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Law Firm Case Studies: 18 Tips to Win Over Potential Clients

by Good2bSocial • July 15th, 2025 • Content Marketing | Blog

law firm case studyCase studies are one of the most powerful tools in the law firm marketing arsenal.

Showcasing how your firm helped a real client resolve actual legal challenges allows you to clearly demonstrate its expertise, build credibility with its target audience, and convince potential clients that your attorneys are capable of achieving the outcome they need. A compelling case study does more than highlight the facts—it brings your firm’s values, skills, and strategic approach to life.

Unfortunately, I’ve come across too many law firm case studies that read like dry, procedural summaries or thinly veiled brag sheets. That won’t keep anyone’s attention, let alone convert a skeptical prospect.

How can you ensure your case studies are both engaging and informative?  I’ve put together 18 essential tips to help your law firm create and leverage compelling case studies that will resonate with potential clients.

What is a Case Study?

Case studies provide real-world examples of your firm’s work with clients, showcasing the strategies, approaches, and results your attorneys have achieved. When approached thoughtfully, an impactful law firm case study can help your firm accomplish several critical goals:

  • They build trust through social proof.
  • They demonstrate to future clients that you know how to achieve targeted results.
  • They can be leveraged across several marketing platforms and channels, including search and SEO, email, and your firm’s website. 

A case study is not an in-depth white paper, a reveal of your “secret sauce,” or a promotional advertisement. It’s not a press release or platform to spotlight your services. At its core, a case study is about the client’s journey—not yours. It emphasizes the real, tangible value your team provides, focusing less on technical details and more on the meaningful impact your firm achieved.

Why Are Case Studies Important?

To build a strong relationship with its target audience, your firm must demonstrate its value proposition through action. Potential clients want to feel confident that the lawyer they’ve chosen can deliver results. You must reassure them that their case will be expertly handled. The best way to gain their trust? Highlight how your attorneys successfully resolved similar matters.

18 Ways to Create Case Studies That Leave a Lasting Impression

1. Get Permission from Your Client First

Rushing to publicize a client’s story without first asking permission is a sure-fire way to lose their trust — yet I’ve seen many businesses do just that!. Don’t make the same mistake. Ask before you even start writing and run the draft by the client before publishing. It’s courteous to allow them to make any edits they’d like as well before publishing.

2. Start With a Clear Objective

Before choosing a case or putting pen to paper, figure out what you want the case study to achieve. Are you aiming to attract clients in a particular field? Do you want to showcase your success in high-stakes litigation? Defining your purpose helps you select the right story and shape the content accordingly.

3. Focus on a Case That Will Resonate With Your Audience

You want readers to relate to and identify with the problems encountered by your case study’s protagonist. What is your ideal client’s most commonly experienced obstacle? If you have multiple client personas, identify a specific case for each and go from there.

4. Center the Story on the Client

Effective case studies aren’t firm-centric—they’re client-focused. Frame the narrative around what the client was dealing with, how it affected them, and what they hoped to resolve. Your firm and its attorneys play a supporting role, but the client is the main character. That perspective makes the story more relatable and persuasive.

5. Follow the Proper Format

Structure your case study with a clear flow: Situation, Solution, and Results. Start with the Situation—introduce the client, their background, and the challenges they faced. Align their pain points with your audience personas to make their struggles relatable. Next, outline the Solution—explain your approach step-by-step, showing how you addressed their problem. Finally, showcase the Results—highlight the transformation, focusing on the measurable outcomes and the emotional payoff of their success.

6. Keep It Simple

Keep your case study clear and concise with short sentences and paragraphs. Cut out anything unnecessary to ensure it’s easy to read and keeps your audience engaged. Aim for an ideal length of 500-1500 words, focusing only on the essential details that matter most. Avoid overwhelming your audience with excessive information.

7. Use Plain Language

Write in a way that non-lawyers can easily understand. Latin phrases and legalese will lose you readers; focus instead on explaining the situation clearly and simply. Your audience wants to feel informed—not overwhelmed or confused by terminology.

8. Highlight Strategic Thinking

Don’t just say what happened—explain why your team chose a particular legal strategy. This is your opportunity to show prospects how your attorneys think, how they navigate complexity, and how they tailor their approach to each client’s needs.

9. Touch on Any Challenges or Obstacles

People don’t just want to see perfect outcomes—they want to understand how your firm overcame adversity. If there were complications, mention them. Demonstrating perseverance and creativity under pressure makes for a much more relatable (and impressive) story.

10. Let the Client Speak for Themselves

Client quotes are invaluable. Even a brief testimonial can bring a case study to life, adding credibility and emotion—an element legal professionals too often overlook.

11. Include Visual Elements

Use photos, infographics, timelines, or even simple icons to break up text and illustrate key points. A well-placed visual can help explain a complex process or timeline better than words alone.

12. Make It Skimmable

Break up your case study with headings, bullet points, images, and text styling like bold or italics. Today’s audiences have short attention spans, and an uninterrupted block of content is sure to turn them away. A skimmable page is easier to read and usually performs better when it comes to SEO.

13. Test Varying Formats to Engage All Learners

Law firm case studies don’t always need to be written. Experiment with different formats like podcasts, videos, or infographics to engage a wider audience. Some people prefer listening, others enjoy visuals, and some respond best to concise, data-driven presentations. By diversifying your formats, you can ensure your message resonates with every type of learner.

Related: The Law Firm Guide to Podcasting eBook

14. Give Case Studies a Prominent Place On Your Website

Make your case studies easy to find directly from your homepage. Add them to your drop-down menu for better accessibility and consider linking to them on relevant practice area pages.

15. Optimize for SEO

Don’t miss the opportunity to bring in organic traffic. Incorporate relevant keywords and phrases throughout the copy—especially in the headline, subheads, and meta description. Use schema markup if possible to enhance how your content appears in search results.

16. Include a Call-to-Action

Before creating your case study, define a clear goal. Think about the action you want readers to take—after all, they’re likely warm leads. To maximize impact, always include a strong, relevant call-to-action (CTA) at the end to guide them toward the next step.

17. Promote Your Case Study

Share your case study far and wide! Promote it on social media, include it in email campaigns, feature it in your newsletter, and get it in front of the right audience to maximize its impact. 

18:  Set Realistic Expectations for Your Case Study

Case studies aren’t meant to be your highest-performing content, so don’t be discouraged if they don’t generate the same results as your top-performing pages. Their purpose is to engage a more targeted audience—potential clients who are already seriously considering your services. While this audience may be smaller, it’s also far more qualified, making case studies a powerful tool for conversion.

Takeaway

Case studies are one of the most persuasive forms of legal marketing—if done right. If you’re not leveraging them yet, it’s time to start!  By focusing on the client’s story, explaining your strategy clearly, and showcasing real results, you can demonstrate your firm’s expertise and build trust with potential clients.

Need help crafting impactful case studies? Our team of experienced legal writers and journalists can turn your ideas into compelling content that works as hard as your attorneys do. 

Contact us today for a consultation!

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