Professional Networks and Social Publishing in the Legal, Tax & Regulatory Information Segment

Author: David Curle, Director & Lead Analyst

The tools and phenomena generally referred to as “Web 2.0” – social networking, user-generated content, blogs, wikis, and Twitter – have begun to have profound impact on professional publishing markets. Each professional industry segment is adapting to the new Web 2.0 tools in its own way. This report identifies the key players and trends in the new information ecosystem that is now serving legal professionals. It argues that the decentralizing force of new social media will require legal information providers to be nimble and flexible as they continue to address fragmenting information markets in the Legal, Tax & Regulatory Information (LTR) segment. The report includes:

- An overview of Web 2.0 and key players;
- A table profiling 33 organizations, companies, and networks currently competing in the legal networking space, organized according to Outsell’s segmentation;
- Outsell data on lawyers’ adoption of various social networks and tools for engaging in social media;
- Outsell’s model for professional social networking in legal services and the opportunities for information providers to insert themselves into the mix;
- Brief profiles of five LTR social media players to watch;
- Essential actions for publishers and information providers.