Larry Sullivan, an attorney in Newark, Delaware, has found great success with his blog: http://www.delawoffice.com/news.html. To my surprise, Mr. Sullivan uses his blog as an internal resource, as well as an external marketing tool. Mr. Sullivan has set up links on the left side of the blog’s home page. These links direct him and his staff to the various court web sites in Delaware. Mr. Sullivan has found that the technology of the blog helps him update information easier and quicker than if he had a traditional HTML web site (I can attest that maintaining a blog is very easy as the technology is user friendly). With the blog, Mr. Sullivan efficiently keeps clients informed by updating important Delaware cases, changes in the law and current events. Not surprisingly, the blog has provided to be a great marketing tool. Mr. Sullivan’s blog is on virtually every google or yahoo query regarding Delaware lawyers. The blog receives over 400 visits per day. The key to the blogs success: Mr. Sullivan advises that the blog is a success because it is being used as a tool, rather than just a stagnate site – and he has dedicated much time and effort into the develpoment of the blog.
Andrew Ewalt, a Connecticut solo practitioner and 1998 graduate of the Widener School of Law, maintains a blog as part of his marketing plan. Mr. Ewalt originally began his blog as an experiment for the ABA section Law Practice Management. The purpose of the blog, as Mr. Ewalt sees it, is to provide up to date factual information regarding the law. Mr. Ewalt notifed me that he has seen a small increase in his business, though it is difficult to say if this increase is attributable to the blog. On his blog, Mr. Ewalt has addressed many issues, including; Woman and the Law, Connecticut probate fees, Real Estate Closings, prescription drug coverage and same sex civil unions. Mr. Ewalt’s blog can be reached at: http://andrewewaltslawblog.blogs.com/
Pennsylvania Appellate Attorney, Howard Bashman, maintains a blog focusing on appellate litigation. Mr. Bashman, whose blog, How Appealing, gathers news stories concerning appellate litigation from various news papers, such as the NY Times, Boston Globe and Chicago Sun-Times, as well as Student News Papers such as the Harvard Crimson, North Carolina’s The Daily Tar-Heel and the Vanderbilt Hustler. The articles that Mr. Bashman reference address important cases in the various appellate courts including circuit courts and the United States Supreme Court. Further, Mr. Bashman has extensively reported on Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito. How Appealing can be found at: http://legalaffairs.org/howappealing/
Lawyers are using blogs in their roles as political pundits. As reported by Robert J. Ambrogi in the October 2004 Law Technology News, blogs have become “…virtual soapboxes of political pundits…” A list of blogs operated by attorneys focusing on politics can be found by accessing the following link:
http://www.lawtechnews.com/r5/showkiosk.asp?listing_id=457498&category_id=27902
These sorts of blogs have become so powerful that, as Mr. Ambrogi notes, many political observers attributed the downfall and resignation of Senator Trent Lott as Senate Republican leader to the criticism he received through the blogs.
As reported by Denise Howell, of Crosby, Heafey, Roach & May in Los Angeles, in an October 2002 Law Technology New Article, Attorneys can benefit from Weblogs in many ways. Here are a few that Ms. Howell highlights:
1 – Reading the blogs can replace or augment daily newspaper consumption. Reading a blog which concentrates on a specific topic may increase your proficiency in your field.
2 – The blogs help an attorney learn from others by sharing thoughts, analysis and commentary on specific legal issues.
3 – Firms can use blogs to help streamline information. Weblogs can help centralize critical information, keep the information up to date and keep all members of the firm “…connected and in the loop on important case or firm management issues.”
This blog will be dedicated to a discussion of the uses and benefits of legal blogs. We will research the plethora of blogs on the internet that have been developed by and maintained by attorneys and law professors. With the use of specific examples from the various sites, the uses and benefits of legal blogging will become evident.