Real Lawyers Have Blogs

Legal News- LexBlogsphere: 11/21/08

colin@lexblog.com (Colin O'Keefe) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:41:05 -0800

Whenever I try to explain the idea of "blogs for lawyers" to my friends I talk about attorneys being seen as 'thought leaders' and valuable sources of information on their particular practice area. New Jersey law blogger John Marshall has a great unique example of that.

Is a Due Process hearing mandatory? - Virginia Beach lawyer Steven Lauer of Inman & Strickler on the firm's Virginia Condominium & Homeowners' Association Law Blog
Mortgage Fraud Sends Defendant To Prison For 135 Months - Boise attorney Chuck Peterson on Peterson Law Offices' Idaho Criminal Defense Blog
John Marshall is in the HOUSE - New Jersey lawyer John Marshall on his New Jersey Criminal Defense and DWI Blog
Off-Shore Lake Erie Wind Farm Lease Proposal - Cleveland attorney Joe Koncelik of Frantz Ward in the firm's Ohio Environmental Law Blog
Morton Ranch Cheerleaders Indicted - Texas lawyer Matthew Skillern of the Law Office of Grant M. Scheiner on the firm's Greater Houston Criminal Defense Law
Electric company brings federal lawsuit against Kansas Governor for denial of permit for coal-fired power plant expansion - New York attorney Jennifer Liu of Howrey on the firm's Global Climate Law Blog
Strange Bed-Fellows in Legal Malpractice - Andrew Lavoott Bluestone on the New York Attorney Malpractice Blog
Hartford-Area Businesses Ban Smoking on Company Premises: The Law on Workplace Smoking - Hartford lawyer Daniel Schwartz of Pullman & Comley in his Connecticut Employment Law Blog
Obama's Radio Address is Streamed on the Internet - Demonstrating Why There Need Not Be Any Return of the Fairness Doctrine - Washington, D.C. attorney David Oxenford of Davis Wright Tremaine in the firm's Broadcast Law Blog
Privacy under the 44th President? Will the New Administration Bring a New Playbook? - Washington, D.C. lawyer Brendon Tavelli of Proskauer Rose in the firm's Privacy Law Blog

Live LexBlog blogs for the week of 11/17-11/21

colin@lexblog.com (Colin O'Keefe) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 17:12:31 -0800

This week is a small step down from the past couple monstrous weeks but the two blogs to launch this week will be great entries to the LexBlogosphere. Both are published by just one lawyer so it'll be interesting to see the distinct voice they present.

The Asbestos Law Journal, authored by Los Angeles attorney Seth Davidson, covers the medical, legal, social and political issues relating to the global ban of all asbestos.
Anthony Zaller, another Los Angeles lawyer, publishes the California Employment Law Report. This blog offers commentary and insight on the latest litigation trends, court decisions and other issues related to California employment law.

Legal News - LexBlogosphere: 11/20/08

colin@lexblog.com (Colin O'Keefe) — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:03:57 -0800

As a college student who remembers when Facebook's 'Wall' was nothing more than a simple text box anyone could edit (or completely erase), it blows me away to see how professional the social networking site has become. Today's developments include JD Supra allowing users to 'stream' legal documents and other information onto Facebook.

Online parenting tools and software to assist families with schedules, communicaton and other issues - Manchester lawyer Kysa Crusco in her New Hampshire Family Law Blog
Napolitano to Head DHS? - West Des Moines attorney Austin Kennedy of Brick Gentry on his Immigration Law Report
New from JD Supra: Stream Your Legal Docs and Info on Facebook - Adrian Lurssen at JD Supra in the legal resource site's accompanying blog, JD Scoop
Calif. High Court To Consider Legal Challenges To Same-Sex Marriage Ban - The blogging constitutionalists at the American Constitution Society in their ACS Blog
DOT Issues Final Rule on Commercial Drivers' Hours - Portland lawyer Dennis Westlind of Stoel Rives in the firm's World of Work Blog
Smart Marketing: Focusing on Clients in a Dismal Economy - Legal marketing specialist Tom Kane of Kane Consulting Inc. in his Legal Marketing Blog
Coach Led Pre-Game Prayer Violates Establishment Clause - Milford attorney Floyd Dugas of Berchem, Moses & Devlin on the firm's Connecticut Education Law Blog
Objectant Fails To Establish That "Insane Delusions" Warranted Denial Of Probate - New York lawyer Philip Bernstein on his New York Probate & Estate Litigation Blog
Missouri Child Support Guidelines and Case Law - Part 2 - Imputed Income - Kansas City lawyer Mark Wortman in his Missouri Divorce & Family Law Blog
Another Significant Canadian Securities Law Development - Ohio attorney Kevin LaCroix of OakBridge Insurance Services at his blog, The D&O Diary

