Register Your Legal Blog With Blog Top Sites
This is Part 1 of a series on how to register your legal blog. (read Part 2)
If you are blogging, you probably want to increase your visitor traffic. If you’re a blawgger, you want to increase traffic to your blog to enhance your profile and hopefully gain clients. This series of posts will teach you how to register, claim, and index your blog with the crucial services to enhance your visibility and increase traffic.
Blog Top Sites
This service currently indexes over 35,000 blogs. No, it’s not the largest blog index, but we’re starting here. Why? Blog Top Sites just added a “Law” category.
This is the hot new domain in which to get your blawg listed. Previously, the only decent category would’ve been “Business.” The fact that Blog Top Sites has added “Law” shows its recognition of the bursting market for legal blogs.
How to register your legal blog
First, you need to register an account at Blog Top Sites. Here is the registration form.
After you have registered, you simply go to the “User CP” page, and then “Add Blog.” Here, you can enter your blog’s name, URL, description, and select a category.
Once you have added your blog to the Blog Top Sites directory, you need to put the HTML tracking code on your blog. This ensures that you actually own the blog. To do this, click “Get HTML Code” from the “User CP.” Copy the code from the text box.
Finally, you need to paste the HTML tracking code into your blog. You can put this anywhere, but it is best to put it in your template, so the code will appear on every page. I believe that only pages that contain the code will be tracked and counted by Blog Top Sites.
Watch the visitors roll in
Anyone who’s been blogging for very long knows that headline is a lie. Your traffic won’t jump with this little process. However, you will likely get a few new visitors by being included in this directory. Plus, every link to your blog boosts your search engine ranking a teenie bit. In other words, every little bit helps.
Stay tuned…
As I mentioned at the top, this is Part 1 in a series on registering your legal blog (read Part 2). I plan to document several tips like this to help you gain a little more traffic and boost those visitor numbers. Be sure to stay plugged in here for more tips.
To easily keep track of this series, be sure to subscribe to Legal Andrew. You can catch the RSS feed or subscribe to email updates.
[tags]legal andrew, blog top sites[/tags]
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Post-Thanksgiving Goal – Beta Test Law Contracting Classified System
This post is my contribution in the Instigator Blog’s group writing project, Post-Thanksgiving Goals. (image courtesy of Instigator Blog)
My goal between now and Christmas is quite simple. I plan to beta test a new website I am developing (with the design help of my wife). If all goes well (and people like it), the end goal is to be live and kicking by January 1.
Simply put, the website will be an online classified ad system for lawyers who work on a short-term, contract basis. It will provide hiring lawyers the opportunity to post their job needs. Contract lawyers can then respond to the “ads” by contacting the hiring lawyers. Also, contract lawyers can post their biographies and contact details, so hiring lawyers can contact them directly, without even posting a job ad.
You may have seen the new website, LawSourcing, which launched mere days ago. In a way, the site I am building is similar. They both aim to connect lawyers with contractors who can help do some of their work. However, the site I am building will focus only on contract lawyers, not any other service providers. Also, the site will not auction jobs, but will let hiring attorneys screen applicants and determine the best fit for their needs.
Finally, our pricing models are very different. Everything will be FREE until the site gets its legs. This way people can learn about it, discover its utility, and see how it works for them. After that, there will be a small, standard fee to post jobs. Contract attorneys will never have to pay a dime to respond to job postings.
What do you think of the concept? Are you interested in being a beta tester for this new site? Please post a comment or drop me a line.
[tags]legal andrew, instigator blog, post-thanksgiving goal writing project, legal outsourcing, contract lawyer[/tags]
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Learn About Technology Online, For Free
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Are there technologies you wish you knew more about? Do you find the law sucking up all your time to keep abreast of i-gizmos, pod-thingies, and the like? You need some free, online courses.
Thanks to the cool productivity blog, Lifehacker, I found the awesome courses offered by CNET. They provide an interactive learning environment for you to catch up on technology and learn from your peers.
From what I understand, the courses actually have begin & end dates. However, I believe you can enroll any time during the course (or beforehand). You will have materials to process, and they have discussion forums to help learn from other students in the course.
You’re probably wondering what kind of things you will learn. Just a few topics are podcasts, wireless networks, sharing printers, using VoIP (internet telephony), and making a budget in Excel. I’m sure there is something that will apply to your law practice in their wide course offering. Maybe you would benefit from the PowerPoint course or learning about mobile email on your Windows smart phone.
