Law blogging would not be where it is today without David Lat. Now running Original Jurisdiction on Substack, Lat joined Bob Ambrogi on This Week in Legal Blogging and expounds on his experience with the new platform as well as the long arc of his blogging career—from Underneath Their Robes to Above The Law to his interesting setup now.
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Episode Recap
First things first, it’s great to hear David is doing well after his serious battle with COVID-19 last year. As he explains, the experience led to him reevaluating his priorities in life and also reminded him of how much he loves writing. He shares with Bob what it’s been like to publish on Substack, including why it’s appealing to him but may not be for everyone. He also shares advice that he’s picked up during a very long and influential law blogging career.
Episode Outline
- 2:30 – David on his recovery from COVID
- 3:15 – A big change in David’s career and his full-time commitment to blogging
- 5:50 – David’s extensive law blogging career and what led him to Substack—which David views as another blog
- 8:30 – How a subscription-based model influences David’s writing, and gives the feel of more old-school blogging
- 12:30 – The marketing side of Substack and why it makes sense to pay for content
- 18:40 – The virality of blog posts and how that’s different (or the same) on Substack
- 22:55 – How David started at Above the Law and how that evolved
- 26:10 – What lessons David has picked up over the years, when it comes to blogging
- 31:30 – Why timing is so key in success with blogging