Law X.0

New Practitioner Blogs

Pharmacy Error Injury Lawyer Blog
http://www.pharmacyerrorinjurylawyer.com
http://www.pharmacyerrorinjurylawyer.com/index.xml
Covers pharmacy error legislation, reports and opinions in Maryland. Published by Lebowitz & Mzhen, LLC.

Florida Car Accident Lawyer Blog
http://www.floridacaraccidentlawyerblog.com
http://www.floridacaraccidentlawyerblog.com/index.xml
Provides opinion on car accident news, cases and reports in Florida. Published by the Law Offices of Flaxman & Lopez.

Climate Change Attorney Blog
http://www.climatechangeattorney.com
http://www.climatechangeattorney.com/index.xml
Discusses climate change law news, reports and matters in New York. Published by Silverberg Zalantis, LLP.

Digital Media Lawyer Blog
http://www.digitalmedialawyerblog.com
http://www.digitalmedialawyerblog.com/index.xml
Provides insight on digital media law news, cases and legislation in California. Published by David Johnson of Jeffer, Mangels, Butler & Marmaro, LLP.

Disability Insurance Lawyer Blog
http://www.disabilityinsurancelawyerblog.com
http://www.disabilityinsurancelawyerblog.com/index.xml
Examines disability insurance law news, reports and cases in New York. Published by Frankel & Newfield, PC.

Florida Injury Lawyer Blog
http://www.flainjurylawyerblog.com
http://www.flainjurylawyerblog.com/index.xml
Reports on personal injury law news, cases and matters in Florida. Published by the Law Offices of Cytryn & Velasquez.

Jacksonville Injury Attorney Blog
http://www.jacksonvilleinjuryattorneyblog.com
http://www.jacksonvilleinjuryattorneyblog.com/index.xml
Reviews injury law news, cases and reports in Florida. Published by Thomas & Lawrence, PA

New Personal Injury Blogs

Florida Injury Lawyer Blog
http://www.injury-lawyer-florida.com
http://www.injury-lawyer-florida.com/index.xml

    Reviews injury law news, cases and opinions in Florida. Published by Associates & Bruce L. Scheiner.

Los Angeles Injury Lawyers Blog
http://www.losangelesinjurylawyersblog.com
http://www.losangelesinjurylawyersblog.com/index.xml

    Reviews injury news, cases and reports in California. Published by The Halpern Law Firm.

Chicago Birth Injury Lawyer Blog
http://www.chicagobirthinjurylawyerblog.com
http://www.chicagobirthinjurylawyerblog.com/index.xml

    Provides opinion on birth injury news, cases and reports in Illinois. Published by Levin & Perconti.

Oregon Injury Lawyer Blog
http://www.oregoninjurylawyerblog.com
http://www.oregoninjurylawyerblog.com/index.xml

    Discusses injury cases, reports and judicial opinions in Oregon. Published by Matthew D. Kaplan.

Pennsylvania Personal Injury Blog
http://www.pennsylvaniapersonalinjuryblog.com
http://www.pennsylvaniapersonalinjuryblog.com/index.xml

    Reports on injury news, cases and judicial opinions in Pennsylvania. Published by Cherry | Fieger | Marciano, LLP.

Louisiana Ad Rules May Bar Blogging

The ABA Journal is reporting that a new Louisiana lawyer advertising rules will restrict its right to comment on Twitter, Facebook, online bulletin boards and blogs. The Wolfe Law Group filed a federal suit challenging the rule, claiming they would subject each of the firm’s online posts to an evaluation and a $175 fee. [JH]

New Blogs from Self-Help Legal Publisher Nolo

Nolo's Bankruptcy & Foreclosure Blog
http://www.bankruptcyforeclosureblog.com/
http://www.bankruptcyforeclosureblog.com/index.xml

Nolo.com Authors Steve Elias and Albin Renauer break down bankruptcy law into plain English to answer your bankruptcy queries and concerns.

Nolo's Divorce, Custody & Family Law Blog
http://www.divorceandfamilylawblog.com/
http://www.divorceandfamilylawblog.com/index.xml

Family law attorney Emily Doskow' writes about the legal issues in marriage, adoption, parenting, divorce, child custody, and child support.

