It’s Friday and that means we’ve got a fresh batch of our favorite blog posts from the past week all hand-picked by members of our publishing team. COVID-19 remains top of mind for many legal bloggers as they continue to deal with everything from changing travel restrictions, new local orders and unvaccinated employees. We also have posts about workers compensation, advice on creating an alumni relations program and even references to a recent Marvel television show.

Alec’s picks

Illinois Work Comp – Don’t Do The Right Thing

It’s not often someone tells you “Don’t do the right thing,” but Mike Helfand certainly makes the case for it. Helfand tells us the story of an employee who was injured on the job and tried to do right by his company, only to be left in a precarious legal situation. Helfand knows his audience well and tells it like it is. He provides great advice to clients and potential clients in plain terms and demonstrates exactly why he’s a lawyer you should want to work with. Read the full story at Illinois Workers Compensation Law Blog.

CHRO vs. CHRO: How Much is “Garden Variety” Emotional Distress Really Worth

Veteran law blogger Daniel Schwartz is unafraid to mix some fun elements into his posts—and as a fan of Marvel comics, the Loki references throughout this one had me chuckling. This post is a great example of a lawyer providing solid legal analysis, but ensuring it isn’t too dry by inserting their own voice and personality into their writing. Lawyers and non-lawyers alike can appreciate a well-crafted post like this. Available at Connecticut Employment Law Blog.

Money Money Money:  How Much can the Health Plan Surcharge on Unvaccinated Employees Be?

Some employers may soon impose premium surcharges on non-vaccinated employees with company health plans. Natalie Nathanson follows up on Jackson Lewis’s prior coverage of this issue with insights on exactly how much that surcharge can be. Nathanson gives quite an in-depth analysis on how the Affordable Care Act intersects with this issue and gives employers concrete direction on how to proceed. She does this all while linking to other firm publications, using numbered lists and bolded subheadings—all features which make for a great blog post. Give it a read at Benefits Law Advisor.


Michelle’s picks

LA County Issues New Health Order Affecting Bars, Breweries, Wineries, Distilleries, Restaurants, and Outdoor Mega Events

With all the new COVID guidance rolling out—and it varying greatly by state and even counties—it can be hard to keep up and know what applies to you and what doesn’t. Well, if you’re in LA, Jill Ripke and Lara Grines have got you covered. They offer a great post that’s not only chalk-full of information regarding the latest public health order for the county, but one that’s extremely well-organized and easy to scan. You can quickly pinpont the information you need thanks to their reader-friendly formatting. Available at Perkins Coie’s Coronavirus (COVID-19): Guidance for Businesses.

Why Your Law Firm Needs an Alumni Relations Program and How to Create One

If your firm doesn’t have an alumni relations program, it’s worth considering. And who better to pitch the idea than Stefanie Marrone, who has run alumni programs at several firms. She utilizes her personal experience when writing this post, which lends it credibility and makes it all the more persuasive. Marrone goes on to explain how to create and run a program as well. Her blog post does it all, offering great advice for readers and also providing an action plan on how to get things started. Check it out at The Social Media Butterfly.

The end of NIEs is Nigh – Biden’s Covid Team Announces Travel Restrictions to be Lifted in November

I try not to select more than one COVID-related post in the same week, but I had to highlight this piece authored by Hunton Andrews Kurth’s Shaena Rowland. She does an excellent job providing some in-depth coverage on the recent announcement concerning direct entry into the U.S. by fully vaccinated international travelers. Even though she prefaces her FAQ portion by mentioning there are few details available at the moment, she answers 14 questions likely to arise to the best of her ability. More on these eased restrictions at Business Immigration Insights.

Photo of Michelle Newblom Michelle Newblom

Michelle works on LexBlog’s Publishing team and assists in managing and creating the company’s editorial and social content, as well as working with clients to ensure the overall success of their blogs. She has experience working in all different realms of publishing—including newspapers,

Michelle works on LexBlog’s Publishing team and assists in managing and creating the company’s editorial and social content, as well as working with clients to ensure the overall success of their blogs. She has experience working in all different realms of publishing—including newspapers, magazines and research journals. Michelle has published a poetry book and been featured in an anthology.

Photo of Alec Downing Alec Downing

Alec is an intern on LexBlog’s publishing team where he creates content for the company’s various digital platforms. A former radio news anchor, Alec brings both a background in journalism and a passion for law. His writing has been published in The Seattle…

Alec is an intern on LexBlog’s publishing team where he creates content for the company’s various digital platforms. A former radio news anchor, Alec brings both a background in journalism and a passion for law. His writing has been published in The Seattle Times and Crosscut.