We’re back with another update on recent releases to Metwork, our first-of-its-kind legal networking software. Our expanding team of talented designers and developers has been hard at work, and their efforts shine through in this latest release. 

From streamlined functionality to improved user experience, our recent updates are designed to help forge strong connections and optimize legal networking. Discover the power of positive relationships as we continue to bring new enhancements and features to Metwork. 

Check out our latest releases below.

March Release

Find connections easier in and out of your Network.

Members are now able to see connections in their network in a specific law field. The law fields in each member’s Network dashboard display connections as users hover their mouse over the field. If the user clicks on a specific field, the algorithm will display suggested connections.

Organize association events using the calendar.

Association events are now listed in chronological order according to the calendar, with the next event at the top of the list.

Become a founding member.

A new offer was launched: founding members receive a complimentary year of Metwork membership. The payment process was updated to reflect this offer.

April Release

Connect with attorneys and paralegals across the country using the new Community Forum.

The new community forum allows members to create topics to discuss industry trends, seek advice, or chat about interests. 

Create groups and committees from your association dashboard.

We fixed a bug that prevented members from adding a new group or committee directly from their association’s dashboard.  

Attract new association members with visible descriptions.

Association descriptions, including sections such as “About Us” and “Why Join,” are now visible for potential members to view. 

Join Metwork through your association. 

Association memberships are now possible, with manager profiles added immediately and an automated onboarding process available to association members.

Refresh your referral queue more efficiently.

With the click of one button, members can now easily put a new queue together if their referral has been declined or timed out.

The latest updates are currently live and available to all users. Join now to become a founding member and enjoy your first year of Metwork for free. The future of legal is collaborative.

Our design and development teams were at it again, bringing new enhancements to Metwork users.

In our February release, we've made navigating referrals easier with clearer interfaces and more flexible fee options. Bug fixes ensure a smoother experience for members, from easily accessing membership plans to enjoying tailored network recommendations. 

Check out all the details below. 

Enhancements and Improvements:

• We've spruced up the Referral terms interface, making it simpler for members to spot new terms during the referral process. 
• Members can now set their referral fees by increments of 0.5, making it easier to get things just right. 
• Emails were updated across referrals and onboarding, ensuring they were clear and concise. 

Bug Fixes:

• Fixed a bug that prevented members from viewing membership plans correctly.
• Referral genius suggestions now only showcase attorneys within members’ networks, ensuring every recommendation is relevant.
• Members can now accept an invitation to join an association and select a plan before checking out. 
• Fixed a bug that prevented the referral discussion tab from updating properly.
• Association members can now fill out and send feedback forms to their associations. 
• Referrals no longer appear on a member’s referral index once they have been declined.
• Members can now upload HEIC image files.

The new year brings enhanced features across the board. Amongst those features are the option for more privacy and more opportunities for public discussion. We've also focused on increased data transparency and options that allow members to control how their personal information is displayed.

Find a full list of features, enhancements, and bug fixes below. 

Enhancements and Improvements:

• Privacy and visibility states were added to the Metwork onboarding process. Members can toggle settings to decide whether they want certain information displayed or hidden. New content was added to each onboarding step to inform members how the data will be used. 
• Improvements were made to Referrals:
  • Instructions on the final referral step updated to clarify the process.
  • Referral interface design was updated.
  • Buttons on referral emails and notifications now navigate to the correct step.
• Attorneys can build and preview custom onboarding forms when creating an Association.
• Paralegal capabilities were improved on the site, removing irrelevant tasks such as referrals.
• Genius suggestions, that show potential connections in Referrals and Network, have been enhanced.

Bug Fixes:

• New messages are no longer covered by image, recording, emoji, and gif options.
• Fixed a bug that prevented members from finishing onboarding.
• Members are now able to view feedback from other colleagues. 
• Fixed a bug that prevented members from using the notification buttons. 
• Updating team details no longer triggers another team invite email. 
• Members can now expand messages from the small chat window within an Association Metlist.

Our dev and design teams brought exciting improvements to our Referral Ecosystem with the latest update to the software. 

December’s update focused on improving the referral process, nicknamed “Referral Handshake.” Improvements allow attorneys to discuss and negotiate the terms of referrals with more freedom and less pressure.

