October 9, 2008 by Kevin

Thank you New York City Bar Association

New York City Bar Law Blog ProgramThanks to all the folks at the New York City Bar Association (NYCBA) for hosting the blog panel presentation on Tuesday evening. Great job.

Thanks also to blogging Attorneys Scott Greenfield, Dan Clement, and Eric Turkewitz (going right to left, not in order of prominence Greenfield), my co-panelists. Well done guys.

The NYCBA doesn't screw around. We covered a lot of ground for the 50 plus in attendance. The program went 3 hours strong running from 6 to 9 PM. From what I could tell from the re-runs of the debate, that's more people than were attending live the Obama - McCain town hall forum that was running opposite of us.

We reviewed the basics of blogs, blog publishing platforms, better blogging practices, RSS and how to use it, the marketing of your blog, and little a social media. Even got into a little debate on topics such as what makes for a successful blog, whether lawyers will keep blogging, and the merits of using a blog for marketing. I suspect Turkewitz and Clement felt a little 'stuck in the middle' with Greenfield and I calling BS on the other.

Surprisingly no one in the audience was the user of RSS feeds and a newsreader. Even a couple years ago, I'd get a few RSS users in the crowd. Hope that's not typical of all New York lawyers, you're missing out on a powerful way to receive excellent information.

You may download a copy of PowerPoint we used here. As always, feel free to borrow as much or little of it as you like for your own presentation on law blogs. Also feel free to call or email me for additional information you may need or questions you have in preparing for presentations to your law firm or group.

A video recording of the presentation is coming out from the NYCBA. I still get people calling me saying they watched the whole 3 hour video from the program we did in '06. I'm tempted to say get a life.

For you folks that haven't seen the NYCBA building, check it out. Sits on 44th between 5th and 6th among old stand alone granite buildings like the Harvard club. Huge rotunda, marble steps, quite a place. We sure don't have anything like that in Seattle where old is 75 years.

Also note that the Memphis Pork Ribs at Virgil's Real Barbecue, where we headed afterwards, ain't too bad either. The Virgil's Ale was a little light by Seattle Micro-Brew standards.

Looking to bring me into your neighborhood to organize a blog panel presentation? Just holler. I'm easy. I'll do it for a beer in most cases - even when I have to buy.

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January 22, 2008 by Rob La Gatta

Dan Clement of the New York Divorce Report [LexBlog Q&A]

After a hiatus over the long weekend, the LexBlog Q&A returns on this Tuesday with an interview I've been holding onto for a few days. The latest guest in our hot seat is New York divorce & family lawyer Dan Clement, the man behind the New York Divorce Report.

I caught up with Dan when he had a few free minutes between court and the office last week to chat about his experience as a blogger in America's most populous city.
1. Rob La Gatta: When did you first start blogging? Since then, how have you seen the legal blogosphere change?

Dan Clement: I started blogging in July or August of last year, and in that time I’ve seen the number and diversity of legal blogs expanding. I can say in the area where I’m doing this – family/divorce law – I think there’s at least one [blog] for almost every state. I know a couple more just came alive in the past week or two. It seems to be mushrooming.

1a. Rob La Gatta: What about in terms of the overall writing quality you see demonstrated by other lawyers: has that improved?

Dan Clement: Yes, but I think that’s just the nature of the beast: as there’s more quantity, the quality also has to go up. If there isn’t a qualitative change, numbers alone don’t mean a whole lot. I think one just keeps feeding on the other: the more there are, the better they get.

2. Rob La Gatta: Aren’t there a lot of divorce lawyers in New York? How have you used the blog to distinguish yourself from the rest of the pack in your city?

Dan Clement: As far as I know, there’s only one or two other divorce blogs/family law blogs in New York, which I find a little shocking. As a result, I’m using the blog to try and differentiate myself from others. It has [also] allowed me to share some opinions that I have, or some judicial opinions that I think are noteworthy, which is reflected in my expertise/knowledge.

3. Rob La Gatta: In terms of community-building, many look to blogs as a networking tool. What about in a city like New York? Have you noticed that lawyers in NYC have used the legal blogosphere to foster relationships with one another that would have otherwise not been able to develop?

Dan Clement: I see that there is a blogging community when I read New York blogs, but I don’t think it’s just limited to New York. In general, there’s obviously a blogging community, where people are citing specific bloggers. Then, within jurisdictions, I think it gets even more – for lack of a better term – incestuous: certain blogs within New York State are repeatedly referenced in other blogs, particularly as it deals with the broader practice of law as opposed to the specialty areas. There are certain general blogs just covering New York law, New York practice of law, [and] the marketing of New York law...blogs which I see repeatedly referenced within other local blogs here.

4. Rob La Gatta: Based on your personal experience, what has been the biggest reward and biggest challenge to arise from blogging?

Dan Clement: For me, the challenge is always finding something to write about, and sometimes limiting myself on what I can write about. Some days I’ll find 4 or 5 topics that I want to write about, but there’s time to write about 1; then there are also days where I find it very difficult to come up with something interesting to write.

The biggest reward is when I start looking at statistics and I see that my readership is increasing, [and] I’m getting more hits on the blog. That means I’m reaching the people I want to reach, which brings me a bit of satisfaction.

5. Rob La Gatta: What about the art of blogging do you know now that you wish you knew when you first started?

Dan Clement: I think, early on, I was writing as if trying to write a masterpiece. Not that I don’t pay particular attention to my grammar now…but not every thought has to be an original thought. Sometimes it’s okay to say, “Hey, this guy came up with a good idea,” and give my spin on it, as opposed to saying, “I have to come up with something original.”

I think that was really daunting in the beginning: I was always trying to come up with an original article, as opposed to blogging by citing someone and talking about what they said, and giving my spin on it. Doing that was particularly draining, and it got tiring.

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

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