This post is the fourth in a series in which I’ll be taking a look at how technology is impacting the law and the way legal professionals practice.
I really enjoy blogging about the law, things that affect our clients, and other related miscellaneous items. But sometimes it gets tough. Maybe there’s a day where there isn’t anything particularly interesting to write about. Or a day when I’m just feeling writer’s block–there’s post ideas, but the words won’t come. Or, worst of all, a day when I wonder whether any other attorneys or prospective clients are even finding my writing useful or interesting. It’s on those rough days when I turn to Kevin O’Keefe and his blog for a little cheering up.
Kevin’s blog is called, fittingly, Real Lawyers Have Blogs. I almost always find it to be a great source of inspiration when I blog–with motivational statistics and news bits about how blogging is really useful to my colleagues and potential clients. Kevin runs the blog as part of his work as CEO of Lexblog. Lexblog helps firms to create and maintain professional, high-quality blogs, and is really a major player in the field of legal blogging.
Kevin has really helped me to understand why I blog here at GJEL. First, blogging is a way for attorneys to share information that will be helpful to our potential clients–in our case, we can share useful information about how to prevent motor vehicle accidents, bike accidents, or other situations in which someone could be seriously injured. We can also help potential clients learn what to do in the event they are involved in a serious accident. Finally, we can illustrate our knowledge and expertise–so that if the people who have turned to us for advice on how to avoid being injured are hurt in an accident, they know that they can trust us to fight for them, knowing that we’ll be on top of the latest developments in applicable law and using a successful strategy to get to the desired outcome.
But blogging also gives us a way to reach out to other attorneys. By reading their blogs and engaging with them in discussions about the topics we’re writing about, we can all learn more about the field in which we practice. This sharing of knowledge helps to create a more aware and knowledgeable community of attorneys who can better serve their clients.
Some will consider blogging to be just another form of marketing. But I guarantee that the reason we blog isn’t so that we can advertise. There’s no sales pitch here. We genuinely want to engage our colleagues and the public in a discussion about our practice areas–to give and gain information and expertise. And though we blog independently without the aid of a company like Lexblog, the messages that Kevin shares in his blog still apply–the blog is about sharing information with our colleagues and clients to create a discussion that everyone can benefit from. For many firms interested in becoming part of that conversation, Lexblog is a great way to jump in and start participating. If you’re curious about legal blogging and want to read some of the best legal blogs out there, visit Kevin’s blog and see the work he’s doing with law firms. I guarantee you’ll be impressed, and you’ll learn a lot.
Andy Gillin received his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of California at Berkeley and his law degree from the University of Chicago. He is the managing partner of GJEL Accident Attorneys and has written and lectured in the field of plaintiffs’ personal injury law for numerous organizations. Andy is a highly recognized wrongful death lawyer in California.