Erin Ogden (pictured) and Jeffrey Glazer, partners at OgdenGlazer LLC in Madison, published their first blog post the day after opening their law firm in 2016. Since then, they have written almost 60 blog posts in the past 14 months, with posts every Tuesday. Ogden says blogging is part of their business plan.
Author’s Note: Since original publication of this article, the State Bar has added more blogs to this list and will continue to update the list as more active blogs are identified. The list currently contains 49 Wisconsin law blogs.
March 15, 2017 – Wisconsin law bloggers Erin Ogden and Jeffrey Glazer, partners at OgdenGlazer LLC in Madison, opened their law firm doors on Jan. 4, 2016. They published their first blog post the next day, and they’ve been going strong ever since.
They’ve written almost 60 blog posts in the past 14 months, with posts every Tuesday. Ogden said blogging was a part of their business plan, and they are sticking to it.
“We constantly are asked for information, many times the same questions,” said Ogden, whose firm focuses on business, food and beverage, and intellectual property law.
“We know people are looking for that information,” she said. “So if there is demand, why not be the supply? Plus, from prior experience, we knew that it would be a driver to our website and would lead to work.”
Regularly writing blog posts is the best way for lawyers to create a website that will be found by potential clients.
OgdenGlazer’s blog is just one of 33 active solo, small firm, or independent blogs on InsideTrack’s third annual Wisconsin Law Blogs list. The list also includes active blogs from 10 larger law firms. Other law-related blogs are noted, and a list of blogs published by State Bar sections is included, even though most are still relatively new.
To be included in this year’s list, the blog must be published by a Wisconsin attorney or attorneys, with at least 12 posts in 2016, and at least two posts in 2017. If a posting date cannot be discerned, the blog is not included. The blog must also highlight legal news or developments, not simply news about the law firm, its lawyers or cases.
Why Do We Highlight Law Blogs?
Why do we highlight blogs? Because lawyers are sharing valuable information on them, in many practice areas. We also highlight blogging as a marketing tool.
Did We Miss Your Blog?
If we missed your blog, we couldn’t find it. Send Legal Writer Joe Forward an email with a link to your blog.
Lawyers should understand the marketing power that blogging can unleash, according to Larry Bodine, a Wisconsin lawyer and senior legal marketing strategist at LawLytics.
“Regularly writing blog posts is the best way for lawyers to create a website that will be found by potential clients,” said Bodine. “It is the single best way to pursue content marketing, and to assure that an attorney website ranks high in Google.”
“I hear comments from lawyers who are delighted to get new business within 24 hours of writing a blog post,” said Bodine, based in Arizona. “Also, lawyers tell me they get new business from a blog post that was put online months earlier. It shows that blogging is building an online asset that works immediately, and also over time.”
What Good Blog Posts Can Do
Bodine, who has his own blog and contributes law firm marketing-related articles to Wisconsin Lawyer, says a good blog post should answer a question a client would ask.
State Bar Section Blogs are Picking Up Steam
Did you know that a number of State Bar of Wisconsin sections are blogging?
A section membership is required to contribute as a blogger, but most of the blogs are accessible by nonmembers to read.
Where do you find the section blogs? Go to: www.wisbar.org/blog.
The Labor & Employment Law Section was the first section to start blogging in 2015. Since then, six other sections have published blogs. The Labor & Employment, International Practice, and Litigation sections are currently the most active bloggers of the bunch.
7 Active State Bar of Wisconsin Section Blogs
“Potential clients use the web for self-help to understand their problems,” Bodine said. “Blog posts should cover legal news, statistics, and research that provide answers. Avoid self-aggrandizing, public relations-types of posts, and instead add material that will build an informational website like Web MD or a university publications site.”
When done right, Bodine says blogging allows potential clients to know, trust, and like an attorney -- key steps in the formation of a new client relationship.
