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Original Post:
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| A sleeping giant stirs |
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| ABA Journal |
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| Mon, July 23, 2007 |
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Law.com, watch your back. The ABA Journal today launched a new Web site that kicks Law.com's butt.
It goes against my upbringing to say something positive about the ABA Journal. Its mission traditionally was to be as inoffensive and inclusive as possible, attempting to appeal to all lawyers, or big swaths of them, with service journalism aimed at their supposed common interests. Fundamentally, though, power brokers and dealmakers from New York, LA, Chicago and Washington have precious little interest in the stuff that small firms and solos do. And vice versa. The ABA was also known to meddle in the magazine's editorial operations, turning it into more a PR vehicle than a true member service. The magazine now and then published important features, but those were so rare, and mostly so long ago, I stopped reading the thing years ago and only checked in now and then for a quick scan to make sure it hadn't awoken. And it hadn't. Its Web site was just as awful.
I can't say for sure all that's changing under new editor and publisher Ed Adams (though at least the covers of the magazine have benefited from livelier art direction). But this new Web site sure breaks with the past. Most useful are:
- News summaries and links covering all major media, unlike Law.com's proprietary model which sprinkles in a bit of AP copy among the ALM publications' content.
- A blog directory, which describes the blogs, and doesn't just name them. Here, too, Law.com's proprietary model pales by comparison (though at least its blog network includes the essential How Appealing).
Everything breaks down by topic. And the archives are deeper than before, and promised to be deeper still. It's not revolutionary, or anything. Just useful and comprehensive, with solid content and technology.
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Posted at 01:17 PM
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There is 1 comment to this post:
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| Susan Cartier Liebel commented: |
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| I'm all about solos and small firms..... |
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....and I have never been a fan of, much less a member of, the ABA. But what a nice surprise to see this site 25 years after graduating from Newhouse! I think you are spot on when you say the blawg directory will be a powerful tool and draw for all the disenfranchised solos and small firms which collectively is the true sleeping giant and, boy is it stirring, too. If the ABA was smart, oops, they would really start focusing in on this huge body of attorneys and their needs. While I write for ALM properties, I agree if the ABA website delivers it will offer stiff competition but that's OK. A little competition never hurt anyone.
Susan Cartier Liebel, Esq. (Class of '82, Newhouse)
"You were born an original; don't die a copy." John Mason
Build A Solo Practice, LLC
Newly Minted or Well Seasoned,
Teaching You How to Create and Grow Your Legal Practice
http://www.susancartierliebel.typepad.com
http://www.buildasolopractice.com
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Posted Mon, July 23, 2007 at 04:57 PM
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