Attorneys skeptical of whether writing blogs and newsletters is worth their time had their heads turned at a recent Lawyers Weekly In-House Counsel Breakfast, when one of the panelists revealed that general counsel not only look at such materials, but also sometimes make decisions on which firms to retain based on what they read.

The GC who made the pronouncement did not wish to be named here — understandably fearing that an inbox deluge would result — but the comment got us wondering whether blogs and newsletters are indeed an effective strategy for courting in-house counsel.

Jamie W. Katz, general counsel at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, throws cold water on the idea, but leaves a sliver of hope for optimists who might, in the words of Lloyd Christmas, respond: “So, you’re telling me there’s a chance.”

“I don’t think I’ve hired on the basis of a blog,” says Katz, who notes he gets an “unending stream” of blogs, newsletters and other informational articles in his email inbox on a daily basis. “I read — I won’t say none of them — but maybe 5 percent of them or less. There’s just not enough time, and many of them are repetitive. While I value writing a lot, I would look at many other things before hiring a lawyer.”

For example, Katz says, when there is a significant health care regulatory change, he’s likely to receive several items on the same subject. He’ll probably read one, but there’s not much rhyme or reason to which one he chooses.

“I’m going to look at whatever is most interesting to me in the inbox when I have some free time to look at it,” Katz says. “I don’t know if there’s much they can do to make it more appealing to someone like me.”

Biogen Idec General Counsel Susan H. Alexander says only that she considers blogs and newsletters to be a very useful and valuable service. But Lionbridge GC Margaret A. “Peggy” Shukur provides the most hope that attorneys’ time spent blogging and sending out newsletters is well spent, saying not only does she find the writings useful personally, but they can enter the equation as a secondary factor when she’s making hiring decisions, sort of like an LSAT writing sample.

“I might use a blog or law firm newsletter to educate myself,” says Shukur, adding that referrals and in-person interviews are still the primary methods she uses to choose outside counsel. “I can’t remember a time I’ve called a lawyer because I was so blown away by their newsletter and had to talk to that person. Oftentimes, I don’t even know who wrote them. But when I’m making a decision on hiring someone, and I see a newsletter, that’s useful information to me to know how proficient they are in a particular subject matter.”

Lawyers who blog and write newsletters remain convinced that it is an effective marketing strategy. Sherin & Lodgen partner Debra A. Squires-Lee says she often receives positive feedback, including recently from a general counsel, on her legal malpractice newsletter posts, which she says take about four to five hours each to research and write. And she says the Boston firm has gotten referrals and work from people as a direct result of them reading the firm’s real estate blog.

At Boston’s Yurko, Salvesen & Remz, a paralegal, associate and partner spend a combined five to 10 hours a week putting together the firm’s newsletter. Managing partner Sanford F. Remz says he can’t cite any one-to-one connections to referrals or actual business, but he’s pleased with the newsletter because it has accomplished its twin goals of creating name recognition for the seven-lawyer boutique and associating it with business litigation.

“It’s just a piece of general marketing,” Remz says. “It’s also fun to do. While it’s a lot of work for a small firm, it’s still manageable.”