Blawg Review #270

Welcome to Blawg Review #270! This is my fifth time hosting, so in a moment of nostalgia, I've decided to revisit all of the blogs I've featured in previous editions to see "where are they now". Take a look at who is still blogging after all these years, and then enjoy a look at some new faces (well, not new to the blog world, but new to my Blawg Review menagerie!)

In honor of my trip down memory lane, I've designed the page to take you back the mighty nineties and the Tripod/GeoCities look we all really miss. If that's too much for actually reading this Blawg Review, you can change the theme with the buttons to the right. Enjoy!

-Dave!

Blawg Review #23

My first hosting gig was Blawg Review #23. I used some dynamic HTML to sort the entries in a table format. Of the thirty-four blogs featured, seventeen of them appear to still be going in one form or another.

Most missed from that issue, is of course f/k/a which alas, is no longer around. Some others, such as Dennis Kennedy, is still around podcasting the Kennedy-Mighell Report on the Legal Talk Network. And then there's the folks at Between Lawyers, including Dennis and others, who frequently show up on This Week in Law, hosted by Bag and Baggage blogger, Denise Howell.

Several of the blogs featured in #23 are still going gangbusters: The Volokh Conspiracy, ProfessorBainbridge.com, SCOTUS Blog, beSpacific, and PrawfsBlawg are still posting prolifically and are all widely read. In fact, one of the posts on PrawfsBlawg this week features Patent Movies which touts a documentary about a subject near to my heart: software patents.

Some other academics I featured all those years ago included Tung Yin, of The Yin Blog who was then posting from Iowa, but now comes to us from Portland, Oregon. Another favorite was The Conglomerate, a multi-author academic blog, which was pretty Wisconsin heavy at the time if I recall, but now features a half-dozen bloggers from around the country.

Colin Samuels is still going strong at Infamy or Praise, and if you aren't reading his "A Round Tuit" series, you are totally missing out.

You are also totally missing out if you aren't reading Ken Lammers over at CrimLaw. Once a criminal defense attorney, now a prosecutor, always funny, Lammers is still posting about criminal law and the generally humorous from Virginia on a regular basis.

Finally, there's Evan Schaeffer, of ~~Notes from the Legal Underground~~, ~~Legal Underground~~, Beyond the Underground. Evan's blog was one of the first legal blogs I read regularly, and although he's not blogging as much about law there, it's still entertaining and worth reading. In addition, he and Thanks, But No Thanks alternate hosting the Weekly Law School Roundup" which is a great way to stay on top of what law students today are blogging about.

Blawg Review #70

I have no idea why, but Ed. let me host again with Blawg Review #70 which was my "back to school" special.

Some of the old standards came back, like those Volokh Folk, specifically, Orin Kerr who was blogging on his own then, sort of, I guess. And Adam Smith, Esq. made a second appearance, after also having been featured in Blawg Review #23.

On the academic front, I featured Concurring Opinions and Workplace Prof's Blog, both of which are still at it, and worth a visit. I especially like Concurring Opinions guests, and it might not be a blog, but pick up Daniel Solove's Understanding Privacy which is well worth a read.

The Greatest American Lawyer is still going strong, including this disturbing dispatch about grade inflation as "career services" in the current economic climate.

Also disturbing, but in a good way, is Charon QC who is as irreverent as ever, and ever as clever.

Much of the issue was IP focused, since that is my primary practice area. In that vein, Stephen Nipper is still blogging (and also tweeting) over at The Invent Blog, where he discusses patent law issues, and is offering helpful tips to the USPTO on how to spruce up their website. Kappos and Owens should read his blog.

IP Kat still keeps me abreast of the IP haps on the other side of the pond, including their take on the Viacom v. YouTube summary judgment that recently hit the streets.

And finally, there's Ron Coleman at Likelihood of Confusion, who always has a pithy take on trademark issues, such as this--his own "retro" post about MasterCard. A retro post featured in a Blawg Review retro issue. It had to be done.

Blawg Review #122

Surely, this was to be my last. Blawg Review #122 offered up a "course catalog" of blogs, with something for everyone.

Volokh. The Conglomerate. PrawfsBlawg. Concurring Opinions. Did I say something for everyone? Well, certainly something for academics!

There were more repeats in this issue than Phil Jackson has championship rings.