What are you waiting for? Head on over to CNET and sign up. Your practice will benefit; I promise.
Have you taken any online courses like this? Were they helpful? Please put your thoughts in the comments or drop me a line.
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Westlaw Preference Overrides “Link Viewer”
Do you have the impression that Westlaw is just “the man” or a big, faceless organization? Honestly, I did too. Until today.
I opened Gmail to find an email from a Westlaw employee. Actually, it’s from the VP for New Product Development. He read my blog. In particular, he saw my Greasemonkey scripts for Westlaw (kill the mini-window and rename windows).
Now, instead of using the mini-window Greasemonkey script, Westlaw actually provides a preference where you can officially disable the “link viewer.” My new VP-friend enlightened me to this point in his email.
Yes, I’m a bit bummed that my script is now obsolete. But the goal always was to share productivity tips with you. Thus, here is how to turn off the “link viewer,” if you’re so inclined:
- Click on “Preferences” in the upper right
- Click on “Document Display” in the list on the left
- De-select “Display Link Viewer”
If you’re a visual learner, here you go. Click on the image for a bigger version.
Now, if only Westlaw will beef up its reward catalog, so we can get gift cards, iTunes credit, and stuff from Amazon.com. Maybe I’ll just go make some espresso with the free machine they got me!
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Develop Your Exam Study Schedule
For law students, Thanksgiving break marks the final stretch of time until exams begin. After this weekend, most of us have about two weeks of classes, and then it’s time to prove our abilities (or not).
Law Student has a great article on preparing your exam schedule. It explains how to decide when to study for which classes, and what you should focus on during your study time. This is a great resource that you should definitely check out.
The one caveat I would add to this study schedule is that it does seem a bit rigid. I like the idea of planning your study time and making sure you don’t short change a course, but be sure to remain flexible (Top Law Student points this out as well). You may allocate two study days for a course, but really end up needing three. Or you might have everything down in a single day of hard work. Let yourself deviate from the schedule, if needed.
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Custom Computer Setup for Remote Trials
Don’t you love the way big law firms spend money on useless things? Ok, maybe they’re not useless. But there are ways they could have the same functionality with a lot less cost.
For instance, Beirne Maynard & Parson has a write-up on Law.com about their “trial-in-a-box” setup. Basically, they have some computers and wireless phones in a nifty custom-made case. When they need to travel for a trial, they haul the cases along and setup a mobile office.
I’m tempted to say only one word: laptops! Yes, in the days of the Tandy 1000 and landline phones, something like Beirne’s system might have been great. But with laptops and cell phones, do law firms really need custom-made cases full of electronic goodies? How about a cell phone, a laptop, a mobile printer/fax, and a mobile projector? What more do you need?
Ok, it’s time for me to prepare for final exams. I better build a custom-made case to house my computer, paper, pens, outlines, books, and coffee. On second thought, maybe I’ll just put everything in my backpack.
[tags]legal andrew, eirne maynard & parson, law.com, law firm[/tags]
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Get Your Online Mock Jury at TrialJuries
Are you a litigator in need of a mock jury? Don’t have the cash and time to bring people into your office for a day? You should check out TrialJuries.
As Robert Ambrogi explains, the site was created by two lawyers. Basically, attorneys submit statements of the case (in text, audio, or video). TrialJuries then assigns mock jurors from the appropriate venue. The jurors login, review the case, and then answer the verdict and feedback forms (that the submitting attorney defines).
The cost varies from $1500 to $2500, depending upon the format you choose (text, audio, or video). Jurors can sign up online, and they get paid $30 per case. With 15 jurors assigned to each case, it looks like the founders of TrialJuries have a nice profit margin.
In the end, it looks like this might be a useful way to bring mock juries to smaller firms. Is $1500 too high a price to pay for real feedback on a case? What do you think of this concept? Please post a comment or drop me a line.
[tags]legal andrew, lawsites, robert ambrogi, trialjuries, mock jury[/tags]
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Results of Lawyers Marketing on MySpace
Do you have an account on MySpace? Do you even know what it is? Honestly, I’ve never been to MySpace, but all the kids are talking about it.
I wrote about lawyers using MySpace for marketing a while ago. The subject just keeps coming up. Today, I saw a really interesting post from Kevin’s LexBlog Blog which provides some summary information about different experiences lawyers have had on MySpace.
