The Law Entrepreneur, Episode 460: “LinkedIn for Lawyers: Why ‘Playing Professional’ is Killing Your Brand”

Guest: Jimmy Lai (CEO, Lai and Turner Law, Oklahoma / Founder, Unforgettable Professionals)
Hosts: Sam Mollaei, Neil Tyra (with guest host Bridget Norris)
Release Date: September 12, 2025

Overview

This episode explores how lawyers can stop “playing professional” on LinkedIn and use storytelling to become more authentic, memorable, and ultimately more effective business-builders. Guest Jimmy Lai—a once “boring lawyer” who grew his firm and personal brand dramatically through LinkedIn and community-building—shares practical insights on content creation, branding, and executing a multi-channel marketing strategy without losing your unique voice.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Jimmy's Background & Journey to LinkedIn (01:35 – 03:12)

• Immigrant story: Jimmy grew up in Taiwan, struggled with career options as an international student, and discovered the E2 visa route, leading him to start Lai and Turner Law in Oklahoma, growing from solo to 23 staff in three years.
• Practice diversification: Despite conventional wisdom to “niche down,” Jimmy’s firm remains broadly focused to serve the Oklahoma market, while his personal legal work is focused on immigration.

Building and Scaling a Law Firm (03:12 – 05:29)

• Scaling through focus: Jimmy recognizes the value in mastering one practice/marketing channel before expanding.
• Wearing many hats: Early struggles with time management, HR, and operations—he only recently began delegating HR and plans to hire a fractional CFO to improve margins.

Jimmy's Shift in Role: From “Smartest Lawyer” to “Best Known” (05:29 – 07:02)

• CEO over technician: “I don’t need to be the smartest attorney, but I do need to be the best known... to get the clients coming in and then find the best attorneys available to fulfill these clients.” (Jimmy Lai, 06:04)
• Delegation and team visibility: Now spends 80% of his time in CEO/rainmaker activities, 20% on legal work.

Becoming the “Boring Lawyer” Who Isn’t Boring (07:02 – 13:33)

• LinkedIn as a strategic pivot:
  • Inspired at a conference, Jimmy sets out to build a personal brand to decrease reliance on expensive ads.
  • Grew from 1,300 to 8,000+ followers in a year; LinkedIn generated not just client leads but key hires for his firm.
• Storytelling over legalese: Started branding himself as “the boring lawyer” as a tongue-in-cheek way to break out of the “Suits”-inspired stereotype of law; realized that embracing his “boring” persona and telling simple, real-life stories generated greater impact and engagement.

Notable Quote

“I blame ‘Suits,’ the TV show, for making people think lawyer life is exciting... No, lawyer life is quite boring.”
— Jimmy Lai (09:46)

Content Pillars & Storytelling Strategy (13:33 – 17:25)

• Content pillars for consistency: Leadership, law firm growth, attorney life, AI topics, marketing, and community-building.
• Story ideas from daily life: Examples include posts about buying Krispy Kreme donuts at 5:30am for his team, which received 10,000 impressions.
• “People take themselves too seriously on LinkedIn sometimes.” (Jimmy Lai, 13:13)

Making LinkedIn Content Relatable and Transferable (14:15 – 16:31)

• Instagram vs LinkedIn: Personal posts can translate to LinkedIn, especially stories that mix educational and lifestyle elements.
• Shareability is key: High-performing posts blend value with authentic storytelling—e.g., a Gen Z staffer’s late-night text, turned into a viral post.

Memorable Moment

“Lawyer wakes up at 5:30, not for court, but just to get donuts for his team...” (Jimmy Lai, recounting a 10k-impression post, 12:51)

Practical Content Creation Advice

Storytelling for Pragmatic Writers (16:54 – 18:58)

• Focus on the hook: The first three lines should spark curiosity—otherwise, no one will “see more” or engage. “People are nosy!” (Jimmy Lai, 17:25)
• Simple CTAs: Yes/no or numbered responses encourage engagement, whereas open-ended questions may intimidate.

Coping with AI Content Proliferation (18:58 – 20:37)

• Authenticity as differentiator: “People can tell when content is AI...people crave the real stories.” (Jimmy Lai, 19:35)
• Use AI for assistance, but ensure personal experience and voice shines through.

