By Steve Boyer and Scott Whiteaker

The growing consumer appetite for online information and interaction has taken blogs from the realm of cyber-geeks to a mainstream Internet phenomenon in just a few short years. And, increasingly, some of those blogs are created by lawyers.

In 2005, the Pew Internet & American Life Project found 8 million blogs online, up from only 100,000 in 2003. Blogs, short for “web logs,” are online journals that allow others to view and comment on what is written by the authors, effectively establishing a potential dialogue. In addition to lawyers, bloggers now range from grade-school students to politicians and CEOs. Their influence has stretched from CBS News to Dell computers.

Blogs would seem to be a natural fit for the legal community. Lawyers are trained to research, write, check facts and present information in a logical format. Some law firms and attorneys already use blogs for marketing by highlighting a firm and/or attorney’s legal expertise to establish greater visibility in a practice area. Others use blogs for collaboration with attorneys who have similar cases. In a few instances, blogs have also been used as part of litigation communications strategies in high-profile cases.

Blogs are not without their drawbacks. As public forums, blogs can be monitored by competing firms or clients. Additionally, under the Rules of Professional Conduct, lawyers are bound not to publicly comment on certain information and are restricted in how they promote their practices, requiring lawyer/bloggers to meet ethical standards just as they would in any form of communication.

Blogging with a Goal
Pitfalls aside, lawyers and firms are beginning to explore blogging’s benefits. Some run blogs about a specific practice area, from corporate and anti-trust to divorce. Local firms and attorneys are joining the trend.

Marler Clark, a Seattle personal injury firm that has litigated cases involving food-borne illnesses, runs blogs on related topics including e.coli, hepatitis and salmonella. Davis Wright Tremaine operates its Telecom Law Blog about developments in the telecommunications industry. Kevin Coluccio, of the Seattle personal injury firm Stritmatter Kessler Whelan Whithey Coluccio, writes the Asbestos Law Blog, covering everything from national asbestos and mesothelioma-related litigation to charity events benefiting lung disease. These and other blogs augment their firm and attorney Web sites as electronic marketing tools.

Blogging Tips
A law firm can make its blogs more effective, and mitigate ethical risks, by developing a blogging policy. Rockey Hill & Knowlton’s parent company, Hill & Knowlton, one of the world’s largest public relations firms, has received industry recognition for its blogs and leadership in developing policies and guidelines for staff members who write blogs. H&K’s guidelines include:

• Bloggers should write about topics in which they are knowledgeable and passionate. Always check facts, of course. It’s embarrassing to have an outside expert arrive on the blog and publicly comment and correct a mistake.
• Interesting bloggers often write about more than their professions. They offer glimpses of who they are by writing about family, personal interests or favorite books. Even work-related information such as why they became a lawyer helps build personal ties with readers.
• Provide links to Web pages and blogs that may be interesting or helpful to readers. This not only helps readers, but generates more traffic to the blog.
• Utilize attractive, easily accessible design and good technical quality. It matters to readers and reflects the firm’s brand and the lawyer’s work. Write clearly and concisely for a public audience. Edit and spell-check posts. Ask others for feedback.

Avoiding Pitfalls
Remember that negative sides to blogs exist. A few simple things can help keep blogging lawyers out of trouble.

• Remember that blogs are public forums. Anything written on a blog can be seen by clients, competing firms and the media.
• Depending on what topic the blog covers, be prepared for opposing groups to post comments defending their positions. Recent news reports show that some corporations have given information to sympathetic bloggers to attack opponents and promote their own positions. On any topic, other lawyers with opposing views may argue their points on your blog.
• Recognize that interesting blogs take time. Readers are more likely to go to a blog when there’s a frequent flow of new information. A few hours a week must be devoted to writing and responding to posts. Adding up a few hours a week for a month could mean thousands of dollars lost in billing revenue for an attorney.
• Law firms’ blog policies must safeguard proprietary information. While encouraging staff members to blog, Hill & Knowlton’s policy also states that if the company views a posting as inappropriate or confidential, it reserves the right to take action. Topics such as future business plans or revenue are strictly prohibited from discussion.

Since debuting on the Internet landscape less than five years ago, there is no doubt that blogs have changed the way people communicate online. Yet, the full effects of blogs on business operations are still evolving. Blogs will likely not replace Web sites, e-mail or conference calls, but they are already expanding the way many businesses, including law firms, market their services and communicate with clients.