Law firms getting unwanted attention from bloggers

Law firms typically look to blogs to enhance the reputation of individual lawyers and practice groups. However, talking with Amanda Bronstad of The National Law last week, some blogs are drawing law firms unwanted attention. It’s now the subject of Bronstad’s story in the National Law Journal, ‘Law Firms Get Their Share of Attention From Bloggers.’

Above the Law reports on more law firm gossip than any blog. Not a surprise in that it’s edited by former assistant U.S. Attorney, David Lat, a prior blogger at Underneath Their Robes, a judiciary gossip blog, and the DC Gossip blog, Wonkette.

Gotta love Lat’s philosophy. With Above the Laws promise of anonymity, the blog “…helps people act on their ‘human instinct’ to ‘unburden themselves of a secret.'” And though no law firm has asked for a post to be removed, at least one associate has told Lat that his posts have caused a stir in their firm.

The result is Lat and blogs like the Skadden Insider publish, as Bronstad reports “…internal information at firms, such as confidential firings and sexual trysts with partners.”

The other situation reported by Bronstad, and the one I discussed with her, was ex-employee lawyers blogging to get back at the firm. I didn’t see it as high risk because of ethics issues, severance agreements, and making yourself unemployable. But upon Jeff Brauer’s leaving his of counsel position with a law firm in China, he took an ex-employee blog to a new level.

Brauer spent five months sending e-mails and hiring attorneys to collect $150,000 in unpaid compensation he claimed the firm still owed him. Didn’t work so he started a blog. The result was an agreement that Brauer would take down his blog in return for payment of his ‘outstanding debts.’

Expect more blogs like Above the Law. Skanky law firm content attracts a demographic with a lot of buying power. That’s not lost on advertisers.