Find a full list of features, enhancements, and bug fixes below. 

Enhancements and Improvements:

• Improvements were made to the referral process:
  • The time limit has been removed from the terms discussion stage of the referral process. Attorneys can now take their time agreeing on referral terms without worrying about the discussion expiring.
  • Attorneys can now add and remove PDF, .doc, .docx, .jpeg, .jpg, .png, and .heic files to referral terms. 
  • Attorneys can send images, files, gifs, emojis, and audio recordings in a referral discussion. 
• Multiple payment options are now available in billing settings, allowing users to choose different payment methods for each subscription.

Bug Fixes:

• Email timestamps now show the member’s timezone instead of GMT.
• Referral notifications take members directly to complete the appropriate task. 

We're back with more updates to the software. Collaborating has never been easier than with Metwork’s November release. Focused on improving existing features, November's updates place a heavy emphasis on processes that help users accomplish goals together.

Find a full list of features, enhancements, and bug fixes below. 

New Features:

• Version 1 of Project Teams was launched, improving details and the dashboard for teams built to focus on projects and goals instead of legal cases. 

Enhancements and Improvements:

• Made improvements to the referral process:
  • Referral details automatically appear once a recipient chooses to discuss the case. 
  • Attorneys can now create one or more case teams after a referral is transferred to them, with auto-populated details about the case.
• The UI in the team building flow was updated, displaying more information and different views. 
• Communication during the paralegal sign-up process was improved with information on how data will be used.
• Files, gifs, images, and voice note button were added to all message types.

Bug Fixes:

• Paralegals are now able to enter a new law firm when they sign up for Metwork, instead of selecting from the existing list of law firms.
• Fixed bugs that were part of the referral process:
  • Term notes are only posted once and are no longer being duplicated.
  • Referral status now update after the sender withdraws or when a referral is complete.
  • Referrals in the table are no longer being duplicated.
  • Copy tells users the case location when a new referral is sent.
  • Users can set referral fees without receiving an error message. 
  • The set terms button now works whether the referral details are open or closed.
  • Fixed UI formatting across referrals.
  • Terms added to a referral negotiation are saved and no longer overwrite previous terms.
  • Error and success messages are triggered at the correct time.
• When a user changes the status of their team, the change is now reflected on the dashboard. 
• Team leaders can delete empty sections in the links section of their team dashboard.

“Didn’t they teach you that in law school?”

“No. That’s not what they teach you. They teach you contracts, precedents, interpretations. Then the firm that hires you teaches procedures. Or you could go to court and watch.”

So goes the exchange between Mona Lisa Vito (Marisa Tomei) and Vinny Gambino (Joe Pesci) after Lisa bails him out for contempt of court in the 1992 classic My Cousin Vinny.

Directed by Jonathan Lynn and written by Dale Launer, My Cousin Vinny tells the story of two Brooklynites heading to college (Bill, played by the Karate Kid, Ralph Macchio, and Stan, played by Mitchell Whitfield), who are charged with murdering a store clerk in Alabama. With no money to hire a lawyer, they turn to a family recommendation: Bill’s lawyer cousin, Vinny. 

The true nature of the narrative comes into focus when Vinny’s experience (or lack thereof) is revealed–he only passed the bar six weeks prior, after six years of trying and six attempts (it’s like he’s cursed). From that point on, we watch Vinny go through trial by fire in an Alabama courthouse, learning firsthand the importance of mentorship.

 

“I wanted to win my first case without any help from anybody.”

On first viewing, it would appear that Vinny’s main adversaries are the judge (Herman Munster–I mean–Fred Gwynne) and the prosecutor (Lane Smith). If you dig deeper, you realize that the antagonist is also the protagonist, Vinny. 

Yes, he’s his own worst enemy. At best, he turns down advice, and at worst, he outright disregards it, putting himself and his clients at risk. (The stakes for losing the case is the execution of Bill and Stan). That’s where we get one of the most significant lessons on mentorship in the film: it’s okay to accept help.

Vinny’s view on winning the case without help is neither noble nor wise. His repeated repudiation of advice leads to mistake after mistake (and quite a few contempt of court charges). It isn’t until he takes the advice, albeit reluctantly, that he begins to act “lawyerly” and make headway in the trial. When he fully admits that he needs help from others, he wins the case, but more on that later.

