I read legal industry news daily as part of my job as a Senior Manager at a law firm. And, occasionally, I spend time waiting for a bus to take me to the commuter rail station. One seemingly ordinary day, the idea of combining my professional reading with idle time on a street corner provided the unlikely spark that led to Chicago Legal Guy and the start of my unexpected new side gig as a social media influencer. Becoming the Chicago Legal Guy didn’t happen overnight, or with a sudden lightbulb moment while waiting for a bus. Several years ago, I created content under the moniker “Chicago Geek Guy.” At a previous law firm, I led a team responsible for making “YouTube” quality legal technology commercials. Later, as a legal tech vendor, I created a weekly video update for a team that was new to the industry. When I found myself bored at a bus stop scrolling through my phone, I realized I had the legal tech chops to contribute to the community and an itch to create content. Since the first Chicago Legal Guy video was launched a little over four months ago, I’ve garnered around 1,500 followers across five social media sites.
Publishing my first upload came with some anxiety. I don’t like many pictures of me or listening to my own voice. Was boredom a valid reason to begin this creative venture? Wait. Why did Instagram create a duplicate copy of the video on my phone when I uploaded a video there? I need a teleprompting app to generate subtitles; which one works best for me? Would anyone want to hear what I have to say anyway?
But quickly after releasing my first video into the social media wild, I realized this project was less about perfection and more about consistency. People aren’t searching for broadcast-quality production. They want something authentic and digestible.
I set a few guardrails early on. Each video focuses on the legal industry and its people. Lately, that’s meant covering the effects of AI, shifting return-to-work policies, and other issues that hit the legal sector in real time. No video would run longer than three minutes. Most would be filmed while waiting for my bus, rain or shine. Subtitles would be included whenever possible. The format would stay simple: my talking head, sharing thoughts clearly and in plain language.
Volunteering on the Event Content Creator team for ILTACON this year gave me more impetus to develop Chicago Legal Guy content. One assignment called explicitly for gathering B-real video and pictures for ILTA to use during and after the conference. On the first day, a few peers recognized me as the Chicago Legal Guy. It was a confidence-building confirmation that let me know the community welcomed CLG updates.
When I started CLG, I didn’t imagine it would go beyond filling a few minutes of boredom. I don't expect it to ever grow beyond its current state. But for now, I have a way to use my creativity to connect with my peers and the greater world while I’m waiting for the LaSalle 156 to take me home.