A client asked me this morning: Who should I include in my marketing database for emails? Should it be just clients, everyone under the sun, or a hybrid?

A comprehensive database should include: clients (including the insureds, if you that kind of work, to whom you need to develop an approach for direct assignments, assuming the matter went well), referral sources (lawyers, bankers, CPAs, certain doctors, insurance brokers, most anyone whose work is based on trust meaning they have a professional license or fiduciary duty), friends, family, employees of the firm (commonly forgotten), select law school and undergrads alums, opposing counsel, experts, those you declined as clients or who were conflicted out (after all, they picked you as their lawyer but you just couldn’t take that particular case).

We think about covers it.