The holidays are right around the corner, and many people are thinking of ways to give back. It’s a wonderful time to support your community and help others. But giving back doesn’t have to happen during the holidays! Lawyers have so much to give, and there are many ways they can give back to their community year-round. Don’t just take this from us, though. Today, your prospects and clients want to see law firms, and frankly, all businesses, go the extra mile. Because clients demand this, we’ll look at why giving back is essential and 9 clever ways firms like yours can give back to their community.
The most obvious reason is that giving back helps other people. You can support people in need with charitable donations or volunteering. Depending on who you partner with, you may assist low-income individuals or families, people without physical needs like shelter, food, or clothing, or those who don’t have an education. Giving back to your community is a way of making every person feel valued and cared for. But giving back does more than just support the beneficiaries who receive it—it also benefits your law firm and organization. This brings us to…
Law Firm Corporate Social Responsibility
Research shows that today, more than ever, clients and employees care about social impact. They’re calling on businesses to consider what kind of positive impact they’re making in the community. This is the heart of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). It is used to define a wide range of activities, but to keep it simple, CSR is any corporate activity that seeks positive change in four areas:
- Environmental
- Ethical
- Philanthropic
- Economic
CSR is the way companies help others. Consultwebs, the legal marketing agency, defines three main benefits firms get from a CSR strategy:
- Attract and retain talent: More employees than ever are eager to work for companies that align with their values and care about more than the bottom line.
- Attract and retain clients: It boosts your business’s credibility, attracting more people to work with you.
- Improve your well-being: Giving back has been shown in many studies to impact the giver’s mental and physical well-being positively.
Attaching your law firm’s name to a meaningful cause boosts your CSR and positive brand recognition while doing something good in the community.
Law firms can give back to their community in one of three ways:
- Time
- Money/ Resources
- Skills
Giving back with your time:
- Team Volunteer Day: Hold a volunteer day where your whole team partners with a local charity and works on a project.
- Individual Volunteer Day: Offer paid days off for your employees to volunteer at a charity or non-profit of their choice.
- Mentorship: Give time to a law student, junior lawyer, or someone else who can benefit from your expertise. The Legal Mentor Network is a great place to start if you’re interested.
Giving back with your money and resources:
- Corporate donation: Support a charity by offering a donation in your company’s name.
- Payroll donations: Offer the option for your employees to give financial donations to a charity of their choice through payroll deductions. It’s a simple way to share and helps them with the paperwork to receive their tax credits.
- Host a food or clothing drive: Connect with a local charity or non-profit to find out what they need. Then, get your team members to donate items to give them.
Giving back with your skills:
- Pro bono work: Offer your legal services for free to those who can’t afford them. The American Bar Association reports that more than half of American lawyers provide pro bono services. They recommend that all lawyers offer at least 50 hours a year of this type of work to help those in financial need.
- Host a workshop or presentation: As a lawyer, you have specific knowledge you can share through a free workshop or presentation. For example, offer information about immigration, tax law, incorporating a business, or whatever your area of expertise is.
- Research or write: Offer your knowledge and research skills to legal writers, journalists, or others who want to cover complex law topics. You might contribute to blogs, journals, case studies, media pieces, or legal writing.
Giving back to your community isn’t limited to writing a check—there are many creative ways to do it! If you want inspiration, check out Charity Navigator, which helps you find charities that align with your company’s vision and goals. Law firms that give back to their community and engage in CSR experience positive growth and loyalty beyond the brand. If you want to learn more about how to grow your law firm, contact us today – we will teach you what law schools don’t!
