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Monetizing Legal Expertise: How Lawyers Can Write Books, Create Courses, and Offer Consulting

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Manny Griffiths
February 12, 2025
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Monetizing Legal Expertise: How Lawyers Can Write Books, Create Courses, and Offer Consulting

Many attorneys focus on client billing as their primary income stream, but there are other ways to turn legal knowledge into profitable opportunities. Whether it’s writing books as a lawyer, producing educational content, or offering specialized guidance, several avenues exist for monetizing legal expertise beyond traditional practice. Below are key ideas on how to explore this potential.

Writing Books as a Lawyer

Attorneys often have deep insights into areas such as personal injury, corporate law, or real estate transactions. Turning that expertise into a published resource can serve multiple goals:

  • Establish Credibility: A well-written book underscores your authority in a specific domain.
  • Expand Your Reach: Readers might include prospective clients, legal peers, and even media outlets.
  • Create Passive Income: Royalties from book sales can continue for years, adding an ongoing revenue stream.

Consider focusing on a niche where you have extensive experience. Shorter, practical guides tend to resonate well with readers looking for straightforward answers to common legal issues. 

Editing for clarity and working with a professional publisher or self-publishing platform can boost the book’s credibility.

How Lawyers Can Create Online Courses

Sharing expert knowledge through digital platforms is another way to earn revenue while helping others. Many potential learners—entrepreneurs, fellow attorneys, students—seek simplified explanations of complex legal topics. 

By developing structured modules, interactive elements, and downloadable materials, attorneys can provide significant value in an accessible format.

Common course topics include:

  • Basics of Business Formation: Perfect for new entrepreneurs needing guidance on entity types, filings, and compliance.
  • Intellectual Property Protection: Useful for creatives and small businesses aiming to secure their work.
  • Legal Research Fundamentals: Beneficial for junior lawyers, paralegals, or law students.

Starting small with a short pilot course offers a chance to refine content and gather feedback. Platforms like Teachable, Thinkific, or Kajabi simplify the technical side, so attorneys can concentrate on the material itself. Watching how learners interact with content is a great way to refine future offerings.

Consulting: Sharing Experience and Mentorship

Attorneys who have developed specialized skills—such as negotiating contracts or navigating regulatory frameworks—can advise organizations or individuals on a case-by-case basis. This form of consulting often involves:

  • Tailored Strategy Sessions: Addressing unique challenges that require legal insight.
  • Mentoring Younger Professionals: Offering career guidance or training in specific practice areas.
  • Ongoing Advisory Roles: Serving as a long-term consultant to businesses with recurring legal questions.

Consulting engagements can be billed hourly, by project, or through retainers. 

Setting clear expectations around scope, timeline, and deliverables helps both parties get the most out of this arrangement.

Practical Steps for Monetizing Legal Expertise

  • Research the Market: Identify topics your target audience cares about.
  • Determine Your Format: Decide between books, online courses, consulting services, or a combination.
  • Develop Quality Content: Ensure material is accurate, up to date, and presented in a user-friendly way.
  • Leverage Existing Platforms: Use social media, speaking events, or a dedicated website to showcase offerings.
  • Gather Testimonials and Reviews: Positive feedback from clients or readers strengthens credibility.
  • Stay Adaptive: Monitor audience reactions and pivot if a particular format or topic gains traction.

These strategies can work in tandem. An attorney might begin by writing books as a lawyer, then repurpose chapters into course modules, and ultimately accept speaking or consulting engagements based on the subject matter. Each approach reinforces the other, creating a cumulative effect that increases visibility and revenue.

Lawyers have unique skills that stretch beyond face-to-face representation. By exploring new ways to deliver knowledge, it’s possible to build a multi-faceted career that reaches a broader audience. 

Whether you choose to create online courses or become a trusted advisor for businesses, the end result is greater impact—and a more diverse stream of income.