Why Every Law Student Should Blog

Written by Brett McKay

If you're new here, you may want to learn what this site is about or check out the most popular articles. If you like what you see, make sure to sign up for email updates or subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

I started blogging at the Frugal Law Student during my first year of law school. When I started it, I just thought it would be a fun way to share with my friends and family the ways I’m saving money in law school.

But my foray into blogging has actually helped advance my legal career. That’s why I think every law student should have a blog. Here are two specific ways a blog can help you.

1. It’s a great job marketing tool. A blog is the ultimate marketing tool for law stuents. When you go into a job interview, employers are looking for what distinguishes you from the dozens of other applicants they’re interviewing. On paper, most applicants look the same, especially when you apply for large firms. You and everyone else will be in the top of your class, you’ll all be on law review, and you’ll all be active in extracurricular activities.

One of the questions you’re guaranteed to get during the interview is “What do you do when you’re not doing law school?” You could give a vanilla answer that everyone gives like “I like to exercise” or “I like to read.” Or you could give an answer like this: “I author a blog that focuses on international environmental law; I’ve done guest contributions to the blogs of several environmental law scholars; and I’ve managed to attract a large enough following that I have commercial sponsorships for my blog.” Which answer do you think will stick in your interviewer’s mind?

The second answer packs in a lot more information than the first one. By blogging, you tell your interviewer that 1) you’re serious about environmental law; 2) you’ve networked with other attorneys and legal scholars in that field; 3) you know how to leverage technology; and 4) you know how to market yourself.

When you leave, the person who interviewed you is going to check your site out. They’re going to be thinking about you after the interview, which is good. By checking your blog out, they can get a better idea of who you are because your personality will show through your writing. They’ll probably send a link to the other attorneys in the firm.

All things being equal, who do you think is going to get an offer for a summer job? The person who just said they like to read or the person who said they blogged? I think the answer is obvious.

A blog can be a successful marketing tool even if you don’t write about law related stuff. Find something you’re passionate about and start writing. If you like to run, (one of those vanilla answers) start a blog and track your progress and share your tips on running. Then when you’re asked what you like to do outside of law school you can say, “I enjoy running and I write a blog offering tips on how runners can improve.” Your interviewer will be impressed with your tech saviness. When they check your site out, they’ll get a better idea of who you are.

Of course the effectiveness of a blog as a marketing tool depends on a few factors. First, while you can be less formal on a blog, remember that potential employers might be reading it. So don’t use vulgar language, don’t post pictures of you after a Thursday night partying, and don’t discuss your sex life. Be personal, but stay professional.

Second, edit! Your blog is basically another resume for employers to use to determine whether to hire you or not. If your blog posts are full of spelling mistakes and grammatical errors, it reflects poorly on you.

2. It improves your writing. Blogging has definitely helped my legal writing. When you write for a blog, your audience consists of internet users who have the attention span of a gnat. You have to capture their attention and maintain it through good solid writing. When you write on a blog, you want to use short sentences and paragraphs; you want to tell a story that draws people in; and you want organize your writing with headings that make it easier for the reader follow.

Do these tips sound familiar? It’s the exact same thing you’re supposed to do in legal writing! By blogging consistently, you can improve your legal writing immensely.

Also, knowing that hundreds or even thousands of people may be reading your posts forces you to edit it carefully. Producing content that’s free of mistakes shows you respect your reader. When you prepare a trial brief or a research memo, you’ll want to show that same respect. Blogging can help you get in the habit of editing more carefully.

Tags:

Do You Have a Blog? Share it with us!

Written by Brett McKay

Photo by Vicki

I know many FLS readers have blogs of their own. I try to check out the sites of those who comment and I’ve been really impressed with all of them that I’ve seen. I’m curious how many of you all have a blog of your own. If you have a blog, please post a link to it in the comments. It doesn’t have to be about personal finance or law school. Even if its about your family or your dog, I’d love to check it out. This is a great opportunity to brag about your blog and spread the word about it.

I’m looking forward to checking out all your sites!

Tags:

The Frugal Law Student Month In Review- January 2008

Written by Brett McKay

Wow. January went by fast. Classes started three weeks ago and I think I’m finally back into the swing of things. I’ve got full schedule this semester. I’m taking Evidence, Civil Procedure II, Advanced Torts, Estate Law, and Legal Drafting. Plus I’ll have some law review responsibilities thrown in there.

FLS welcomed new a contributor, Tony Marrone, last month. He’s cranked out some great material for the site. Tony’s also writing at Wise Bread, so make sure to check him out there as well.

