New Member Directory FAQs

New Member Directory FAQs

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State Bar of Michigan Member Directory Powered by ZeekBeek

Why does the State Bar have a new directory? The old one was great!

The State Bar's old directory (you can still find access it as the "classic directory" on the search page) was great for quickly getting contact information on someone whose name you already knew. What it wasn't good at was connecting potential clients with our members. That's the improvement of our new directory, which offers sophisticated search capability for the public to connect members and potential clients, as a free member benefit.

Think about it. Once upon a time not so long ago, the State Bar's directory was the gold standard for both lawyers and the public seeking information on lawyers. Today, the public increasingly uses search engines to look for lawyers and the State Bar's directory was falling behind, including to sites with inaccurate information about our members.

What advantages does the new directory offer me?

Drawing consumer attention through the Internet requires sophisticated, and expensive, efforts at "search engine optimization." Our new directory has extensive search engine optimization capacity that can draw the public to information about you. And unlike commercial directories, the new directory lets you control the information that the public finds about you, without any cost to you. You do that by expanding your member profile. (If you do not want to expand your profile, it will continue to show what has been included in the classic directory—your membership status, e.g., active, inactive, emeritus, suspended, and your contact information.

A prime example of how the new directory protects you is client reviews—increasingly a feature that attracts the public. The new directory lets you decide whether you want to have client reviews on your profile. If you do, there are safeguards in place to ensure that any review posted is from an actual client.

I tried the new directory already and didn't like it—it was too slow, had mistakes, and was not as classy as the old directory. Why should I try it again?

The initial launch revealed lots of improvements that needed to be made. We listened. Try us again. The site is much faster, cleaner, and user-friendly. Most importantly, we're still listening and improving every day. Our partner in the new website, ZeekBeek, is committed to building an ethically compliant service through the first online site developed to both improve consumer access to legal services and also address the real needs of practicing lawyers.

Does ZeekBeek own my content? I was interested in expanding my profile until I read the terms of service which seem to give ZeekBeek ownership of any content I add to my profile.

Like all respectable sites that allow content to be uploaded to it, the ZeekBeek site requires permission to use the material posted to carry out its purpose—in this case, connecting people seeking lawyers with lawyers seeking clients, through search engine optimization. Specifically, the Lawyer User Agreement states that the lawyer grants CloudLaw, the company that develops and owns ZeekBeek, a license on the information that the lawyer posts on the site. Nowhere does the lawyer convey ownership of that information to Cloudlaw, and this is why Cloudlaw needs a license to use it. This information includes content of blogging and articles posted by the lawyer on an expanded profile. Accordingly, Section 6 clarifies that the site and the content on the site are the proprietary property of Cloudlaw or its licensors. The licensors are the attorneys that post information on the site. The language is standard and unexceptionable, but we invite members who want to offer suggested clarifications and improvements to send them to us.

CloudLaw, Inc. is a young Delaware corporation that is owned primarily by lawyers who cumulatively have over a hundred years' experience in the practice of law. Its CEO is a Michigan member—a retired partner of Sidley Austin, licensed in Michigan, New York, and Illinois. He alone practiced law for over 35 years.

Information for your expanded profile can be added through the State Bar of Michigan Member Area or from the ZeekBeek site. Your member record will automatically update in both places within seconds. If you belong to a Section, the information you provide will also update automatically in the new SBM Connect. You can also import your LinkedIn profile information directly on the ZeekBeek site.

All you need to get started is your SBM user name and password. From the new member directory (directory.michbar.org) select the "Update Member Profile" link at the top of the page. Log in using your SBM user name and password. If you don't know your user name and password, click here. From there you can access all the ZeekBeek site features! To obtain the full marketing benefits of your expanded profile, you will need to switch on the feature in the ZeekBeek settings showing that you are available to accept consumer clients.

ZeekBeek is offering free weekly lunchtime webinars to introduce you to its site features. Sign up for "Getting Started on ZeekBeek" for a brief overview of the website features and to learn how to build your online profile.

Visit the ZeekBeek For Lawyers page to see the full webinar schedule, learn more about the site, or to access the ZeekBeek help center.

We hope you take advantage of the new directory features and find them useful tools in strengthening your online presence! Please contact the SBM Member Services team at (888) 726-3678 if you need assistance.

Resources

How to Edit Your Profile
Import LinkedIn Data into Profile
Summary of ZeekBeek Review Policy
What if I Receive a Negative Review?

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