Everyday Estate Planning
http://www.estateplanninglawblawg.com/
http://www.estateplanninglawblawg.com/index.xml

Nolo.com author Liza Weiman Hanks provides information you can really use about wills, trusts, powers of attorney, living wills, estate taxes, and probate court.

Nolo's Real Estate Tips for Home Buyers
http://www.realestatelawtips.com/
http://www.realestatelawtips.com/index.xml

Nolo.com legal editors Alayna Schroeder, Ilona Bray, and Marcia Stewart have created this blog for anyone actively shopping for a home, still dreaming about homeownership, or who simply loves the world of real estate.

Nolo's Employment Law Blog
http://www.employmentlegalblawg.com/
http://www.employmentlegalblawg.com/index.xml

Lessons from the everyday experiences of employers and HR professionals on everything from hiring and firing to performance and discipline.

LLC & Corporation Small Talk
http://www.llccorporationblog.com/
http://www.llccorporationblog.com/index.xml

Nolo.com business legal author Anthony Mancuso writes about the pros and cons of LLCs and corporations and delves into the nitty gritty of the tax code as it affects these business ownership structures.

Nolo's Fundraising Tips for Busy Nonprofits
http://www.nonprofitfundraisingblog.com/
http://www.nonprofitfundraisingblog.com/index.xml

Nolo.com author Ilona Bray offers lots of ideas for raising money for your nonprofit — whether you're a staff member, board member, or volunteer — in a world where no one seems to have enough time to do all they'd like to, even for a good cause.

Nolo's Patent, Copyright & Trademark Blog
http://www.patentcopyrighttrademarkblog.com/
http://www.patentcopyrighttrademarkblog.com/index.xml

Nolo's intellectual property editor and author, Rich Stim discusses the ever-changing world of copyright, trademark and patent law.

What Price Justice?
http://www.whatpricejusticeblog.com
http://www.whatpricejusticeblog.com/index.xml

Nolo.com editor Rich Stim looks at legal economics and the costs of representation and what does it really costs to balance the scales of justice.

The Law Reform Soapbox
http://www.lawreformsoapbox.com/
http://www.lawreformsoapbox.com/index.xml

Attorney and Nolo.com author Steve Elias looks at why the legal system doesn't help the average person and how to make the legal system more accessible to nonlawyers.

New Practitioner Law Blogs

Maryland Medical Malpractice Lawyer Blog
http://marylandmedicalpracticelawyerblog.com
http://marylandmedicalpracticelawyerblog.com/index.xml

The Maryland medical malpractice lawyers at the legal firm of Silverman, Thompson, Slutkin, and White represent clients in cases involving malpractice including birth injuries, plastic surgery errors, and hospital negligence.

The Art of Advocacy
http://attorneyadvocacy.com
http://attorneyadvocacy.com/index.xml

Published by Paul Mark Sandler, a Baltimore, Maryland Trial Attorney who represents clients in cases involving trial and appellate courts. Sandler is a partner of the legal firm Shapiro Sher Guinot & Sandler.

New York Federal Criminal Practice
http://www.nyfederalcriminalpractice.com/
http://www.nyfederalcriminalpractice.com/rss.xml

JaneAnne Murray, a criminal defense attorney, posts her observations on notable court decisions, news and developments affecting federal criminal practice in New York.

New Practitioner Law Blogs

California Professional License Defense Blog
http://www.californiaprofessionallicensedefenseblog.com
http://www.californiaprofessionallicensedefenseblog.com/index.xml

A legal blog that covers professional license defense law, news and events dealing with professional defense. Written by the Orange County, California criminal defense attorneys at the legal of Pilchman & Kay.

Queens, Nassau County & Long Island Lawyer Blog
http://www.queensnassaulongislandlawyer.com
http://www.queensnassaulongislandlawyer.com/index.xml

A legal blog that covers case law, news, and events dealing with legal issues. Written by Queens, Nassau County & Long Island Island Lawyer Stephen Bilkis.

