Chris Cheatham of Green Building Law Update [LexBlog Q & A]
A blog can be the perfect way to position yourself on the front line of trends and evolving legal issues. You can carve out a unique place in the blogosphere as a thought leader when the topic you cover is new and developing, as in the case of Virginia construction and green building attorney Chris Cheatham's blog, Green Building Law Update.
Chris, an associate at Watt, Tieder, Hoffar & Fitzgerald LLP, monitors green building trends, regulations and codes, and potential disputes and litigation on his blog. He's known for his work on green construction issues even out here in the Northwest; as regular readers might remember, his blog drew Twitter praise from King County executive Ron Sims in October 2008.
In this LexBlog Q&A, Chris told us about the rewarding feeling of seeing a prediction made on his blog – that the emergence of green building litigation was imminent – prove true just a few months later. Chris says blogging about green building law has also helped him become a better lawyer. Because it's an emerging practice, he says, "I have to point out where the legal issues are going to arise. I don't have case law to rely on. Having to point out potential green building law issues has helped me recognize issues and problems that my clients may face down the road."
See our e-mail exchange with Chris (after the jump).
Lisa Kennelly: Why did you decide to start a blog?
Chris Cheatham: In 2008, I was making a concerted effort to write a lot about green building law. I was writing articles for print publications, which required hours and hours of work. First you had to find a publisher, then you had to research the topic, then you had to write at least 1000 words. It was very time consuming. I decided to start the blog because it seemed much more sustainable than the long articles. I am my own publisher. I research my topics by simply reading green building articles every day. Best of all, I can write as much or as little as I want. Of course, blogging is very time consuming as well, but also much more rewarding.
Lisa Kennelly: What have you learned about blogging that you didn’t foresee?
Chris Cheatham: I have spent a lot more time marketing the blog than I anticipated. But the marketing has turned out to be a lot of fun. I am really enjoying the web 2.0 marketing options, like Twitter. Marketing not only leads people to my blog, but it also puts me in contact with great people.
Lisa Kennelly: What challenges have you faced?
Chris Cheatham: Finding time to write three times a week is definitely a challenge. Obviously, my primary focus is my billable work, and when billable work gets busy, it becomes more difficult to write quality posts.
The other challenge I have faced is learning to say no. Once your blog takes off, there are all sorts of ways to market and collaborate. I have recently realized that I have limited amounts of time to undertake marketing and collaboration. So now I just try and focus on good, solid posts, and interacting with the readers I have. The rest of it seems to take care of itself.
Lisa Kennelly: Is it helping you become a better lawyer?
Chris Cheatham: Yes. I write about green building law, which is really an emerging legal practice. As a result, I have to point out where the legal issues are going to arise. I don't have case law to rely on. Having to point out potential green building law issues has helped me recognize issues and problems that my clients may face down the road.
Lisa Kennelly: Is it fun?
Chris Cheatham: Blogging is fun, especially if you enjoy your topic and you enjoy writing. There are always moments, though, when it is extremely fun. Blogging becomes extremely fun for me when I am treated as part of the press. A couple months ago, a marketing firm, Sensible City, contacted me to cover their EcoBuild conference in DC. I was given a press pass and I interviewed some great people. The interviews are perfect for developing into posts.
Lisa Kennelly: Is it helping further enhance your reputation from a client development standpoint?
Chris Cheatham: Most definitely. A perfect example occurred in a client conference call a few months ago. Before the conference call began, we were all exchanging greetings. Out of nowhere, our client's general counsel says, "Chris, I have really enjoyed reading your green building blog." I was stunned for a minute and finally stammered out a thank you. Other clients and prospects have invited me in to do green building presentations. The client interaction created by the blog is great.
Lisa Kennelly: What's been most rewarding about blogging?
Chris Cheatham: The most rewarding part of blogging is seeing something happen that you have been talking about. I can think of a couple examples. In December, the DC City Council announced that they were going to revise a component of their green building act that was problematic for the surety industry. One of my first posts, and many subsequent posts, discussed the problems with the specific component of the act. That was very rewarding, to think that I contributed to the change in the act (even if I didn't!).
The other example was actually the emergence of the first instance of green building litigation. The general premise of my blog is that the green building industry is going to have legal issues that need to be resolved. In one of my first posts, I predicted the emergence of significant green building litigation very soon. Lo and behold, a few months later, I learned of the first example of green building litigation. I like to think that I am helping my readers avoid this type of litigation as they get involved in green building projects.
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