Legal Ghostblogger

California Lawyers Show Their Intelligence

How would you like to be known and appreciated the world over for your insights and opinions in your field of expertise?  Let’s face it, you can be the most interesting lawyer in your Bar Association, but unless you’re defending Monica Lewinsky or O.J. Simpson, attorneys rarely find that kind of international recognition.

All of that is changing now, with the help of blogs, which, if used correctly, can get your name out in front of the public and build your professional reputation with very little expense to you, as evidenced in Jeanette Borzo’s article in California Lawyer Magazine entitled The Search for Intelligent Life in the Blogosphere.

The article does a great job of outlining the benefits of blogging for your firm, and the key line is a quote by Rick Klau who says, “Blogs are probably the most scalable, cost-effective, and efficient way for distributing a message on the internet.”  To that I would add that blogs are one of the most cost-effective ways of marketing, period.

Blogging has far more benefits than just being cheap and pervasive.  Blogging keeps you at the top of your game professionally, and ensures that you are always at the forefront of changing trends in the law and within your specialty.  As attorney Kevin O’Keefe says in Borzo’s article, “to blog makes you a better lawyer.”

I don’t know to what extent lawyers around the rest of the country have discovered the value of blogging, but California lawyers are jumping in with both feet.  They won’t be disappointed.

Wills for Heroes

Do you ever wonder how you can use your professional talents to make a difference in the world? 

Lawyers are not known for being the most charitable group of people.  In fact, they have sometimes been accused of being downright hardhearted.  A group of attorneys in 10 states across the country is looking to change that perception of lawyers with a program called Wills for Heroes, which provides firefighters, first responders, and law enforcement personnel with free wills, powers of attorney, and health care directives.

Wills for Heroes was the brainchild of attorney Anthony Hayes of South Carolina, who was motivated to reach out to local heroes after the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center. Reporter David Unze writes about Anthony Hayes and how Wills for Heroes came into existence in his article in SCtimes.com.  What started as a single attorney giving his time and expertise to help firefighters in his immediate vicinity has become a nationwide program that has helped close to 10,000 first responders.

Not all of us can be heroes in the traditional sense, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t make a difference.  Hanson is quoted in Unze’s article as saying “Lawyers who write wills and trusts don’t get a lot of chances to do pro bono work,” but if using your legal expertise to benefit your local community is something you want to do, Wills for Heroes is an example of just how effective one person can be.

If you would like to learn more about Wills for Heroes contact them through their website.  And don’t forget to check out their partners. It could be that someone you know is on the list. Or you may choose to get involved and be a partner yourself someday.

These few Precepts in thy Memory…

“Lo, thus, by day my limbs, by night my mind,
For thee, and for myself, no quiet find.”

(Sonnet XXVII, by William Shakespeare, b. Apr. 23, 1564, d. Apr. 23, 1616)

It is obvious from the above quote that William Shakespeare had the heart of a blogger.  Aside from experiencing the unquiet both day and night (a condition with which ALL bloggers are familiar), he was creative, appealing, humorous, unafraid, and most of all, prolific; all qualities which are essential in any successful blog writer.

But Shakespeare has much more to offer bloggers than writerly solidarity, and a close look at his works reveals the following lessons for blog writers:

1. Exclude irrelevant details. Shakespeare gave very little stage direction. In fact, most of his direction consists of “Enter Romeo” or “Exeunt”.  Blogs are by nature short, and writers have only a few paragraphs in which to express their thoughts to readers. Those readers appreciate writing that is straightforward and concise.
2. Be versatile: When his public was looking for comedy, Shakespeare gave them The Taming of the Shrew.  When they were struggling with their consciences he wrote Hamlet.  Bloggers too, must always have their fingers on the pulse of their readership.
3. Pay attention to language: “Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more…” Shakespeare’s language was honest and inspiring, gritty and beautiful.  We can’t all aspire to the same authorial genius, but we can give our readers a beautiful architecture; spelling, punctuation and grammar are the foundation, our passion for the subject matter is the heart.
4. A good ending: Shakespeare’s plays almost always ended with a wedding or a funeral.  He left very few loose ends.  Blogs that end well stay in a reader’s mind, and keep them coming back for more.
5. Make your writing available to the public: As bloggers we don’t have entire acting troupes and theater staffs at our disposal, but we do have e-mail subscriptions, RSS readers, and regular posting schedules.  Let your readers know when and where to find your work, and have it easily available.

Harold Bloom writes of Shakespeare as the inventor of the human; perhaps we could dub him the patron saint of bloggers as well.

Big Returns for Small Firms

What can a small law firm get out of blogging? Is the return really worth the investment? According to Gina Passarella’s article in The National Law Journal the answer is a resounding “Yes!”

