E-Commerce Law: True to Form, Lawyers Blog More than the General Population

The reputation for loquaciousness suffered by lawyers appears to be accurate, at least with respect to blogging. Several months ago Law.com cited a New York Times article that "noted that although lawyers constitute only 1 percent of the population, a recent survey of 17,000 bloggers by a leading blog ad network found that 6.1 percent of bloggers are lawyers."

It is not surprising that a professional whose essence is communication would gravitate more rapidly than others to a new means of communication with a worldwide audience. Ultimately, the participation in the blogosphere by those with legal education and experience should help educate others as to their legal rights and responsibilities. However, one must wonder how the presence of lawyers in the blogging community, when it is so much greater than their presence in the larger "offline" community, skews discussion toward their perspective.

Lawyers are born, educated, or trained to view the world in a fairly specific way. They are a "hammer" in a world in which not every problem or issue is a "nail." It would be unfortunate if such a view unfairly monopolized Internet discussion. Luckily, this risk is reduced by the fact that the legal profession is continually evolving, becoming more creative and practical and applying a wider variety of experiences to client-oriented solutions.

Over the last several years, the legal profession has become more diverse, accepting and promoting individuals from a variety of backgrounds and those with perspectives and skills that differ from the traditional. Many law firms and law schools have begun to recognize the need for lawyers to offer more creative, practical solutions to business and legal problems. Entrepreneurism and creative thinking is sought after and cultivated by many firms.

Many active bloggers (both lawyers and non-lawyers) are among the "thought leaders" in this evolution of the legal profession. They champion the application of non-legal business experience and creative problem-solving to issues raised in a legal context and recognize the importance of providing solid, cost-effective solutions to both businesses and individuals.

The active participation of lawyers in the blogging community is beneficial to both the greater community and the individual lawyers involved. The community benefits from the perspective, education, and experience of attorneys with respect to fundamental issues of right and obligation while the individual attorneys benefit from a closer connection to, and understanding of, the business and societal framework which underlies their advice.

For more information of legal blogging, see Best Practices for Legal Blogging at Law.com.