 

We're back again with the latest releases to Metwork. Version 1.2.1 and Version 1.3.0 are the first updates since moving the software from Beta to Live.

The updates bring a series of features and improvements facilitating communication, enhancing the sign-up process, and making collaboration even easier.

Check out a complete list of what's included in these releases. 

New Features:

• Users are now able to build a special team to focus on projects, events, and goals
  • Case-specific fields, such as client information, case status, and field of law, were removed from special teams. 
• Association managers can now build custom forms for members to fill out as part of the registration process.
• A financial report feature was made available for association stores.
• Users can now cancel their Metwork membership by clicking a button in billing.

Enhancements and Improvements:

• References to the beta version of Metwork were removed.
• Improvements were made to the attorney and paralegal credential approval process.
  • Emails and notifications were implemented to notify attorneys and paralegals about the status of credential approvals after signing up.
  • iPad Pro functionality was improved to match that of desktop screens.
• New notifications and emails were added to the referral process.
• Improvements were made to payment and billing.
  • The option to use a saved card or a new type of payment was added to check-out.
  • Payment confirmation was added to check-out, letting a user know whether their payment was successful.

Bug Fixes:

• Fixed a bug that required users to click “continue” twice before payment.
• Emails that are part of the paralegal verification process now display the correct profile picture.
• The expand chat icon in Metlist was fixed to open a thread instead of triggering an error.
• Billing in the sign-up process now has a scroll bar.
• The Metlist digest email now takes users to the correct conversation and is no longer sending duplicates.

The latest updates are currently live and available to all users. Join now to discover the power of positive relationships in the legal field.

In the fast-paced, high-pressure world of law, legal associations are vital to supporting collaboration and growth in the legal field. The advocacy, networking, and information you bring to your members help to advance their careers. Growing your association offers more opportunities to shape the practice of law and empower lawyers on their journey.

Are you looking to grow your association and expand its influence but need a hand figuring out where to start? We’ve got you covered. Here are 3 tips to grow a successful legal association and attract, engage, and retain members.

1. Meaningful Content

One of the top ways to attract, engage, and retain members is through providing meaningful content. When creating (or expanding) content, focus on topics related to your association’s mission. As you share more relevant information, the legal community will see you as an authority, bolstering interest in joining.

Legal association content comes in many forms, and we suggest you experiment with the full toolkit (resources permitting). The easiest to implement is written content, including articles and blogs. Look to newsletters, forums, and your website to distribute this content. In addition to written content, webinars, video blogs, and online video meetings are perfect for engaging your audience, especially the more tech-savvy members.

A recent Forbes article stated that attorney attrition rates are at 80% by the fifth year and that law firms put in an estimated $200,000 per mid-level law associate. If your firm hires ten law associates, and only two stay on after five years, 1.6 million dollars of investments just walked out of your door.

Don’t let attorney attrition be “the cost of doing business.” We break down four main reasons why mid-level law associates leave and how leveraging Metwork, a first-of-its-kind legal software, can help reduce your churn for a minuscule amount of money ($800 a year per associate) compared to the cost of losing them. 

Reason #1: No Mentoring

One of the most significant benefits a new lawyer gains from joining a law firm is mentorship. Learning real-world knowledge from seasoned attorneys accelerates an associate’s career. (Read more about how new lawyers benefit from mentorship.)

While new lawyers aim to gain mentorship experience from within the firm, the docket doesn’t always allow the time and resources needed to help them find their footing. That’s where Metwork comes in. Our mentorship module makes it easy to connect your associates with trusted mentors to boost their experience, knowledge, and confidence without bogging down partners or senior attorneys.  

Enhance your in-house mentorship and leverage your senior attorneys’ knowledge without overtaxing their time by bringing your entire firm onto Metwork. The mentorship module facilitates fluid mentorship within your organization. Senior lawyers at your firm can mentor associates “on the go” from within the app. Easily check in with their mentees and stay up-to-date on progress whenever the time permits. Metwork offers a simple, affordable solution to ensure your associates don’t feel their mentorship is neglected.

