top of page

Legal blogging- one of the many careers in the legal industry

Writer's picture: LexTalk WorldLexTalk World

Rendering legal solutions is a complex process that requires the expertise and knowledge of a team of skilled professionals for quality and cost-effective remedies. These services are not just limited to dealing with piles of paperwork or courtroom sessions. With the development in technology, the legal field offers many jobs encompassing a diverse range of skills, experience, and education. One such career opportunity which the field offers is legal blogging. It primarily involves analysis of fact situations or key points of a particular legal case and presentation of arguments in documents like legal memoranda or briefs.


Why a legal blog?

Every segment of law requires vast knowledge and demands deep analytical research with critical thinking. Legal blogging is a perfect medium to share a legal professional’s expertise. Currently, there are over 200 million legal blogs on the web. Blogs provide information which the traditional medium does not provide. They include all information on law-related subjects, case studies, real-life situations, and so on. A legal blogger generally focuses on research for online publications, intending to create an online presence in the market, to promote not only law firms but individual practices too.


Many blogging websites are specifically designed for lawyers. A few reliable and widely used blogging sites have been mentioned below.

1. SCOTUS Blog (Washington, US) - with its prime focus on covering the US Supreme court and its cases, the SCOTUS blog is widely regarded at the nation's premier legal internet sites. These are generally written by lawyers, students, and journalists.

2. Above the Law (New York, US) - with its aim to provide a behind-the-scenes look of the law world, this site provides news & insights about the profession's most colorful personalities and powerful institutions, as well as original commentary on breaking legal developments.

3. ABA Journal Magazine (Chicago, Illinois, US) - it is the flagship magazine of the American Bar Association and covers various trends of the legal profession.

4. Harris Bricken Canna Law Blog (US) - It is a forum for discussing the practical aspects of cannabis law and how it impacts those involved in this growing industry. It also provides insight into how canna businesspeople can use the law to their advantage.

5. Lawctopus (India) - a source for law students in India, it provides articles on career advice, calls for papers, essay competitions, and more.

6. Bar & Bench (Bangalore, Karnataka, India) - it is a comprehensive news and analysis portal for the legal fraternity in India. They provide the latest in news, information, interviews, and columns spanning the entirety of the legal spectrum.

7. Legally India (Mumbai, Maharashtra, India) - Legally India was the first publication to cover the Indian legal market in a regular, impartial and timely manner, and it continues to be the market leader in the field. They provide news and information relevant to Indian law firms and the Indian legal profession.

8. India Legal Live (New Delhi, Delhi, India)-a current affairs magazine that emphasis on investigative articles, exclusives, trend-breaking pieces, and insightful features.


Tips for writing a legal blog

1. Pick a niche topic- choose a topic that is not only appealing for the audience but also focuses on the area in which you are knowledgeable. For example, consider personal injury lawyer blogs. There are thousands of them. So, what strategy should be adopted by a person to make his/her blog unique? The answer is to focus on geographical regions, practice areas, and niche subjects. For instance, Michelle May O’Neil, a family lawyer from Dallas, publishes the Dallas Divorce Law Blog and a blog titled Gay and Lesbian Family Law in Texas. Top legal publications like Above the law, JD supra, ABA journal, and so on, follow the same practice.

2. Focus on quality and relevance- the main aspect to increase the readership is by improving the writing style. A professional, well-written blog that has relevant legal topics and expertly researched content receives a lot more readership than vice versa.

3. Post legal advice regularly on your blogs- regular advice keeps the content fresh and hence draws more readers. It is hard to post daily, therefore three blogs per week are apt to keep the blog fresh and provide readers something to look forward to, every time they return. Failure to do so not only turns the reader off but also lowers the blog's ranking in search engines.

4. Communicate with the readers- to develop a loyal readership, one should actively engage with the readers in the comments section and discussions. Asking open-ended questions, conducting polls or forums converts passive readers into active participants, making them keep coming back for more.

5. Analyze the blog post’s metrics- Metrics help to gauge the growth and learn what legal topics interest readers the most. They measure traffic and page views. Metrics also reveal the low-performing posts and give other details such as, which pages readers spend the most time on, which keywords have the best conversion rates.

6. Promote the blog post once a blog is written, there is a need to promote it to garner a substantial following. One of the many ways to find exposure for a blog is by posting on other relevant blogs with links back to your blog and adding the website address to printed and promotional materials.

7. Add a disclaimer to the legal blog post-In August 2010, the American Bar Association's Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility released its Formal Opinion 10-457. The ABA addressed concerns about misleading information on websites, creating undue expectations via the website, and taking care not to create an inadvertent client-lawyer relationship via the website in Formal Opinion 10-457. It includes information about lawyers who can or cannot post on their blogs. The best way to save one's website from this is by adding a disclaimer.


Career prospects in legal blogging

According to the Bureau of Labour Statistics, the employment of technical writers and editors is expected to grow by 8% by 2028. With the increase in the number of legal professionals, diverse publications are likely to grow along with them. With digitization, the demand for web-based writers is likely to increase. According to Google Consumer Survey, 95-96% of people all over the world end up searching about legal matters through search engines. Therefore, ranking your blogs with SEO-optimized content will help gain views as well as make money. Even though blogging might be a tedious job, but with proper planning, it can generate a great amount of money regularly.


Blogs can be monetized by combining a unique positioning and investing in high-quality designs. When bloggers establish a loyal readership among their viewers, they can jump into affiliate marketing, a form of digital marketing wherein you refer someone to any online product and when that person buys the product based on your recommendation, you receive a commission. In a study conducted, 47% of the bloggers made money through blogging by utilizing affiliate marketing (26%) and Google AdSense (33%).


Benefits of legal blogging :

Amidst all the chaos of toppling each other for success, legal blogging has emerged as a fresh breeze of air. Even though it is quite challenging, but with the right mindset and intentions, it can provide various benefits for a person.

1. It is a way to connect with people having the same and contrast ideologies.

2. It is a great forum for people to discuss law and ongoing cases.

3. It brings in new opportunities like book propositions, firm appreciation, business propositions, and many more.

4. It enables self-marketing through Google.

5. Improves research skills.

6. Develops communication and writing skills.

7. It expands the client base.

8. It is a great platform for young aspirants to learn about current affairs in the legal sphere.

 
 

Follow LexTalk World for more news and updates from International Legal Industry.

 












35 views

Comments


bottom of page