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Isn’t it the goal of every law student to become Internet famous?

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I don’t think so.

A law student or a young lawyer can take to the Internet and make a name for themselves and build a few relationships along the way without becoming famous.

New York City lawyer and blogger, Scott Greenfield (@scottgreenfield), raised the question Saturday morning in the case of blogging by law students and young lawyers.

But isn’t the goal of every young lawyer to become internet famous? That’s all that matters.

Greenfield’s point is well taken. Why should we have law students, young lawyers, or, even law professors who haven’t seen the inside of a courtroom be out giving legal insight and advice on the net?

Earning respect. Earning credibility. Gaining the experience by doing something, and doing it well, is hard work. Gaming Google to create the appearance of importance is far more fun and a whole lot easier.

I agree, but I am not sure that’s what most law students or young lawyers are trying to do via blogging.

There are a ton niches not covered in legal blogging. Law students can report on these niches and tie threads together across statutes, case law, news stories, and blog posts.

Such reporting offers value to the legal community and those working in the industry or consumer niche being addressed. After all, who hasn’t used a law student or young lawyer for research, briefing, or drafts of jury instructions?

I used law students I met and hired via AOL message boards in the late 90’s. A lawyer in my office oversaw the research and motion briefing to make sure all the bases were covered. If it was more critical matter, we’d do the work ourselves.

With blogging, law students can improve their chances of getting a job. Something that’s been tough sledding over the last few years.

How so? If a lawyer wanted to start working with large law on pro bono matters, blog on the pro bono work being done in large law.

Highlight their work, the people involved, and the causes and cases worked on. Reference news stories on pro bono efforts, making special effort to engage the individual reporters.

Set up a Twitter list that receives news of their pro bono work and the pro bono work of legal organizations across the country. Retweet meaningful items.

In six months you’ll be known coast to coast in the pro bono community and by the reporters and bloggers who cover it.

Certainly no guaranty of a job, but I’d take my chances over a law student waiting for a job posting.

How about a law student at Notre Dame wanting to move back to their home town of Houston and work with a law firm in the oil and energy field?

Do the same thing. Follow the lawyers and law firms from Houston blogging on the subject. Follow key federal and state regulations on energy through Google alerts or the free Westlaw service you have available. Follow relevant reporters and stories with an RSS reader and set up a Twitter list with the right folks.

Blog to report and tie things together, not to give the legal insight only a an experienced lawyer could give.

We have undergraduate journalism programs filled with students reporting on various subjects. Heck, we have reporters and newspapers across the country reporting on legal news.

We have law students working on law reviews which with blogs are becoming more irrelevant by the day. They do it to say they did and to hone their skills in research, analysis, writing, and editing.

Why can’t a law student do the same, and much more, via a niche subject blog of their own to get known for their interests and passion? Why can’t a law student make relationships with and learn from lawyers and other professionals in the area of in which they are heading?

They can. All without the goal of becoming Internet famous.

Image courtesy of Flickr by Rupert Ganzer

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