A LinkedIn Playbook for Civil Trial Lawyers.

LinkedIn works for lawyers when it keeps you visible to the people who refer to you. None of the following requires you to become a content creator. Pick three. Do them weekly. The compounding does the rest.

1. Comment, don’t just post.

Two or three substantive comments a week on your referral network’s posts. Not “Great point!” Actual content. You appear in their notifications and feeds without writing a single post of your own.

2. Reply to every comment on your posts.

Even one line. Doubles the algorithmic reach of your post and signals you’re actually present, not posting and disappearing.

3. Acknowledge wins.

Promotions, new roles, work anniversaries, called-to-the-bar moments. Specific and short. Each note is a no-cost touchpoint with someone who already knows you.

4. Use the platform’s triggers.

LinkedIn tells you when someone changes jobs, has a work anniversary, or has a birthday. Use the prompt. The reason to reach out is handed to you.

5. Follow before you connect.

Especially for judges, senior counsel, mediators, and adjacent professionals. By the time you send the request, you’re a known name, not a stranger.

6. Personal note on every connection request.

One or two sentences. Where you met, what you have in common, why you’re reaching out. Never the default blank send. Acceptance rates climb and the relationship starts with context.

7. Re-share with a take.

Two or three lines on why a post matters or what you would add. Never a blank re-share. You borrow someone else’s reach while signalling your own thinking.

8. Publish plain-language commentary.

One short post a week on a case, ruling, or change in your practice area, written for a smart non-lawyer. Your referrers share it because it’s useful. You become the voice in their head when a question lands.

9. Use the Featured section.

Most lawyers leave it blank. Pin two or three items: a media mention, a CLE you delivered, a guide you wrote. The top of your profile sells you before the About section has to.

10. Take it offline.

LinkedIn keeps you visible. The referral happens after a coffee, a call, or a hallway chat at a conference. Use a comment or DM as the bridge. The platform stops being the relationship and becomes the lead-in.

One final thought.

Visibility is not a campaign. It is a habit. Five minutes, three times a week, with the same people you already know. That is the whole playbook.