My, Uh, Nine Favorite Law Blogs

On Minor Wisdom, Ray Ward listed this blog as one of his ten favorite law blogs. So did China Law Blog. It’s great to have people acknowledge my efforts in this manner. But apparently I now have to share the luuurve by naming my own ten favorites.

I used to be a chronic non-joiner, but evidently blogging has turned me into some kind of new-age, touch-feely type, because here I am, dutifully trotting out my list of faves.

But I retain a trace of my curmudgeonly self, in that my list contains only nine blogs, as I was at a loss to come up with a tenth. Life is short and art is long—the art of contract drafting, that is. In my single-mindedness, I’ve only subscribed to a couple of dozen feeds. So this isn’t a many-are-called-but-few-are-chosen sort of list. Heck, it’s probably a liability to be on it.

With that out of the way, here goes, in the order that they’re listed on my Google Reader page:

Dennis Kennedy Blog: I have a dim recollection of when I started paying attention to blogs—not that it was that long ago—but the name Dennis Kennedy looms large from that phase. It was from reading Dennis’s blog that I first got a sense of the potential of the medium.

Law Career Blog, by Gregory W. Bowman: I’m acutely aware of the difficulties that junior associates face when it comes to contract drafting. Perhaps as a result, I’ll happily read thoughtful discussion of issues facing law students and junior associates generally. And that’s what this blog offers.

Law Department Management, by Rees Morrison: How companies handle the contract process is a subject that’s close to my heart, so I keep an eye on what Rees has to say, in case it relates to my concerns. I’m alway impressed by his productivity and the breadth of knowledge on display in his posts.

Legalwriting.net, by Wayne Schiess: I don’t read Wayne for his helpful legal-writing tips. Instead, what I love about his blog is his ever-so-slightly-jaundiced take on the world of legal writing. I can relate.

Real Lawyers Have Blogs, by Kevin O’Keefe: I rarely write about blogging, because in the wrong hands it quickly becomes an exercise in contemplating your navel. But I’m only too happy to read well-informed, no-nonsense advice and information on blogging by lawyers. And I look to Kevin for that.

Settle It Now Negotiation Blog, by Victoria Pynchon: Negotiation and dispute resolution are part of the same messy business as contract drafting, so on that basis alone I could justify subscribing to this blog. But the real draw is Vickie’s enthusiasm and imagination. I also admire her moxie for striking out on her own after 25 years of law-firm practice.

Technology and Marketing, by Eric Goldman: Only occasionally does this blog discuss something that’s directly relevant to me. I nevertheless keep reading it out of admiration for Eric’s erudition and envy at the interesting niche he’s carved out for himself.

The (New) Legal Writer, by Raymond Ward: I know that the cool thing to do would have been to leave Ray out of my list, since he tagged me. But I tell myself that it’s OK to include this blog, given that he posted his list of favorites on his other blog. So why am I including this blog? Because if you’re interested in eclectic tidbits from the world of legal writing, this is the place.

WSJ Law Blog, by Peter Lattman: I subscribe to news feeds, such as the ABA Journal Daily News feed. But a news feed isn’t a blog, because it lacks a distinctive voice. This blog has plenty of that.

I’ve exchanged correspondence with all but the last of the above bloggers. That should come as no surprise—if you like someone else’s blog, it’s makes sense to look for some common ground you might share.

About the author

Ken Adams is the leading authority on how to say clearly whatever you want to say in a contract. He’s author of A Manual of Style for Contract Drafting, and he offers online and in-person training around the world. He’s also chief content officer of LegalSifter, Inc., a company that combines artificial intelligence and expertise to assist with review of contracts.

3 thoughts on “My, Uh, Nine Favorite Law Blogs”

  1. Ken,

    So very kind of you to mention my blog,

    As a grammar and syntax fanatic, as well as an attorney who spent her entire career litigating Contracts Gone Bad (agreements with a nose-ring)I’ve been more than delighted to make the virtual acquaintance of Ken and his drafting venture.

    As I always told my clients, your transactional lawyer is your GP or internal medicine practitioner. See him/her early and often for preventitve health care.

    I’m your quadruple by-pass surgeon. You never want to see me.

    I not only commend Ken’s work, I’ve actually been waiting for him to appear my entire career. A true service to the business community at all levels.

    Keep up the great work!

    Best (and thanks!)

    Vickie

    Reply
  2. 9/9.

    I love it when blogs I like list their “top 10” (or “top 9”) favorites. Usually I can flip through them in 10 minutes or so, and add one or two to my reading list (on Google Reader).

    Ken, this is a first for me–I’ve added all 9 of yours. (Actually, 7, as I already had 2.) Thank you very much. Great list!

    Reply

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