Let’s be honest, 2020 may not be a year we want to remember—but it will go down in history as one of the most important times of our lives. There was a dramatic departure from “normal” and, by now, most people have figured out that we can never really go back to exactly the way things were.
We can’t forget the countless lives that were not only impacted—but lost. Our thoughts go out to all who lost a loved one, family member, or friend.
And the most challenging part of all? In the midst of all of these changes, we were somehow expected to continue on as best we could in this new, painful normal. That’s what we did—the best we could.
There’s so many different ways to measure each of our own 2020s: in masks used, in lives impacted, in laws passed, in social change created. Here at LexBlog, we measure the year based on what our community had to say about it.
Authors on top of their blogging game
Most would say churning out a blog post a week is the standard amount in order to keep your audience engaged and satisfied (and even that can be a lot of work). Bump that up to a daily post and that’s a lot more than most busy attorneys can handle—especially during a pandemic!
In the year 2020, we had eight authors average more than one post a day. A blogger’s success isn’t measured by the amount of content they produce, but there’s no denying that these eight are extremely talented writers we’re proud to include in our community.
Leading the group was Rick Georges who had a whopping 1,253 posts (and probably more after this report comes out). Following him were Douglas Berman, Scott Greenfield, Howard Friedman, John Freund, Stefanie Marrone, Daniel Cummins, and Bob Ambrogi respectively.
The busiest blog networks
A lot of firms have multiple blogs, allowing them to whip up a bunch of content. One number to look at for the past year is the amount of posts published. While a busier blog/organization by no means equates to a better one, it’s still an interesting number nonetheless—and LexBlog members certainly have racked up a lot of posts.
At the top of the list for most posts this year is Norton Rose Fulbright with over 2,400 posts for all of 2020. They have 17 blogs total, boasting a large group of authors from all over the globe writing on Social Media and Patents among other subjects.
Squire Patton Boggs
is close behind, just shy of 2,000 posts for the year. Their 22 blogs are also manned by lawyers from around the world. This year, they’ve been busy reporting on popular and timely topics like Brexit, Consumer Privacy, Health Law, and more.
Rounding out the top three of the year is Marler Clark who generated just over 1,600 posts in all of 2020. They have 12 blogs, focusing on food-related cases—such as Salmonella and E. Coli.
Also making an appearance in the top 10 organizations who posted the most this year are, respectively, Jackson Lewis, Fox Rothschild, Mayer Brown, Covington & Burling, Ogletree Deakins, Sheppard Mullin, and Reed Smith.
Topics of conversation
There was tons of news this year, taking place in a variety of sectors. Though the LexBlog community doesn’t represent the entirety of what was big in news, it certainly provides some insight into what lawyers were drawn to blog about.
The highlight of the year for the legal community was the employment/labor category. With an abundance of news pouring out every day regarding changes in the workplace in response to COVID, the creation of a vaccine, big settlements and suits—and much more—there was a lot to cover regarding employment this year.
On top of the pandemic, a presidential election also brought up many questions, predictions, and comments regarding the labor and employment sector. With President Trump and President-elect Biden having such differing views, there was a lot of information circulating discussing what the industry would look like under each leadership in the coming year.
What everyone was talking about
COVID-19 (26,562 posts)
It was impossible not to talk—or blog—about COVID-19, considering its impacts on each and every sector as well as our daily routines and lives. It impacted the blogging world for sure—causing a huge jump in the amount of posts published each month when lockdown orders began in the United States. March and April saw unprecedented numbers of posts as lawyers quickly began to produce much-needed material and resources for the public.
Remote working, and learning, skyrocketed, posing a number of difficult questions for employers and employees. These posts from back—by Bailey Cavalieri and Bradley Arant Boult Cummings respectively—in March were some of the first to advise employers on what to do regarding the pandemic. Ohio Employment Law Matters provided nine considerations for employers to consider and Labor & Employment Insights advised businesses on keeping their workers away from the in-person office.
As we near 2021, we at least have the early beginnings of COVID vaccines to instill a sense of optimism. This timely topic is relevant to everyone, and we compiled LexBlog Member updates and legal comments regarding the vaccine into a tag.
The Election (7,141 posts)
This year saw one of the most polarizing, talked-about elections. The 2020 presidential election was record-breaking as over 150 million people cast their vote, 66% of the eligible voting population. There was a lot to talk about, from candidate platforms to alleged voter fraud to future impacts on specific sectors. We made all of our Member’s posts on the matter available in one location, while also providing updates on the legality behind the election and discussing what was at stake.
CARES Act (1,970 posts)
Extreme economic fallout came after business closures and many lost their jobs due to the pandemic. In response, the CARES Act was passed onMarch 25 to alleviate some of the financial issues burdening individuals and businesses. Legal bloggers were quick to summarize the main components of the bill and discuss its effects on different industries.
