Breaking Misconceptions: How Legal Marketers Are Innovating and Advancing the Field

In this episode, John Byrne, the Chief Marketing Officer at Gould & Ratner and the 2025 President of the Legal Marketing Association, disputes the idea that legal marketing is behind other professional services industries. He and Michelle Calcote King discuss how forward-thinking law firms are harnessing the power of content marketing and leveraging data analysis to bolster client retention. John emphasizes the vital role of relationship selling in legal marketing and explores how marketers can earn a seat at the table at their firms. John’s insights empower marketers to recognize their influence and champion the value of their profession.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn

• About John Byrne’s journey from journalist to becoming a leader in the legal marketing field.

• About the Legal Marketing Association and its current strategic plan to support and uplift marketers.

• The unique challenges of the legal marketing field and examples of how innovating marketers are tackling them.

• Advice for legal marketers to earn a seat at the table at their law firms.

• Why John encourages legal marketers to embrace relationship selling.

• The value of content marketing for law firms.

• How legal marketers are using data analysis to improve client retention.

• The importance of tracking your achievements and not being deterred by negative feedback.

About our featured guest

John Byrne is the Chief Marketing Officer of Gould & Ratner. John has spent nearly 30 years in the legal profession, with much of that time devoted to helping lawyers attract new clients and engagements. He has particular skill in business development and traditional sales, as well as writing, marketing communications and public relations. John's most valuable skill, though, is his ability to connect with lawyers and clients alike, listening to them and understanding their needs to create strategies for success.

An active participant in the 4,000-member Legal Marketing Association, John is its president for 2025. His service on its International Board of Directors includes roles as president-elect, an at-large member, chair of the Regional Leaders Committee, treasurer-elect and treasurer. He has also served as president of the group's Midwest Region as well as co-executive editor of LMA's Strategies magazine from 2015 to 2016, and as co-chair of LMA's Annual Conference in 2014.

John earned his law degree from Loyola University Chicago and his bachelor's degree from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, where he was the editor in chief of The Daily Northwestern. For the past few years, John has served as chair of the board of directors for Students Publishing Co., Inc., the independent nonprofit entity that owns and operates The Daily Northwestern.

Resources mentioned in this episode

• Check out Gould & Ratner

• Follow Gould & Ratner on LinkedIn, Facebook and X