We at LexBlog have a soft spot for the single-author blogs out there. That’s really blogging in its purest form, a writer using their authentic voice and developing a relationship with their audience over time. When readers subscribe, they’re not only subscribing to an outlet, but the thoughts and insight of an individual person.
Today’s Why I Publish interview is with one of the best single-author bloggers on the LexBlog Network, Mark Ashton of the Pennsylvania Divorce and Domestic Relations Blog.
Why did you become a lawyer?
I love researching things. I enjoy writing and I am argumentative. My undergrad work was directed toward the foreign service. When I passed the State Department’s exam but was told after interviewing that I needed “more seasoning” I decided law school seemed like a wise next step as a career path
Why did you begin to publish?
In 2008 when a lawyer who started a family law blog at my former firm moved to another firm leaving the blog unattended. I did not think much of the enterprise but felt a responsibility to keep the blog going. Then I realized, I enjoyed writing to express my perspectives rather than be confined to advancing a client’s “cause” of the day.
What’s been most rewarding in legal publishing?
It is published elsewhere and its draws intellectual “traffic.” The blog I wrote for my firm won awards as best in its category a couple of times.
What’s been the greatest challenge in publishing?
Moving from a firm sponsored platform to my own site.
What would you tell a law student or a lawyer out there on the fence about whether to join you as a publisher?
Both people looking for legal services and those who hope to influence others have shifted in how they shop for those services. Before the internet you asked friends and family for recommendations or made random appointments to meet with people who might impress you enough to retain them. We have also seen a gentle shift in demand for legal services from “warriors” toward lawyers whose focus is on “resolution.” A blog allows the consumer to develop a sense of how the blogger approaches legal issues. They want lawyers who are user friendly, informed and who grasp that there are times to fight and times to settle. A blog allows lawyers to demonstrate those skills to a large audience at relatively little cost compared to any other media buy. An advertisement says little more than you are “there.” A blog gives the consumer a test drive of your legal skills and approach at no cost to them.