New Personal Injury Practitioner Blogs

South Florida Injury Lawyer Blog
http://www.southfloridainjurylawyerblog.com
http://www.southfloridainjurylawyerblog.com/index.xml

Published by David J. Halberg, a personal injury Lawyer in South Florida who represents clients in cases involving injury and accidents including medical malpractice, car accidents, sexual abuse, and wrongful death.

Missouri Personal Injury Lawyer Blog
http://www.missouripersonalinjurylawyerblog.com
http://www.missouripersonalinjurylawyerblog.com/index.xml

Missouri Personal Injury Lawyer is published by John J. Page, a member of the legal firm of Page & Cagle. He serves clients in cases of personal injury including car accidents, medical malpractice, nursing home abuse, and workers' compensation.

Jacksonville Injury Lawyer Blog
http://www.jacksonvilleinjurylawyerblog.com
http://www.jacksonvilleinjurylawyerblog.com/index.xml

Covers injury and accident law in the State of Florida, including news, and recent developments. Published by Jacksonville injury lawyer Henry E. Gare.

New Criminal Defense Blogs

Boston Criminal Attorney Blog
http://www.bostoncriminalattorneyblog.com
http://www.bostoncriminalattorneyblog.com/index.xml

Covers Boston criminal law including news, and recent developments. Published by Boston Criminal Attorney William D. Kickham.

California Criminal Attorney Blog
http://www.californiacriminalattorneyblog.com
http://www.californiacriminalattorneyblog.com/index.xml

The California criminal attorneys at the firm of Pilchman & Kay serve clients in cases involving criminal defense including drunk driving, drug crimes, sex crimes, white-collar crimes and record expungement.

Maryland Criminal Attorney Blog
http://www.marylandcriminalattorneyblog.com
http://www.marylandcriminalattorneyblog.com/index.xml

Covers Maryland criminal law, including news, events, and recent developments. Published by the Baltimore criminal attorneys at the legal firm of Silverman, Thompson, Sultkin, & White.

New York Criminal Lawyer Blog
http://www.newyorkcriminallawyerblog.com
http://www.newyorkcriminallawyerblog.com/index.xml

Published by Jeremy Saland is a New York criminal lawyer who represents clients in cases involving crimes including drunk driving, identity theft, and fraud.

Philadelphia Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog
http://www.philadelphiacriminaldefenselawyerblog.com
http://www.philadelphiacriminaldefenselawyerblog.com/index.xml

Covers Philadelphia criminal law and fraud defense including news, and recent developments. Published by Philadelphia Criminal Defense Lawyer Marc Neff.

South Carolina Criminal Lawyer Blog
http://www.southcarolinacriminallawyerblog.com
http://www.southcarolinacriminallawyerblog.com/index.xml

The South Carolina Criminal Lawyer Russell Mace represents clients in cases involving criminal law including sex crimes, murder, drug charges, DUI, and mortgage fraud.

Texas Criminal Lawyer Blog
http://www.texascriminallawyerblog.com
http://www.texascriminallawyerblog.com/index.xml

A legal blog that covers criminal defense case law, news, and events dealing with criminal defense. Written by Texas Criminal Lawyer Michael J. Brown.

New Practitioner Blogs

Corner of Lex and Biz
http://www.josephkershenbaum.com/
http://www.josephkershenbaum.com/wp-includes/wlwmanifest.xml
Joseph Kershenbaum 's Corner of Lex and Biz is a general law blog focused on law and operations and could be particularly useful for in-house attorneys.

New York Federal Criminal Practice
http://www.nyfederalcriminalpractice.com/
http://www.nyfederalcriminalpractice.com/atom.xml
JaneAnne Murray reports on the latest decisons and cases affecting New York federal criminal practice.

Plano DWI Lawyer Blog
http://www.planodwilawyerblog.com
http://www.planodwilawyerblog.com/index.xml
A legal blog that covers DWI case law, news, and events dealing with drunk driving law. Written by Plano, Texas DWI attorney Troy P. Burleson.

