Body of Knowledge

Created by the Legal Marketing Association

The Body of Knowledge (BoK) is a foundational resource for professional development in marketing that defines the core skills necessary for legal marketers to succeed. The BoK defines essential and accepted domains, competencies and associated skill sets within the legal marketing profession at every level. It helps legal marketers hone their skills, assists legal marketing managers to develop themselves and their teams, provides a universal benchmark against which legal marketers can be assessed, and guides LMA in delivering the right educational programming for marketers of all levels.

The Evolution of the BoK

The original BoK was created in 2016 to serve as a blueprint and roadmap for professional development opportunities for those in the legal marketing and business development profession. In 2018, LMA’s Education Advisory Council (EAC), under the guidance of LMA’s education director, reviewed each domain, competency and skill to ensure they were current with the legal marketing industry’s standards. This thoughtful and critical review resulted in the new version of the BoK.

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View the BoK

LMA membership is required to view the digital version of the BoK. Printed copies of the document are available for purchase by both LMA members ($49) and prospective LMA members ($149). Prospective members must create a guest account and log in to purchase.

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Test Your Skills With the BoK Assessment Tool

Test your Body of Knowledge (BoK) core skills! Take the intro quiz to get started, and then continue with the six domains. Determine your current knowledge level and where to focus your educational and professional development efforts. Plus, this tool also gives you personalized recommendations on next steps based on your results. The full quizzes are an LMA member benefit.

Take the Quiz

Assess Your Skills With the Competency Analysis Tool

To better assist you in charting your own development path, LMA has created a competency analysis tool (CAT) for each domain within the BoK. The CAT can be used to assess staff’s or your personal professional development opportunities.

Click on each domain icon below to view and print the CAT.

 

Business Development

 

Business Development drives new business and increased revenue for the law firm – both directly and indirectly – through client and prospect outreach, attorney coaching and mentoring, and market intelligence.

Business of Law

 

Business of Law includes understanding the legal profession, evaluating firm financial and operational performance, building strategies to leverage market opportunities and implementing practices that maximize performance.

Client Services

 

Client Services consist of the techniques, processes and standards by which law firms’ professional staff serve the lawyers in the firm and the clients of the firm, including the disciplines of project management and process improvement.

Communications

 

Communications entails developing and implementing internal and external messaging strategies to broaden the impact of the firm’s programs and brand position.

Marketing Management & Leadership

 

Marketing Management and Leadership establishes and effectively manages a highly functioning marketing organization through people and processes that foster collaboration and drive overall business objectives.

Technology Management

 

Technology Management includes identification, implementation and effective management of the technologies and technology staff that support marketing and business development.

 

New to the BoK? Start Here

LMA Podcast: Body of Knowledge SERIES

Listen to the LMA Podcast Body of Knowledge series centered around the six BoK domains. Each episode features domain experts providing insight on industry trends within each domain and actionable advice on how to apply your knowledge of the domains at work.

Video: Body of Knowledge Created by the Legal Marketing Association

Watch this quick video to learn how and why the Body of Knowledge was developed.

Tell Us What You Think

Once you've had a chance to review the BoK, and apply its contents, let us know your thoughts through our brief survey.

BoK Survey