Legal News - LexBlogosphere: 11/19/08

colin@lexblog.com (Colin O'Keefe) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:21:22 -0800

It was a good day in the LexBlogosphere. There's quality posts from ACS Blog on Eric Holder (an ACS board member) being tabbed as the next attorney general and Minneapolis attorney Gavin Craig on Proposition 8.

President Bush Issues Executive Order Pushing NextGen Forward - Costa Mesa lawyer Steven Taber of Chevalier, Allen & Lichman on the firm's Aviation and Airport Development Law Blog
Governor Schwarzenegger Strikes Again: 33% RPS by 2020 and Streamlined Renewable Energy Permitting in California - Sacramento attorney Allison Cook of Stoel Rives on the firm's blog, Renewable + Law
Digital Copyright Questions Deserve Answers - First Amendment authority Richard Kaplar on Media & Communications Policy
Media Outlets Say Obama Taps ACS Board Member Eric Holder For AG - The blogging constitutionalists at the American Constitution Society in their ACS Blog
California's Prop. 8 and the Fight for Equality. - Minneapolis lawyer Gavin Craig on his Twin Cities Business Litigation Blog
What Employers Need to Know About the New FMLA Regulations - Part II - Hartford attorney Daniel A. Schwartz of Pullman & Comley in his Connecticut Employment Law Blog
Resellers of natural gas will like this ruling - Dallas lawyer Alan E. Sherman in his Texas State & Local Tax Law Blog
Prior Knowledge and Legal Malpractice Insurance - Andrew Lavoott Bluestone on the New York Attorney Malpractice Blog
Survey of Women Lawyers Reveals Shocking Results - Legal marketing specialist Larry Bodine at his Law Marketing Blog
How to Establish Boundaries With Your Former Spouse - Spartanburg attorney J. Benjamin Stevens of Steven MacPhail on his South Carolina Family Law Blog

Legal News - LexBlogosphere: 11/18/08

colin@lexblog.com (Colin O'Keefe) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 17:33:18 -0800

There was absolutely no shortage of interesting posts today with quality content on everything ranging from the Employee Free Choice Act to Mark Cuban to new FMLA regulations.

Taxpayers To Foot Bill For Gonzales' Private Representation In DOJ Lawsuit - The blogging constitutionalists at the American Constitution Society in their ACS Blog
An office does not a restaurant make - Oklahoma attorney Jody Nathan of Stauffer Graves & Nathan in the firm's Reinsurance Law Blog
Employee Free Choice Act Tops List of Anticipated L&E Legislation - Portland lawyer Dennis Westlind of Stoel Rives in the firm's World of Work Blog
How Do You Compare To Other Lawyers In The Current Economy? - Legal marketing expert Tom Kane of Kane Consulting Inc. in his Legal Marketing Blog
In Products Liability Cases, Let the Plaintiff Beware - Dallas attorney Angel Reyes of Heygood, Orr, Reyes, Pearson & Bartolomei in his Angel Reyes Blog
Dallas Mavericks Owner in Hot Seat Over Insider Trading - Georgia lawyer Anthony Lake of Gillen, Withers & Lake in the firm's Federal Criminal Defense Blog
New FMLA Regulations - What Employers Need to Know - Part I - Hartford attorney Daniel Schwartz of Pullman & Comley in his Connecticut Employment Law Blog
The Healthiest City in America... - Nutrition blogger Gerald Pugliese at Dr. Joel Fuhrman's blog, Disease Proof
St. Paul Prostitution Bust Part of Larger Craigslist Crackdown - Minneapolis lawyer Jason Brown of the Brown Law Offices in the firm's Minnesota Criminal Defense Blog
Wachovia Shoots Back: Says Its Board Of Directors Fulfilled Its Fiduciary Duties In Negotiating Merger With Wells Fargo - Mack Sperling of Brooks Pierce in his blog, the North Carolina Business Litigation Report

Legal News - LexBlogosphere: 11/17/08

colin@lexblog.com (Colin O'Keefe) — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:37:00 -0800

Today's best of the LexBlogosphere post comes in a little early as I have to prep for a Montana Grizzlies basketball game on my blog. One of today's best posts is by Peter Gray on using the auto industry bailout to advance more environmentally friendly technologies.