Platform-Specific Tactics (21:06 – 22:54)

• Profile optimization: Use banners, feature sections, and clear calls-to-action.
• Tailor for B2B or client audience: For lawyers with B2B-practice (e.g., employment, business, IP), LinkedIn is especially powerful.

Notable Quote

“As attorneys, there’s probably plenty of stories that... increase your trust and likeness... When posting content, I keep these things in mind: Is it going to make them know me better? Like me more? Trust me more?”
— Jimmy Lai (22:25)

Common Pitfalls for Lawyers on LinkedIn (22:54 – 24:06)

• Ignoring the hook: Even the most exciting case study will flop if the opening isn’t engaging.
• Overanalyzing & showing off: Don’t use LinkedIn as a platform for research papers.
• Keep it concise: Lawyers are “skimmers”—use short paragraphs and lots of white space.

If You Only Have 30 Minutes a Week (24:43 – 26:23)

• Batch content creation: Draft and schedule 2+ posts per week.
• Don’t “post and ghost”: Engage with others’ posts and reply to comments.
• Realistically: To gain traction, 2 hours/week is minimum for writing, commenting, and replies.

LinkedIn's Role vs Other Platforms (26:23 – 30:18)

• LinkedIn = long-term, authority play: Like SEO—compound interest over time. The depth of connections on LinkedIn is greater than on Facebook or Instagram.
• Strategic use for B2B and referrals, even in less obviously “professional” fields.

Notable Quote

“Connections you make on LinkedIn are more impactful than on Instagram or Facebook.”
— Jimmy Lai (27:50)

Being Memorable, Not Just Professional (30:18 – 35:19)

• Referrals still matter: Relationship-building is not dead; LinkedIn can enrich your referral network.
• Personal branding: Move beyond “Senior Associate / IP Attorney”—describe who you help and how in plain language.

Memorable “Cheese” Story

“Since it’s late at night, no one’s going to see this on LinkedIn, it’s safe for me to say: cheese is overrated.”
— Jimmy Lai (35:13)

• A lighthearted post that went viral and made him “the cheese guy” on LinkedIn.

Final Takeaways & Action Steps

Headline and Hook Essentials (36:30 – 37:30)

• Revamp your LinkedIn headline—ditch “Just Attorney,” describe your value proposition plainly.
• Use “it’s late at night, no one will see this...” as a free hook.

Consistency & Community Trump Everything (32:03 – 33:21)

• Show up every day; start with 1–3 posts/week, grow from there.
• “Focus on 1% improvement... it slowly grows and compounds over time.”
• Join supportive communities to develop your writing and storytelling.

“There Is No Easy Button” (33:21 – 34:31)

• Mastery takes time, just like law: “You didn’t become an attorney overnight... you’re also going to have to put in the work for LinkedIn.”

Make LinkedIn Fun and Human (34:31 – end)

• People are tired of “corporate speak.” Deeper, lighter, and more personal posts cut through the noise and form unexpected, valuable connections.
• “If you’re the best attorney in the world, but if no one knows you, how are they going to hire you?” (Jimmy Lai, 34:18)

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• “I don’t need to be the smartest attorney, but... the best known and get the clients coming in.” (06:04 — Jimmy Lai)
• “Lawyer life is not exciting. It’s, it’s, it’s quite boring.” (09:46 — Jimmy Lai)
• “People take themselves too seriously on LinkedIn sometimes.” (13:13 — Jimmy Lai)
• “People can tell when the content is AI... people crave the real, real stories.” (19:35 — Jimmy Lai)
• “Is it going to make them know me better? Like me more? Trust me more?” (22:25 — Jimmy Lai)
• “Just because you’re the best attorney in the world, but if no one knows about you, how are they going to hire you?” (34:18 — Jimmy Lai)
• “Cheese is overrated.” (35:13 — Jimmy Lai, referencing a viral ‘cheese rant’ post)

Suggested Actions for Listeners

• Audit your LinkedIn profile and headline: Are you communicating who you help and how?
• Pick 3–5 “content pillars” related to your life and practice.
• Start posting stories—even small, daily moments—with strong hooks.
• Engage: Don’t just post; comment and interact to deepen relationships.
• Join or build LinkedIn communities for feedback, ideas, and accountability.
• Stay consistent, track small improvements, and be patient—the ROI is in relationships and reputation, not just leads.

For more from Jimmy Lai and to join his “Unforgettable Professionals” community, check the show notes for links and resources mentioned in this episode.