Potential clients are searching the internet for a lawyer right now.
Who they contact and ultimately hire depends a great deal on what they can learn about the lawyer online. The vast majority want to know about a lawyer's experience, their credentials, and the types of cases they handle. They also want a clear understanding of the legal process and the approximate cost of their case.
Tell them what they want to know through your Enhanced Directory profile (powered by ReliaGuide).
The Enhanced Directory is an exciting member benefit from the State Bar of Michigan that makes it easier than ever to tell potential clients why you are the best fit for their legal needs.
With a streamlined user interface, ease of access right from your member page, and a simple setup, the Enhanced Directory makes it easier than ever to GET FOUND and GET HIRED!
Sign in
The Enhanced Directory is easily accessible right from the State Bar of Michigan's website. To access the directory, click ATTORNEY SEARCH.
Click Sign In, select Lawyers, and enter your bar credentials.
The site's Terms of Use displays the first time you access Attorney Search. After reading and accepting the Terms of Use and specifying basic default values, you will be directed to the site.
Add and edit profile information
Once singed in, you may edit the in your Enhanced Directory profile by clicking the edit icon next to the appropriate section.
Note: Some information (e.g., name, email, etc.) must be edited from your State Bar of Michigan member profile. If you attempt to edit this data, you receive the following message and will be redirected back to your bar profile to make the desired changes.
Go to the State Bar of Michigan Member Area to edit your profile by clicking here.
Once you edit and save the information, it will automatically update your Enhanced Directory profile (note that changes may take up to 20 minutes to appear in your Enhanced Directory profile).
Email address, phone number, website, and address
Members may add their website address and may change the visibility of their mailing address in their profile's public view. Click the edit icon next to the appropriate element.
Add your Cell, Fax, and/or Website address. Click OK to save your changes.
To hide your address, click the box next to Hide Address and click OK to save your changes.
Things your profile should contain
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Photos - Prospective clients like to see the person with whom they will be working. Add pictures of your office, pictures of you at meetings, involved in hobbies, or taking part in charitable activities.
Click "+ Upload" in the right corner to add one or more photos to your profile. Once uploaded, click on the photo to make it a profile photo or to remove the photo.
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Practice areas- Coupled with location, practice area is the most used search parameter. Include all of your practice areas to ensure the right clients find you. The average member lists 10, so don't be shy!
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Biography - Your biography takes center stage when it comes to telling potential clients who you are. Tell them what makes you unique and what makes you the best choice to handle their legal needs.
Refer to Profile Content Creation Tips for helpful information and sample profile content (i.e., creating a successful profile, taglines, keywords, practice areas, biographies, and client case examples).
Specify details about your practice
The ABOUT MY PRACTICE section of your profile contains a number of items that are searchable and filterable by prospective clients.
If you would like to make it easy for potential clients to connect with you directly from your profile, ensure you enable the "Allow potential clients to contact me through my Attorney Search listing."
When a potential client clicks the CONTACT button in your Enhanced Directory profile, they will be prompted to provide their contact information and summary information about their legal issue. Once submitted, the request is sent to you via email, so please be on the lookout for emails originating from the support@reliaguide.com email address. This feature works even if your email address is hidden.
Contact requests are stored in the Contact Request section of your Attorney Search profile for later reference (via the left menu).
For more information on this feature and to view a sample Contact Request email, refer to Manage potential client contact.
The importance of completing your profile
It's easy to see from the screenshot below why lawyers whose profiles contain photos, a tagline, biography, unlimited practice areas, etc. are 10x more likely to be contacted by a potential client than lawyers whose profiles do not provide this information.
If you are trying to grow your practice and are interested in attracting new clients, complete your profile today!
Profile add ons
Build your brand and track your profile's performance with two powerful options: Profile to Website and Analytics. Both are available from the upgrade screen and from the side menu and are explained below.
Profile to Website
Do you need a website, but not the expense or hassle of creating one? You are in luck! Turn your profile into a professional website in minutes right from your Attorney Search profile.
- Easily create and maintain website content right from your profile
- Cost-effective with no setup fees or contracts
- No design or technical skills are required
- Responsive — works on all devices
- Helps you build your brand and increase your online presence
Read about it here: Your website - powered by your profile!
See it in action here.
Analytics
You work hard. Make sure your Enhanced Directory profile does too. With Analytics, you will learn:
- How your performance stacks up against the top performing State Bar of Michigan lawyers (all data is anonymized)*
- Which practice areas drive traffic to your profile and which profile elements are the most clicked
- If your profile is appearing in search results and if it is being viewed by prospective clients*
- In which geographic areas your profile is performing better*
* Requires Analytics subscription.
To add the Website or Analytics add on, click Upgrade from the side menu.
Accessing other profile options
Your can access a number of other profile options from the left side menu. Be sure to periodically check your Dashboard to see how your profile is performing!
Viewing the public-facing directory
To access the public facing directory, click the magnifying class or Search from left menu.
To return to editing your profile, click My Account in the upper right corner.
Helpful Resources
For a list of all help topics, click here.
Need help building your profile? Contact us at support@reliaguide.com or 844-899-9335.