Most lawyers practice in small firms, which may be why most lawyers who write blogs are in solo or small-firm practices. Marketing consultants to the legal industry have been pushing blogging for several years, and now more attorneys from large firms are getting into the act. I’ve added three blogs written by large-firm lawyers to my directory of Missouri law blogs.
John Cowling, at the St. Louis office of Armstrong Teasdale, calls himself on his personal blog “a lawyer, tech junkie and music fan.” He and Jeffrey McPherson contribute to Missouri Law Blog, covering developments in state and federal case law, legislation and regulation affecting Missouri businesses. Cowling is somewhat less buttoned-down on John Cowling’s Blog, where he writes about music, technology and other things that strike his fancy.
The ten or so lawyers in the real estate practice group of Lewis Rice Fingersh, with the assistance of consultant LexBlog, have initiated Possessio, where they discuss real estate law issues. I wonder if and how much Lewis Rice paid LexBlog to come up with the name “Possessio”; it’s not a word I’ve ever typed into a search box until now. Then it hit me: “possessio” is nine tenths of “possession” and possession is nine tenths of the law. Am I onto something?
Missouri Law Blog and Possessio are only a few months old, and it’s not clear from their articles who these bloggers are targeting, whether it is other lawyers, in-house counsel for their existing and prospective clients, business and real estate owners and managers, or other lawyers.
Finding a distinct voice and achieving resonance with an audience (or multiple audiences) are difficult hurdles for most bloggers. In a corporate setting, blogging lawyers may not have the freedom to develop a point of view and a lively writing style, which is critical to developing loyal readers.
Readers will, in any case, recognize the expertise of these lawyers and the great resources of their firms.
Ozarks Law & Economy 
I’ve always said, “Scratch a lawyer hard enough to break the skin and you’ll find it’s covering a writer or an actor.” Thanks for the blog updates/newsletter!
I think scratching lawyers is a bad idea!
But it’s true that many lawyers are very verbal people. Some of them, me included, like to write. Others don’t: my partner told me that she’d rather take a beating than write something that she doesn’t have to write.
Some aspects of practicing law, particularly acting as an advocate in trials, require some of the same skills required of good actors in leading roles and entertainers in general. This article about lawyers in the performing arts proves your point.
Just no more about scratching until the skin breaks.
I live in a subdivision with a residents association looking for a difference of a association & a H.O.A. are they the same & have to follow same guidelines.
Legal rules about homeowner associations of different types vary from state to state. The documents that create your subdivision and your association need to be reviewed by a real estate lawyer in your community. I don’t give legal advice on this blog.