I am an old fashioned lawyer. Two months ago I didn’t know what a blog was. My friend introduced me to his blog and I started this one. Since then I have learned a great deal about the internet and blogs. I am, however, still very much the novice.
I have found out that the internet is a strange place with many strange people. Some of these people say they can make lawyers famous on the internet and with fame comes fortune. I have learned that these people are called social media consultants. One thing that I have not learned is - how do these consultants make lawyers better. Are they better lawyers now because someone on the internet pronounces them better? I don’t think so.
I don’t know how someone can make a lawyer become a better lawyer by clicking some buttons on a machine. It doesn’t work that way. Lawyers become better lawyers as a result of their own hard work. That they might get well known or even famous, is simply a byproduct of that hard work. And so it is with blogs.
The ABA Journal is now having a dog and pony show by any other name and the name is the best blog competition. The categories are confused to say the least, and the results are a foregone conclusion like any other beauty contest. Will the winner be the best blog? Hardly. It almost makes one wish that there was a more realistic or at least genuine competition. Something for bloggers, by bloggers.
Mark Bennett is hosting the First Annual Best Law Blogs Contest. I think it is a great idea. I also think that I am not qualified to offer an opinion. I have, however, formed (at least in my mind) a sort of camaraderie with the blogging community. That means that I have them in my Google reader and read them everyday. Unfortunately, I don’t know enough about all the categories to make an intelligent choice, but here are some that I do read:
- Best Personal Injury Law Blog: Plaintiff’s Trial Lawyer Tips
- Best Criminal Law Blog: Defending People
- Best Family Law Blog: Grand Strand Family Law Blog (it’s mine and it’s brand new)
- Best Legal News or Politics Blog: Injustice Everywhere
- Best Legal Criticism or Opinion Blog: Simple Justice
- Best Law Practice Management Blog: My Shingle
- Best Law Prof Blog: Legal Ethics Forum
- Best Law Blog in a Category SMT forgot: (Lifted from Bobby Frederick’s post)
- Best Public Defender Blog: A Public Defender
- Most original concept for a 2009 blog: Law and Baseball
- Best law blog that defies categorization: The Life and Times of a Texas Trial Lawyer
- Best criminal law blog on a marketing-blog-type platform other than wordpress or blogger.com:S.C. Criminal Defense Blog.
Thank you so much for listing MyShingle as a best practice management blog. Mark had such a great idea with this blog contest and I feel badly that I was so busy and blogged-out that I did not timely participate. I’m enjoying your blog as well and I am going to start featuring great solo and small firm blogs as my resolution for 2010.
Happy New Year!
Carolyn
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