“Blogs can be more effective than almost any other marketing tool in showing a clear return on investment,” and more and more firms are becoming aware of this fact. According to Passarella’s sources, the past six months have seen a 49 percent increase in the number of blogs provided by the country’s largest firms. But the real beneficiaries of blogs are the small law firms.

Smaller firms benefit from blogs for a number of reasons.  One of the main reasons for this is that the best blogs are blogs that focus on a specific niche or target audience.  Small firms are notoriously good at choosing a niche market and excelling in it.  They have the time and resources to give their clients personalized attention.  A blog can ensure your target audience is aware of that fact.

Another obvious reason that blogs are so beneficial to small firms is that it costs next to nothing to start a one.  "Blogs are still one of the most effective ways that you can spend a few dollars and be able to show some sort of result," says Micah Buchdahl, president of High-Tech Marketing for Lawyers.

The internet is quickly taking the place of the yellow-pages in our “plugged in” society.  As such, a blog can be your best advertisement.  Every firm knows how important it is to have a web presence these days.  A blog that is frequently updated, and which includes common keywords and search terms in its posts, will quickly rise to the top when a potential client goes to Google or Yahoo and searches “Estate Planning Attorney”.  And it costs you next to nothing.

You may choose to wait to start your own blog.  You may want to see if it’s a passing fad, or until you have more time.  But if there’s only one thing you learn from Passarella’s article it should be that the competition is jumping on the bandwagon.  If you don’t start a blog, you can bet your competitor is.  Don’t let your firm be left behind.

Blog to the Death?

I love being a blogwriter.  But it turns out my beloved business could kill me. 

The big news in the blogosphere these days is Matt Richtel’s story in the New York Times, In Web World of 24/7 Stress, Writers Blog Till They Drop, which claims that blogwriters are so overcome with stress that they’re dropping like flies.

If stress is the cause of death in the cases cited by Richtel, I’m not sure blogging can be blamed.  Blogging should be no more or less stressful than any other home business.  And anybody who works primarily from home is going to have to learn the fine art of setting boundaries.

In my experience, blogging is much like journalism; an article of substance, on a regular basis, by a certain deadline. Granted, blogging is a somewhat new media, and undefined as yet, so serious bloggers are going to have to work harder to prove they are professionals, but I’m not sure a “blog to the death” is required quite yet.

On the other hand, if serious risk to life and limb can be proven, perhaps we professional bloggers should be demanding higher salaries?

The How-To of Headlines

It was suggested to me recently that my headlines could be snappier, shorter, and more… well, succinct.  My immediate reaction was to bristle and go on the defensive; who is this person to tell me how to write headlines??  But the truth is that headline writing is an art.  Some people might even say it’s a gift.  You either have a talent for it or you don’t. 

Well, I hope that last part isn’t true, because the headline is the first impression your reader has of your post, and as such it carries a heavy burden. I’d like to hope there’s a chance I can learn to do it well.  Here are some great resources for headline writing that I have found in my search:

·         Copyblogger’s excellent series How to Write Magnetic Headlines

·         How to Write Great Headlines by Stuart Brown

·         Ben Yoskovitz’s The Best Headlines Are Not Just Written For Google Or Digg

·         Mark Merenda’s Smart Blog, which is full of great tips for writing and marketing of every kind

·         And of course the best resource: your own experience.  Take note of the headlines that catch your attention as you’re perusing the web, newspaper, or your favorite magazine

Headline writing is more about psychology than anything else, as is the case with all marketing.  What you’re trying to do with a headline is catch your reader’s attention and convince them not only that they want to keep reading, but that they need to keep reading.  That’s a lot of pressure to put on one short sentence.  Some people may have a natural gift for it, but for the rest of us, I hope that education and practice will do the trick.

Happy Headlining!

Women in Blogging; a Look into the Future

Is blogging destined to become a girl-dominated area of the web?

According to this article in the Canadian Press it could very well be the case, considering that “virtually all of the growth in teen blogging between 2004 and 2006 is due to the increased activity of girls.”  This bodes well for the future of women in technology. As the benefits of blogging become more and more apparent, there is more call for shrewd and talented blog-writers, and women seem to fit the bill. 

This is thrilling news for women, who still hold only 25.6% of computer-related occupations (according to the U.S. Department of Labor), however, I think it’s too early to be drawing conclusions just yet.  As a medium for reaching out to others, blogging is unparalleled.  A blog is an instantaneous, transcontinental, cross-cultural discussion. To claim that blogging is inherently feminine because it is a social medium, or masculine because it requires a level of technological awareness, only shortchanges both genders and the value of blogging in general. 

