North Carolina Lawyers Weekly released a special section in its December 25th issue profiling the 2017 "Unsung Legal Heroes." This new recognition honors 33 non-attorney staff members from law firms around the state for their dedication, passion, and hard work. Laura Hudson, Ward and Smith's Director of Marketing and Business Development, is among this year's honorees for Legal Marketing Professionals.
Hudson is based in the firm's Raleigh office. She has been an active legal marketer in North Carolina since 1998, founding the Raleigh City Group of the Legal Marketing Association, and serving in various local, Chapter, and International roles in that organization. She is currently serving a term on the North Carolina State Bar Board of Legal Specialization, and is part of Ward and Smith's Legal Lean Sigma team. Since joining the firm in 2016, she has led a reorganization of the marketing function, developed the firm's strategic communications plan, and realigned the firm's brand to reflect the growing and thriving nature of Ward and Smith.
From the North Carolina Lawyer's Weekly "Unsung Legal Heroes" 2017 Edition:
Firm Nomination: Laura Hudson is truly a super star at what she does and we are very lucky to have her at the helm of our firm's marketing efforts. She's done wonders for our firm's marketing strategy. I hear ads for our firm on the radio and see how she has implemented a targeted plan to improve our brand in specific industries through event sponsorships and increasing our presence in a variety of publi8cations. Through Laura's marketing, I've found that more and more prospective clients are familiar with Ward and Smith and what we do. Best of all, Laura is very talented at explaining her marketing plans in a way that is easy for attorneys to understand. She is open to new ideas and I'm excited to see all of the ways she continues to be a positive impact on our firm in the future.
Why the legal field: I started my career in legal because I needed to leave the newspaper industry behind. I had no idea I was beginning what would become my life's profession. I stay in legal marketing because I enjoy what I do.
My job is great: I get great satisfaction from my smart, dynamic, passionate, client-centered, and team-oriented colleagues. I've always found it odd that lawyers are the butt of jokes in the public arena. My experience has been so positive- I'd rather work with a busy attorney than anyone else. Attorneys make things happen for their clients, and clients make the world go 'round!
Biggest professional accomplishment: I'm not sure it's an "accomplishment," as much as an "impact." I like to think that I've elevated marketing in the firms where I've worked, and helped the attorneys view the activities associated with marketing as part of building a valued and trusted relationship with a client.
Away from work: I like to spend time with my husband, Roger, and our teenage boys, Will and Jack. When I'm not working, I'm a combination Uber driver/ATM who rushes from soccer to football to home to let the dog out, handing out cash to the boys at each stop along the way.
My first job: I was a YMCA camp counselor until I got too old to do that job. I loved it. I learned teamwork, enthusiasm, and follow-through from Camp Cherokee. I also learned an important lesson about leadership: a leader volunteers to take latrine duty. Everyone else will feel compelled to grab a mop when the leader takes the Clorox and heads that way.
Read more here for a complete list of winners, behind the Lawyer's Weekly paywall.