Sexual Abuse Claims Blog
http://www.sexualabuseclaimsblog.com
http://www.sexualabuseclaimsblog.com/index.xml
The sexual abuse lawyers at the legal firm of Arnold Pizzo Mciggan represent individuals in cases that involve sexual abuse and molestation including clergy, doctor, priest, prison, residential school, and teacher sexual abuse.

Lawsuit Finance Blog
http://www.lawsuitfinanceblog.com
http://www.lawsuitfinanceblog.com/index.xml
The litigation funding company, Lawsuit Financial Corporation, helps provide immediate cash advances for lawsuit funding to help clients get through the long litigation process with a fair settlement.

Pennsylvania Workers' Compensation Lawyer Blog
http://www.pennsylvaniaworkerscompensationlawyerblog.com
http://www.pennsylvaniaworkerscompensationlawyerblog.com/index.xml
A legal blog that workers' compensation case law, news and events dealing with workers' compensation law. Written by the workers' compensation lawyers at the legal firm of Brilliant & Neiman, LLC.

The Brockovich Report
http://www.brockovichblog.com
http://www.brockovichblog.com/index.xml
The Los Angeles Consumer Advocate Erin Brockovich works on protecting the public from dangerous substances known to cause health problems, as well as protecting the environment.

Chicago Business Litigation Lawyer Blog
http://www.chicagobusinesslitigationlawyerblog.com
http://www.chicagobusinesslitigationlawyerblog.com/index.xml
A legal blog that covers business litigation law, news, and events dealing with litigation law including malpractice, consumer protection, and insurance litigation. Written by Chicago business litigation attorneys DiTommaso & Lubin.

Florida Injury Lawyer Blog
http://www.florida-injury-lawyer-blog.com
http://www.florida-injury-lawyer-blog.com/index.xml
A legal blog that covers Florida injury and accident law, including news, and events dealing with personal injury including malpractice, car accidents, and wrongful death. Written by the Florida Injury Lawyers at the legal firm of Hannon & Boyers.

Halifax Medical Malpractice Lawyer Blog
http://www.halifaxmedicalmalpracticelawyerblog.com
http://www.halifaxmedicalmalpracticelawyerblog.com/index.xml
A legal blog that covers Halifax medical malpractice law, including news, and events dealing with personal injury and accident law including birth, drug, and brain injuries. Written by the Halifax, Nova Scotia medical malpractice lawyers at the legal firm of Arnold Pizzo and McKiggan.

New Practitioner Blogs

Fiancee Visa Blog
http://www.fianceevisablog.com
http://www.fianceevisablog.com/index.xml

Covers fiancee, marriage, immigration and other visa law issues with a focus on Illinois State law. Published by K-1 fiancee visa lawyer Michael F. Roe.

Halifax Personal Injury Lawyer Blog
http://www.halifaxpersonalinjurylawyerblog.com/
http://www.halifaxpersonalinjurylawyerblog.com/index.xml

A legal blog that covers personal injury law, including news, and events dealing with accident and injury law in Canada. Written by lawyers at the legal firm of Arnold Pizzo Mckiggan.

Product Liability Lawyer Blog
http://www.productliabilitylawyerblog.com
http://www.productliabilitylawyerblog.com/index.xml

A legal blog that covers Georgia product liability Law, including news and events dealing with defective drugs, and medical devices. Written by product liability lawyer Sam Levi.

Jacksonville Criminal Lawyer Blog
http://www.jacksonvillecriminallawyerblog.com
http://www.jacksonvillecriminallawyerblog.com/index.xml

Covers criminal law news, cases and issues with a focus on Florida State law. Published by Jacksonville, Florida Criminal Lawyers at the firm of Shorstein & Lasnetski.

Washington Injury Attorney Blog
http://www.washingtoninjuryattorneyblog.com
http://www.washingtoninjuryattorneyblog.com/index.xml

A legal blog that covers Washington injury law, including news and events dealing with personal injury and accident law. Written by the Washington State injury attorneys at the Farber Law Group.

Louisiana Accident Attorney Blog
http://www.louisianaaccidentattorneyblog.com
http://www.louisianaaccidentattorneyblog.com/index.xml

Covers Louisiana personal injury and accident law, including cases, news and issues. From the Louisiana personal injury law firm of Neblett, Beard, & Arsenault.

