A recent Legal Futures article reported that the number complaints involving use of social media by barristers is increasing. The BSB have warned that “as social media and the internet become more prominent in our daily lives, there is an increasing need for barristers to be very careful about what they post whether in their professional or personal lives”. While inappropriate use of social media isn’t anything new, what struck me when reading that paragraph is that, for barristers, I would argue, there shouldn’t be a defining line between the personal and professional. As a barrister, you are your own USP, your personal brand is everything.

This year APIL’s Injury Prevention Day falls as we anticipate a return of the Civil Liability Bill in the upcoming parliamentary session, as well as the resurrection of plans to increase the small claims court limit. APIL originally instigated Injury Prevention Day in 2015 on the third Wednesday of August as an occasion to highlight what our association is about, and to give people a better understanding of our values. A key part of APIL’s remit is to promote safety standards and reduce avoidable harm. This year, Injury Prevention Day and the agenda for reform are connected.

Many fear that publishing prices could ignite a race to the bottom as firms try and outdo their competitors’ fees. Premium prices don’t guarantee premium service but, if managed wrongly, a price war could compromise standards of service with people simply selecting the cheapest option. While fears of a ‘race to the bottom’ are valid, they may also be overstated. Price transparency exists in nearly all aspects of our lives, yet people still choose to pay a higher price for a higher quality of service. If the race to the bottom was a valid concern, there would be no Waitrose customers, only Aldi.

Last month the Bar’s regulator, the Bar Standards Board, published its research with people who have used barristers’ services during family legal proceedings. It was published under the headline “Barristers are serving family law clients well, says new BSB research”. One publication for solicitors clearly got the wrong version of the press release, because its headline on the day of publication said “Public considers barristers ‘too expensive’ for family advice, regulator finds”. There ought not to be anything in the BSB report that threatens the solicitors’ profession. The Bar remains a largely referral-based profession. Public access is still a minority activity in family law – and this is unlikely to change.

American law firm advertising is a common source of amazement in our Curated House headquarters. Every so often, another US attorney’s advert will land in our inbox and quickly be shared around the office, often accompanied by audible gasps of disbelief. One particular ad that springs to mind, sent to us by a client, was a feature on the BBC about the self-styled ‘Texas Law Hawk’ – a young Fort Worth criminal lawyer whose ads had been causing a stir in the States. The Law Hawk (aka Bryan Wilson) was even featured in a Taco Bell Super Bowl commercial; such is his popularity. For a marketer, being featured in a Super Bowl commercial is probably akin to winning the thing for a sportsperson.