The holidays are quickly approaching, bringing a unique opportunity to connect with journalists. For many reporters, this time of year can mean a brief reprieve from the relentless 24-7 news cycle. However, between celebrations and time off, it can also lead to a scarcity of content. This creates the perfect (and often underrated) opportunity to pitch newsworthy story ideas about your firm to fill that gap.
Media outlets and their readers are hungry for seasonal how-to advice, year-end wrap-ups and inspirational stories that warm their hearts. Here are five PR ideas to consider.
New Year forecast stories
Forward-looking predictions are an excellent way to highlight your firm’s thought leaders and their insights into emerging trends and challenges in their practice areas. For example, consider pitching stories such as “How AI is Transforming Corporate Compliance in 2025” or “Top Employment Law Issues to Watch in the New Year.” These types of articles are popular across business, trade and legal publications, many of which release annual prediction guides.
The time to act is now, especially for outlets with long lead times. Most journalists finalize their New Year content well in advance, even if the stories won’t run until late December or early January. By pitching timely, expert-driven forecasts, you can position your firm as a go-to source for industry insights, giving your attorneys a prominent platform to share their expertise.
Highlight your law firm’s successes of the past year
If no one matter or transaction stands out, consider compiling them. Have you had a number of successful trial results or closed some big deals? They may not be newsworthy individually, but the result might be impressive if they are combined. For instance, the firm successfully represented clients in matters valued at over $100 million or closed real estate deals valued at more than $250 million. Don’t get stuck on the calendar year — these can come from the past 14 months if you want to include a large matter in the total.
Don’t forget to highlight the firm’s large amount of pro bono hours in addition to all of its client work, especially events or services related to seasonal events.
Pitch evergreen story ideas and content
Is there a topic that one of your attorneys has been eager to discuss in the media, but you can’t seem to secure interest? If it’s an evergreen — that is, timeless — story idea, then the holiday season may be a good time to offer it up again to the media. Since reporters want to have their stories ready to go before their days off, the timeliness of your story isn’t as important during the holidays, but make sure it’s still topical. Cybersecurity issues, for instance, are continually in the news. Reporters will appreciate your evergreen contributions with the inevitable news holes they’ll face in the coming weeks. You might even see a quicker turnaround on contributed articles since editors can fit those pieces in whenever they have a space to fill.
Profile someone in your firm
The holidays are the perfect time to share feel-good stories that highlight your firm’s culture and the individuals who make it unique. Consider profiling an attorney, practice group or staff member with an inspiring or unexpected story. For instance, you might feature an attorney who dedicates their weekends to mentoring underprivileged youth, or a paralegal who’s also a competitive triathlete. Several years ago, I had an attorney profiled who was part of a female roller derby team. I secured another for an attorney who is a master sommelier (only 269 individuals have received that distinction since its inception in 1969). These profiles showcase your firm’s human side and can resonate deeply with both clients and the broader community.
Don’t forget to include your non-attorney staff—many of them contribute significantly to your firm’s success and may have compelling stories to share. For example, a marketing team member who organizes community fundraisers or an IT professional who builds custom gadgets for charity auctions. Highlighting these individuals not only celebrates their efforts but also reinforces your firm’s commitment to fostering a supportive and dynamic workplace culture. If you’re short on ideas, send out a quick survey or ask colleagues for recommendations—you might uncover a story that surprises everyone.
Highlight a holiday media event
Your firm might already have something planned that could become newsworthy with a little tweaking. If not, be the one to suggest such an event. In this regard, it’s important to create a visual for print and television, such as a gift-wrapping party at the firm to wrap presents for an organization that provides gifts to families in need or a group of employees gathering to create holiday care packages for members of the military who are serving abroad.
Timing is important
Don’t wait until late November to start pitching your holiday story ideas. Since reporters plan their holiday stories well in advance, the best time to pitch holiday ideas is now. Also, identify those potential thought leaders in your office who won’t take time off during the holidays. This will make it easier to know who is available in case any media interviews come your way.
Don’t miss the opportunity by going dark on PR during the holidays. This time of the year offers a unique opportunity to foster relationships with reporters and secure great placements. Before going into time-off mode, continue pitching throughout this month — you’ll reap solid end-of-the-year results by providing reporters and readers with fresh content.
Finally, use any downtime at the end of the year to analyze how to improve your law firm’s PR strategy for the upcoming year.
Don’t let the holiday season go to waste—use it as a springboard for PR success. Whether you’re planning a story pitch or brainstorming your firm’s next big campaign, these ideas can help you finish the year strong and start the next one on the right foot. If you’re looking for guidance, contact Carlos Arcos at carcos@jaffepr.com to explore how we can support your PR efforts.