Patrick Smith of Iowa Employment Law Blog: LexBlog Q&A
We’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:
- Michelle May O’Neil of Dallas Divorce Law Blog [11.3.09]
- Kenneth Odza of Food Liability Law Blog [10.29.09]
- David Shulman of South Florida Estate Planning Law [10.23.09]
- David Nelmark of Mixed Martial Arts Law Blog [10.21.09]
Or, see our full list of legal blog interviews.