Legal Blogging for Reputation 101

Have you been thinking about starting a blog, but don’t know how? Or, do you have a blog, but can’t find the time or inspiration to update it?

I highly suggest you check out Ernie Svenson’s new book, Blogging in One Hour for Lawyers. The book was recently released by the American Bar Association (ABA) and offers advice for attorneys looking to blog.  The book provides entire chapters on setting up a blog for attorneys that might not be tech-savvy. At one point, Ernie talks about a blog providing attorneys a way of standing out in a competitive world. The book starts off by encouraging readers to “Google” themselves. Have you done this recently?

Open a new tab and Google yourself, but don’t stop there. It is well-known that Google now customizes search results specific to your computer. Therefore, go to a public computer (law students can easily use a computer in their school’s library) and search for yourself again. Can’t make it to a public computer? Use HideMyAss! as an easy proxy to trick Google. Find anything different? How about searching Yahoo! or DuckDuckGo? Or even Facebook, Twitter, or Google+?

It is important to know what is out there even in the unlikely event you don’t find any mention of yourself. For instance: you need to be prepared if an employer asks you about an incriminating photo that happens to be someone else named Ricky Bobby. Understanding what your name represents online provides an opportunity to show others you care about your image. Starting a blog increases your online presence and allows a new level of control to the information available about you online.

I highly encourage you to pick up a copy of Blogging in One Hour for Attorneys and check out the book’s blog (http://www.onehrblog.com/). Both provide a refreshing outlook on why you should be blogging and how much of a benefit it provides for yourself and others.

Share other tips or tricks on name searching in the comments!

(Photo credit: Sue Richards on Flickr)