Earlier this week, this blog reported that Legaltech News, the ALM-owned legal technology magazine, will cease publishing as a stand-alone magazine and instead be published as a quarterly 24-page technology section that will appear in the magazines Corporate Counsel and The American Lawyer.

Now I’ve learned that the change will also bring a shift in the publication’s editorial focus.

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Jay Kirsch

I spoke today with the executive in charge of the change, Jay Kirsch, president of media at ALM. A digital marketing veteran who joined ALM last October, Kirsch was formerly president of AOL’s Business, Technology & Entertainment Group, where he oversaw such brands as TechCrunch, Engadget, AOL Autos, DailyFinance and Moviefone.

A key reason for the change to Legaltech News, Kirsch said, is to ensure that the purpose of the product is clearly understood by readers and advertisers.

Up to now, Legaltech News has served two different types of readers, he said. One was made up of highly technical professionals whose interests are in choosing technology products. The other was made up of legal professionals who want to understand how technology impacts their businesses and practices.

That latter group, Kirsch believes, is the one that more closely aligns with ALM’s overall editorial and advertising focus. “Talking about how technology affects the business of law is more aligned with what we do,” he said.

For that reason, Legaltech News will shift its editorial focus to place more emphasis on addressing technology’s impact on the business of law, Kirsch said. “It positions the content to be more clearly differentiated from the competition.”

Another reason for the shift, he said, is simply that it no longer makes sense for a technology publication to have a large print distribution.

At the same time, the print reach of Legaltech News will actually increase with its inclusion in the two magazines, from 35,000 to more than 50,000.

Also of interest, Kirsch said that among his goals as president of media is to make ALM less insular and broaden its reach outside the company. Specifically, he said that he is in talks with Facebook and LinkedIn about how ALM can operate on those platforms to improve the overall user experience.

Photo of Bob Ambrogi Bob Ambrogi

Bob is a lawyer, veteran legal journalist, and award-winning blogger and podcaster. In 2011, he was named to the inaugural Fastcase 50, honoring “the law’s smartest, most courageous innovators, techies, visionaries and leaders.” Earlier in his career, he was editor-in-chief of several legal publications, including The National Law Journal, and editorial director of ALM’s Litigation Services Division.