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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.
Voting is now closed.
426
votes
TheCorporateCounsel.net Blog
Broc Romanek’s posts—which appear every weekday, usually before you’ve had your coffee—provide exhaustive coverage of corporate governance topics, the Security and Exchange Commission’s latest moves, and reactions of both companies and shareholders.
204
votes
Patently-O
We’ve consistently heard from readers like Chris Holly who check Patently-O daily to keep up on developments (and jobs) in patent law. “I’m a patent prosecutor and reading the blog every day keeps me up to speed with what is going on in the patent world,” wrote Holly, an associate with Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell and Berkowitz in D.C. Co-authors Dennis Crouch of the University of Missouri School of Law and Jason Rantanen of the University of Iowa also have guest posts by other patent practitioners “that are insightful,” Holly wrote. We were excited to see a “Patent Ethics” corner started by Mercer University law prof David Hricik, but sorry to see it go on hiatus during his clerkship.
139
votes
SCOTUSblog
We couldn’t agree more with one fan who held up SCOTUSblog as “extraordinary,” a site that “sets the gold standard to which all blawgs should aspire.” Indeed, SCOTUSblog was on a roll in 2012 as it celebrated its 10-year anniversary, crossed over into pop culture as founder Tom Goldstein made an appearance on The Daily Show, and saw an astounding response to its live blog of the Supreme Court’s health care ruling. The coverage attracted 5 million hits and 1 million simultaneous users, including President Barack Obama.
78
votes
Work Matters
A reader favorite, Dallas lawyer Michael P. Maslanka consistently produces thoughtful, insightful pieces breaking down recent cases and discussing employment law issues in the news for a blog hosted by Texas Lawyer.
75
votes
Taxgirl
You’ve got a few more months until taxes are due, but you can read Taxgirl year-round. Philadelphian Kelly Phillips Erb blogs about taxes for Forbes, and it’s not just a personal finance blog; she also reports on political wrangling over tax legislation and tax-related news from the media. If you want to know about the tax woes of Prince and Michael Vick, Taxgirl’s your girl.
73
votes
IPWatchdog
Gene Quinn’s IPWatchdog is on the trail of the latest intellectual property law news and policy developments. Posts by the Leesburg, Va., patent attorney not only alert readers to what’s new, but often provide detailed analyses of the subjects, with source materials to boot.
55
votes
Marler Blog
You may never look at a produce aisle the same way again once you’ve read Seattle lawyer Bill Marler’s exhaustive coverage of food safety violations. Marler tracks food poisoning cases with a single-minded fervor, offering a valuable resource to trial attorneys, food producers and anyone sitting down to dinner.
53
votes
HealthBlawg
HealthBlawg Health care law consultant David Harlow of Newton, Mass., covers health care legislation and regulations (both at the federal level and in his home state) as well as public health innovations in the private sector.
28
votes
The Pop Tort
From one post: “We love finding fissures in the conservative movement and its generally disparaging views about the civil justice system.” Here, the plaintiffs-side Center for Justice & Democracy makes strident observations about newsy tort cases and never misses the humorous angles.
24
votes
Citizen Media Law Project
These bloggers, who cover legal news stories of interest to media lawyers and bloggers, are definitely writing pros who produce timely, fun-to-read posts. They also naturally cover the actions of Harvard’s Citizen Media Law Project, which, among other things, tracks copyright infringement lawsuits directed at online publishers.
22
votes
Counterfeit Chic
Designer handbags and shoes sometimes need lawyers, too, a fact never forgotten by the witty Susan Scafidi, the first U.S. law prof to ever offer a fashion law course. Scafidi highlights IP fights in the fashion and advertising worlds with such verve that at times you’ll feel like you’re reading Vogue (which is always in Scafidi’s briefcase).
15
votes
Drug and Device Law
“The best law blog that I hate to read. Written from a defense perspective by very good defense attorneys, the tone of this blog drives me nuts. But I read it religiously. So much timely and useful information for my practice (I do the same thing but on the plaintiffs’ side). I wish they weren’t so darn good!” —Chip Orr of the Mulligan Law Firm in Dallas
13
votes
Green Building Law Blog
At Green Building Law Blog, Philly’s Shari Shapiro digests legislation and research on green building law and explains its significance with enough personality and clarity that a layperson can understand and stay interested. Occasionally, she snags an expert interview for a post.
13
votes
FDA Law Blog
“Given the countless decisions that come out each day in the food and drug industry, it’s tough to separate the wheat from the chaff,” writes Jeff Grizzel of FDA News. “I’m looking for trends, game-changers and reversals of policy, and Kurt [Karst] and Jeffrey [Wasserstein] do a great job.”
11
votes
Copyrights & Campaigns
Last year, the Recording Industry Association of America trials consumed Ben Sheffner’s blog. This year the pro-copyright-owner blogger stuck to his original plan: spotting and debating cases of possible infringement in political ads.
