Comments on 3 Geeks and a Law Blog: Large Law Firm Blogging - Do You Really Want Your ...

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Greg -

Having just a left a firm that ignor...

2008-12-10T06:39:00.000-06:00

Greg -

Having just a left a firm that ignored by blogs, I thought I would lend my perspective. The Firm dissociated itself from my blogs (I repeatedly asked for a reference in my bio but was denied)

It was great that I could take the with me and that there was no editorial control imposed on me.

It is the law firm that loses out. The positives get associated almost exclusively with me and little with the firm. It was relatively easy to find out where I worked so there was some association with the firm.

On the other hand, I understand the need of the firm to keep the blog at arm's distance. It is difficult to produce content that is not objectionable to all of the firm's clients. A firm inevitably has clients positioned on different sides of the issue.

Ideally, I think a legal blog should not be formally branded by the firm and should not have the firm's name in the blog title or URL. The blogger should clearly state that they work for the firm, but the views do not necessarily reflect those of the firm. The law firm should link out to the blog, but not have it integrated into the official firm site. Link the blog in the person's bio and let the firm's clients know it is there (but the views are those of the individual).

The firm gets the benefit of association for good blog posts/discussion and can disassociate for those that are bad or contentious.

There's definitely a place for blogs to promote a ...

2008-12-05T16:08:00.000-06:00

There's definitely a place for blogs to promote a practice group within a firm, though I agree with Greg's observation that they tend to lack "personality." On the flip side, the load of generating content can be shared among several people, which would take a lot of the pressure off.

Thanks Carolyn. I'm going to check out Solo By Choice.

The "firm" blog in my mind should be something like Bracewell's "Energy Blog". Where you truly have a group effort creating something on a specific legal topic that conveys to the world that your firm is the top dog on this topic.

The focus of the Energy Blog seems to be pretty narrow and is more of a "newsletter" than a blog. In fact, just in writing this reply, I noticed that there is no way to "comment" on any of the Energy Blog posts. hmmm... now that kind of takes away one of the best features of the blog.

I have covered this topic in my book, Solo by Choi...

2008-12-05T11:54:00.000-06:00

I have covered this topic in my book, Solo by Choice. With uncertainty rampant in the industry, no enterprising associate who helps to start a blog should ever do so under auspices of the firm, because the firm will keep the blog when they leave. Greatest American Lawyer Enricho Schaefer has posted on how his former firm at one time claimed that his blogs belonged to the firm. So the answer to your question should be an emphatic NO.

Todd,

I think it really boils down to how...

2008-12-05T09:23:00.000-06:00

Todd,

I think it really boils down to how the blog was developed. If you develop one on your own, nurture it, promote it, and make it part of your personal identity, then you don't want anyone else telling you what to do with it.

If, on the other hand, it is a blog that is developed by a Practice Group and is treated more as a newsletter type blog, then it may not get the personal identification that blogs like you and I have developed. But, they tend to not be as good (in my opinion) as they are usually so "mechanical" in nature that they don't really gain a personality. To me, the one's with personality are the one's that I follow.

The short answer for me is "No." My blog is part ...

2008-12-05T08:37:00.000-06:00

The short answer for me is "No." My blog is part of my personal brand. If I ever went back to firm life (large, medium, or small), I would have a hard time agreeing to any situation that wouldn't allow me to take it with me if I leave. The firm would benefit from whatever business the blog helps be bring in while I'm there.