November 10, 2009 by Lisa Kennelly

Patrick Smith of Iowa Employment Law Blog: LexBlog Q&A

Iowa employment attorney Patrick SmithWe've written before about the strong contingent of law bloggers in Iowa, so it should come as no surprise to see Iowa employment attorney Patrick Smith of Bradshaw, Fowler, Proctor & Fairgrave having success blogging on employment law and litigation in the Hawkeye State.

"It's a great way to provide information to clients and others on a frequent, easy to use, and low cost basis," Patrick says of his Iowa Employment Law Blog.

Patrick's posts cover court decisions, stories in the news about employment topics, legislative developments, and interesting tidbits from other top blogs.

"Most rewarding has been the feedback from readers and the development of relationships with other bloggers around the country," he says. "I've been pleasantly surprised how collaborative blogging is—how we share information and provide exposure to other bloggers."

We talked to Patrick for this LexBlog Q&A to find out more about the response he's gotten to his blog and why Iowa law bloggers seem to have it figured out.

See our email exchange with Patrick, after the jump.

Lisa Kennelly: Why did you decide to start a blog?

Patrick Smith: I've always used speaking and writing as a way to market my practice. A blog seemed like a natural extension of that work. It's a great way to provide information to clients and others on a frequent, easy to use, and low cost basis.

Lisa Kennelly: What has been most rewarding about blogging? What has been most challenging?

Patrick Smith: Most rewarding has been the feedback from readers and the development of relationships with other bloggers around the country. I've been pleasantly surprised how collaborative blogging is—how we share information and provide exposure to other bloggers. Most challenging has been posting on a regular basis with all the other demands of the practice.

Lisa Kennelly: How do you come up with ideas for blog posts?

Patrick Smith: The subject of my blog is employment law, which is quite a hot topic right now, so there is no shortage of material. Most of my posts relate to court decisions, stories in the news about employment topics, or legislative developments. At least once a week I try to highlight other blogs or interesting information I find on the internet.

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

Patrick Smith: Very favorable. Even though I am no more an expert in the field that I was before I started a blog, there is something about maintaining a blog that is perceived as "cutting edge."

Lisa Kennelly: What advice would you give to an attorney thinking about starting up a blog?

Patrick Smith: Make sure you blog about something you are really interested in or passionate about. You should blog only if you think it is something you will enjoy. If you just want to say you have a blog, or think it is the thing to do, but don't enjoy the posting, it will be difficult to maintain.

Lisa Kennelly: It seems like Iowa has a surprisingly high number of good law bloggers. Any clues or guess as to why?

Patrick Smith: We have a very collaborative and collegial bar in Iowa. Perhaps blogging is a natural outgrowth of that culture.

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

Or, see our full list of legal blog interviews.

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March 25, 2009 by Lisa Kennelly

Iowa business lawyer and LexBlog client gets WSJ kudos

Congrats to Iowa business attorney (and LexBlog client) Rush Nigut for a mention of his blog in the Wall Street Journal yesterday.

Rush's blog, Rush on Business, was featured in an article about blogs providing insight to would-be franchises.

Rush was appreciative of the exposure in a blog post today, though this is far from the first time his blog has put him in the media spotlight.

"I have been mentioned in the WSJ, Forbes and Entrepreneur networks on several occasions," Rush wrote in an email. "I am often interviewed by the Des Moines Business Record and Des Moines Register thanks to the blog. The Des Moines Register actually has an RSS feed to my blog on their Internet business blog section. It adds credibility and does bring some notoriety."

Rush calls his blog "the best thing for client development I have ever done" and it's not hard to see why or how.

If any other LexBlog clients have had similar success you would like to share, drop me an email and I will feature you here as well.

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January 13, 2009 by Lisa Kennelly

Iowa lawyers' blogs see instant results

Sometimes all it takes to get motivated to blog is seeing what else is out there – both the good and the bad.

That was the case for Iowa real estate lawyer Patrick Burk, an attorney/partner with West Des Moines law firm Brick Gentry P.C. When he decided to start blogging at Iowa Dirt Lawyer, it was because he saw not only a conversation he wanted to join but also an opportunity to raise the bar of some of the blogs out there.

"I decided to begin a blog with a little push from my partner Rush Nigut," Burk said. "I held off out of fear I wouldn't give it the time it deserved, but began reading some really good and, frankly, some really bad law blogs and decided I might actually have something to contribute."

It's hard to go wrong emulating Nigut, whose Iowa business employment and franchise law blog Rush on Business has been around since March of 2006 and has made him one of the most well-known lawyers in Iowa.

"I don't need much of a sales pitch to encourage those around me to blog," Nigut said. "I have experienced some incredible success from my blog and others around me have seen that. For those that have the commitment to keep it up and the desire to succeed, it's a natural fit."

All three of the Brick Gentry lawyers who have started blogs – Iowa immigration lawyer Austin Kennedy's Immigration Law Report is the other – say that the rewards of blogging are immediate and tangible.

"The most rewarding part of blogging is publishing a new post and then having prospective clients call you in response to the post," Kennedy said, "to discuss the possibility of hiring you."

Nigut called blogging "much better than yellow page advertising.

"I have always believed that word of mouth referrals were the best way to build a law practice," Nigut said. "My law blog has been the next best thing. It allows people to get a sense of how I might handle their situation and whether I am the right lawyer for them."

For Burk, who is new to blogging but enthusiastic about the potential of his blog, adding his voice to the blogosphere has only added to his engagement in the other blogs that originally inspired him.

"The community interaction has been great," Burk said. "As my awareness of blogging increases so does my appreciation for good blogs. From construction law to criminal law and back to real estate, there are some great thinkers out there."

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