May 07 2008
networking for law students 201 – blogging
This is sort of a follow up on my previous post about networking tips for law students (see here), hence the title, but also in response to the fact that blogging made the cover of the California Lawyer Magazine this month. I found the main article to be a re-hash of most such articles because of the content:
- lawyer blogging is booming (a 3500% jump in 5 years, which is no surprise)
- attorneys have many reasons to blog: to build a reputation in a specialty, attract clients, monitoring a legal niche, starting a conversation with a community of interest, etc. (common sense, no surprise again)
- the downside of blogging (lawyers are often technophobes and trolls are annoying, nothing new)
- future of blogging (no real information, just some pretty lame speculation)
However, the magazine provided 7 tips for blogging. Since I had counseled law students to learn about blogging and start their own blogs (or join the staff of a blog which has multiple authors like Transnational Law Blog), I thought I would put up some excerpts of the tips:
1. THINK GLOBALLY
In blogging, even though it feels like you’re sharing your thoughts with an intimate circle of friends, remember that millions of Internet users around the world will be able to read-and react to-what you’ve written.
This is even more important if you are taking on an international niche–then you really do need to think globally.
2. MANAGE YOUR READING REQUIREMENTS
Everyone already has too much to read, and the popularity of blogs is an added burden. But to be a well-regarded blogger, you really need to keep up with what fellow bloggers are saying. “Blogs act as funnels,” says Kevin O’Keefe, president of Seattle consulting firm LexBlog. “It’s like you have an intelligence agent that puts things in perspective for you.”
It is possible to follow a dozen or two dozen blogs without taking too much time if you have RSS or a standard bookmark list that you check once or twice a day. No need to keep on reading a blog over and over because there will be new stuff eventually.
3. KEEP IT CIVIL
If you wind up in a heated online spat but aren’t familiar with the tone and behavior expected in the blogosphere, resist the urge to respond immediately.4. JOIN THE CONVERSATION (BUT IGNORE THE TROLLS)
When someone blogs misinformation about you, your firm, or an issue you are involved in, you should go ahead and set the record straight online. “The remedy for false speech is more speech,” says JoAnne Speers, executive director and ethics program director of the Institute for Local Government in Sacramento. However, if you encounter a rabid, screaming, and pertinacious blogger-often referred to as a troll-you might want to hang back.
Just common sense, though I slightly disagree with #4. One thing is that when “trolls” abound, in general, just let them be. That usually works well. It’s the debate that will keep them coming back. No debate, moderate their comments, and you will be just fine.
5. FOLLOW OFFLINE RULES ONLINE
For the most part, you can avoid getting in hot water while blogging. “Use the same standard of ethics and decorum that applies to any medium,” including a person-to-person conversation, Speers advises.
Remember you are a professional. If you are a to-be lawyer, what you say will be remembered by the lawyer blog community. It’s a small community. So be professional always.
6. ABANDON ANONYMITY
Although it may be tempting to launch an anonymous blog in which you can speak freely, keep in mind that anonymous bloggers rarely stay anonymous. “Eventually, you are going to get found out,” says Kristie D. Prinz, founder of the California Biotech Law Blog. Howell agrees. “It’s not that difficult to figure out who someone is,” she says. Just ask Rick Frenkel, a lawyer at Cisco Systems. Shortly after his anonymous blog-Patent Troll Tracker-was outed this year, two Texas patent attorneys sued Frenkel and Cisco for defamation. Cisco has since revised its blog policy.
As a law student, I think this is a definite must. You need to be known in the community, and anonymity will hurt you. Of course, this assumes you are writing an informative blog and not something like Anonymous Lawyer (by Jeremy Blachman I believe).
7. SPEAK FOR YOURSELF
A blog is not the place for corporate blather or marketing blasts-it’s a place of personality. Keep that in mind as you write, suggests J. Craig Williams, a Newport Beachbased litigator. “Blogging by committee is bland and dry,” he says. “What makes blogging successful is voice. The most important thing is to be yourself.”
I also disagree with #7. Some blogs do it quite well, so I don’t think that’s a reason to stay away from group blogs. You can still develop your personal voice in a committee blog, especially when your partners aren’t going to heavily edit your work.
I hope this helps!