NFA Gun Trust Lawyer Blog
http://www.guntrustlawyer.com
http://www.guntrustlawyer.com/index.xml

Covers the National Firearms Act gun trust law, news and events dealing with gun trusts law. Written by Jacksonville, Florida Gun Trust Attorney David M. Goldman.

Philadelphia Personal Injury Lawyer Blog
http://www.philadelphiapersonalinjurylawyerblog.com
http://www.philadelphiapersonalinjurylawyerblog.com/index.xml

Covers personal injury cases, news and issues dealing with injury and accident law with a focus on the State of Pennsylvania. From the Philadelphia Workers' Compensation law firm of Mednick, Mezyk, & Kredo.

Alabama Product Injury Lawyer Blog
http://www.alabamaproductinjurylawyer.com
http://www.alabamaproductinjurylawyer.com/index.xml

Blog dedicated to personal injury and accident law, including news, events and information about drug recalls. Published by the Alabama product injury lawyers at the Niedenthal law firm.

Law Blogging 101: Incorporating Legal Blogs into Your Practice

Check out Greg May's post on California Blog of Appeal which links to his resource list for law bloggers. Hat tip to Mitchell Rubinstein, Adjunct Law Prof Blog. [JH]

On legal ethical issues that face lawyers who blog

In Ethics of Blawging, Mercer law prof David Hricik addresses the legal ethical issues that face lawyers who blog (or blawg), including the potential for disclosure of client confidences, inadvertent formation of attorney-client relationships, and the unauthorized practice of law. Available on SSRN. [JH]

Blog Law Conference

There was a fascinating conference in San Francisco this past weekend on “Blog Law and Blogging for Lawyers.” Dennis Crouch of Patently-O co-chaired the conference, and has collected posts from bloggers in attendance.

Of Blogs, Bears, and Disgruntled Clients

Here is a succinct but excellent post describing why people like to blog, and why they like to read blogs, from Prof. Volokh at the Volokh Conspiracy. This post is almost a year old, but still contains worthwhile observations. Here are the topics covered:

1.   Tips for thinking about blogs.

2.   Why readers like to read blogs (sometimes more than they like to read a newspaper).

3.   Barriers to readers’ reading blogs.

4.   Why bloggers like to blog.

5.   Why people may not want to blog.

On the subject of why people read blogs, I’m about to provide four examples of why I do. They come from the same blog: Alaskablawg. Now obviously I am not likely to pick up a law review or journal focused solely on Alaska law, for any reason. And believe it or not, there is an “Alaska Law Review” at Duke University in North Carolina, here. (I wonder, sincerely, how many students at Duke compete to get on it.)

But it takes only about a few minutes to read these four blog entries, and they are worth the time. I consider these posts from an Alaska PD to be moving and insightful. They provide a brief vicarious experience of the real world of legal practice that is not always easy to come by in an academic environment.

Actually, the one on “Bears” doesn’t really fit that description, but where else will you read something like it? Not in a law review.

1.   Things I Wish My Clients Knew

 

2.   Trial (Cont.)

 

3.   Verdict (Guilty)

4.   Bears

D.C. Bar Article on Legal Blogging

I linked earlier to an article in DC Bar.org from April 2005 by Sarah Kellogg, entitled “Do You Blog?” I found this and numerous others articles on “blawgs” at Bill Gratsch’s site, www.blawg.org.

Here are some quotes from the introduction:

“‘You could tell early on that web logs would be very appealing to lawyers because we’re uniquely suited to doing this,’ says [Denise] Howell …. ‘Lawyers are trained to write … and research. The writing they generate tends to have some credibility behind it. That is the crux of web logging right there.’”

…

“Experts say that attorneys will find more than companionship in the blogosphere, noting that blogs can boost legal practices, assist in legal research, and turn every attorney into an instant cyberexpert in his or her practice area.

