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As a Christian, I value all life from inception to the last dying seconds. That is the value God places on all humanity, regardless of race, sex, age or any other factors. In this essay, I would like to talk about the death penalty and why as a Christian I oppose it but with reservations on the issue.

The death penalty spells an end to life. The argument is that the full measure of vengeance by the people comes upon another who has taken a life and this deters other societal miscreants from doing the same. Admittedly, homicide is the most heinous of crimes. Yet as a citizen, as the whole person and as a Christian who sets and understands the eternal value God places on all human life LI oppose it. I do so not because I believe that it does not truly deter future murders—I do—and not because I believe that mistakes are made in the criminal justice process and thus the death penalty may be wrongly imposed—they are. I feel this way because every man or woman, be he or she among the handicapped, the elderly, the mentally disabled, or children not yet born, has value. As an aside, for the same reason I oppose abortion and euthanasia. All life at any stage has infinite value and eternal value. Value is to be accorded to all, not due to their apparent superior intellect, or talents, not because of their superior financial status, and not because they are the ruling of dominant class, sex, or race. Those who think themselves so much better are likely so due to environment, opportunity, or current fashion. The baseball player or rock star is paid millions while Mother Teresa earned little or nothing for all her service to the outcasts, unwanted, underprivileged and poor. She saw value in all not because of what they have but because of what they are.

Jesus Christ, for me God incarnate in human form and for others perhaps a great teacher, forgave the criminals beside him at the moment of his death. He points the way to truth. It is the way of advanced civilization, the way of all the great religions, and teachers, the way of Tao, Confucius, and the Talmut. However disheveled, unattractive, and apparently abominable, there is value in all. I say again that Jesus for me as God is the sole mediator and way to understand what I say here but the teachers I mention here also provide guidance in this respect.

A society that sees no value in life itself—even in murderers—falls short of that respect and devotion to life in all its forms that must govern any enlightened society. It is not the outside of a man or woman I see, but the inside, the inner light. This inner light may be found in all, even the weak and the seemingly unattractive, and yes, even in criminals. Any civilization of society that chooses to exterminate any of its members for facial reasons of justice, vengeance, or deterrence falls short of the measure of an enlightened civilization. Five thousand years or so have passed since the Code of Hammurabi. If we have not grown up from it, let us at least grow away from it. English common law once executed pickpockets. That is no longer so. If we are to avoid the stigma of barbarism, let us once and for all cease what can be said to amount to no less than murder in the name of justice. Let us acknowledge that we do not raise ourselves and our society by placing no value on a life. This is the way beyond the Holocaust, beyond the Cambodian Genocide, and beyond Genghis Khan. Let us take that step.

Let me add something here. I oppose abortion and euthanasia for the reasons I have given here. But the lives of the unborn and those approaching death may not be equated with the death penalty imposed on one who has grossly violated our legal system and taken the life of another. The death penalty does take a life through the operation of our legal system but it is not the life of an innocent or the dying elderly that have had say in the decision taken to take away their lives. This is the point of distinction and it must be considered and heard in this present discussion. There is a question whether the life of an innocent or dying elder with no ability or chance to have a say or defend themselves is the same as the imposition of the death penalty after a find of guilt. It is clear they are not to be totally equated.

This essay is taken, with modifications and changes, from my essay in the book “Select Legal Topics: Civil, Criminal, Federal, Evidentiary, Procedural, and Labor,” Chapter 50 p.162, entitled Why I Am Opposed to the Death Penalty, published by University Press of America.

A law firm marketing strategy needs to be calibrated constantly in order to align it with changing client requirements. Most attorneys do the right thing by choosing a goal for their plan. They also identify the key performance indicators for measuring the success of their strategy. However, most of them fail to consider the dominant trends that influence online marketing for law firms. These swings are key indicators of audience behavior and ignoring them can be costly. In this article, we are listing some major factors that are expected to affect the legal online marketing field. Attorneys must understand which way the wind is blowing in the digital promotional environment and shift their sails accordingly.