Reason #2: Feels Alone

Lawyering is lonely. It’s a grueling industry that chews up attorneys and spits them out. A recent study found that over 60% of lawyers felt the legal profession was a detriment to their mental health. New lawyers often look to join firms to have the community and support system that is hard to find as a solo practitioner.

Law firms have many lawyers and paralegals, but that doesn’t always translate to community. With demanding cases, long hours, and siloed duties, associates often find themselves alone with no one to talk to. Lawyers left adrift see stress levels rise, loyalty suffer, and burnout increase.

While law firms cannot always control how their employees interact, offering a solution to foster a sense of community can be the difference between being one of those firms that only retain 20% of their associates and one that is known as the law firm everyone wants to join. Having a motivated and confident staff leads to better results, happier clients, and more business.

Community is vital to Metwork. Fostering a healthy legal community and leveraging the power of positive relationships push the legal field and your firm forward. All Metwork users have access to discover and join legal associations, join non-case teams to work on problems together and partake in our co-mentorship program (which is like having a gym buddy for lawyering). In addition, we’ll soon release a Community Metlist for users to come together and share knowledge, challenges, and successes together, fostering a stronger legal community. 

Reason #3: Culture Stuck in the Past

Evolving a company culture is always a balancing act. You need to grow enough to attract and retain young talent, but you can’t change so much that you alienate your senior lawyers. Thankfully, it’s not a one or the other situation.

Metwork’s co-founder is Tom Metier, a 40-year veteran of the legal community. One goal of our software is to bridge the generation gap and create a stronger legal community. We do this by leveraging feedback from lawyers from all generations. Our design team created an intuitive, sleek platform that speaks to the techie nature of younger generations while offering an easy-to-use interface anyone can quickly pick up. 

Implementing newer technologies that speak to younger generations is a significant step in moving the company culture forward and promoting an inclusive environment. 

Reason #4: Want the Chance to be a Rainmaker

Becoming a rainmaker can take years of gaining experience, networking, a lot of hard work, and sometimes the luck to be in the room. Many mid-level associates never even get the chance to flex their rainmaking muscles, leaving them feeling dissatisfied and ready to find an opportunity with another firm.

Every associate should have the tools and opportunities to become a rainmaker. Their growth is your growth. Metwork gives them the opportunity to have a seat at the rainmaker table from the comfort of their office. Metwork is uniquely suited to enable every lawyer with the means and opportunities to move from entry-level associate to rainmaker without massive overhead to your firm. 

Leverage Metwork to give your associates the means for mentorship, growth, a sense of community, and the ability to make a difference for your firm. Book a demo today to find out how Metwork can help reduce mid-level law associate churn and enable exponential growth for your firm.

One of our largest updates, Harmony, is now live and brings a list of features and functionalities that are designed to make both the user interface as well as the user experience more harmonious and ensure that the branding and quality across the application are consistent.

Metwork rolled out the new version over two updates [1.1.0 on Sept. 11 and 1.2.0 on 9/25] and is the last significant update before the software moves from Beta to Live on October 1st. The features of Harmony have been implemented across the site and are available for Attorneys, Paralegals, and Associations.

Here’s the complete list of features included in this update.

New Features:

• Implemented billing for Metwork. Users who sign up before October 1st will receive all of 2023 for free; those who sign up after will be billed immediately.
  • Users can add multiple payment options, make adjustments to current payment options, and delete options.
  • Invoice section added to billing. Users can get all invoices in one monthly statement.
  • Plan options implemented (monthly and annually).
• Additional email notifications implemented.
• New help center fully integrated into Metwork.
• Users now have the ability to unsubscribe from unwanted communications, such as specific threads on Metlist.
• Gave users the ability to cancel their membership.

Enhancements and Improvements:

• Enhanced link functionality for users.
  • This function is available across modules such as teams, referrals, and associations.
  • Users now have the ability to edit, sort, and pin links they share.
• Association members’ roles are now color-coded.

Bug Fixes:

• Profile preview now displays across the whole application upon clicking a user’s profile picture.
• Metwork connections weren’t showing for some users when on “card view.”
• Fixed a bug that prevented the “Feedback Screen” from appearing after a case was settled.
• Team names are now editable, and the name change appears throughout the software.
• Items are now purchasable through association storefronts.
• “Let’s Reflect” slider allows more finite input.
• Restored missing filters in the Referrals, Team, and Network sections.

