While law firm management teams have gotten better at identifying what is needed in a leader of the marketing department, there continues to be a significant mismatch between who a firm hires versus what it needs.

It is essential for firm management to invest the time and effort in determining where their firm is today, where it is going, and who they will need to make this happen. Intensifying competition and rapid growth in the profession means having the right people at all levels of the firm is essential. The marketing department of a modern large law firm can have several dozen full-time employees spread throughout the offices with budgets in the millions of dollars, and the CMO role is among the highest profile within the firm. Having the right person who has the support of the partners is essential. This series of articles is meant to start the conversation among firm management about how to identify the person with the right skillset for this mission critical position.