It all depends
In the end, it seems like some lawyers have used the community effectively, while others have not. Some practices are more likely than others to benefit from the MySpace angle. But this is true of all networking and marketing methods, right?
If you’re a lawyer under 40, you should probably think about adding MySpace to your networking arsenal. This applies especially if you have a practice like entertainment law or technology law. Antitrust? Maybe not so much. However, it can’t hurt, right?
Ambulance chasers?
One thought just came to mind: this could be a new form of ambulance chasing. A MySpace user might write about being in some accident. A personal injury lawyer could see that post, send a “contact email” to the injured MySpace’r, and potentially have a new client. Is that any different from ambulance chasing?
What if someone writes that she is considering a divorce? A MySpace divorce lawyer could shoot over his contact info, and maybe get a new client.
Better yet, lawyers can setup Google Alerts and Technorati Watches on terms such as “personal injury” or “divorce,” and have the clients virtually come to them.
I’m definitely not saying this is ethical. I’m only a law student. In fact, it seems really unethical to me. Perhaps this is a reason that some states are weary of lawyers blogging.
What do you think about this online marketing for lawyers? Feel free to post a comment or drop me a line.
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Full Disclosure Coming At You
Sponsored Post
As you might have read a while back, I am now participating in two “sponsored posts” programs (PayPerPost and ReviewMe). If you’re a regular reader, you will remember my initial post on ReviewMe. You will also see that I haven’t flooded your feed aggregator with spam posts, just to earn a few cents.
This post constitutes my first one for PayPerPost. I thought it fitting that this post be about full disclosure, which I personally guarantee to you. I just created my new disclosure policy via PayPerPost’s very own program.
I like PayPerPost’s disclosure program, but I wanted to go the extra mile for you. Thus, you will notice my very own add-on to the disclosure policy. These are the guarantees I made when I announced sponsored posts a couple weeks ago.
To go over them once again, here are my commitments to you:
- I will only write posts that have some relation to the theme here.
- I will never take on a review that is required to be positive.
- Every sponsored post that I publish will be clearly labeled with “Sponsored Post” at the very top (as you see on this post).
- I will be responsive to my readers. If you guys send me a clear message that you can’t stand the posts, I will stop doing them.
What do you guys think about sponsored posts? Have any thoughts on PayPerPost or ReviewMe? Please post a comment or drop me a line.
[tags]legal andrew, payperpost, reviewme, disclosure policy[/tags]
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Law Firm Project Management via Wiki
Do you struggle with managing the documents and communications within your law firm? Perhaps you have a complex document management system, along with email. How do you keep the emails connected in the context of the appropriate client & matter? Maybe you should think about a Wiki.
A whati?
A wiki. Have you ever visited the online encyclopedia, Wikipedia? Did you ever wonder how it got its name? It’s a wiki-based-encyclopedia.
So what is this thing, anyway? According to, yep, Wikipedia, it’s a website that allows users to add, edit, and manage content. In other words, it’s all about users interacting with each other while managing information.
Wikis are extremely flexible in use and size. You can setup your own and manage your personal task list and journal, or you can join with thousands of users and write an encyclopedia. If you want to manage content, a wiki will save the day.
Where does the firm fit in?
I’m glad you asked. What does a law firm “matter” consist of? It’s a set of documents and communications, right? A group of people are working together to achieve a common goal. Isn’t that what a wiki facilitates?
As this article from Human Law explains, more and more companies are finding the benefits of integrating wikis into their set of tools. Why shouldn’t law firms join this movement?
Think about it. Your firm could have a secure wiki (of course you have to protect confidentiality) accessible anywhere in the world by authorized users. Each client and matter would be integrated into the system, with users only able to access their matters. Documents could be logged into the wiki. Revisions could be made and compared. Communications could go back and forth between team members around the world. At any point, you could pull up the project’s page within the wiki and check the status. Isn’t it glorious?
Here’s an idea: let’s call it a “liki.” Get it? “Legal” + “Wiki” = “Liki” Why shouldn’t lawyers have their own term for them? After all, we’re really blawgers, right?
What do you think about using likis (legal wikis)? Have I missed the boat entirely? Please post a comment or drop me a line.
[tags]legal andrew, law firm, project management, wiki, liki[/tags]
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About Andrew Flusche
Lawyer, bicyclist, husband.
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