Appellate Judges read blogs

Texas appeals lawyer, Todd Smith, offered a newsflash from his blog last night, Appellate Judges read blogs.

While attending a bar function today, a local appellate justice I have met a few times before recognized me, introduced me to his companions as the author of an appellate blog, and confessed (?) to being one of my regular readers.  I have had similar conversations with other members of the appellate bench in recent months.

Appellate judges are often perceived as ivory-tower idealists.  They don’t really read blogs, do they?

Yes they do Todd. Many LexBlog lawyer clients tell me that high in their readership stats are visits from courthouses, especially the federal courts. Clerks at those federal courts, the ones in turn briefing the judges, tell me they are regular readers of law blogs.

Delaware litigation attorney, Francis Pileggi, told me recently about a state supreme court judge who came up to him at a conference to introduce himself and to compliment Francis on his blog. The judge explained he was a regular reader.

No question that the day is near when lawyers with well written blogs on niche litigation subjects are going to be called in as co-counsel on an appeal or brief. The value of having a lawyer on your side whose material is regularly read by the court you’re before is priceless.