Law firm websites…and blawgs

If you’re a lawyer with a website (or a lawyer who wants a website) and haven’t read the recent Andy Havens column on LLRX, you should. Now. It includes an interview with Kevin O’Keefe of lexBlog fame.

As I read the article, I kept thinking of that famous one-liner fromThe Graduate. “just one word. . . plastics…”

Just one word….Blawgs.

The blog culture has taken off in a big way. Last week, in the midst of the CBS news scandal, a tech-challenged family member asked me “What’s a blog?” This particular person was interested because the news kept mentioning blogs in connection with the story. Putting my frustrations aside (I have told this person about this blog several times over the last six months, apparently to no avail….), I gave the usual description. Now, they want me to help them get started with blogs.

My point — if blogs have reached the point at which “regular people” (my tech-challenged family member) are interested in and beginning to use blogs, its probably about time for “regular lawyers” to get very interested in blawgs. I bet we’ll see an onslaught of blawgs over the next few years (months?).

I wonder what big firm culture will do with blawgs? Its not difficult to imagine a big firm deploying a blawg (or 10…) and requiring associates to meet annual content requirements (e.g., an associate must post 25 items a year). I’m not sure big firm culture would work with the free-flowing blawg culture, though. I envision “blawg committees” and “blawg leaders”.

Keep in mind I’m not a small firm lawyer who hates big firms. I owe my start to a big firm. Indeed, if it weren’t for a twist of fate, I’d likely still be practicing in a big firm.