I recently had the distinct pleasure of talking with Allan Schoenberg, Chief Communications Officer at Vinson & Elkins, during an Office Hours webinar 
for JD Supra clients. Allan’s hour was packed with sharp insights and pragmatic guidance for marketers and content strategists.
Below is a recap of key takeaways that you can share with your team and use to fine-tune your ongoing marketing, communications, and business development activities.
1. Adopt a seller’s mindset (because everyone’s selling)
Allan’s frame: no matter your title—comms, BD, digital—your job is selling ideas, expertise, and next steps. Work backward from what will help attorneys win the right conversations, not from formats or channels.
Try this: before any content lift, answer: What are we trying to sell with this? A call? A meeting? A panel invite? Align the asset and distribution to that outcome.
2. Escape the comparison trap; prioritize consistency over mimicry
Benchmarking is useful, but copying peers dilutes your edge. Stand out by being consistent in voice, visuals, language, and cadence across platforms and time.
Try this: set a brand “consistency charter” (tone, image rules, vocabulary, CTA patterns) and enforce it in every draft and post.
3. Start every project with this question:
Who do you want to call you when they read/watch this?
That answer defines the audience, narrows the story, and dictates where you place it (narrow industry newsletter, specific podcast/Substack, trade outlet, or GC-heavy media). “Meeting audiences where they are” requires knowing exactly who they are.
Try this: put that question at the top of your intake form. If the answer is fuzzy, the project waits.
4. Be the firm’s ‘dot-connector’
Your value is often orchestration: connecting BD, media, digital, and lawyers across practices to package a topic thematically. Relationship building (yes, hallway time) creates the internal network that makes this possible.
Try this: for each priority theme, map the people graph (lawyers, sectors, journalists, ops) and schedule a 30-minute cross-team huddle to align angles and deliverables.
5. Measure for understanding, not just sending
“Communication doesn’t end when it’s sent; it ends when it’s understood.” Use multiple signals to see if a message landed:
- JD Supra dashboards and site analytics (traffic, reader profiles)
- Media pick-up to target audiences
- Search presence (are you part of the topic query?)
- GenAI checks (what do ChatGPT and peers say about your firm/topic?)
If reality doesn’t match intent, reroute (and give it 6–18 months).
Try this: add a quarterly “Are we findable?” review across Google + GenAI snapshots for top themes.
6. Run on annual themes; enforce prioritization
Limited resources mean you can’t chase everything. Pick a yearly theme (e.g., “all things digital,” “web and content experience”), then triage inbound requests against it, firm revenue focus, and recruiting goals.
Try this: publish the theme to attorneys and staff; use it as the yardstick to say yes/no.
7. Use a hub-and-spoke content system—and extend the lifespan of winners
Put the core insight in the hub; push tailored spokes: short/long LinkedIn, lawyer-authored posts, audiograms, media pitches, newsletters, JD Supra, site features, internal comms. Recycle what performs: re-surface with timely hooks, quote cards, carousels, short audio/video, quarterly “Top Reads” roundups.
Try this: when a post spikes, trigger a seven-day ‘extension plan’ (two LinkedIn versions, audiogram, newsletter placement, JD Supra callout, media note).
8. Optimize LinkedIn for people, not just brand pages
Algorithms increasingly favor individuals. Encourage lawyers to post or at least reshare; their followers are the right audience anyway.
Try this: provide paste-ready blurbs + a one-line POV for attorneys; reshares are an acceptable baseline.
9. Experiment—with guardrails
Pilot small, measure, scale what works, kill what doesn’t. Allan’s example: 60-second audiograms (voice over static image) consistently get 1K–2K listens and humanize expertise without the overhead of a full podcast.
Try this: submit a one-page test plan (objective, audience, resourcing, success metric, sunset rule). No surprises—seek buy-in first.
10. Build careers (and better content) on curiosity
Read widely beyond legal (Foreign Affairs, Wired, S&P, McKinsey, Bain). Ask clients what’s on their mind. For AI: start with personal, low-risk use to learn the tool’s strengths/limits before applying to marketing tasks.
Try this: each team member brings one non-legal content idea to weekly standup—topic, angle, and a possible format.
Huge thanks to Allan for joining our call and so graciously sharing his insights and experience. JD Supra clients, for a recording of the entire session, log into your account dashboard and visit ‘What’s New’ for the Office Hours archive.
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Paul Ryplewski is JD Supra's VP of Client Service. Connect with him on LinkedIn.
