A Lawyer Enters the Blogosphere
The ABA's Law Practice magazine will feature a year in the life of a brand new blogger in every other issue. The idea is to identify a small firm or solo lawyer who will be willing to be our test pilot for a year.
We've asked Andrew Ewalt, a sole practitioner in Storrs, CT, to be the volunteer and the magazine appointed me to be his coach. Andrew has agreed to launch and maintain a legal blog for at least one year. You can find his blog at http://andrewewaltslawblog.blogs.com/.
Email me at Lbodine@lawmarketing.com and tell us what you think so far. What could we be doing better? What steps have we missed? How can we turn this blog into a client magnet for Andrew.
For Andrew, starting up was no sweat. "It was easy. I'm computer-savvy enough to see a button on line and click it to see what it does," said the sole practitioner. He also has a Web site at http://www.ewaltlaw.com/.
Even though he admits to spending 18 hours a day in front of a computer, Andrew is not a hair-tinted technogeek. This is a serious lawyer who practices in probate & estate administration, life and estate planning, business law, taxation law, elder law, bankruptcy, and residential and commercial real estate.
However, I am a hair-tinted technogeek (and a lawyer to boot). I run all sorts of Web, listserv and online ventures, so I guess I qualify as the coach.
You'll see Andrew featured in the July/August issue of the magazine in a two-page spread. In each of the October/November 2005, January/February 2006, April/May 2006 and July/August 2006 issues the magazine will feature an update including:
- Problems encountered (and solutions).
- Lessons learned.
- Outcomes and impact.
Many thanks to the effervescent and creative Merrilyn Astin Tarlton, Editor in Chief of Law Practice, for this assignment, and to Andy, for joining in this escapade. Not only will we enjoy ourselves, but I plan to get him more business through the blog.
I think this is a clever idea but it would be much more valuable if the person were not so computer savvy. Most of the practitoners who I think would benefit the most from blawgs could be those who are less computer savvy. By "less computer savvy", I do not mean techno-phobes or dinosaurs but those to whom tech stuff does not come so easily. IMHO