Things have been slow on the blog front of late due to a confluence of events, but I should be in the clear to get back to regularly scheduled blogging shortly. (Though I continue to remain active on the Twitters <- follow me there).
In the interim, I did want to mention that it’s the time again for the ABA Journal’s Annual Blawg 100.
Err, make that the ABA Journal’s Annual Blawg 100 Web 100. If you want a definitive sign that the legal blogosphere is largely dead, there you go. The annual list is not solely focusing on blogs any longer and instead expanding it’s reach to law firm websites (yawn), social media, and podcasts – which is actually the right call.
You can nominate as many people as you want. The Web 100 amici form is here. Who I’m nominating this year:
Blawgs
On life support, but they’re actually not dead yet. Here are four new blawgs that have shown up in the past year or so and haven’t been featured in the Blawg 100 before.
- Big Law Investor – Written by Josh, a Big Law associate, Big Law Investor has become a central focal point for financial discussion among lawyers in the past year. Despite it’s name, the site hosts lawyers from all sorts of practices and the discussion is about being smart financially, not only investments. Joshua has also developed his own sub-community in LawyerSlack.
- Financial Panther – Another finance-for-lawyers blog. Written by an ex-Big Law associate turned government lawyer, the site focuses on paying down your debt and developing a side hustle. Given the average debt profile of new lawyers, definitely a blawg to keep track of.
- Jeremy Richter – Jeremy is a fellow Alabama lawyer who does insurance defense work. While many of his posts are related to work at his firm or how to be a better defense lawyer, he also posts on a wide range of other issues of interest to any lawyer or the general public. A history of Anti-Miscegenation statutes or the Trans-Siberian railroad. Deep research and writing worth your time.
- Lawyers & Liquor – Written by the semi-pseudonymous Boozy Barrister. Incredibly NSFW, but also worth a lawyer’s time for a look into the trenches of a small firm practice. Tales of clients, woe, and professionalism (or the lack thereof) abound. And furries. So. Many. Furries.
Law Firm Websites
Lol, no. Who cares.
Podcasts
Most legal podcasts suck. Like, they’re completely awful. I try to listen to them then I realize I would rather listen to almost anything else. So I’m only nominating one podcast:
The Lawyerist Podcast – From the dynamic duo of Aaron Street and Sam Glover. An offshoot (outgrowth…eww) of Lawyerist.com, the podcast features a brief discussion between Sam & Aaron before moving on to an in-depth interview with a lawyer discussing their field or practice area.
Social Media (really they just mean Twitter)
This is tough. Many lawyers who are in the Blawg 100 Hall of Fame (and can no longer be nominated for their blawgs) are certainly people you should follow on social media. In no particular order, some of those folks are:
- Popehat
- Walter Olson
- Scott Greenfield
- Mark Bennett
- Tax Girl
- Robert Ambrogi
- Eric Turkewitz
- Carolyn Elefant
- Kevin Underhill
I’m not going to bother detailing who they are and why you should follow/nominate them. They’re “Hall of Famers.”
On the non Hall of Fame front:
- ABAEsq – The official Twitter account of the ABA. Likely ineligible because they’re the home team. But a good account for broader legal news.
- Andrew Arruda – CEO/co-founder Ross Intelligence. Follow if you want to learn about #legaltech, A.I in law, and more. Remember: in the future, there will be robots.
- Brian Cuban – Lawyer/author. Brian writes and speaks frequently on addiction and the physically/mental issues that many lawyers face.
- The Florida Bar – They’ve stormed Twitter with a vengeance and set the tone for how Bar Associations use social media. Learn how to have a strong GIF game here.
- IAALS – The official account of the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System. If you want to stay up-to-date on efforts & news to improve the American legal system, this is where you need to be.
- Jason Steed – Benevolent manager of #AppellateTwitter. If you want to join a conversation of appellate lawyers from around the country, follow Jason and the #AppellateTwitter hashtag.
- Josh King – Chief Legal Officer at Avvo. Regularly discusses ethics, advertising, regulations, and more as it pertains to lawyers. Follow if you want to stay abreast of what’s happening nationally regarding regulation and the practice of law.
- Josh Lenon – Clio’s “Lawyer-in-Residence.” #legaltech, broader industry news, and what’s going on with privacy and regulation in law. Also, the #peasantking.
- Judge Dillard – 30th Chief Judge, Court of Appeals of Georgia. Discusses role of lawyers, professionalism, courtesy, and many other topics of interest to lawyers.
- Justice Willett – Supreme Court Justice & Tweeter Laureate of Texas. Justice Willet maintains a light-hearted account that most lawyers would find entertaining. Also, 10/10, best Twitter judicial profile pic.
- Ron Coleman – Proprietor of the long running Likelihood of Confusion IP blawg. An easy follow if you’re even marginally interested in IP law.
2017 ABA Journal Web 100
There you have it, my nominations for the 2017 ABA Journal Web 100. If you enjoy the blogs, podcasts, or socials of those in the field, I’d encourage you to nominate them. They’re largely doing this in their free time and don’t make a dime off it. This is a good opportunity to show that you appreciate what they’re doing. And if you need inspiration or want to explore even more of the legal interwebz, I maintain the largest online legal resource list available.
Addendum: One of the rules of the Web 100 is to not nominate other people on a quid pro quo basis, and to disclose any relationships with those you nominate. I personally know roughly half the people I nominated above. But after years in the industry, attending conferences, and building relationships, it’s tough to not know many people who are leaders in the industry. That’s the whole point of social media anyway isn’t it? To be able to share and connect with people. If I hadn’t gotten to know many of these people, what a waste of time it would have been.
