture, or litigation strategy can waive privilege, create waiver arguments, or supply an opposing party with a drafted soundbite for pleadings. It is challenge, therefore, to provide detailed, concrete responses on some topics without crossing the line. I have seen one sentence in an article lead to a bar grievance and a demand to withdraw from a closing after a counterparty claimed reliance. Yes, it has been effective. We generate inbound inquiries daily from highly specific keyword placements and expert commentary. But effectiveness does not mean volume. We say no to most requests. We ver every media professional (and have discovered more than one scammer or imposter) and outlet (we screen outlets to avoid reputation damage). Commentary that work in real estate, commercial law, and tax (my firm's industry verticals) include targeted remarks tied to rate changes, escrow disputes, and audit procedure, plus publishable data from closed matters with client consent and redaction. This is important: I manage media relationships one-on-one by phone, Zoom, or email. I do not outsource these relationships. That keeps an authentic voice and it reduces distortion from intermediaries (which not only risks creating a false or misleading message but can also lead to defamation and fraud claims and state bar grievances in some cases). My profile and credentials can be viewed on my Featured profile and on my website above. Should you have any follow up questions or wish to schedule a Zoom conference to discuss, please email me at chad@cummings.law.
Digital PR, to me, is the modern extension of reputation building. It's how a law firm earns visibility and credibility online through thought leadership, media coverage, and meaningful contributions to conversations that matter to our clients and community. We actively engage in digital PR at Stephenson Rife by sharing insights on legal developments, publishing educational content, and contributing expert commentary when relevant issues arise. It has been effective because it positions our attorneys as trusted resources rather than just service providers. For law firms today, digital PR is no longer optional. People research attorneys the same way they research any major decision, and what they find online directly shapes their confidence before they ever make contact. Our approach focuses on practical, client-centered topics that reflect real questions we hear every day. This includes timely commentary on legal changes, clear explanations of complex issues, and content that helps people understand their options before they need representation. The goal is not volume, but relevance and consistency. Media relationships are built the same way client relationships are built through trust, reliability, and responsiveness. We focus on being helpful sources, providing clear and accurate insight when journalists need context or perspective, and maintaining long-term professional relationships rather than one-off placements.
I believe that one of the best strategies that law firms often overlook when it comes to digital public relations is focusing on the closest and most organic relationships they already have. Are you publishing in your professional association's magazine? Have you written an article for its blog? Do you belong to a local business association? A chamber of commerce? Do you collaborate with their website or publications? It's incredible how many small organizations have their own publications and regularly create content for their blogs. And it's equally incredible to see that, in most cases, the same people are the ones signing the articles—often the person in charge and perhaps one other member of the organization. I believe there is a huge opportunity to build authority, increase visibility, and position your law firm by leveraging these types of organizations. If you approach them politely and ask, you'll be surprised by the doors that can open for your firm.
As a digital PR professional working with law firms to build their online authority and increase their visibility in search engines, I see digital PR as a strategic combination of traditional PR and SEO, focusing on creating signals of trust that will be recognized by both clients and search engines. As a result, we consider it to be a major factor in our digital experience strategy for our legal partners. Many times, clients will evaluate their decision to call a law firm based solely on the firm's reputation online. Because of this, digital PR is critical in helping firms overcome the challenges that clients perceive as trust barriers or "trust hurdles". By being consistently referenced as an authoritative legal expert in the media, law firms typically convert at a significantly higher rate than those that do not receive any media exposure. Third-party validation, as opposed to self-placed advertisements, carries much more weight. The primary tactic we use to build up our digital PR efforts is through "reactive public relations". By keeping an eye on the news cycle, we monitor which stories are breaking and the associated issues, allowing us to quickly provide journalists with our expert legal opinions and insights. Additionally, we place great importance on data-driven storytelling by examining the public's legal issues and data collected from anonymized case studies that we produce as unique reports that journalists can reference in their articles. Media relationships managed by us as a source of information instead of by solicitors, allows us to build rapport with editors as a reliable, high-quality resource for comments on legal issues. By focusing on providing relevant legal information and analysis to journalists that are not generic, but specific to their area of expertise, we have developed a reputation as a low-friction source for commentary and have become a source of value to both our media contacts and the law firms we represent. In the legal profession, our goal as a digital PR organization is to take ownership of the online narrative about law firms and establish credibility through an online reputation. By creating a solid foundation of authority for our law firm partners, we want to make sure that clients have the opportunity to learn about our partners and to build an ongoing relationship with them.