Harmony is currently live and available to all users. Join now to discover the power of positive relationships in the legal field.

Metwork’s latest update is live. 

Version 1.0, nicknamed “Cruise Control,” is a series of features designed to give users more control over their experience as it pertains to their privacy and data. This update also gives users control over their preferences within each module alongside notifications they do or don’t receive. These additional controls are put in place in order to enhance the overall user experience.

Here’s the complete list of features included in this update. 

New Features:

• Added the ability to mute messages. This includes individual messages, team chat, and individual Metlist threads.
• Added moderation for association admins in Metlist. This allows for associations to ensure conversations within association chats are following association guidelines. 
• Added comprehensive labels to forms.
• Added option to put an expiration on a referral request to help facilitate your referral workflow.
• Added the ability to turn off notifications you're not interested in.
• Added the ability to set default settings per module.
• Added auto-complete addresses to the software.

Bug Fixes:

• User profile previews now appear if the profile picture is clicked.
• Fixed a bug where uploading a profile picture occasionally deletes the user’s phone number.

Deprecations and Removals:

• Removed compare tabs in the Network module.

Cruise Control is currently live and available to all users. Not using Metwork to enhance your legal practice? Let’s get you on our lawyer-only networking platform and you can experience the power of positive relationships.

The Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys (ATAA) is holding its 2023 Annual Symposium in Atlanta, Georgia, September 27-29, 2023, and the Metwork team will be there. The three-day event aims to empower attorneys specializing in litigating truck accidents with the knowledge and tools to advocate and win for their clients.

ATAA sums up the event nicely on their website: “The 2023 Symposium brings together the nuts and bolts of trucking litigation combined with intermediate and advanced topics, presented by premier trial lawyers in this specialized practice area.” The symposium will have two educational tracks that include days packed with speakers, workshops, and networking events. Tracks will be recorded and available for all participants. As an added bonus, lawyers earn CLE for attending the event. 

Amongst those speaking is Metwork’s co-founder, Tom Metier. Fresh off a record-breaking win in a liability case against Toyota, Tom will present a workshop entitled “Closing Argument Jury Charges - The Psychology of Selecting and Explaining.” You should not miss Tom's talk if you want to level up your closing arguments. 

This year’s symposium will mark the second time we have exhibited with ATAA. Metwork CEO and co-founder Jack Metier recently shared the importance of attending the event: “The ATAA Symposium raises the level of practice for the entire community by bringing people together to share their knowledge and experience in trucking law. That’s really inspiring to me because Metwork is built to do that across the entire legal industry.”

Make sure to stop by the exhibitor’s hall between sessions and connect with the Metwork team. We’re looking forward to sharing the newest version of our software and discussing the future of the legal field with you. Let’s get together and raise the bar on legal connections.

Registration for the event is still open. Register here.

There is still time to take advantage of Metwork’s free beta, but time is running out. Sign up now to explore Metwork’s career-changing possibilities.

One of our most popular modules has gotten an update. Nicknamed “Mentorship Match for Success,” our latest release, version [0.9] brings enhanced features to the Mentorship module. The update is aimed at improving user experience, providing clearer user feedback, and facilitating better mentorship relationships with enhanced check-in and goal maintenance.

We are also excited to announce that we’ve expanded our mentorship roles to include co-mentors. This role is perfect for users looking for a “gym buddy.” Co-mentors work together to problem solve, be a sympathetic ear, and push each other to achieve limitless possibilities.

Here’s the complete list of features included in this update. 

