In a battle to gain an edge in recruiting fresh talent, Biglaw firms are exploring new ways of distinguishing themselves. This has led to the emergence of novel approaches, ranging from exciting summer programs to favorable work from anywhere policies, among others. Recently, these law firms have shown increased interest in tapping into social media specifically, TikTok, to reach out to younger prospective lawyers.
The results of this initiative have been quite amusing, especially in the case of CMS UK. The law firm posted a video where young lawyers were seen bragging about the Edinburgh office. The clip was filled with comedic elements like the excitement over the office’s view of the castle, to the delight of having soda and jelly beans.
As pointed out by Roll on Friday, the awkwardness with which the lawyers star in these TikTok clips seems to be hinting at the creation of a new genre, aptly named “lawkward.”
Unsure if CMS was intentionally targeting cringe comedy or not, Hogan Lovells, another law firm, has followed suit. They posted their own video for the Birmingham office, which was undeniably more calculated. The firm pulled off a masterstroke with a tongue-in-cheek reference to “holes in one,” and took it further with ping pong solitaire.
Ultimately, these efforts reflect an interesting trend of law firm marketing – extending their reach to the social media audience and creating a new niche – lawkward TikTok. As promising as it sounds, whether these efforts manage to achieve the desired recruitment results, remains to be seen.