Perkins Coie offered an overview of the bill before its passing on their COVID blog while Steve Miller gave a detailed look into the the bill’s components—discussing new and enhanced loan programs, relaxed regulatory and accounting requirements and more on Bank Law Monitor.
Black Lives Matter (193 posts)
Sparked by the unjust killing of George Floyd in May this year, the Black Lives Matter protests captivated the nation. Members of our community took to blogging to express their unity with the movement. Scott Greenfield’s post, A Second Chance for Black Lives Matter, discussed the death of Tamir Rice and the resurgence of the movement following Floyd’s passing. Jason Dzubow of Dzubow and Pilcher urged everyone to listen to what BLM had to say and the mistreatment of minority groups in his post, Why Immigrants Should Support Black Lives Matters, and How to Do It.
In another vein, BLM became pertinent in the workplace. Laws on freedom of expression in schools were brought up following the firing of one teacher for wearing a BLM face mask—Miheret Hasenu of Law Office of Christopher Q. Davis wrote. Squire Patton Boggs advised employers on how to respond and what more they could do to support, and Corina Valderrama of Akerman provided examples of how companies nationwide were responding and encouraged employers to continue creating a culture of respect and support for Black workers.
West coast wildfires (76 posts)
Fires ravaged California, Oregon, and Washington this summer. This devastated the environment, homes, and businesses. Lathrop GPM offered advice for businesses in the future to protect themselves and submit proper insurance claims. Along the same lines, Chip Merlin of Merlin Law Group discussed the lack of insurance money to go around and posed the very real question: Are the California wildfires the Katrina of the West?
How 2020 changed the blogging world
“Having a ready-made network of blogs positioned us ahead of most of our competitors because we were already equipped with a platform to showcase our attorney’s knowledge and expertise.” —Rachel Guy, Director of Marketing at Winstead
“For me, 2020 was a year where I actually caught my stride again in blogging. 2020 allowed me time to reflect on my blog and the path I want to take it for the next few years.” —Rush Nigut, Attorney at Brick Gentry
“Blogging became as important as ever in 2020 to communicate to clients quickly and effectively about the fast-changing laws and government guidelines around COVID-19. It’s a core part of that communications space.” —Lisa Stam, Lawyer and Founder of SpringLaw
“Digital content has been pivotal in sharing our knowledge & expertise. While 2020 has been a struggle in many different ways, it’s clear that content really is king, providing you keep it concise, accurate and relevant.” —Bob Shone, Senior Digital Marketing Manager at Squire Patton Boggs
“We had never had a lawyer so invested in blogging and his effort showed across 2020. Two other groups of lawyers were inspired to create blogs of their own and we have another one on the horizon for the beginning of 2021.” —Elizabeth Vincent, Website and Digital Marketing Specialist at Steptoe & Johnson
“Every day in March and April brought one huge newsworthy item. Then 10 more. As a result, I went back to my roots and posted nearly every day for a period of time, sometimes twice.” —Dan Schwartz, Partner at Shipman & Goodwin
“So many people were relying on content marketing and social media to remain connected to each other. In a very isolating time, blogging was my creative outlet and connection to the outside world more than ever.” — Stefanie Marrone, Social Media and Business Development Strategist and Trainer
2020 for LexBlog
This year was a big one for LexBlog. Besides launching 399 blogs, the team added new products, new leadership, and new streams of media.
This Week in Legal Blogging
One of the most exciting things to come out of 2020 for LexBlog was the introduction of This Week in Legal Blogging. Starting in the beginning of July, we’ve run 26 episodes of the show. Bob Ambrogi joins us each week with a different successful legal blogger to hear their insights and advice on writing. We expanded the show to run as a podcast on Apple, Spotify, and Google.
Portals
We introduced and implemented Portals this year as well, launching 15 of them already. A number of State Bars and large firms and organizations have taken us up on this unique product already, such as Wisconsin and California. We aggregate an assortment of blogs in one easy-to-access location—usually by topics or geographic locations.
Leadership
In a move we’re thrilled about, LexBlog added Greg Storey as Chief Operating Officer in November.Greg brings a wealth of industry experience and wisdom to his work gained through years of work with agencies, medium sized companies, and Fortune 100 enterprises. It’s given him a unique and valuable perspective on what makes design successful in a variety conditions. He’s a willing collaborator ready to partner across teams. Despite his impressive experience, Greg is humble and remains connected to the practice of design. And naturally, he’s an avid blogger, too.
You’ll feel his presence in 2021—and there’s a good chance you’ll hear from him, too.