The 2009 ABA Journal Blawg 100

These are the 100 best Web sites by lawyers, for lawyers, as chosen by the editors of the ABA Journal.

Welcome to the third annual ABA Journal Blawg 100 - the best legal blogs as selected by the Journal's editors.

Our readers clued us in to a few law blogs we'd never seen before, and you'll find them among the 40 blawgs that are new to our list this year.

For a list of all 100 blawgs, complete with their companion Twitter feeds and extra quick takes, click here.

Readers who registered with ABAJournal.com were able to pick up to 10 favorite blawgs in the 10 categories below.


Click here for FAQ about the Blawg 100 and voting.

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355
votes

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Above the Law

Routinely credited by the mainstream media for breaking news of law firm layoffs and salary freezes, this self-proclaimed legal tabloid is a must-read for those who want to know the latest industry gossip. Editor Elie Ying Mystal is now ATL’s mainstay contributor, aided by anonymous tipsters and forwarded e-mails. In response to industry woes, the blog added a “Notes from the Breadline” column this year.

 

102
votes

Law Blog

Law Blog

Law firm refugee Ashby Jones has taken over primary duties for this Wall Street Journal blog. Jones takes an informal tack as he summarizes the WSJ’s most interesting legal stories, but he doesn’t stop there. He includes interviews from law firm leaders and legal observers, as well as coverage of big cases and trends.

 

84
votes

Am Law Daily

The Am Law Daily

Here American Lawyer reporters write about the big law firms, their deals, their lawyers and their foibles in this daily news roundup. If you are interested in American Lawyer’s big annual features on the nation’s highest-grossing law firms, associate satisfaction and pro bono, look for the summaries here.

 

74
votes

FP Legal Post

FP Legal Post

The financial section of Canada’s National Post points readers north and south of the border to legal news they might otherwise have overlooked. Although the blog’s mission statement also includes “gossip,” many posts focus on deals, litigation, ethics, lawyer pay, firm management issues and legislation.

 

72
votes

LexisNexis Legal News & Litigation Report

LexisNexis Legal News & Litigation Report

For audio enthusiasts, LexisNexis Legal News offers a free way via podcast to get a daily dose of legal news and case activity updates.

 

61
votes

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Jurist—Paper Chase

Stories here never lack for sources, always linking to original reports, legal documents and information on the people making news. Check out this site for frequent updates on the courts’ treatment of Guantanamo detainees.

 

55
votes

Legal Blog Watch

Legal Blog Watch

Legal Blog Watch is often first on the legal news scene, alerting readers to the posts that are particularly noteworthy. On the lookout are lawyer/legal affairs journalist Robert Ambrogi and Bruce Carton, who edits Securities Docket.

 

55
votes

Law Shucks

Law Shucks

Law Shucks is more than the legal tabloid it professes to be, and it quickly rose to the top of our list this year. It fo­cuses on life in and after BigLaw. A hallmark of the site is the Layoff Tracker, which is increasingly being relied upon as the definitive countdown of how many attorneys have been laid off in the U.S. and U.K.

 

53
votes

The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times

The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times

The Blog of Legal Times carries legal news with a Washington, D.C., focus from the journalists at the merged publications Legal Times and the National Law Journal.

 

49
votes

How Appealing

How Appealing

Willow Grove, Pa., appeals lawyer Howard Bashman chronicles the nation’s appellate litigation, linking to news stories and digging up court opinions before journalists can write about them.

 

31
votes

Bench Memos

Bench Memos

Should Ed Whelan have outed “Publius”? Some readers definitely don’t think he should have identified an anonymous blogger, but such controversy is part of what makes this National Review Online group blog so compelling.

 

26
votes

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Law & Disorder

This Ars Technica blog covers policy concerns in the rapidly evolving arena of Internet law. Should Net neutrality rules permit heavy users to hog the wireless industry’s spectrum? Did Pirate Bay administrators try to conceal the controversial website’s ownership? Readers can readily debate such questions, even if answers remain elusive.