From "Legal blawgs gaining popularity"
When Denise Howell started writing her first Web log in 2001, there were about 10 law blogs in existence. Since then, she’s created a new word – blawg – and watched its numbers leap into the thousands.“Participation by the legal community has increased not just dramatically but exponentially,” said Howell.
The California technology lawyer’s “Bag and Baggage” blawg is one of the most popular links from blawg.org, a Web site for law blog links and information. Blawg.org lists 1,304 blawgs on 211 topics. The numbers keep going up, too: Seven sites and three new topics were added in the last week.
The blawging phenomenon is eliciting mixed reviews and questions from attorneys. Blawging enthusiasts like Howell predict the growing popularity of blawgs will produce positive changes in the law profession, its clients and American culture.
Howell said that blawgs allow lawyers a remarkably efficient way to examine and share knowledge with each other – and anyone else curious about the law.
“Our legal system is supposed to be a participatory one, but until now that hasn’t really been the case,” said Howell. “It (blawging) helps society by improving access to and participation in legal thought and lawmaking...and by de-mystifying our sometimes incomprehensible legal system.”
Yet blawging champions admit the medium has its pitfalls. Howell said the broad definition of a blawg allows for negative effects, as well.
Note: Received notice of this article via Google Alerts. On her blog, Howell highlights "why lawyer advertising rules deserve considered reexamination in the era of the Live Web."
“Our legal system is supposed to be a participatory one, but until now that hasn’t really been the case,” said Howell. “It (blawging) helps society by improving access to and participation in legal thought and lawmaking...and by de-mystifying our sometimes incomprehensible legal system.”
The above really struck me. It might turn out that the most disruptive technologyy of our time is the simple human conversation supported by social software like blogs.
Thanks for extending this conversation about the law and our society!
Posted by: Michael Wagner | July 04, 2006 at 06:32 PM