“New blog posts show that the attorney is current and up-to-date, and reflect prominently in Google, which favors new material. Blog posts are also an opportunity for a lawyer to demonstrate expertise and show what the working relationship will be like.”
Ogden and Glazer saw the benefits of blogging long before starting their own firm. Ogden said her partner, Glazer, wrote Madison Beer Review for quite a few years, and despite not really advertising that he was a lawyer, he got quite a few craft brewery clients and a lot of name recognition in that industry from it. (Indeed, Wisconsin Lawyer asked Glazer to write an article on brewery law, largely because of this recognition.)
“It isn’t a giant leap to realize that if you actually tell people you are a lawyer, they will then know who to call when they want to hire someone to help with topics on which you are writing,” said Ogden, noting the firm gets work as a direct result of the blog.
“But I find the better use is that when I get a question that I have received fifty times before, instead of answering in long form, I can direct them to the blog post that answers that question. I try to put links in each post to more information as well.”
Ogden noted that when clients get answers, they start trusting her knowledge. And she can focus on other projects when her blog answers basic and common questions.
“It leads to a more informed client, which leads to better documents. Plus, when I get asked by clients about their own blog or social media, I know what they are talking about and have legal knowledge and real world experience to share,” she said.
Randy Enochs, who publishes the Wisconsin Employment & Labor Law Blog for Enochs Law Firm in Milwaukee, also values blogging as a marketing tool.
“I often get phone calls from people who read a story on my blog and that drove them to phone me, thinking their situation is similar,” Enochs said. “In tracking various sources of marketing, my blog tends to be among the best sources for obtaining new clients.”
Blogging Helps Lawyers Stay Informed
The marketing aspect of blogging is real, Enochs says. But blogging also allows lawyers to sort through problems they are likely to face in practice – to educate themselves.
“Blogging allows me to stay informed of recent and current case law in the employment and labor law area as well as market myself and my law firm,” Enochs said.
I often get phone calls from people who read a story on my blog and that drove them to phone me.
Enochs started blogging in law school, in the early 2000s, as a guest blogger for the American Constitution Society. When he started his own law practice in 2010, he incorporated blogging as part of his marketing efforts. But it takes discipline.
“I usually spend my lunch break every day scanning various news and labor and employment law sites for new case law and stories, bookmark them, and then simply find a couple hours to devote to reading more and then writing a quick post,” he said.
Enochs likes to write about new cases and opinions, but also covers ground-breaking legislation that is developing. He says the process is a good way to stay informed on the latest news in his practice area, and keep clients and potential clients informed too.
Blogging Can Help Lawyers Distinguish Themselves
A recent report from the Center for the Study of the Legal Profession and Georgetown University Law School, published by Thomson Reuters, notes the “fundamental” and “irreversible” changes that have occurred in the legal market since the Great Recession.
The report notes “a discernable and growing segmentation of the market into highly successful and less successful firms.” A common denominator of successful firms? “Strategic focus and proactive response to the needs and expectations of clients.”
So what is one way to be strategically focused and meet the needs and expectations of clients? Niche blogs that provide answers to specialized questions clients are asking.
I become top of mind and a source of knowledge.
“If you can blog today on a decision that came out this morning involving a really specific technical aspect of the law, you have now portrayed yourself as a current expert,” Mark Silow, managing partner at Fox Rothschild, told Bloomberg Law.
If a lawyer can use a blog to help individuals and businesses through a blog, for free, it makes sense that the lawyer will be the go-to when legal help is needed. Ogden says her firm’s blog is a valuable source of information to build referral networks.
“I become top of mind and a source of knowledge,” she said. “When referral sources are asked, ‘do you know someone who can help me with a trademark?’ and I just wrote a post about picking a strong trademark, who do you think they recommend? Me!”
But Where Do I Start?
Ogden says she writes about things that clients are always asking. If clients are asking about something multiple times, it indicates they can’t find answers elsewhere. She also bounces potential ideas off clients, referral sources, and other groups.