I mentioned a few weeks ago about my new project, The Art of Manliness. We’ve had very successful first month. We were fortunate enough to get a post on the Digg front page which brought in TONS of traffic. There’s already 559 subscribers at the site. It took me about year to get that many on FLS. Hopefully it can keep up its momentum.

Stats

FLS had 24,592 visitors during January. That’s down from the 26,000 we had in December, but in December FLS was lucky enough to have 10 Ways to Be an Excellent House Guest featured in Lifehacker. That brought in lots of traffic.

RSS subscriptions are up to 894. We peaked at 904 during January. Just one hundred more and we’ll have 1,000. Thank you to all my loyal readers who subscribe and have shared FLS with others.

Popular Posts

1. 12 Meals That Are Cheap, Easy, and Healthy.
2. 180 Money Saving Tips to Turn Your Life Around 180 Degrees.
3. Frugal Experiment: Brushing Teeth With Baking Soda.
4. Free Groceries (or, A Step in the Right Direction)
5. Everything I Need to Know About Personal Finance I Learned From Carlton Banks

Subscribe

To make sure you don’t miss a post on The Frugal Law Student, make sure to subscribe:

Subscribe in a reader

Enter your email address:
Delivered by FeedBurner

Make sure to join The Frugal Law Student Facebook Group, too!

Tags:

Tony’s Over at Wise Bread

Written by Tony Marrone

Dear Faithful Frugal Law Student Readers:

Check out my new post over at Wise Bread. Don’t worry though, I’m going to keep up the high-quality FLS posts you’ve come to know and love. Have a good weekend!

Tags:

The Frugal Law Student in The Journal Record

Written by Brett McKay

The Frugal Law Student was featured in Oklahoma City’s legal and financial paper, The Journal Record yesterday. The article was in response to FLS being named the top law student blog by the ABA Journal.

This is a good time to thank all my awesome readers. Without you FLS wouldn’t even be a blip on the radar. Thanks for your support and contribution to FLS!

Tags:

A New Blog and Some Help For A Friend

Written by Brett McKay

A new project

I wanted to let everyone know that I’ve started a new blog called The Art of Manliness. Don’t worry, I’m not abandoning FLS. I’m just preparing for the day when I’ve graduated law school and can no longer honestly be called The Frugal Law Student. I’m going to need a new blog to devote myself to. However, I’ll continue to blog here at FLS.

There are a few reasons I’m starting The Art of Manliness. First, I’m concerned for men my age. Let’s face it. Most of us are a bunch of slackers. We don’t take our lives seriously. 1/3 of Generation Y males are still living with their parents with no plans for the future. Some start college, but don’t finish it. Many are taking on huge amounts of debt to finance lavish lifestyles. Basically, Generation Y males aren’t growing up. So, I hope to provide some motivation for these guys.

Second, I wanted to make a men’s publication that I would enjoy reading. I enjoy reading Men’s Health, Men’s Journal, GQ, and Askmen.com All of these publications provide stellar articles that touch on all aspects of men’s lives. My problem with them is they have a lot of stuff I don’t like.

Take Askmen.com. Everyday they publish awesome tips on how to excel in your career and improve your health. The problem is that the site’s main focus is on women and their cleavage. The same goes with Men’s Health. Each month, each magazine is jammed packed with the amazing articles. Of course, they have to intersperse the magazine with almost naked women. I hate how we as a society objectify women. The Art of Manliness will be a publication that your wife or girlfriend wouldn’t mind you reading.

My other problem with men’s publications is they promote a lifestyle that is not within reach of the average man. I hate it when Men’s Health or GQ puts together wardrobe suggestions that cost a thousands bucks. Seriously. What average guy can afford to drop $400 for a dress shirt. In The Art of Manliness, I plan on giving dressing and grooming suggestions that a guy like me can afford.

In conjunction with the launch of The Art of Manliness, I’ve created an Ebook called “The Art of Manliness Guide to Being A Gentleman in 2008.” The book is completely FREE to those who subscribe to The Art of Manliness. Please consider subscribing to the Art of Manliness and download the Ebook. The Ebook is freely distributable, so go ahead and forward it to as many people as you want.

I’d also appreciate your help in promoting The Art of Manliness. If you Digg or use del.icio.us, please consider bookmarking a few of the articles over there. Also, if you have a blog, a link to the free ebook offer would be much appreciated.

Help for a friend

Finally, my good friend Leo has his blog, Zen Habits, nominated for “Best Overall Blog of the Year” at Performancing. Please take two seconds to vote for Zen Habits. Leo is a great guy, has a super blog, and has helped a lot of people. He deserves to win. If you haven’t ever heard of Zen Habits, then you’re definitely missing out. Stop by the site and subscribe. You won’t regret it.

Tags: