In the past, law firms have been able to grow client lists and keep full calendars with a strong reputation in the community and referrals. 

While these two ways of gathering clients are still valuable, digital marketing and your online presence has become crucial for law firms to show credibility and connect with potential clients. 

In this blog, we review why email marketing works for law firms in 2025, examples of email types law firms can send to engage both past and potential clients, and best practices for legal practices to stay in compliance while directly reaching inboxes. 

Email Marketing

Does Email Marketing Work for Law Firms?

Email marketing isn’t just for retailers or e-commerce brands — it can be one of the most effective ways for law firms to build trust and stay top of mind.

It keeps you connected with potential clients, nurtures long-term relationships, and positions your firm as the one they think of when legal needs come about.

Email marketing can be more affordable than other paid advertising, as it’s more consistent with returns on your investment ($42 return for every $1 spent, as of 2025), and isn’t as ‘taken over’ by AI as other platforms — consumers still get to choose who they hear from and whose emails they want to look at. 

Even if a potential client isn’t quite on board yet, email marketing and automation can help keep parts moving & keep everyone on the same page.

That being said, we understand there are compliance and legal rules around email marketing for law firms. Let’s address those right away. 

Legal Email Marketing Compliance: What You Need to Know

At the federal level, the CAN-SPAM Act sets the foundation for how any business can interact with consumers via email. This means your emails must include:

• Accurate sender information
• A clear and truthful subject line
• Your firm’s physical mailing address
• An easy way for contacts to unsubscribe

That’s the baseline.

But for law firms, there’s more to keep in mind. Unlike retail or e-commerce businesses, you’re dealing with potential clients who trust you with sensitive issues. That means confidentiality and professionalism are non-negotiable. Make sure not to over-promise results (or any ‘guarantees’), and never include information that might compromise client privacy.

It’s also best practices to send to permission-based lists. Beyond compliance, opt-in lists simply perform better because those are people who have chosen to hear from you.

Finally, remember that each state has its own professional conduct rules. Take time to review them by simply searching: “what are the email conduct rules for law firms in [YOUR STATE]?”, remember to keep good records of your campaigns, and when in doubt, err on the side of caution.

Staying Visible with Email: Ways to Avoid Spam Folders and Unsubscribes

What Kind of Emails Should My Law Firm Send?

Here are a few email campaign ideas for your law firm: 

• Monthly newsletters with legal tips or firm updates
• Welcome emails for new clients
• Educational emails on your services
• Event invites
• Client review requests when a case is closed
• Referral coupons 

The best part is, many of these can be automated for you! And none of these require any sensitive information — so you’ll stay compliant. 

A few best email practices to keep in mind: 

• Do not buy your send lists.
  • We say this because those contacts did not ask to hear from you and this practice will put your emails in the SPAM folder & email servers won’t trust you as a sender.
• Avoid email ‘blasts’ that go to every contact in your email list.
  • Segment the email to the audience it will be most useful to. 
• Make sure you have permission to send the email.
  • Gather emails from clients themselves or a sign-up form on your site.

Things Your Email Contacts Want You to Know

We Help Do Email Marketing Right

Is your law firm looking to see real leads and ROI from email, but can’t keep up with creating compliant campaigns consistently?

Let us know! We’d love to offer our email marketing services. 

Already sending emails? See what’s working (and what’s not) with a free audit.

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