Beyond 'Years of Experience’ Trap
What actually differentiates law firms
"Our team has over 150 years of combined experience."
If I had a dollar for every time I've seen this claim on a law firm website, I could probably fund a small legal practice myself. And here's the uncomfortable truth: after reading that statement, I still have absolutely no idea what makes that firm different from the dozens of others making nearly identical claims.
The legal industry has developed an almost pathological obsession with experience as the primary differentiator. Years of practice. Decades of expertise. Generations of service. It's become the default answer to the question every potential client is really asking: "Why should I choose you?"
But here's what most lawyers don't realise: experience isn't actually a differentiator—it's a baseline expectation.
The Experience Trap
Don't misunderstand me. Experience matters enormously. Clients rightfully expect their lawyers to know what they're doing. But in a world where every firm emphasises their years of practice, experience becomes what marketers call "table stakes"—the minimum requirement to be considered, not the reason to be chosen.
Think about it from a client's perspective. When they're comparing firms, they're not typically choosing between a 30-year veteran and a fresh graduate. They're choosing between multiple experienced options, all of whom can demonstrate competence and track records.
In that context, leading with experience is like a restaurant advertising that their food is "edible" or a hotel promoting "working plumbing." These things matter, but they don't answer the real question: What makes this option specifically right for me?
The firms that consistently attract their ideal clients have discovered that meaningful differentiation happens at much deeper levels than tenure.
The Five Levels of Differentiation
Not all differentiation is created equal. Some distinctions are easily copied, whilst others become integral to your firm's identity. Understanding these levels helps you move beyond surface claims toward genuinely compelling positioning.
Level 1: Surface Claims
These are the credentials, accolades, and statistics that most firms emphasise. Years of experience, number of lawyers, prestigious clients, awards won. They're not meaningless, but they're easily matched by competitors and don't reveal much about the actual client experience.
Example: "50+ years of combined experience in commercial litigation"
Level 2: Process Distinctions
This level focuses on how you do what you do. Your methodologies, technologies, or systematic approaches that differ from standard practice. These distinctions are more meaningful but can often be copied by competitors who observe your approach.
Example: "Our proprietary case management system ensures no detail is overlooked"
Level 3: Experience Differentiation
Here's where you're distinguishing the feeling of working with your firm. The personality, communication style, or service philosophy that shapes how clients experience your representation. This is harder to replicate because it emerges from your firm's culture and values.
Example: "We believe legal counsel should feel like a strategic partner, not a necessary evil"
Level 4: Outcome Orientation
This level focuses on the distinctive results you deliver or the unique problems you solve. Rather than emphasising how you work, you're emphasising what clients achieve when they work with you. This often connects to your philosophical approach to your practice area.
Example: "We don't just defend against employment claims—we help companies build cultures that prevent them"
Level 5: Purpose-Driven Distinction
The deepest level connects your firm's work to larger values or beliefs about your role in clients' lives or society. This differentiation is nearly impossible to copy because it requires authentic commitment to the underlying principles.
Example: "We believe every family business deserves to thrive across generations, which shapes every decision we make"
The most powerful differentiation typically combines elements from multiple levels, but the foundation should always rest at Level 4 or 5—outcome or purpose-driven distinction.
What Clients Actually Care About
Whilst lawyers obsess over credentials and experience, clients are asking fundamentally different questions:
"Do they understand my situation?"
This isn't about practice area expertise—it's about whether you grasp the specific pressures, constraints, and priorities that shape their decision-making. A technology startup's legal needs aren't just "corporate law"—they're corporate law filtered through the unique realities of rapid growth, investor expectations, and competitive pressures.
"How do they think about problems like mine?"
Clients want to understand your philosophy and approach. Do you see litigation as a last resort or a strategic tool? Do you view regulatory compliance as a necessary burden or a competitive advantage? Your perspective on these fundamental questions often matters more than your technical qualifications.
"What will it feel like to work with them?"
Legal matters are often stressful, complex, and high-stakes. Clients need to trust not just your competence but your judgement, communication style, and alignment with their values. The experience of working with you becomes part of the value proposition.
“What outcomes can I expect?"
This goes beyond winning or losing cases. Clients want to understand how engaging your firm will position them for success, whether that's avoiding future problems, capitalising on opportunities, or achieving their larger business objectives.
Finding Your Authentic Differentiators
The most compelling differentiation isn't manufactured—it's discovered. It emerges from honest reflection about what your firm genuinely does differently and why those differences matter to specific types of clients.
Start With Your Origin Story
What founding principles or experiences shaped how your firm approaches legal practice? Often, the most authentic differentiation connects to the reasons your firm was created or the problems it was designed to solve.
Examine Your Instincts
When you encounter a new matter, what's your natural first response? Do you immediately think about risk mitigation, opportunity optimisation, relationship preservation, or competitive positioning? These instinctive approaches often reveal your distinctive perspective.
