We had a bunch of original, unique posts come out of our community this week and we want to applaud and recognize those efforts. Bloggers took the time to reflect on circumstances going on in their own lives and formulate posts, connect cases years apart and apply national trends to their respective industries.
Write to the medium
Don’t forget: The Senate can’t pass a reconciliation bill until the House passes a budget resolution
Starting a post with a quote can be a great way to grab readers’ attention and contextualize your post. Robert Mangas does just that in this piece by opening with a quote from U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Robert then goes on to talk about the budget resolution and the reconciliation process. What he does so well, though, is underline and bold essential pieces of information. He also uses bullets and separates the post into sections, making it very easy to follow. Available at Greenberg Traurig’s Hot Off The Hill.
Top 7 most common questions about IRS audits
We’ll probably never stop touting questions as good blog post ideas. But, you can’t just leave it there—you still have to find a way to present the questions in an organized manner. John Milikowsky presents seven frequently asked questions about IRS audits and formats each question in the form of a header. It’s easy to look through the article and find what questions and answers you’re looking for, which should be the goal of any post of this nature. Available at Milikowsky Tax Law Blog.
How monthly cleanup of books can uplift your business
Some ideas warrant longer blog posts—but the trouble you can run into there is maintaining your readers’ attention. Puneet Sharma of Cogneesol shows you how not to run into that issue. He implements headers and sub-headers to organize the post and inserts images—and even a gif—to break up some of the text. This post is chock-full of good information and thanks to its presentation, it’s easy to find said information. Available at Cogneesol Blog.
2021 Tech GC report will reveal legal’s biggest challenges – launching soon
Reports and surveys are interesting—but sometimes their length and organization make them hard to comprehend. Luckily, Richard Mabey has recognized this issue and authors a blog post breaking down Juro’s annual Tech GC report which will launch August 17th. Not only is this a sneak peak, it highlights some interesting and optimistic trends about the legal industry. Richard includes descriptive headers and bullets, making it easy to scan. Available at Juro’s blog.
Be proactive
New industry standard for advertising food and beverage products to children
Whenever an important piece of legislation drops—or in this case, a new Canadian advertising code for children—it’s always a good idea to craft a blog post around the main points. Dara Jospé and Nicolas Charest craft their post around the principle and restrictions, when these standards apply and the enforcement. They also make use of bullets and headers to top off this informative, scannable post. Available at Fasken Martineau DuMoulin’s Competition Chronicle.
The hot coffee case revisited: Has proximate cause changed in the 25 years since Liebeck v. McDonald’s restaurants?
This title immediately caught my attention as I remember learning and hearing about the McDonald’s coffee case years ago. Emilie McGuire and Jeffrey Skinner rewind back to that case from 25 years ago and compare it to a similar case with Starbucks in 2016. They explain how proximate cause is the key difference between the two and break it down in a very understandable fashion. Available at Schiff Hardin’s Product Liability & Mass Torts Blog.
Estate planning with cryptocurrency
Katya Sverdlov consistently does a good job taking national topics and trends and applying them to her practice area: estate planning. Here, she first takes the time to explain what exactly cryptocurrency is—since this might be something her audience isn’t versed in—then recommends how you could include cryptocurrency in your estate planning documents. She also discloses what some tax implications may be. Available at Leaving a Loving Legacy.
Think strategically
Love me, love my dog? Maybe not at work…
Don’t be afraid to mix a little bit of your personal life into your blog posts—in fact, it can be better for your audience (and potential clients) to get to know you through your writing. Fiona Ong of Shawe Rosenthal starts her post with a little anecdote about her own dog before diving into a case between an employee and his employer regarding his dog. Fiona does a great job explaining the case, she walks the readers through it in the same way you’d imagine she’d tell a friend over lunch. Very easy to understand and engaging. Available at Labor & Employment Report.
20 ways Illinois workers compensation has changed
Blog post ideas can originate from anywhere. Let’s take a look at Mike Helfand‘s for example. He’s coming up on his 25th anniversary of being an Illinois attorney and took that milestone to reflect on 20 ways workers compensation in Illinois has changed since 1997. It’s an original idea and one that is rather unique to him since all the points come from his personal experience/knowledge. Available at Illinois Workers Compensation Law Blog.
“Business relationships” with kids: A divorce lawyer’s perspective on how clients can teach their kids life lessons through divorce
We really appreciate all of the original ideas coming out of the LexBlog community this week. Marissa Pullano‘s is another great example to look at. She was reading an advice column that referred to someone’s marriage as a “business relationship” and it inspired her to write this piece on lessons she’s observed from her clients who effectively co-parent after divorce and what it teaches their children in the process. Available at Jaspan Schlesinger’s New York Divorce & Family Law Blog.