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Should Law Students Have Law Blogs?

By Casey C. Sullivan, Esq. on August 16, 2016 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

You're in law school. You're a digital native. You want to build your name, share your thoughts, make some memes.

Can you blend the two worlds, your future-lawyer self and your online-commentator self? Should you have a blog?

Yes! Blog It Up.

Plenty of lawyers have made their name by being loud online, so go ahead and start up your own version of Bob Loblaw's Law (School) Blog. Eugene Volokh wouldn't be even half as well-known as he is if he was limited to sharing his legal musings in trade mags and legal journals, instead of on the Volokh Conspiracy. David Lat would just be another sad Yale grad if he hadn't gone on to found Above the Law.

And it's not just lawyers and academics who've benefitted from blogging. Shana Knizhnik was a student at NYU Law when she started her Notorious RBG blog, dedicated to fawning over Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Now she's a published author and creator of one of the greatest Supreme Court memes ever.

But even if you don't become a major name in the legal blogosphere, blogging can have its benefits. Even a small readership can be influential, particularly in the relatively closed community of legal professionals. Plus, blogging gives you a platform to think about the law, legal practice, and what gifs best represent your 1L midterms.

Remember, You're a Professional

Of course, not all social media use is beneficial. There have been plenty of law students who've had their aspirations derailed by an unfortunate tweet, Facebook post, or blog meltdown. It's simply easier to embarrass yourself in public when you're sharing your thoughts on a public platform.

So if you think you're going to the law school Gossip Girl, or you have a tendency to go off the rails about your professors, you might want to stick to a more private medium. Or at least an anonymous, gif-based Tumblr.

Which is to say, even online you've got to stay professional. If you can handle that, and you've got some thoughts to share, go for it.

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