Do You Network Professionally With Your Attorneys? You Can Through Martindale-Hubbell® Connected
By Gayle Lynn-Nelson
In this “information overloaded world” we all work and live in, sometimes it is nice to know what tools are out there for professional communication. Recently LexisNexis launched Martindale-Hubbell® Connected for Librarians among other legal professionals. Attorneys were the first to “get connected.”
So, why do I think this is so great? As a legal professional, knowing I am part of a greater community with the same professional interests means something to me. Networking can assist me in meeting business needs and help streamline access to information.
Another really useful feature of Martindale-Hubbell Connected is its ability to track forums and discussions about practice areas, so I learn what other lawyers and librarians are saying about topics that don’t always make it into cocktail conversations but are important to our work. I also find some fodder for those elevator speeches we always say we need to have ready. And Martindale-Hubbell Connected also has an area for job listings, obviously an important tool in these economic times.
Yes, I am on LinkedIn® and even Facebook. And while Facebook is a nice social networking tool, LinkedIn is a good professional/social networking tool, it is nice to know I am now on something just for legal professionals.
So why is Martindale-Hubbell Connected different from a librarian listserv or other librarian networking/infosharing options? It gives you the opportunity to be on something your attorneys are on and to be seen in the same light on a professional networking site. Our attorneys do not look at our librarian tools, but they do go to Martindale-Hubbell Connected. When they see your name in connection with theirs, it helps raise you to another level.
The new Martindale-Hubbell Connected site also includes:
- “Smart Connections.” Network connections are identified in search results so members not only see with whom, but specifically how or why they are connected. Network technology proactively suggests contacts from among 45 million potential connections by matching one’s career and educational background with the full set of lawyers from the martindale.com® service. Additionally, the network mines court documents to identify useful connections between a member and other lawyers he or she has teamed with or faced in court.
- Exclusive Combination of LexisNexis Services Content. The network offers members access to an exclusive combination of authoritative information from the LexisNexis services and other sources, including data, statistics, research, news, competitor profiles, marketing trends, ratings, polls and client reviews.
- User-Generated Content and Interactive Capabilities. The network also delivers access to quality user-generated content such as blogs, podcasts, more than 27,000 pieces of counsel-created research, online events and other content contributed by peers.
- Integrated Access to 37 Million LinkedIn Users. Complementing the Martindale-Hubbell Connected legal network, an agreement with LinkedIn offers Martindale-Hubbell Connected users instant visibility between lawyers they are searching and integrated access to their personal LinkedIn profiles. This means Martindale-Hubbell Connected members can quickly and easily find non-lawyer connections or referrals in the broader LinkedIn business network.