It's crunch time for 403(b) plans - Retirement expert Jerry Kalish of National Benefit Services, Inc. in his Retirement Plan Blog
Greening the Detroit Bailout - Washington, DC lawyer Peter Gray of McKenna Long & Aldridge on the firm's Climate Change Insights
DUI defendant who fled with a good plea agreement on the table - Scottsdale attorney Dan Jaffe on his DUI Law Blog
Financial Domino Effect: Pensions and Alternatives - Financial risk manager Susan Mangiero of Pension Governance in her blog, Pension Risk Matters
Confusion Arises Over Who Owns the Mortgage - Business litigation lawyer Angelo Tartaro on Rogers & Tartaro's Business Litigation Blog
Buying a Business: Do Your Homework Because "Low-Risk" Doesn't Exist - Iowa attorney Rush Nigut of Brick Gentry at his blog, Rush on Business
New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo establishes Wind Industry Ethics Code - East Palo Alto lawyer John Horan at Howrey's Global Climate Law Blog
Financial Issues to Consider Before You Get Married - Spartanburg attorney J. Benjamin Stevens of Steven MacPhail on his South Carolina Family Law Blog
Credential Inflation: Portrayals, Proceedings and Prose - Ohio lawyer Kevin LaCroix of OakBridge Insurance Services in his blog, The D & O Diary
Find Out Why the Next Five Years May Mean "The End of Lawyers?" Or a New Era in Technology, Efficiency and Law Firm Marketing - Small business coach Stephen Fairley of The Rainmaker Institute in The Rainmaker Blog

More Twitter naivety from a lawyer

kevin@lexblog.com (Kevin) — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 16:23:30 -0800

David Giacalone is the latest lawyer to dismiss Twitter as a mindless waste of time and to brag about the fact that he's not using Twitter - like that'll make other ignorant souls think more of him.

Things might have improved a bit (or at least gotten a patina of adult and professional participation) since Time Magazine told us last year that “more often than not” Twitter’s members “are simply killing time.” But, we’ve seen how often fellow blawgers jump on new technologies and crazes that end up creating an unmanageable and unjustifiable torrent of information and distraction.......If you think that constant marketing or attracting blawg visitors is at the core of your law practice (or your cyber-business), joining the Twitter revolution might make sense, as you follow dozens, scores, or maybe hundreds of other Tweeters throughout the day or hope they follow you. But, I sure hope you’re not my lawyer (or my employee), adding yet another wave of cyber-distractions to your workday, instead of focusing on efficiently providing quality services. For us, maintaining multiple levels of unessential multitasking is not a virtue.

Here's some straight talk about Twitter from someone (me) who used to wonder what the heck some pretty smart people saw in Twitter.

Lawyers are becoming better lawyers through their growing networks on Twitter.
A lawyer can gain immediate expertise from a thought leader across the country by asking a general question or sending a direct message via Twitter.
Clients get better served by immediately connecting the client’s lawyer with a needed lawyer in another country within a 1/2 hour (happened yesterday on Twitter).
Lawyers are meeting business associates and prospective clients on Twitter who arguably are in a higher demographic group and more innovative than the general business population.
Lawyers are enjoying the practice of law more.
Lawyers actively using Twitter glance at their Twitter application on and off during the day, perhaps like one would read an article during a break from work. Such lawyers are not 'tweeting' throughout the day.

All happening via Twitter. Every single day.

But hey, hang to your prejudices, ignorance, and a year old article in Time Magazine as reasons to tell lawyers that Twitter is not worthwhile.

Sorry to be so blunt, but Twitter is adding a lot to many lawyers' lives. Twitter is not something to be dismissed by lawyers who are not giving Twitter a fair try.

Legal News - LexBlogosphere: 11/14/08

colin@lexblog.com (Colin O'Keefe) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 17:16:46 -0800

Another week at LexBlog closes with a roundup of the best posts from the LexBlogosphere. We have one blog—DUI Law Blog—making its first appearance while others are LexBlogosphere veterans.