Analyse Your Best Client Relationships
Think about your most successful client relationships. What do these clients consistently say they value about working with your firm? What outcomes do they achieve that go beyond the immediate legal issues? Their feedback often reveals differentiators you take for granted.
Identify Your Contrarian Views
Where do you disagree with conventional wisdom in your practice area? What approaches do other firms take that you believe are misguided? Your contrarian perspectives often point toward your most authentic differentiators.
Explore Your Values in Action
How do your firm's values actually influence your decisions? When you've chosen a more expensive or time-consuming approach because it aligned with your principles, what drove that choice? Values-based differentiation is powerful because it's nearly impossible to fake.
Differentiation in Action: Real Examples
Let me show you how this works in practice with some anonymised examples from firms that have moved beyond experience-based positioning:
The Prevention-Focused Employment Firm
Instead of: "30 years of employment law experience"
They position as: "We believe the best employment lawsuits are the ones that never get filed"
This distinction shapes everything they do—from the proactive training they offer clients to the culture assessments they conduct to the policies they draft. Their differentiation isn't about their capabilities; it's about their philosophy that prevention is more valuable than defence.
The Translation-Focused Tech Firm
Instead of: "Experienced technology lawyers"
They position as: "We translate between Silicon Valley and Wall Street"
This firm recognised that their unique value wasn't just understanding technology law, but helping tech companies communicate with traditional investors, acquirers, and business partners. Their differentiation focuses on their role as cultural and linguistic bridges.
The Continuity-Obsessed Family Firm
Instead of: "Multi-generational wealth planning expertise"
They position as: "We're in the relationship business, not the transaction business"
This estate planning firm differentiates on their commitment to multi-generational relationships rather than one-time engagements. They measure success not just by the elegance of their planning but by the strength of family relationships across generations.
Notice how none of these differentiation strategies dismiss experience or competence—they assume these as givens and focus on more meaningful distinctions.
The Specificity Advantage
The most powerful differentiation is often the most specific. Rather than claiming to be "client-focused" (what firm isn't?), successful firms identify exactly how their client focus manifests differently.
Instead of "responsive service," they might position as "We believe urgent doesn't always mean important, and important doesn't always mean urgent—and we help clients distinguish between the two."
Instead of "practical advice," they might say "We give you the answer you need to hear, not just the answer you want to hear."
Instead of "industry expertise," they might position as "We understand the three decisions that make or break every SaaS company, and we structure our services around them."
Specificity does two crucial things: it makes your differentiation more believable and it helps ideal clients self-select. When potential clients read specific differentiation that resonates with their situation, they think "These people understand my world."
The Polarisation Principle
Here's where most lawyers get uncomfortable: effective differentiation often polarises potential clients. When you take a strong position on how legal problems should be approached, some people will disagree with your philosophy.
This isn't a bug—it's a feature.
When you say "We believe employment issues are best resolved through open dialogue rather than aggressive litigation," you're implicitly saying this approach isn't right for everyone. Some potential clients who prefer a more combative stance will look elsewhere.
But the clients who share your philosophy will be drawn to your distinctive approach like a magnet. They'll choose you not just because you're competent, but because your thinking aligns with their values and instincts.
This natural filtering effect creates better client relationships, higher satisfaction, and often, better outcomes. You're not trying to be all things to all people—you're being the right fit for the right people.
Moving Beyond the Experience Crutch
If you're ready to differentiate your firm beyond years of practice, start with these reflection questions:
What do you believe about your practice area that most lawyers don't?
How would you complete this sentence: "We believe the best [type of legal work] is..."?
What would your ideal clients say makes working with your firm different from working with your competitors?
What outcomes do your clients achieve that go beyond the immediate legal issues?
If you couldn't mention your experience or credentials, how would you convince a potential client to hire you?
The answers to these questions won't immediately transform your marketing, but they'll point you toward the authentic differentiators that can.
The Compound Effect of Authentic Differentiation
When you move beyond experience-based positioning toward deeper differentiation, something remarkable happens. Your marketing becomes more authentic because it reflects how you actually think about your work. Your business development becomes more efficient because you're attracting clients who value your distinctive approach. And your practice becomes more satisfying because you're working with people who appreciate what makes you different.
Perhaps most importantly, you stop competing primarily on credentials and start competing on philosophy, approach, and outcomes. This shift often leads to higher fees, better client relationships, and more interesting work.
Because here's the truth about legal services: clients aren't just buying your years of experience. They're buying your thinking, your judgement, and your approach to solving their specific problems.
The firms that understand this distinction—and build their differentiation around it—consistently attract clients who value what makes them genuinely different rather than generically experienced.
Ready to discover what actually differentiates your firm beyond years of practice? The Sidebar Strategy provides the framework and tools to uncover your authentic positioning in ways that resonate with your ideal clients. Take the assessment to see how your current marketing stacks up.