Enhancements and Improvements:

• Updated Mentorship module brings you more information, including feedback on productivity, discipline, and quality, goal progress, and mentorship relationships.
• Updated Profiles to include Mentorship section.
• Updated onboarding includes the ability to opt-in to mentorship. Roles include:
  • Mentee - Connect to a legal professional with experience to share.
  • Mentor - Guide, teach, and grow by sharing expertise with others.
  • Co-Mentor - Team up with a colleague to push each other to greatness.
• Added the ability to opt-in to mentorship roles through the mentorship module.
• Added Philosophy section for users to share their mentorship philosophy. This block lets potential matches to get to know your mentorship style better.
• Enhanced the search and invite functions in the Mentorship module.
  • Added the ability to send a personal note to the mentorship invite.
• Added goals and meeting frequency to mentorship block.
  • Users can set daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly meetings with their mentorship partner.
  • Users can set goals for daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly meetings.
  • Users can update goals.
    • Mark as complete or incomplete.
    • Change the goal they are working towards accomplishing.
    • Set goals for your co-mentor to ensure you’re both on track.
  • Users can track and review progress on their goals.
  • Users can send advice to their mentorship partner.
• Users can “Check-in” with their mentorship partners directly from the mentorship block.
  • Easily create a direct message without leaving the mentorship module.
• Users can have more than one mentorship relationship.
• Users can end mentorship relationships.
  • Users have the option to add feedback into why they are ending the relationship.
• Added additional mentorship notifications, including in-app and email.

Mentorship Match for Success is currently live on Metwork. If you’re a user, you can start utilizing it now. If you’re not a member, there is no better time than now to experience our first-of-its-kind legal networking software. Users who sign-up before October 1st will get all of 2023 for free. Don’t wait. That date is fast approaching.

Paralegals are the backbone of the legal community, and with the latest update, we are bringing them right into Metwork.

With the release of Version [0.8.0], paralegals can now join Metwork through sponsorship from a verified lawyer. Paralegal accounts have the ability to network with the Metwork community, assist with legal referrals, partake in mentorship, and join legal teams to assist on cases.

Below are the nitty-gritty details of the upgrade.

New Features:

• Sponsorship: Our curated community is built on security and trust. That is why all attorneys are vetted before gaining access. Since paralegals do not have a centralized equivalent to a bar card, our new functionality allows them to request sponsorship from a verified lawyer.
  • If that lawyer is part of Metwork, they will receive an in-software notification to confirm or deny sponsorship.
  • If the lawyer isn’t part of Metwork, they will receive an email with an invitation to join and sponsor the paralegal.
• Onboarding: Guiding the legal community to better connections is the backbone of Metwork. To ensure paralegals receive the best guided suggestions, we released an onboarding process designed specifically for paralegals.
• Functionality: Paralegals now have access to Metwork’s career-defining tools.
  • Network: Paralegals can view their current Metwork connections, search and connect with users outside their network, and invite colleagues to join Metwork.
  • Messages: Paralegals can send and receive personal, team, and association messages within Metwork.
  • Teams: Paralegals can join and create case teams.
  • Referrals*: Create and review referrals, set the referral queue, discuss and decline a case, assign referral to a lawyer for acceptance, be assigned as a team member, and be assigned as a team lead. Lawyers can reassign referrals to paralegals to run.
    • *Note: In the Referral section, Paralegals do not have the ability to negotiate fees or sign referrals.
  • Associations: Paralegals can join and create associations.
  • Mentorship: Paralegals can mentor, become a mentee, or partake in co-mentorship opportunities.

Enhancements and Improvements:

• Added HEIC (Apple) image format support to the app, allowing users to upload a profile photo taken with their iPhones.

The Metwork team is at it again, working on new ways to improve your experience and save time. Our latest update is an interactive Knowledge Center that puts answers about our software at your fingertips.

The new Knowledge Center allows you to:

One of Metwork’s most powerful functions is your ability to curate strong legal networks of trusted lawyers for teams, referral networks, mentorship, and community empowerment. Having your “Metwork” allows you to expand your practice, quickly send referrals, and define your legal journey.

After joining Metwork, your first inclination might be to hop into the Network section and search for new lawyers to bring into your Metwork. That's a great idea, but before you add everyone, we’ve put together three tips for creating a strong, trusted legal network that opens limitless possibilities for you and your legal career.

Add 5 Lawyers You Know and Trust

With a world of lawyers at your fingertips, adding your core group might not be your first thought, but it should be. We encourage every new Metwork user to add the top five colleagues they trust to their network.

If they aren’t part of Metwork yet, you can ask them to join from within the software:

Raise your hand if you know your MBTI^Ⓡ type. I’m sure quite a few of you are out there (maybe looking a little odd at your desk… we’re sorry about that; you can put your hand down).