Dallas School District Issued Fake Social Security Numbers To Employees - Texas attorney Robert A. Kraft in his Immigration Law Answers Blog
LinkedIn: A Top Networking and Law Firm Marketing Opportunity? - Small business coach Stephen Fairley of The Rainmaker Institute in The Rainmaker Blog
California DUI Case - Is there a right to plead guilty? - Scottsdale lawyer Dan Jaffe on his DUI Law Blog
Advancing Excellence in America's Nursing Homes - Spartanburg attorney Ray Mullman of Poliakoff & Associates in the firm's South Carolina Nursing Home Blog
"Blonde Jokes" Support Workplace Emotional Distress Claim - Portland lawyer Dennis Westlind of Stoel Rives in the firm's employment law blog, World of Work
Why Weren't They Thinking About Legal Malpractice? - Andrew Lavoott Bluestone on the New York Attorney Malpractice Blog
My Boss May Own My Facebook Page !? - Phoenix attorney Wendy Akbar of Quarles & Brady on the firm's E-Discovery Bytes
FCC Approves White Spaces Devices in TV Band - While Some Hail a Boon to Wireless Internet, Others Say Not So Fast - Washington, D.C. lawyer David Oxenford of Davis Wright Tremaine in the firm's Broadcast Law Blog
On Blogging - Ohio attorney Kevin LaCroix of OakBridge Insurance Services in his blog, The D & O Diary
Ten Ways to Promote Cooperative Negotiations - Lawyer-mediator Victoria Pynchon in her Settle It Now Negotiation Blog

Live blogs for the week of 11/10-11/14

colin@lexblog.com (Colin O'Keefe) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:54:02 -0800

While we didn't match last week's total of seven launches, we came close by taking an impressive total of six blogs live. This includes three from Foley Hoag. There's a wide range of great topics, definitely take a look and leave a comment for our new bloggers.

Northwest Insurance Law Blog is published by Jerry Edmonds, Dana Ferestien, Mary Re Knack and David Ryan of Williams Kastner.
Written by Dan Jaffe of Jaffe Law Firm, DUI Law Blog covers recent cases, other DUI news and the science involved in DUI law.
The Memphis Injury Law Blog is authored by James Ferrell of Ferrell Law Firm, who focuses on personal injury, auto accidents and wrongful death.
The Emerging Enterprise Center Blog by attorneys at Foley Hoag offers valuable insight on angel investors, funding, pitches, the VC community, exits and other topics important to employees at young companies.
Law & The Environment is the second Foley Hoag to launch this week. According to their tagline the blog is "intended to inform, update, comment and discuss legal issues regarding environmental law.
The third and final Foley Hoag blog to go live this week was Massachusetts Noncompete Law, which discusses covenants not to compete, non-solicitation, breach of fiduciary duty and trade secrets.

Legal News - LexBlogosphere: 11/13/08

colin@lexblog.com (Colin O'Keefe) — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 17:00:56 -0800

From a damp and dark day in Missoula, MT, I bring you the day's ten best posts from the LexBlogosphere. Highlights include Stacy Lay writing on a settlement received by ex-NFL players and ACSBlog's view on Obama taking on a hobbled justice department.

Legal Action To Recover White House E-Mails, To Go Forward, Judge Rules - The blogging constitutionalists at the American Constitution Society in their ACS Blog
When David Fought Goliath, David Won - Chicago lawyer Patrick J. Lamb of Valorem Law Group at his blog, In Search of Perfect Client Service
Jury Awards $28.1 Million to Retired NFL Players - Seattle attorney Stacy Lay of Hendricks & Lewis on her blog, IP Law Chat
Conducting Discovery in Discrimination Claims; Are Social Networking Sites Like Facebook Off-Limits or Untapped Treasure Trove? - Hartford lawyer Daniel Schwartz of Pullman & Comley in his Connecticut Employment Law Blog
Jury Awards $11.3 Million in Internet Defamation Case - Orange County attorney Aaron Morris on his Business Law Report
Is Tenure Obsolete? - Management consultant Cliff Mintz of BioInsights Inc. at his Bio Job Blog
Obama Transition Team Looking To Reform Hobbled Justice Dept. - The blogging constitutionalists at the American Constitution Society in their ACS Blog
Now Is Not The Time To Cut Your Marketing Budget - Legal marketing specialist Tom Kane of Kane Consulting Inc. in his Legal Marketing Blog
American Apparel Battles Wrongful Termination Lawsuit - The editor at Total Bankruptcy in their Bankruptcy Blog
Civil unions for opposite sex couples? - Manchester lawyer Kysa Crusco in her New Hampshire Family Law Blog

Legal News - LexBlogosphere: 11/12/08

colin@lexblog.com (Colin O'Keefe) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 18:14:13 -0800

One of today's better posts may not be as tied to the legal realm as others, but it is interesting: Cliff Mintz of Bio Job Blog writes on Google Flu Trends and its potential use as an early warning system for fast-spreading flu outbreaks. This may be of use to employers and employees alike.