Now, the Canadian Press is not claiming blogging for either gender, merely pointing out the encouraging numbers of girls who have chosen to embrace it.  In fact, the author states that regardless of gender, blogging is a great way to build necessary skills such as “communication and networking . . . even things like review and critique.”

So I pose this question to you: Where do you think the future of blogging lies?  With seemingly limitless possibilities, will blogs end up being a tool of the teens or an essential part of a business marketing plan?  Will the blogosphere be dominated by men or women?  Or will it, perhaps, end up as the great equalizer?

A Legal Guide for Bloggers; a Discussion of the Rights and Responsibilities of Blog-writers

Blog writing is fun, and can be extremely profitable, but putting your thoughts and words out there for public consumption, with little or no editing or system of checks and balances, is not without risk.  If you are worried about the potential legal ramifications of blogging check out the Legal Guide for Bloggers.  This is an excellent document which, although it states outright that it is not a substitute for actual legal counsel, is a wonderful guide through the potential hazards of blogging, what your rights as a blogger are, and how to defend those rights.

The Legal Guide for Bloggers is provided by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which is an absolutely excellent resource for bloggers!  I cannot recommend it highly enough.  It is filled with issues that are of concern to any thoughtful blogger, including free speech, privacy, intellectual property, and international issues.  It also includes descriptions of actual legal cases and court rulings for each issue.

If nothing else, taking a look at this website will make you feel pride in what you are doing with your blog.  “With great power comes great responsibility”; the EFF will make you want to take both more seriously.

What Living with the Irish Taught Me about Progress

A couple of years ago my family went to live in Dublin, Ireland for a few months. The experience of living in another country was an eye-opener, and one I would gladly repeat if given the chance. While there I was privileged enough to learn some fascinating lessons from and about another culture.  But the thing I think about most in regards to blogging and business is the beautiful way Dubliners were able to fuse history and progress.

Dublin (and Ireland in general) had only recently come into its booming economy. Everywhere we looked there were new buildings going up, old buildings being refurbished, neighborhoods being expanded or roads being re-surfaced.  In some areas it was quite a shock to see the beautiful landscape end suddenly in a very modern looking mall, but in many places the advent of progress was tasteful and seamless, and nowhere more so than Dublin Castle, where ancient stone turrets are flanked by a more modern brick and glass library.

Blogging and social media have also only recently come into their booming popularity (by recently I mean within the past 5 or 10 years), and are still experiencing some growing pains of their own.  Bloggers still have to deal with people asking “Blog?  What’s that?”  Or what’s worse, there are many out there who are suspicious of blogs and inclined to regard them as gossip.  Many of us bloggers want to embrace the new media; explore it and push it to the limits to see what we can do with it.  But some of our readers won’t be ready for too much change all at once.  Not only that, the history that brought us to blogs is rich and beautiful, and still holds many useful lessons for us.

So how can bloggers, like the Irish, fuse history and progress? Well, my personal history is in literature, which means I like to take my lessons from the great writers; Shakespeare, Swift, Austen, Twain.  These were writers who knew the range of human experience and cared deeply for it.  They weren’t afraid to write about what was unpopular, they weren’t afraid to poke fun at serious topics.  They also knew that what they wrote made an impact on people, and took their craft seriously.

Readers on the internet have notoriously short attention spans, and any blogger knows that you have to grab attention quickly, say what you have to say, and leave them wanting more.  But I say that with all of this brevity we’re forgetting some of our history.  There is value in fine writing and a thought followed to completion.  And maybe—just maybe—there are still a few readers out there who would prefer Dublin Castle to a shopping mall.

If Classic Writers Were Bloggers

I love that blogging is so new, and that we’re all getting in on the ground floor.  It’s wonderful to be a part of this burgeoning new style of writing.  There is so much conflict and debate, creativity and innovation. Each and every one of us who has a blog has a chance to shape this new literary form.  Is this how Miguel De Cervantes felt, writing Don Quixote, one of the first novels ever?  Now I’m not saying that my writing is equal to any of those classic writers, but what if some of those classic authors were around today, dipping their pens to the blogosphere. . . ?  (Caution: Irreverent and possibly traitorous thoughts ahead.)

William Shakespeare’s Blog: Words, Words, Words; daily commentary on the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.

Charles Dickens’ Blog: The Artful Blogger; whether I will turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anyone else, these posts must show.

Miguel De Cervantes’ Blog: Leaving La Mancha; a chivalric quest for the digital grail.

Jane Austen’s Blog: It is a truth universally acknowledged that a writer in possession of an internet connection must be in want of a blog.

Ernest Hemingway’s Blog: The Search Ranking Also Rises; isn’t it pretty to think so?

Virginia Woolf’s Blog: Blogging Among the Vegetables

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Blog: Reaching for the Green Light; blogging as a matter of infinite hope…