“‘Blogs allow for easy access to information and make it easier for lawyers with similar practice interests to get in contact with each other,” says Stephanie Tai, an appellate environmental litigator for the federal government and cocreator of the Blawg Review, which tracks articles and commentaries in law review journals. “I think it helps overcome a lot of the hierarchy present in the profession as well. Because of my blog, I’ve been able to correspond with various law professors who I don’t think I would’ve come into contact with otherwise.’

“Yet cyberspace and blogging hold their own pitfalls for legal professionals. That’s because, though posting one’s opinions to the World Wide Web can be heady stuff, mistakes made as the world watches can be far-reaching and difficult to erase. And the ethics rules governing lawyers are far more stringent than those (practically none) governing bloggers who write about politics, the environment, or chess.

“Still, legal professionals of every kind, not just technolawyers, say the risks are worth the rewards. Blogs provide an opportunity to break free of the traditions and limits of the legal profession, enhancing the practice of law in the digital age.”

The article then proceeds to give a brief history of blogs in general, and then notes that blogs have benefits over traditional websites:

“As the technology took hold, popular blogs soon earned a reputation as provocative or funny journals about pop culture, politics, and technology. It was clear to early constituents that the medium had the power to create cyberspace communities as distinct as towns, cities, and states.

“Compared to a web site, a blog remains a cheaper and more fluid vehicle for communicating on the web. By forgoing the bells and whistles its web site kin features—databases that allow for extensive searching, for instance—the blog can be a quicker and easier content management tool. A blog can be updated a dozen times a day, if necessary. Even the hippest web sites are considered stodgy by bloggers; they say web sites lack the freewheeling enterprise of blogs, which can spark a worldwide debate in a flash.”

Then the article proceeds to discuss blogs in the context of the legal profession:

“The greatest contribution blogs may make to the legal profession is their ability to reveal talent and expertise often hidden in courtrooms and boardrooms. Blogs excel at getting the word out, and observers say lawyers who embrace them are bound to be rewarded with fans and fame.

“Instead of waiting for months or years to be published in a legal journal or magazine, attorneys can pen a short article or commentary expressing their views on any range of subjects, dramatically cutting the time it takes to reach colleagues and the public.

“The blogosphere is teeming with topic-specific blogs that have won kudos from legal experts for their ability to supply timely information that is unique and hard to find.”

The article discusses many of the benefits of legal blogging. Blogs are:

• useful to law students for observing what practitioners really think about the law.

• advantageous to solo and small firm practitioners, who are the ones “best situated to take advantage of reputation-builder blogs.”

• beneficial in exploring new potential areas of practice, providing “a way to strike out and explore a legal interest that may have been little more than a hobby to this point.”

• ideal for legal research, because “they can be used to monitor evolving legal issues, uncover answers to arcane legal questions, or find far-flung experts across the continent.”

• a growing method of client recruitment through “allow[ing] lawyers to showcase their past work and their potential.”

• constructive to communicating with clients, keeping them “up-to-date on their cases or educat[ing] them about a firm’s skills and experience.”

But there are pitfalls to legal blogging. For example, blogs are:

• potentially a mixture of advertisement and solicitation that can cross ethical and regulatory lines.

• confusing as to what constitutes actual legal advice.

• risky in the areas of client confidentiality and conflicts of interest.

• inaccurate (and even sanctionable) if the law is different in a reader’s jurisdiction.

This summary doesn’t do justice to a very informative article. I would recommend that people read the whole thing.

The following blogs are referred to in the article:

Adam Smith, Esq. - link

Bag and Baggage - link

The Common Scold - link

Dennis Kennedy - link

Ernie the Attorney - link

Inter Alia - link

Jim Calloway’s Law Practice Tips Blog - link

My Shingle - link

The [non]billable hour - link

Reid My Blog! - link

SCOTUSblog - link

The Trademark Blog - link

Underneath Their Robes - link

The Volokh Conspiracy - link

Lawyer Blogger Link

I’ve received my first link from a lawyer blogger, Tech Law Advisor (although I can’t tell from his about page whether he’s currently practicing). This is interesting, because I did not yet inform any legal practitioners about this blog.

He had this to say: “3L Epiphany is getting credit for blogging -- which I guess means that he's actually paying the law school to blog.” 

I have to admit that I never thought of it that way.