Iowa lawyers’ blogs see instant results

Sometimes all it takes to get motivated to blog is seeing what else is out there – both the good and the bad.

That was the case for Iowa real estate lawyer Patrick Burk, an attorney/partner with West Des Moines law firm Brick Gentry P.C. When he decided to start blogging at Iowa Dirt Lawyer, it was because he saw not only a conversation he wanted to join but also an opportunity to raise the bar of some of the blogs out there.

"I decided to begin a blog with a little push from my partner Rush Nigut," Burk said. "I held off out of fear I wouldn’t give it the time it deserved, but began reading some really good and, frankly, some really bad law blogs and decided I might actually have something to contribute."

It’s hard to go wrong emulating Nigut, whose Iowa business employment and franchise law blog Rush on Business has been around since March of 2006 and has made him one of the most well-known lawyers in Iowa.

"I don’t need much of a sales pitch to encourage those around me to blog," Nigut said. "I have experienced some incredible success from my blog and others around me have seen that. For those that have the commitment to keep it up and the desire to succeed, it’s a natural fit."

All three of the Brick Gentry lawyers who have started blogs – Iowa immigration lawyer Austin Kennedy’s Immigration Law Report is the other – say that the rewards of blogging are immediate and tangible.

"The most rewarding part of blogging is publishing a new post and then having prospective clients call you in response to the post," Kennedy said, "to discuss the possibility of hiring you."

Nigut called blogging "much better than yellow page advertising.

"I have always believed that word of mouth referrals were the best way to build a law practice," Nigut said. "My law blog has been the next best thing. It allows people to get a sense of how I might handle their situation and whether I am the right lawyer for them."

For Burk, who is new to blogging but enthusiastic about the potential of his blog, adding his voice to the blogosphere has only added to his engagement in the other blogs that originally inspired him.

"The community interaction has been great," Burk said. "As my awareness of blogging increases so does my appreciation for good blogs. From construction law to criminal law and back to real estate, there are some great thinkers out there."