Bicycles Added To Qualified Transportation Fringes - New York attorney Keith R. McMurdy of Fox Rothschild in the firm's Employee Benefits Legal Blog
July 2007 Castleberry Botulism Outbreak Settled - The blogging lawyers and attorneys at Marler Clark on Marler Blog
Prosecutions Anticipated to Rise with Falling Economy - New Jersey lawyer John Marshall on his New Jersey Criminal Defense and DWI Blog
Class Action Filed Against Apple For Defective PowerBook Computers - New York attorney Jerome Noll of Meiselman, Denlea, Packman, Carton & Eberz on the firm's Class Action Blog
California Overtime Laws Cover Nonresidents Who Work in California - Portland lawyer Dennis Westlind of Stoel Rives in the firm's World of Work Blog
Warning to BigLaw Partners: Don't Read The November Issue of The American Lawyer - Chicago attorney Patrick J. Lamb of Valorem Law Group at his blog, In Search of Perfect Client Service
National Bank Act May Preempt Certain Bank Officer Employment Claims - Ohio lawyer Kevin Griffith of Porter Wright Morris & Arthur in the firm's Employer Law Report
New Technology: Using Google to Track the Flu - Management consultant Cliff Mintz of BioInsights Inc. in his Bio Job Blog
Don't Expect to "Get Out" of a Franchising Agreement - Iowa attorney Rush Nigut of Brick Gentry at his blog, Rush on Business
The Criminal Defense Lawyer's Dream Juror - Texas lawyer Jamie Spencer in his Austin DWI Lawyer Blog

Legal News - LexBlogosphere: 11/11/08

colin@lexblog.com (Colin O'Keefe) — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 16:46:37 -0800

Whether you were working or not, I hope everyone enjoyed their Veteran's Day and took a second to think about it. It's the subject of a couple blog posts today but outside of that no major themes in today's roundup.

Law Enacted to Protect Military Parents - New York attorney Daniel Clement in his blog, the New York Divorce Report
Local Zoning Can Tie Up Small Solar and Wind Projects in Red Tape - Cleveland lawyer Joe Koncelik of Frantz Ward in the firm's Ohio Environmental Law Blog
NY Times Reporting Mortgage Relief Efforts Underway - Novato attorney David Winton in his Bay Area Real Estate Law Blog
Head's Up RIAA: Engage These Kids Passions: Don't Sue Your Market for Heaven's Sake - Lawyer-mediator Victoria Pynchon in her Settle It Now Negotiation Blog
The Bailout Bill's Incentive Stock Option Savings Provisions - Seattle attorney Joseph M. Wallin on Davis Wright Tremaine's Corporate Finance Law Blog
Veteran's Day - Should It Be a National Holiday? - Hartford lawyer Daniel Schwartz of Pullman & Comley in his Connecticut Employment Law Blog
Medicaid Myths - Spartanburg attorney Ray Mullman of Poliakoff & Associates in the firm's South Carolina Nursing Home Blog
Re-learning From My Mistakes: A Lesson from Poker and Politics About Analyzing Your Opponent's Intentions - Philadelphia lawyer Maxwell Kennerly of The Beasley Firm at his blog, Litigation & Trial
Hawaii Reaches Energy Agreement - Hartford attorney Brad N. Mondschein of Pullman & Comley on his Green Energy & Development Law Blog
Should Lawyers Accept Ads on Their Blogs? Why Not? - Washington, D.C. lawyer Carolyn Elefant at her blog, My Shingle

Live LexBlog blogs for the week of 11/3-11/7

colin@lexblog.com (Colin O'Keefe) — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 10:23:21 -0800

As far as launches go, this was as big a week at LexBlog as I've seen in a while. In total, we were able to take 7 new blogs live along with launching a blog redesign. Here they are:

Marketing Technology for Law Firms is published by Heidi Sogn of Sogn Consulting Services. She writes on blogging, search engine optimization, social networks and other tools at the disposal of today's lawyers.
Seattle attorney Jon Zimmerman authors the Washington Traffic Law Blog, which offers commentary on legal developments and prominent cases of interest to Washington drivers.
The Chicago Trial Attorney Blog, which provides opinionated analysis on recent litigation in the Windy City, is updated by Philip Berenz.
Trey Mills of Trammell Law Firm publishes the South Carolina Law Blog. He writes on recent cases, South Carolina laws and other information relevant to South Carolina injury victims.
EquID Blog, which is written by faculty at the Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph, covers equine infectious diseases and infection control educational.
Attorneys at Foster Pepper, a firm with offices in Seattle and Spokane, author the Native American Legal Update. The blog covers topics that include casinos and gaming, land use, Washington state Indian law, water law and child welfare.
The Acupuncture Alternative, authored by Desiree Merulli, covers acupuncture for seniors, facial rejuvenation acupuncture, meditation, wellness, yoga and other relevant topics.

Also worth noting: A redeveloped version of Whistleblowers Protection Blog, which is published by the National Whistleblower Legal Defense & Education Fund, went live this week as well.

Legal News - LexBlogosphere: 11/6/08

colin@lexblog.com (Colin O'Keefe) — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 21:29:36 -0800

More people will end up reading this tomorrow than tonight but here's today's update nonetheless. It comes after an interesting drive from Missoula, MT to Spokane.

The Future of the Plaintiffs' Securities Bar? - Ohio lawyer Kevin LaCroix of OakBridge Insurance Services at his blog, The D & O Diary
Court Reviews Fair Dismissal Act Decision De Novo - Birmingham attorney Madeline Haikala of Lightfoot on the firm's Alabama Appellate Watch
AIG Hearing Tomorrow in Chancery Court Available Online - Wilmington lawyer Francis G.X. Pileggi of Fox Rothschild in his Delaware Corporate and Commercial Litigation Blog
Hillary and Sarah Help Change the Face of Corporate America - Frances Green of EpsteinBeckerGreen on the firm's Executive Women's Networking Blog
Obama to Use Political Capital to Fight the Prison Industrial Complex? - Texas attorney Jamie Spencer in his Austin Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog
Looking for a "Change?" Transition Site Up With Lists of Legislative Agendas - Hartford lawyer Daniel Schwartz of Pullman & Comley in his Connecticut Employment Law Blog
Dumb Business Decisions to Avoid - Virginia attorney Debra A. McCurdy of Reed Smith in the firm's Health Industry Washington Watch Blog
What Will Happen To Federal Income and Employment Tax Rates? - Seattle lawyer Joseph Wallin of Davis Wright Tremaine on the firm's Corporate Finance Law Blog
Patent Complaint Need Not Identify Specific Products - Illinois attorney R. David Donoghue of DLA Piper in his Chicago IP Litigation Blog
TV vs. the Web for Law Firm Marketing - Legal marketing expert Larry Bodine in his Law Marketing Blog

Legal News - LexBlogosphere: 11/5/08

colin@lexblog.com (Colin O'Keefe) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 16:47:45 -0800

What a night. It was an evening I'm sure many of you will remember for a long time. Kevin was lucky enough to make it into Grant Park last night; great pictures here, here and here. With that, today's LexBlogosphere roundup is effectively an Obamarama.

Obama Presidency is Good News for the Legal Profession - Legal marketing specialist Larry Bodine at his Law Marketing Blog
The Feldman Election Report - Political commentator Don Feldman guest-blogging on Patti Spencer's blog, Pennsylvania Fiduciary Litigation
Round Up of Posts on Marketing Lessons from The Election - Washington, D.C. lawyer Carolyn Elefant at her blog, My Shingle
Bankruptcy Reform and President-Elect Barack Obama - Chicago attorney Kevin Chern on The Bankruptcy Lawyers Blog
Obama's Environmental Agenda Collides with the Economy - Cleveland lawyer Joe Koncelik of Frantz Ward in his Ohio Environmental Law Blog
Obama's Hardest Promise: Protecting Workers Who Blow The Whistle - Stephen Kohn on Whistleblower Protection Blog, which is published by the National Whistleblower Legal Defense & Education Fund
The Dark Ages for American Science Are Over! - Management consultant Cliff Mintz of BioInsights Inc. in his Bio Job Blog
The Dream--A Step Closer - Chicago attorney Patrick J. Lamb at his blog, In Search of Perfect Client Service
Digital Politics Comes of Age - First Amendment authority Richard Kaplar on Media & Communications Policy
Employer's Strategic Planning for an Obama Administration - Lancaster lawyer Michael Moore of McNees Wallace & Nurick in the firm's Pennsylvania Labor & Employment Blog

Twitter tips for lawyers : TwiTip

kevin@lexblog.com (Kevin) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 06:43:55 -0800

Darren Rowse, a heck of a nice guy who's taught hundreds of thousands the ins and outs of blogging via his blog, ProBlogger, has launched a new blog, TwiTip.

