But he also wanted to get himself organized. Russell, a partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, had stacks of new decisions piling up, but was always putting off reading them.

"I figured that if I had people counting on me to do regular blog posts on new developments in my field, I would find the discipline to make reading these cases a part of my daily routine," Russell says. "So far, it has worked."

Russell also said that even though he's only been blogging a month, the return on his investment has been stunning.

"In many respects," he says, "this 'solitary' activity of blogging has been more effective at making real professional contacts for me than a lot of organizations that I've belonged to or meetings I've attended."

In this LexBlog Q&A, Russell talked to us about his "Blog Mission", the sense of community he's gained from blogging and his goal to show his blog readers the city of New York through the eyes of a small-town guy.

See our e-mail exchange with Russell (after the jump).

Russell Jackson: It was really something that Mark Herrmann – who blogs with Jim Beck at Drug and Device Law – said to me at a conference I was hosting. He asked me if I got much response from my quarterly National Law Journal columns. I told him no, they were like a tree falling in the forest. He then shared with me his experience that for most blog posts, he received responses from people interested in the issue he had posted about. I really wanted to join a conversation about mass torts and consumer class actions. I also wanted to impose some discipline on myself. I fanatically collect new decisions to read – I have a stack in my office that I dutifully drag home on weekends or onto planes. But I hadn't stuck to my repeated resolutions to read these new decisions every day, when they came out. I figured that if I had people counting on me to do regular blog posts on new developments in my field, I would find the discipline to make reading these cases a part of my daily routine. So far, it has worked.

Lisa Kennelly: Why did you want to include a "Blog Mission" page?

Russell Jackson: I really wanted to make it plain why I was blogging, and I wanted to encourage readers to participate in the process by posting comments. And not just readers who agree with me. I'd love it if I developed readers in the plaintiffs' bar who would feel comfortable enough to share from their perspective why my opinion is horse puckey. That hasn't really happened yet, by the way. But I've only been blogging a month, and I'm still hopeful.

Lisa Kennelly: What have you learned about blogging that you didn’t foresee?

Russell Jackson: I guess I really didn't realize how quickly a sense of community and camaraderie would develop between my readers and me. I already have had folks share with me about the cases they are litigating, providing me encouragement, and even offering to meet up for drinks when they're next in town. By reading my posts, they've gotten to know me, and I am really enjoying getting to know them. In many respects, this "solitary" activity of blogging has been more effective at making real professional contacts for me than a lot of organizations that I've belonged to or meetings I've attended.

Lisa Kennelly: Why did you decide to have a photo diary on your blog?

Russell Jackson: I have some close friends who are artists, and I really like the way that they see. Just walking through the city with them is a treat because they are looking for things that workaday lawyers just aren't focusing on. I decided that by buying a small camera that I can keep on me most of the time and committing to providing regular photo updates, I might be able to train myself to see more like artists see. I also think it's an effective way for readers to get to know me. Whenever I deal with clients or lawyers from elsewhere, they always ask questions about New York and how this small-town guy could live here. With the photo diary, they get to see parts of New York through my eyes. I hope they like what they see.

Lisa Kennelly: What has the response been to your blog from clients, other lawyers, or anyone else?

Russell Jackson: My clients have been very supportive of my blogging efforts, and I've been blown away by the encouragement I've received from defense lawyers around the country. Already I've had readers offering me tips on new decisions and post ideas, which I find extraordinarily helpful. In all, this has been a very rewarding experience.

Interested in hearing more? Recent LexBlog Q & A posts:

• Janet Ellen Raasch of Constant Content [2.5.09]
• Chris Cheatham of Green Building Law Update [1.14.09]
• Rex Gradeless (@Rex7) of Social Media Law Student [1.13.09]
• Neil Squillante, publisher of TechnoLawyer [5.23.08]
• Bill Pollak, legal published pro and CEO of ALM [4.25.08]
  

Or, see our full list of legal blog interviews.