1. Give Credit.

“Borrowing” blog content from someone’s blog without giving them the kudos they deserve is one of worst things you could do as a law blogger. When in doubt, use a citation to the other blog.

In blogging, there’s no copying the petition (i.e. blog post) from the other attorney and just swapping the party names. Violating this rule is the fastest way to lose your creditability and authority online. Full disclosure and transparency is always the way to go.

On the flip side, you do not need to use perfect citations for legal cases or statues. Blog posts are intended to be short informal informational pieces. Blogs should resemble the in a nutshell series you used in law school.

2. Add Value.

Copying and pasting someone’s blog post onto your law blog, with proper citations, then adding one or two comments is not really a blog post per se.

This is akin to something called a “comment”. They make comment areas for this. (see the comment area for this blog post below).

Copying a portion of their post (with citation) and adding your spin, insight, or critique is the way to go!

Note: A picture is often worth a thousand words! Adding a photo can help you convey your points in your blog posts.

3. Content is King.

This is the most widely spread piece of advice on the Internet. How can you get others in the legal community to read your blog? What would be interesting to read? What kind of cool layout will captivate my audience?

The answer to all these questions: Your content (i.e. the substance of what you write) is king (i.e. will make people want to read your law blog and will help Google link to your posts so others stumble upon your law blog). The content you write about matters the most. Write about your insights, interests, legal issues, and experiences and people will follow your blog.

4. Patience.

If you can’t think of something to write about for your blog, just wait. Ideas come at the most random times and in the most random places.

One of my best blog post of all time came to me at 4 in the morning while I was in the guest room of someone’s house! I got my laptop out and wrote away. The next day, my post spread across the Internet like a wildfire.

My worst blog posts are the ones that I force myself to write. Just wait – you’ll thank me for it.

5. Consistency.

Being a consistent blogger does not mean posting every single day. You can post a few times a week or even twice a month and still be consistent. A safe bet = your audience wants quality over quantity. Because your audience is looking for your quality, let them know when to tune in. Post at a consistent interval to achieve this.

6. Be Creative.

Sometimes writers block my get in your way. This happens to all of us. We think “everyone has written about this before” or “no one will be interested in what I have to say”.

To help you think of a new post, think of something that happened to you during the day that relates your blog’s topic. Making posts personal to your life experiences, while on topic, helps build a following and keeps your blog posts original.

7. Read 20 Blog Posts.

Before you start your law blog, read some other blog posts to get familiar with the styling’s of other law bloggers. If you’re like me, you may spend most of your time writing appellate briefs or court documents (i.e. a professional setting). This type of writing is not what a blog post should resemble.

As mentioned above, blog posts are intended to be short informal informational pieces. Blogs should resemble the in a nutshell series you used in law school or the Cliffs Notes you read in grade school.

8. Embrace Criticism.

You’ll learn something. Some of the things you blog about will be taken, at some point, the wrong way. People may criticize you in a blog comment. This is a great opportunity to engage in honest and meaningful dialogue with someone about your ideas. Seize the opportunity for valuable feedback!

I met a now very close acquaintance after they cursed at me in a blog comment! Seize the opportunity for criticism. No, embrace it.

9. Do Not Discuss a Client’s Confidential Information.

This should be self-explanatory. If not, read you jurisdiction’s rules of professional conduct!

10. Hat Tip Others.

Link to others when possible. Send a message to an old acquaintances on your social networks to just to say hello. They may give you ideas for blog topics. When someone gives you an idea for a blog post put line at the bottom that reads:

“Hat tip to Mary Lou for the blog post idea” or “Hat tip to Kendra Smith for sending me this story”.

A blog should never be a burden. You should write a blog because you are passionate about the topic. Words of genius will not flow from your law blog every day. However, if you are passionate about what you write about, people will notice. Give out hat tips when someone helps you produce your content.

11. Bonus Tip:

Read books too!

Have any tips? Questions? Comment below.

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