Joe Forward, Saint Louis Univ. School of Law 2010, is a legal writer for the State Bar of Wisconsin, Madison. He can be reached by email or by phone at (608) 250-6161.
“A lot of times, the fun posts are ones that I have to research a little bit,” Ogden said. “I gain knowledge, and my readers gain knowledge. It’s a win-win!” Ogden also says frequency is important to keep content fresh, and she keeps her posts relatively short. That is, people should be able to read the blog post while waiting in line for coffee.
“If it’s a big topic, I’ll see if I can cut it up into multiple posts,” Ogden said. “Sometimes, when I am writing one post, I realize that some background information is needed, so I’ll back up and write that one first. Or, if I get too involved in one post, I back up and ask where a natural breaking point is and stop there. Then next week, I go more in depth.”
Here’s the List!
Now that we’ve mentioned some of the major benefits of law blogging, or “blawging,” we present this year’s list of Wisconsin Law Blogs. We’ve done our best to find these blogs, but if we missed yours, send Legal Writer Joe Forward a link to your blog via email.
You’ll notice changes from the 2015 and 2016 Wisconsin Law Blog lists. Some blogs previously listed are no longer active or available, which may illustrate the challenges of active blogging. Still, the 2017 list includes various newcomers.
33 Active Wisconsin Solo, Small Firm, and Independent Blogs*
Blog
|
Firm Affiliation
|
Practice Area
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Andrew Ladd Law Blog
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The Law Offices of Andrew C. Ladd LLC
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criminal defense
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Appleton Personal Injury Law Blog
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Peterson Berk Cross SC
|
personal injury
|
Appleton WI Bankruptcy Law Blog
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Helbing Law Office LLC
|
bankruptcy
|
Banking Misconduct Blog
|
Brian Mahany, Judge, Lang & Katers and Mahany Law
|
banking misconduct
|
Cannon & Dunphy Blog
|
Cannon & Dunphy SC
|
personal injury
|
Center for Health & Wellness Law Blog
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Barbara Zabawa, Center for Health & Wellness Law LLC
|
health and wellness law
|
Comics Lawyer Blog**
|
Dirk Vanover, Vanover Legal LLC
|
legal issues in the comic book and entertainment industries
|
Due Diligence
|
Brian Mahany, Mahany Law
|
whisteblower and fraud recovery
|
Employment Law Blog
|
Jesse Dill, Walcheski & Luzi LLC
|
employment law
|
Gimbel Reilly Guirin & Brown Blog
|
Gimbel Reilly Guirin & Brown, LLP
|
general
|
Herrling Clark Law Firm Blog
|
Herrling Clark Law Firm Ltd
|
personal injury, family law, estate planning
|
Hudson Legal Blog
|
Mudge Porter Ludeen & Seguin SC
|
personal and workplace injury
|
Hurley, Burish, & Stanton Blog
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Hurley, Burish, & Stanton SC
|
general
|
In House Owl**
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Joel Smith, Generac Power Systems Inc.
