Today's law firm must have a website that accurately and professionally represents the firm and its practice areas. Clients expect to see information on partners and associates, updates on the law, published articles and more.

In addition to positioning the firm as a legal service provider, the website communicates the quality of the practice, the level of expertise, and the overall culture of the firm.

For a personal injury firm, the website is likely to be very consumer friendly, geared to conveying the warm assurances that the lawyers in the firm are deeply committed to successfully representing clients in emotionally charged matters.

A business to business law firm will convey a completely different image, with an emphasis on the firm's effectiveness and understanding of complex commercial law.

Regardless of its size or practice focus, a law firm website must be professional in appearance, feature straight-forward information crafted for its audience, and reflect the culture of the law firm. Whether it serves as an informational "brochure-ware" site or is the front end of a document management engine, the website is as much the public face of the firm as any of its attorneys.