Since roughly the 4th century BCE, humans have been fascinated by studying personalities.¹ In the more recent 20th century, we saw this study come into sharper focus with the creation of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and the Keirsey Temperament Sorter.

These two personality “tests” revolutionized how we think about ourselves, our interactions, and our professional lives, including the legal field. Let’s take a closer look at that history and how Metwork moves beyond those tests for the future.

A Little Background

Don’t worry; we’ll keep the history lesson short.

Katharine Cook Briggs and her daughter, Isabel Briggs Myers, first published the basis for the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) in 1944 (under the name Briggs Myers Type Indicator Handbook).² In the last 80 years, it has become part of our culture, both for professionals and individuals wanting to learn a bit more about their personalities and how they interact with coworkers and friends.

After learning about MBTI, psychologist David Keirsey went in a slightly different direction and pulled from the Ancient Greek theory of temperaments to create the Keirsey Temperament Sorter (KTS). Keirsey published his theory and questionnaire first in 1978.³

While both theories share insight into personalities, they differ in a few key ways. MBTI mainly focuses on the internal (thinking and feeling), while KTS focuses on the external (behavior). MBTI has 16 personality types, while KTS has 4 temperaments (though he does break down each temperament into 4 types, bringing it back to 16 different possibilities…so not that different).⁴

People much more intelligent than me researched where lawyers fall on the MBTI and KTS scales⁵ and found that unlike most of the population that spans the entire spectrum, attorneys really fit into five main personality types.⁶

Okay, we won’t keep you in suspense any longer. Let’s break down the 5 different types.

Advocate

Traits: Ethical, Authentic, Moral, and Passionate
What is winning to Advocates? ​​“Making my client feel safe.”



Advocates passionately fight for causes. They believe in the greater good and will defend it with all their might. Advocates have strong personal values and won’t betray them, meaning they can’t be bought. When not in a courtroom, they are probably volunteering, helping someone cross the street, or attending a demonstration. Unity, ethics, and social justice are an advocate's jam.

Facilitator

Traits: Trustworthy, Organized, Diplomatic, and Excellent Listener
What is winning to Facilitators? “Making the team work together.”



Facilitators thrive in group settings. They are perfect for pulling a dream team together and ensuring no one gets dropped in a trust fall. Facilitators may not be the loudest in the room, but when you’re pulling an all-nighter for a case, they’ll order the pizza, lend a helping hand, and check that everyone is ready for the morning court appearance.

Inspector

Traits: Dependable, Realistic, Resolute, and Technical
What is winning to Inspectors? “Writing a bulletproof brief.”



Inspectors know how the legal sausage is made. They are hardworking, a team player, and always around to lend a hand. Inspectors come equipped with the technical know-how to keep every firm running at peak performance. And the level of attentiveness Inspectors bring to their briefs makes them an invaluable part of any legal team.

Litigator

Traits: Observant, Rational, Creative, and Logical
What is winning to Litigators? “Winning the case.”



Litigators are the lawyers best suited for those impossible cases that need a different angle. They live for the win and use their creativity to find the best solution to every challenge. They value rationality and logic over all else (in this way, they are the Spocks of the legal world) and focus on producing results.

Rainmaker

Traits: Persuasive, Confident, Outgoing, and Goal-oriented
What is winning to Rainmakers? “Having a jury hang on my every word.”



Rainmakers are natural performers and are extroverts through and through. They live for social interactions and excel in front of a jury. They’d probably be a rock star if they weren't a lawyer. Rainmakers are experts in gaining the trust of their audience and closing a deal.

Using Personality Types to Create Meaningful Connections

Much like the MBTI inspired Kiersey, both inspired Metwork to create a unique combination of tests and traits that move beyond previous personality tests and give lawyers a deeper insight into themselves and their legal persona. 

These five personality types are one component integrated into Metwork’s smart-match technology (we’ll share more of the components in future articles). We utilize them to create more meaningful connections between lawyers to build stronger dream teams for cases, more referrals, and productive mentorship opportunities.

Want to know your personality type? (Trust us, you may think you know, but you’ll probably be surprised.) Join Metwork today to take our personality test, and once you’ve learned your personality type, you can start collaborating with attorneys that match your personality.

Join Metwork Today and Learn Your Legal Persona.