Onboarding assets for a new attorney often get made as time allows. A bio waits on a headshot, an announcement waits on a bio and the work gets redone when details change. A set process keeps the assets in order and prevents rework.

This article outlines what should be completed in the first 30 days of onboarding. The work starts with a headshot and bio, which run at the same time, then moves to LinkedIn profile updates, public announcements and direct client outreach, with one point person accountable throughout. The order matters because each step builds on the one before it.

Before the First Day

Three tasks come before any drafting.

First: Name one point person who tracks every deliverable, deadline and approval. Without that person, tasks often stall between the marketing, recruiting and administrative teams.

Second: The marketing team collects the attorney’s inputs: a resume, practice areas and honors.

Third: The team sets the timeline and shares it with the attorney and every approver.

Step 1: Headshot

The marketing team should schedule the headshot as soon as the attorney’s contact information is available, ideally before the first day. Coordinating photographer availability with attorney schedules can cause significant delays, and a late photo can hold up the entire process.

The team should request multiple crops or a full-length image so one session covers the website, LinkedIn and email.

Step 2: Bio

The bio is drafted while the photo session is being scheduled. The marketing team writes it from the collected materials (resume, practice areas, honors) and sends it to the attorney for approval. After sign-off, proofread names, dates, honors and practice area language against firm style.

The bio and headshot are published to the firm website before the next step begins, because every later step is built on and links back to the bio page. Having both the LinkedIn profile and the web announcement link to the bio page provides clients and referral sources a direct path to learn more about the attorney and find their contact information.

Step 3: LinkedIn

Once the bio is approved and live, the marketing team works with the attorney to update their LinkedIn profile to match it, using language adapted from the firm bio. The About section content should be rewritten in first person to increase authenticity. The profile should also include the attorney’s preferred headshot and a link to the firm bio page.

The attorney then confirms the profile before the announcement goes out. New connections and followers often arrive within days of a hire becoming public, and having a completed profile makes the new attorney look prepared and polished.

Step 4: Website and Social Media Announcement

The announcement is written once and adapted by platform. The marketing team drafts it from the approved bio, using language that is condensed and distinct from it. The announcement should highlight what prospective and current clients need to know most about the new hire.

Because the previous materials have been approved by the attorney and the firm, the message remains consistent across social media, the website announcement and the bio. Hyperlinks lead readers from the social media post to the web announcement and then to the bio page.

The attorney signs off on the final text before anything is published. The bio page and the team page headshot must be live first, so every post links to a working page.

The announcement is the firm’s first public introduction of the attorney. It tells the broader market who has joined, signals that the firm is growing and guides readers through linked posts to the bio page, where they can learn more and reach out.

Step 5: Client Outreach

The marketing team adapts the social media language into a formatted email announcement and sends it directly to relevant clients, prospects and referral sources. The team segments the list by relationship and practice area so each group receives a targeted message.

The email includes one photo and one link to the web announcement, with one clear next step for recipients. Before sending, the team confirms the web announcement is live and the list segments are finalized, so no recipient lands on a broken page or receives the wrong message.

Direct outreach puts the attorney in front of the people who matter most to the firm’s relationships. Because the message goes straight to each recipient’s inbox and is targeted by relationship and practice area, it reaches clients, prospects and referral sources who may not see the social post and gives them a clear reason to connect with the new attorney.

After the First 30 Days

The marketing team reviews what worked, what caused delays and where approvals stalled. It then updates the process before the next hire.

Lateral Hires

Lateral attorneys follow the same sequence with a few adjustments. The announcement and client outreach are even more important because the attorney arrives with an existing network that the firm can capitalize on. Prior firm references and move-related restrictions also need review before anything is published.

For a more in-depth breakdown on lateral onboarding, check out this article: Lateral Onboarding Playbook: 4 Steps for Law Firm Marketers.

Why a Process Matters

A set process gets new attorneys in front of clients sooner. Each step sets up the next, ensuring every asset is made once instead of redone when details change. The approved bio and headshot shape the LinkedIn profile, the bio becomes the source for the announcement and the announcement gives client outreach a live page to link to. The time saved carries forward: a review after the first 30 days shows what worked, so the team can start the next hire with a plan already in place.