Created by the Legal Marketing Association
The Body of Knowledge (BoK) is a foundational resource for professional development in marketing that defines the core skills necessary for legal marketers to succeed. The BoK defines essential and accepted domains, competencies and associated skill sets within the legal marketing profession at every level. It helps legal marketers hone their skills, assists legal marketing managers to develop themselves and their teams, provides a universal benchmark against which legal marketers can be assessed, and guides LMA in delivering the right educational programming for marketers of all levels.
The Evolution of the BoK
Published in 2016, the original BoK was created in collaboration with LMA’s Education Advisory Council (EAC) and various legal marketing specialists and experts. The EAC is a cross section of LMA members who serve as educational ambassadors to help guide educational strategy and best practices. In 2023, the EAC, under the guidance of LMA’s education director, thoroughly reviewed each domain, competency and skill. This thoughtful and critical review sets the gold standard for firms and legal marketers. The current version of the BoK features more advanced skills across all domains, new competencies within the Client Services, Communications, and Technology Management domains, the expansion of competitive and business intelligence skills, and an increased focus on fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout all areas of the BoK.
View the BoK
LMA membership is required to view the digital version of the BoK. Printed copies of the document are available for purchase by both LMA members ($79) and prospective LMA members ($179). Prospective members must create a guest account and log in to purchase.
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Test Your Skills With the BoK Assessment Tool
Test your Body of Knowledge (BoK) core skills! Take the intro quiz to get started, and then continue with the six domains. Determine your current knowledge level and where to focus your educational and professional development efforts. Plus, this tool also gives you personalized recommendations on next steps based on your results. The full quizzes are an LMA member benefit.
Take the Quiz
Assess Your Skills With the Competency Analysis Tool
To better assist you in charting your own development path, LMA has created a competency analysis tool (CAT) for each domain within the BoK. The CAT can be used to assess staff’s or your personal professional development opportunities.
Click on each domain icon below to view and print the CAT.
New to the BoK? Start Here
LMA Podcast: Body of Knowledge SERIES
Listen to the LMA Podcast Body of Knowledge series centered around the six BoK domains. Each episode features domain experts providing insight on industry trends within each domain and actionable advice on how to apply your knowledge of the domains at work.
Tell Us What You Think
Once you've had a chance to review the BoK, and apply its contents, let us know your thoughts through our brief survey.
BoK Survey