From Darren:

TwiTip is a blog about Twitter. It’s a place that I’ll be posting tips, news and reviews of tools for those wanting to improve their use of Twitter whether it be using it for personal reasons, to expand their personal brand, to promote their business etc.

TwiTip is going to be chock full of useful tips and ideas on how lawyers can use Twitter for PR, reputation enhancement, and business development.

Add the feed to your RSS reader today.

Legal News - LexBlogosphere: 11/4/08

colin@lexblog.com (Colin O'Keefe) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 16:56:58 -0800

Hard to believe it's finally November 4th. I cast my vote on Friday but it looks like many legal bloggers were either out voting today or following the election closely as the number of posts dropped off today.

Minnesota Court Rejects Coverage For Spyware Claims - Boston lawyer Mike Aylward of Morrison & Mahoney at the National Insurance Law Forum
Court declines to stay permanent injunction pending appeal - The blogging lawyers and attorneys at MorrisJames on the firm's Delaware Patent Litigation Report
Litigation Over San Francisco's Employer Mandated Healthcare Ordinance Continues - Sacramento attorney Robin E. Weideman of Carlton DiSante & Freudenberger in the firm's California Labor & Employment Law Blog
Is It Civil Or Is It Limited to Criminal - Beyond RICO - Idaho lawyer Thomas Walker of Cosho Humphrey in his RICO Law Blog
Election Day in Iowa: Know Your Rights - West Des Moines attorney Benjamin Clark of Sullivan & Ward on the firm's Iowa Law Blog
Election Day Blawg Review - Illinois lawyer R. David Donoghue of DLA Piper in his Chicago IP Litigation Blog
Connecticut Supreme Court Clarifies Fluctuating Workweek Method Of Calculating Overtime (Or At Least Attempts To) - Hartford attorney Daniel Schwartz of Pullman & Comley in his Connecticut Employment Law Blog
Pharmaceutical Industry is Losing its Reputation As an Ethical Industry - Management consultant Cliff Mintz of BioInsights Inc. in his Bio Job Blog
California's New HIPAA-Like Requirements Impose New Data Privacy & Security Duties - and Create New Potential Liabilities - Los Angeles lawyer Lisa Baird of Reed Smith in the firm's Life Sciences Legal Update
Vote Today - With Your Child - Spartanburg attorney J. Benjamin Stevens of Stevens MacPhail in his South Carolina Family Law Blog

Chicago Beer for Bloggers Thursday evening (and need a ticket for Grant Park tonight)

kevin@lexblog.com (Kevin) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 10:37:24 -0800

Carrying on the LexBlog tradition of 'Beer for Bloggers' when I'm traveling, we're having a meet up at 6 PM this Thursday evening in Chicago at Poag Mahone's at 333 S Wells St.

Drinks are on LexBlog. And as always, the invite is not limited to law bloggers. Lawyers without blogs, other professionals in the legal industry, and other bloggers are all welcome. Heck, if you're reading this, we're not going to turn you away.

I'd also welcome getting together with anyone on Thursday. I'm in Chicago all day, I can be reached by email and cell, 206 321 3627.

While I'm at it, if you know of someone willing to part with a ticket to the Obama event in Chicago's Grant Park tonight, I'd love to get one. Notwithstanding one's political persuasion, it's possible we'll see history being made tonight. Not as big as a Cubs World Series - but close.

Lawyer SEO junkies like crack cocaine addicts

kevin@lexblog.com (Kevin) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 09:19:33 -0800

LexBlog's VP of Client Development, Kevin McKeown, asked me this morning how I bring lawyers down from their SEO fixation. Thought I'd share with you what I shot to McKeown.

Lawyers addicted to SEO are like crack cocaine addicts who need to get their fix. Don't care how, from whom, or at what price. Just give my fix. As a result they get hooked up with crack cocaine dealers dressed up as SEO consultants - not a good crowd.

