California employment lawyer Anthony Zaller admits he finds time a big challenge when it comes to blogging.
"Not in the sense of finding time to write for my blog," he says, "but being dedicated enough to stop blogging or networking with other bloggers and actually getting back to work."
Anthony’s California Employment Law Report rarely lets a development in California employment law go uncovered. He focuses on employment law in general as well as how technology is changing the field.
Through his blog, he has connected with lawyers across the country as well as clients. He has also seen tangible evidence of his blog giving him credibility in the courtroom.
"Recently at court, opposing counsel was talking with me about a new development in California employment law," Anthony says. "He mentioned that he searched Google about the subject, and the first article in the results page was my blog post on the topic. He told me he was impressed and liked the article and this gave me instant credibility with him. It is times like this when I realize how powerful having a blog, expressing your views, and developing one’s own personal brand is in the Internet age."
We caught up with Anthony for this LexBlog Q&A to discuss how he has built relationships through his blog and how technology is affecting issues in employment law.
See our e-mail exchange with Anthony (after the jump).
Lisa Kennelly: Your firm already has a jointly authored blog, the California Workforce Resource Blog. Why did you decide to launch your own, the California Employment Law Report?
Anthony Zaller: I’ve written for many blogs since 2004, and have come to realize how much I enjoy the process. I’ve also come to realize that why people find it so rewarding is that it allows lawyers to have their own voice. The California Employment Law Report’s primary focus is still employment law – but I wanted to focus more on how technology is changing the field of law as well as employment law. Just as blogs have changed how lawyers reach potential clients, new Internet-related technologies are being developed and adopted so quickly (Twitter, for example) there are enormous opportunities for employers to utilize these technologies in their workplaces. However, many new issues are created when employer and employees begin to adopt these new technologies. I am very interested in seeing how the courts will address this new area, and believe that lawyers’ understanding of technology will be essential when litigating employment law cases.
Lisa Kennelly: What has been most rewarding about blogging?
Anthony Zaller: I enjoy connecting with and having a dialogue with a wide range of individuals (including other attorneys) across the country about new employment law issues in California. My friend jokes about how easy it is to meet other people over the Internet and learn a lot about their lives – even when they may live on the other side of the world – but most people do not know their next door neighbor’s name. While (sadly) this may be true, the positive aspect of this observation is that the Internet is super-efficient in connecting people with similar interests or needs. This efficiency has carried over to the legal field, and now clients with a particular legal need can easily research, read the thoughts of, and connect with lawyers who have the expertise to fill the client’s need. I feel like I know other lawyers from the other side of the country whom I have never met – we have just exchanged ideas through blog posts and comments. Some may think this is a bit too impersonal, but this is truly the free market place of ideas that is driving great progress.
Lisa Kennelly: What has been most challenging?
Anthony Zaller: Time. Not in the sense of finding time to write for my blog, but being dedicated enough to stop blogging or networking with other bloggers and actually getting back to work.
Lisa Kennelly: What has the response been like from clients, other bloggers, other attorneys, or anyone else?
Anthony Zaller: Recently at court, opposing counsel was talking with me about a new development in California employment law. He mentioned that he searched Google about the subject, and the first article in the results page was my blog post on the topic. He told me he was impressed and liked the article and this gave me instant credibility with him. It is times like this when I realize how powerful having a blog, expressing your views, and developing one’s own personal brand is in the Internet age.
Lisa Kennelly: Do you ever get "writers block" and how do you come up with topics to write about?
Anthony Zaller: I definitely have times when I cannot think of topics to write about. Taking a page from Seth Godin, I usually don’t try to force myself to write when I do not have anything of interest or valuable (or remarkable) to say. In the back of my head, when reading articles or cases, I am always thinking whether this would make a good post. Some days I will have four or five great ideas and some weeks I will not have any. Having a blog does keep me more informed, as I cannot let a new development on California employment law go unwritten about.
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