Your next client’s judging you on Google

Plus: Same-sex estate gaps | Firms caught in Trump fallout

Raise The Bar

05 Jun 2025 • 7 min read

Lawyers are always being judged, and not just by people on the bench. Clients and the public are constantly assessing our work and reputations as we go about our day-to-day business. In this issue of Raise the Bar, we look at a few different ways attorneys and firms are shaping their profiles.

Some firms are taking a hit after striking “deals” with the Trump administration. Others are risking their reputation while flirting with (or ignoring) AI. And you won’t want to miss our Q&A with an estate planning attorney who says we all need to get comfortable asking awkward questions.

Nailed it. I bet you can guess the number one reason non-lawyers think they could be lawyers.

Runaway fashion. You could be the new owner of some orange slippers owned by one of the NOLA prison escapees.

Millennials are at it again. The generation accused of killing everything from casual dining to cable tv are now taking down divorce.

In her ownership era. A deep dive on why Taylor Swift buying back all her prior content matters.

More summer vacay inspo. A bunch of info on LGBTQ+ heritage sites curated by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. There’s a number of courthouses, homes of famous lawyers and legal aid societies on here if you dig in.

Ask the awkward questions

Attorneys are often advised that they should never ask a question they don’t already know the answer to. Chris Tymchuck, the founder of Unique Estate Law in Minneapolis, thinks it’s time to throw that advice out the window. Chris says asking awkward questions is a necessary part of the estate planning process when you are serving the LGBT+ community.

What inspired you to focus your practice on LGBT estate planning?
As a member of the LGBT community, I understand the importance of working with someone who is knowledgeable in the unique issues we face.

For example, in Minnesota, there are extra steps same-sex parents need to take to ensure the “non-birth parent” is considered the legal parent of the couple’s children. Even if the couple is married and both spouses' names are on the birth certificate, the non-birth parent must obtain a court order stating she is the legal parent.

I had numerous clients come to me stating their prior attorney told them a court order was not necessary to prove legal parentage over a child born to their same-sex spouse. They believed the attorney and never filed to get an adoption or parentage order. This could be catastrophic if the birth mother dies and someone else challenges the non-birth parent’s status as the legal parent of that child!

That’s wild! I would never consider looking beyond the birth certificate.
Most attorneys don’t. But when you are working with LGBT clients you can’t assume anything. Do not assume that those listed as “children” on the intake form are the legal children unless you have seen a court order. Do not assume someone is married—or unmarried. Do not assume pronouns or the gender of anyone involved. It’s better to ask an awkward question now than have a plan that backfires later.

Are there any other common misconceptions about estate planning for LGBT individuals or couples?
Before same-sex marriage was legalized, too many said, “You can get all the same rights as married couples using estate planning.” That was simply not true. We cannot draft around things like tax breaks granted to married couples.

Now that same-sex couples can get married, I have had LGBT individuals tell me they do not need an estate plan because marriage solves it all. This is also untrue.

Legal status and legal planning are not interchangeable. Relying on either alone can leave serious gaps.

Are there any practical steps an estate planning attorney could take tomorrow to make their practice more inclusive?
Because my practice has always been enmeshed in the LGBT community, my forms have always included such language as “partner/spouse” and they avoid pronouns where possible. If you need to use pronouns, ask which ones your clients prefer.

Actually, just get comfortable asking questions in general. You can’t help a client protect themselves or their family if you don’t understand who they are and what the legal gaps they face might be.

Deal or no deal?

The nine law firms that struck deals with the Trump administration in exchange for avoiding an executive order attacking them may need a refresher on Contracts 101. Some legal scholars are pointing out that there’s no true meeting of the minds since the terms of the various agreements seem to shift along with the president’s policy priorities, and every firm that struck a deal did so under duress. Increased suspicion of the deals conveniently comes as the firms that push back in court see both reputational and business gains.

Why this matters: This is not just a Big Law story. The erosion of pro bono independence, threats to firm autonomy and the growing political thicket could eventually affect firms of all sizes. Managing partners should take note: institutional values, ethical clarity and the courage to say no may prove to be the most valuable assets your firm holds. (NPR)

Rewards outweigh the risks of using AI

We all know that AI is notorious for hallucinating case law, yet “63 percent of lawyers surveyed by Thomson Reuters in 2024 said they’ve used AI in the past, and 12 percent said they use it regularly.” (The 2025 report should be out next month, and it will be interesting to see how those numbers have changed.) For busy lawyers juggling court deadlines and client demands, the productivity boost outweighs the risk… at least when used carefully.

Why this matters: Lawyers who understand how to use AI responsibly (perhaps treating it like an error-prone junior associate) are the ones driving our profession forward. Whether this means we are at the precipice of a “white-collar bloodbath” and entry-level legal jobs will soon be scarce remains to be seen. (The Verge)

Revisiting the bar exam helps law firm go viral

Hemmat Law Group (yes, the same Seattle firm that ranked its competitors) is going viral on TikTok and other social media sites thanks to its video clips dissecting bar exam questions. The firm is now releasing longer clips of its “Non-Lawyer takes the Bar Exam” series as podcast episodes featuring the firm’s COO John Avi Socha and various guests who must try to answer MBE-style questions. This is in addition to the firm’s typical podcast episodes that “shine a light on the challenges and curiosities of legal practitioners through profiles, disbarment cases, outrageous judges, and the quirks of our system of jurisprudence.”

Why this matters: This is a great example of a firm looking at what popular content it has and expanding in that area. The caveat here is we, as outsiders, have no idea how many viewers are turning into potential clients. At the end of the day, we want to run successful law firms, not production companies, so it is important to track intake data, not just eyeballs. (Gossip Without Prejudice)

Put your firm on the map

When a potential client searches for “divorce lawyer” or “business attorney" in whatever city you are in, a handful of firms spread out on Google Maps is often the first search result they see. This is why it is critical that any firm that wants to get clients through Google search has a complete, accurate and well-maintained Google Maps listing.

Beyond discoverability, a strong Google Maps presence builds trust. Positive reviews, updated office hours, clear contact information and recent photos of your office signal legitimacy and professionalism. If your listing is bare, inaccurate or nonexistent, you may lose out to firms with less experience but a stronger online profile.

Why this matters: In an industry built on credibility and reputation, ensuring your firm’s Google Maps listing is optimized is a low-effort, high-impact way to stay competitive in your local market. This is true even as Google’s AI Overview makes it harder to get noticed in a search that does not pull Maps up to the top of the results page. (Legal GPS)

Thank you for reading Raise The Bar.

Every Thursday, you'll hear from our team about the most pressing issues facing legal practices today. We'll also try to include some quick-hit reads that touch on interesting cases and precedents being set worldwide.

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Raise the Bar is curated and written by Emily Kelchen and edited by Bianca Prieto.