Roll On Friday Report That Lawyer (UK) Website To Move Behind A Paywall

Exclusive: The Lawyer magazine moves behind paywall

The Lawyer is moving behind a paywall.

Following in the footsteps of Legal Week and the Murdoch papers (footsteps recently reversed at The Sun following less than stellar subscriber take-up), the publication is moving a “substantial amount” of its internet content behind a “partial paywall“. In an email to law firm PRs seen by RollOnFriday, The Lawyer editorial team writes that a large chunk of its website will “now be ‘premium’ content, available only to subscribers“. Which is fine if your firm pays for your sub, but not so much if it doesn’t.

It means, says The Lawyer, that non-subscribers will miss out on content including “in-house interviews” and “many lateral hires“. So start campaigning now for your managing partner to pay up, or go without the latest on the GC of Widget Inc’s favourite band and John Nomark’s sensational move from Knuck Fows LLP to Meh, Meh & Mehhhh.

“Recently“, explains The Lawyer, “it seems that there’s been an increase in the number of times we’ll leave a message for a partner and almost immediately have a call back from the press office – and that doesn’t help our relationship with you“. Mortified. Go on. “Generally, if we’re calling a partner, it’s because we want to have an off the record chat about the market or just catch up; in other words, you probably can’t help“. Quite right. Let the adults talk.In a bizarre additional note, The Lawyer also exhorts PRs not to do their jobs, under the heading, “Nitpick of the month“.

It is an inspired attempt to circumvent the PRs and their firms’ media policy. The only flaw being that it relies on everyone involved in the decision to email the partnership, “Don’t bother us if The Lawyer calls, just chat to them freely I’m sure it will be fine“, having a slightly lower IQ than a stone.

In other news, RollOnFriday couldn’t erect a paywall even if it wanted to because the website currently runs on diesel.