1. Increasing Trust In Local Results

The increased use of mobile devices led to a boost in local searches. More and more people are looking for products or services in their geographical location. Such users are looking for solutions on the go and are ideal for conversions. Google is displaying a 3-pack of local business listings just above the organic results on SERPs. The number of people making a selection based on local search results is steadily growing. This year attorneys must intensify their efforts to target clients in their geographical location. They must ensure that their NAP- name, address, and phone number is the same on all digital avenues. They must also target local search keywords and optimize their content accordingly. It will also be pertinent to include the practice area along with the location in the title and meta description of the relevant landing page.

2. Better Click-through Rates In Featured Snippets

A lot of people are asking questions instead of typing short phrases in the search box. This has been made possible by the emergence of voice search. As compared to other people, legal searchers are more likely to ask questions. The featured snippets shown on top of search results provide a brief answer to their query. In case they find it useful, they click to visit the website which posted the content. The click-through rates of featured snippets especially when people are looking for services are increasing. These brief replies provide an excellent opportunity for legal practitioners to position themselves as a knowledgeable authority in their practice area. They must find out the kind of queries being posted by their prospective clients and create informative and optimized content. This will help them appear prominently in front of relevant audiences.

3. Google Remains The Search Engine Market Leader

Google remains the undisputed market leader in search engines. Globally, it has captured over 90% of the total market share. Other search engines like Yahoo and Bing have just about 2% each of the market share. These two entities fare a little better in the US where Yahoo has cornered about 8% and Bing around 5% of the total market. These figures indicate that Google dominates the search engine domain. All law firm marketing strategies, therefore, must be crafted to align with Google's updates and recommendations. Attorneys must implement the best practices suggested by the search giant and shun techniques which it considers black hat. However, they must also find out if a specific search engine is preferred by their target audience or is popular in their location. It will be sensible to optimize your website for an entity which is used by potential clients.

4. Consumption Of Video Content Is Increasing At A Rapid Pace

Do you know which is the most popular website in the world after Google? According to Alexa, it is the video-sharing network YouTube. A study says that mobile video consumption is rising by 100% every year. Another by HubSpot suggests that about 55% of people watch online clips every day. Legal professionals simply cannot afford to ignore these statistics. Their digital promotional plan will be incomplete without a video marketing strategy. They must create short clips about the topics their audience is interested in. These videos must be published on multiple digital platforms apart from their own website. They can post the clips on social media and video-based platforms like YouTube. In fact, many experts consider YouTube to be the second largest search engine in the world. Add a title and description to each video and do not forget to optimize them with keywords.

5. LinkedIn Is An Effective Platform For Networking

Referrals are the most productive source of new clients for all kinds of lawyers. In the real world, lawyers ask their existing clients as well as network with other professionals to find new clients. This tactic can be applied in the digital landscape as well. LinkedIn is the most popular social network for professionals. Attorneys must use it to build relationships not just with potential clients but also with other legal practitioners. They must search for professionals in their practice areas in their geographical location as well as other areas and add them to their account. They can also network with people in related professions. For instance, corporate lawyers can add chartered accountants to their accounts.

6. People Are More Inclined To Choose Domain Experts

Position yourself as a thought leader in your domain as people want to hire experts rather than a general adviser. For instance, a DUI lawyer has better chances of getting hired than a firm offering multiple services one of which happens to be DUI. This is because the potential client feels that the former will focus better on her case. Even law firm owners who are active in multiple practice fields must position themselves as a thought leader in one specific area before promoting other fields.

Conclusion

Attorneys need to be creative while promoting their practice. The ideas discussed here will help them create an effective law firm marketing for this year.

About Author

Sophia is an experienced Online Marketer & Web developer by profession who provides Custom Law Firm Website Design service at ConroyCreativeCounsel Ltd. She has a passion of creative and technical writing and always lookout for learning something new.