However, there were a couple of new faces which are worth mentioning.

First up is Eric Goldman of the Technology and Marketing Law Blog. Yes, he's an academic. But his blog, featuring his own and guest posts, is a great resource for tech law junkies like me. Check out the latest guest post by Venkat: The FTC Dings Twitter's Security Practices -- What Does This Mean for Everyone Else?

Next up is Carolyn Elefant of My Shingle. Over the years, Carolyn has not only been a prolific blogger, she's also been a champion of solo practitioners. Now that I'm out of school and a solo practitioner myself, I get even more out of her continued posting than ever before. Check out her latest post, Should Lawyers Post Video Testimonials From Clients?. And if you happen to be a solo practitioner as well, check out her book, "Solo by Choice," too.

Blawg Review #182

Well, Ed. let me do it again, with Blawg Review #182. I was just fresh out of taking the Bar, so my issue was a BarBri "tribute" if you will. And yes, there were some repeats. Volokh again. The Conglomerate again. PrawfsBlawg again. And not even a measly kick-back from them? I give, and I give, and I give.

No longer a student, I still couldn't stay away from the academic blogs entirely, featuring Madisonian and Balkinization, both of which are still active. This week, Madisonian features an interesting take on the YouTube case, and Balkinization has some thoughts on Doe v. Reed.

With this issue, I also included some of my other personal interests, which are still going strong, including startup law, broadcast law, and china law.

Over at Startup Lawyer, Ryan Roberts offers many educational posts that aren't necessarily geared towards other attorneys, but rather his client base. I think what makes them a great resource is they are questions entrepreneurs often ask, and taking the time to explain these concepts is a great service. Recently, Ryan discusses Convertable Note Discount Price Caps.

Broadcast Law Blog offers posts regarding various broadcasting and media law topics, which often have an impact on intellectual property and other legal disciplines, such as this post regarding Broadcast Performance Royalty.

If Chinese law and business are of any interest to you, you should be reading the China Law Blog. I wanted to feature one of their posts in this Blawg Review but then realized they are all so interesting to me, I can't pick just one! I read them all, and you should, too.

I also don't know how to pick a single post from Sweet Hot Justice. I mean, who doesn't want sweet, hot, justice?

Someone who undoubtedly wants justice is Scott Greenfield, of Simple Justice. Check out Shield for Rent. I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Greenfield at a blogger meetup in Chicago last month, and can only say this: bring back the 'stach!

And finally, I featured a post by Cathy Gellis of Statements of Interest. SOI seems to be on a bit of a hiatus, although she's an avid Twitterer. Er, Tweeter? Anyway, she's on Twitter a lot. She also hosted Blawg Review #258 on the anniversary of the Statute of Anne which if you missed it, was excellent. So check it out.

Blawg Review: In the Now

So, a nice trip down memory lane, where many of the oldies (fortunately!) still are goodies! But we can't dwell in the past forever, we have to move to the future. So what does the future have in store? Who knows. But rest assured: the revolution will be blogged.

There are some talented student bloggers out there, like Dennis Jansen who offers up some Advice for 0Ls. And there is always the Weekly Law School Roundup to see what future attorneys are writing now.

There are also some funny, Namby Pamby, Attorney-at-Law types out there to keep us amused.

And there are a slew of prescient and thought provoking bloggers out there, offering up news of the law, their thoughts on the law, or both:

Norm Pattis shares some thoughts on Sex Offenders, Lawyers and the Burden of a Voice. If you don't read his blog, you should, start now. With his blog, Pattis is one who makes you remember that the law can be quite a vocation.

At Crime & FederalismMike Cernovich asks, Is the United States a Police State?

Omar Ha-Redeye at slaw.ca discusses the G20 and Toronto in his post When Cities Are Laid to Waste.

And lightening up a bit, Jordan Furlong of Law21.ca offers up some Blogging for Law Firms tips over at the Law Firm Web Strategy blog.

And lest you think that I'm trying to subliminally tell you the future is Canada, relax. When have you ever heard anyone say, "Honey, lets stay in and order Canadian food"?

Rest assured, no matter where you hail from, Canada, the US, the UK, or anywhere in the far corners of the net, the "Blawg-o-sphere" is alive and well, still growing up, but never growing old. In fact, the future's so bright, I gotta wear shades!