Effective blogging on a legal niche propels a lawyer to the top of the Google search results. And not just on what they do and their location, ie, Palm Springs Estate Planning Lawyer, but also for terms on which thousands of people search, ie, living will, estate tax etc. No question, effective blogging gets you found on Google.

But at the end of the day, the search engines are one big yellow pages directory. If you advertised heavily in the yellow pages and your good clients came primarily from the yellow pages, by all means, pour all your marketing and business development time and money into search results. Getting to the top of Google results is like having the first 2 full page spread in the yellow pages.

But if your best clients came by word of mouth, as opposed to the yellow pages, Google is not the be all and end all. You need an effective online presence so that your prospective clients and those who influence them see you as a reliable and trusted authority in your niche. A link from the top of the search results to a web page proclaiming your accolades is not going to do it.

I'm speaking from experience. I was a plaintiff's trial lawyer for 17 years. We spent heavily on advertising. TV, radio, yellow pages. You name it, we did it. But at the end of the year, the largest fees were generated on cases we received by word of mouth.

When I started answering injury law related questions on AOL's message boards in 1996, there were no search engines. But injury victims and their family members saw what I was doing and spread the word across the Internet. Thousands of people, including many from my state of Wisconsin, came to my website where I archived the questions and answers. Work and notoriety as a trusted authority followed - in spades.

Don't get me wrong. Google matters. And good blogging gets you to the top. But Google results is not the leading way the best lawyers get their best clients.

The best lawyers get their best work by word of mouth. Period.
Word of mouth is generated by being recognized as a reliable and trusted authority in one's practice area. Offline that takes a decade or more for a good lawyer. With effective blogging, a good lawyer can do it in a year or two.
Forgo this and you're acknowledging that you'll be on the never ending rat race chasing the top results on search engines, which is like chasing the largest ad in the yellow pages.
Better clients come from being an authority and by word of mouth, not from search engines. Good clients are evaluating a lawyers skill, acumen, and passion as well as who is citing that lawyer on line (other bloggers & reporters).
An effective Internet presence through effective blogging and the innovative use of social media is achieved by very few lawyers. 99% of lawyers don't know how to do it or are too lazy to learn how. That's far less competition for you. Chasing SEO is something everyone of your competitors is doing.

Better clients. Less competition. Less Cost. Long lasting. What's not to like?

Back to weaning lawyers off their fix. ;)

Legal News - LexBlogosphere: 11/2/08

colin@lexblog.com (Colin O'Keefe) — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 16:15:03 -0800

Tonight is the last night we won't know who the next president is so it makes sense that we have a fair number of election-related posts. If you haven't done so already, make sure you get out and vote.

The First Amendment According to Sarah Palin - Texas attorney Jamie Spencer in his Austin Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog
Is There A Real Difference Between The Candidates-Maybe Not - Hartford lawyer Brad N. Mondschei of Pullman & Comley on his Green Energy & Development Law Blog
Sometimes, Jurors Are Just Crazy: Sen. Stevens' Juror Lied About Father's Death, Is Delusional - Philadelphia attorney Maxwell Kennerly of The Beasley Firm at his blog, Litigation & Trial
North Carolina Business Court Agrees To Decide Motion To Enjoin Wachovia-Wells Fargo Merger On An Expedited Basis, But Denies Expedited Discovery - Greensboro lawyer Mack Sperling of Brooks Pierce at his blog, the North Carolina Business Litigation Report
Negotiating Government: Triage the Vote - Attorney-mediatory Victoria Pynchon at the IP ADR Blog
Former Employees As Witnesses - Ridgefield, Connecticut lawyer Angelo Tartaro on Rogers & Tartaro's Business Litigation Blog
Does Palin know CAFA? You Betcha! Thanks to the 2007 University of Pennsylvania Law Review Symposium and Accompanying Articles. - The blogging lawyers & attorneys at McGlinchey Stafford in the firm's CAFA Law Blog
Every vote counts - My early voting experience - Juliet Sallette at LaBovick & LaBovick in the firm's Whistleblower Law Blog
North Carolina Senate Campaign Lawsuit (Hagan v. Dole) Started By Summons WIthout Complaint - Greensboro attorney Mack Sperling of Brooks Pierce at his blog, the North Carolina Business Litigation Report
When it Comes to Business Growth and Law Firm Marketing - Choose Profitability - Small business coach Stephen Fairley of The Rainmaker Institute in The Rainmaker Blog