|
legal training
|
Karp & Iancu Blog
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David Karp, Karp & Iancu SC
|
family law, personal injury
|
The Legal Geeks**
|
Jessica Mederson, Hansen Reynolds LLC
|
entertainment
|
The Legal Watchdog
|
Michael Cicchini, Cicchini Law Office LLC
|
criminal law
|
Loeb & Herman Blog
|
Gregg Herman, Loeb & Herman SC
|
family law
|
Mallery & Zimmerman Blog
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Mallery & Zimmerman SC
|
employment law
|
Milwaukee Bankruptcy Law Blog
|
Miller & Miller Law LLC
|
bankruptcy & creditor/debtor
|
Milwaukee Criminal Defense Law Blog
|
Kohn Smith Roth
|
criminal defense
|
Milwaukee Criminal Lawyers Blog
|
Reddin & Singer, LLP
|
criminal law
|
Milwaukee Employment Law Blog
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Alan C. Olson & Associates
|
employee rights
|
Milwaukee Wisconsin Motor Vehicle Accident Law Blog
|
Martin Law Office, LLC
|
personal injury
|
Murphy & Prachthauser Blog
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Murphy & Prachthauser SC
|
auto accidents and personal injury
|
OgdenGlazer Blog
|
Ogden Glazer LLC
|
business, food and beverage, intellectual property
|
On Point
|
Wisconsin State Public Defender
|
criminal defense
|
Rozek Law Offices Blog
|
Rozek Law Offices SC
|
personal injury; auto accidents
|
Tesar Law Group Blog
|
Tesar Law Group SC
|
estate planning
|
The Previant Law Firm Blog
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The Previant Law Firm SC
|
labor and employment, personal injury
|
Wisconsin Business Law Blog
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Schober Schober & Mitchell SC
|
business law
|
Wisconsin DUI Law Blog
|
Melowski & Associates
|
DUI defense
|
Wisconsin Employment & Labor Law Blog
|
Randy Enochs, Enochs Law Firm
|
employment and labor
|
Wisconsin Family Law Info
|
Nelson, Krueger & Millenbach LLC
|
family law
|
Wisconsin Law Blog
|
Fitzpatrick, Skemp & Associates LLC
|
personal injury, worker's compensation
|
Wisconsin Personal Injury Blog
|
Davis & Gelshenen LLP
|
personal injury
|
Wisconsin Probate and Estate Planning Blog
|
Krause Donovan LLC
|
probate and estate planning
|
Wisconsin Unemployment Law Blog
|
Victor Forberger
|
unemployment law, labor and employment
|
Wisconsin Workers' Compensation Experts
|
Domer Law
|
worker's compensation
|
* Blog affiliated with a law firm with less than 20 attorneys. “Active” means the blog posted at least 12 times in 2016 and at least twice in 2017. If the blog does not have an actual name, the law firm name is used.
** These are “independent” blogs. They are not affiliated or branded by a law firm. However, this list still notes the law firm or entity of the independent blogger listed.
10 Wisconsin Mid-sized and Large Firm Blogs*
Blog
|
Firm Affiliation
|
Practice Area
|
Axley Brynelson Blog
|
Axley Brynelson LLP
|
general
|
Dewitt Ross & Stevens Blogs
|
Dewitt Ross & Stevens SC
|
8 blogs: creditors rights; employment law; environmental law; ESOPs; estate planning; family law; immigration; business law.
|
Foley & Lardner Blogs
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Foley & Lardner LLP
|
12 blogs: Wisconsin appellate; labor and employment; automotive; energy; manufacturing; pharma; patents; IP litigation; personalized medicine; renewable energy; consumer financial.
|
All In a Day's Work
|
Godfrey & Kahn SC
|
labor and employment
|
Writing on Your Rights
|
Hawks Quindel SC
|
labor and employment; family law; employee benefits; and personal injury
|
Husch Blackwell Blogs
|
Husch Blackwell LLP
|
13 blogs: privacy and data; cannabis law; energy; food and agriculture; healthcare; higher education; k-12 education; labor law; organic and sustainable ag; patent law; securities; government contracting; technology and manufacturing.
|
O’Neil Cannon Hollman Dejong & Laing Blogs
|
O’Neil Cannon Hollman Dejong & Laing SC
|
2 blogs: labor and employment; tax and wealth.
|
The Blue Ink
|
Ruder Ware
|
employment, banking, tax, municipal law, health care
|
Stafford Rosenbaum Blog
|
Stafford Rosenbaum LLP
|
municipal, appellate, labor and employment, franchise & distribution, government relations, trusts and estates
|
von Briesen & Roper Blog
|
von Briesen & Roper SC
|
health law
|
* Some larger firms maintain multiple blogs. They are not listed separately. If the blog does not have an actual name, only the law firm name is noted.
Other Notable Blogs