Not a Lawyer
Ok, I will just start by saying I’m not a lawyer; and I don’t play one on TV or on YouTube for that matter. I’m the new “people person” at Avvo, or more officially the Community Manager. What does that really mean? Well, it’s my job to help users of Avvo successfully contribute and navigate within the opinion portions of the site and beyond. Some days I’ll help start conversations about legal topics and other days I will assist lawyers expand their profile or load the new Avvo Ratings Badge (if you’re a lawyer, there is a link under your profile pic).
How did I get here? Working for nearly six years for a national health non-profit organization gave me exposure to social media by accident, starting in online fund-raising. I was surprised at how easy it was for volunteers to create their own fund-raising pages with little hand-holding. The power of user created content made my job easier, but even better it freed up the volunteers to raise money in a simple way. Then came the craziness of Myspace, Facebook, Linkedin. So, of course my organization wanted to get our brand out there, so I got recruited to take a national position and start developing an online community specifically for our volunteers. We used the modular open-source product, Drupal. Needless to say I learned a lot, and found that there really are jobs out there that combine technology and enhance relationship building. And, this English major definitely found her niche.
What excites me most is how anyone can create a profile or interest group on the Internet, based on their affinity for a product or idea. Its especially compelling to watch how often people turn to opinion sites first to decide what kind of camera to buy, house or where to get the best margarita in town. Empowering word-of-mouth with technology is really cool! It used to just be something you overheard at a party or on the street. Now, we can hear what people think in a few clicks of the mouse. Where we go from here is only limited by the creativity of users.
As I get myself more grounded in the online legal world, I plan to extend Avvo’s reach beyond the confines of Avvo.com into the spaces where people hang out. When it comes to Avvo our reach is broad, yet quite specialized. I will focus on making access to legal resources as seamless as possible. I know it won’t be possible to do this on my own. Fortunately Avvo has been developing quite a fan-base that’s already helping to spread-the-word. I won’t be shy…please email me if you want to help. It’s my goal to make sure Avvo continues to provide and encourage transparent communication between the legal community and individuals with real legal issues. To me it seems the only time people seek legal help is when they are in crisis; so it must be simple, approachable and honest.
I’m really looking forward to learning more about the ins-and-outs of the legal profession, so drop me a line sometime.
Avvo Community Manager,
Erin Anderson (erin at avvo dot com)
