Welcome back to another Top 10 in Law Blogs—a compilation of some of the best legal news and commentary coming out of the LexBlog community this week. Not only are you sure to come away with some new information, but you’ll see some of the best blogging in action. We’ve got it all—pieces on tax audits, a COVID-related ruling out of Pennsylvania, the right for employees to disconnect and more.
Write to the medium
The basics of the IRS and tax audits
Taxes and the IRS are one of those topics that can easily confuse the general public (me included). However, Larry Jones takes a great approach in his blog post here. He explains the organization of the IRS and the different types of audits in a rather understandable way. The post is also formatted to be easily scannable. Check out his piece and you’re sure to learn a thing or two. Available at Gray Reed’s Texas Tax Talk.
Patenting software-based medical devices (part 1)
I want to highlight Ryan Phelan‘s post for a couple of reasons. He starts out by offering a great summary—something he includes on all posts—which works nicely here as his piece is on the longer side. He also breaks up the piece with everything we preach here at LexBlog: images, lists, headers and sections. Overall, it makes for an informative, well-written and well-presented piece that definitely keeps the medium of blogging in mind. Available at PatentNext.
China passes the Personal Information Protection law
With China’s Personal Information Protection Law having passed, but the full text not available to the public yet, this post by Anna Gamvros and Lianying Wang is especially helpful. They offer some guidance to companies—who have just over two months to prepare for the changes—by reporting what some of the new finalized rules will likely be. Separated into bullets, easy to follow and written in a conversational manner, it’s a great post from the duo at Norton Rose Fulbright. Available at Data Protection Report.
Warning—calling someone a manager or sous chef does not automatically make them exempt from overtime under the FLSA
A lot of posts on lawsuits are hard to follow and include too much “legal” language that can get, well, confusing. That’s why I wanted to spotlight this piece from Fox Rothschild’s Mark Tabakman—he reports on a very interesting case and makes it easy to follow along, even capping the piece off with a “takeaway section.” He clearly has his audience in mind when writing, something all bloggers should emulate. Available at Wage & Hour – Developments & Highlights.
Be proactive
The right to “disconnect” for employees
Ana Cid, Laurence Harvey Wood and Gabriella Long tackle this post together on disconnecting from work in lieu of the uptick in remote working. They take a look at what eight countries are currently doing to combat this issue and then explore what some potential issues could be. It’s a great, proactive post and one that is sure to spark some conversations or at least get people thinking. Available at Seyfarth’s Employment Law Lookout.
Pegasus, the “Evil Twin” and why you probably need a security consultant
It’s a breathe of fresh air when a blogger inserts an anecdote or some of their personal life into a blog post. It definitely doesn’t hurt in building your transparency and credibility. A blogger for Harris Bricken discusses personal experiences he’d had traveling to China, things he’s heard from peers and an article from the Wall Street Journal. It’s an interesting post that derives from personal experience accompanied by other insights. Available at China Law Blog.
In Pennsylvania, facial expressions matter
In this new reality that the pandemic has created for us, people are continuously encountering brand new scenarios. One such is highlighted by Michael Roche, Jr. and Marla Presley, who discuss a Pennsylvania case regarding whether a deponent could be compelled to remove a face mask during his deposition after the deponent refused. Not something likely to have been decided on pre-COVID, and the two write a great post on the matter. Available at Litigators at Work.
Think strategically
Six easy ways to build your brand and network after every webinar or conference you attend
There’s a lot to be learned at webinars and conferences—but, as Stefanie Marrone points out—there’s a lot to be done after them as well. Express your gratitude, share what you learned at the event with your peers, follow up with new contacts, write a blog post about the event, there’s so much that can be done afterward. Another great post from Stefanie on networking and building/creating relationships. Available at The Social Media Butterfly.
What we’re reading this week [August 20, 2021]
We’ve included the Mayer Brown group in our Resource Center article on “Week in Review” pieces, so it’s about time we include them in our Top 10 as well. Danielle Corn, Sean Scott and Aaron Gavant share what they’re reading with their audience. People follow you for a reason and chances are they’re interested in the same stuff you are, so posts of this nature are a great idea. Available at Real Bankruptcy Intel.
Market-influencing litigation trends 2021 – experts’ opinions
Don’t be afraid to include other thought-leaders’ voices on your blog. One of the crucial components of blogging is listening after all. Avneet Kaur lists what six experts are saying on market-changing trends in litigation for the year 2021. This is a great way to compile a bunch of trustworthy perspectives for her audience. She ends the piece with a conclusion section and inserts her own commentary on the matter. Available at Cogneesol’s Blog.