THE LEGAL PROFESSION FINDS ONE VOICE
A New Web Site Calls In Facts And Ideas From All Sources
The phenomena of the blawg – blogs addressing one or another aspects of the legal profession – is now, it seems, an integral part of the legal profession. The catalog of blawgs, which range in value from superb to merely self-centered, is vast. Those blawgs that are really outstanding as communication devices and invaluable as sources of comment or information, each tend to address one or another aspects of legal information or opinion. And despite the wonderful aspect of any blog that allows comments from readers, and discourse, most blawgs seem to address facets, but rarely the entirety, of legal profession concerns.
But sometimes a simple idea, well executed, becomes a diamond among pearls. Such a new idea is manifest in a remarkable new web site called JDSupra, and its blawg, JD Scoop!.
The brainchild of Aviva Cuyler, an attorney with a background of business practice, JDSupra is a wide open site that encourages lawyers to report distinctive experience in ways that are useful to other lawyers, valuable to clients, and helpful to for marketing legal services without being frankly promotional or exploitive. It’s as if it were a club whose members each eagerly shares information and experiences that are valuable to other members and, in fact, the entire profession. JD Scoop! is rich in legal content, including legal commentary, filings, interviews, news and links, and other information valuable to both lawyers and clients, which enhances the marketing aspects of the site.
New as it is, JDSupra has a great many members and contributors, a substantial number of whom have the status and experience to bring gravitas to the exercise. JDScoop, JDSupra’s blog, is an increasingly valuable source of rulings, useful documents, and legal comment. Lawyers can post newsworthy court filings an decisions, as an aid to both lawyers and the media. On JD Scoop, contributors and their postings are highlighted.
To be listed, an attorney must contribute a brief, motion, article, or legal document. These are indexed by area of law, jurisdiction, type of document, subject area and contributor. Included in each listing is personal and professional information about the contributor. For prospective clients, a contributing lawyer’s work can be viewed before the lawyer is retained, which can be distinctively helpful in overcoming the problem of clients who don’t know how to choose or retain the right lawyer for the client’s problem.
New as it is, JDSupra has already attracted a large and ever expanding body of contributed material. For legal research, legal savvy, and even marketing, JDSupra and JDScoop is a major contribution to the legal profession.
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