Read this list of articles. Right now.

I agree with Denise Howell's gentle rebuttal of the premise underlying an ABA eJournal article about "personal" reporting in law blogs being a detractor for potential clients: "If you want an automaton as a lawyer, someone like me may not be your best bet. If, on the other hand, you would prefer your legal representatives to think, breathe and have some grasp on the kinds of cultural and policy issues that so frequently affect the development of the law and the outcome of judicial decisions, that might be another story." Steven Minor of the SW Virginia Law Blog adds that the concerns expressed in the ABA Journal article don't apply with equal force to smaller-market attorneys.

This exchange brings to mind a discussion last August on candor and blogging between Hugh Hewitt, Howard Bashman, and myself. As a public servant blogger, I'm obviously under different constraints with regard to sharing personal comments on issues that may come before the court where I serve as clerk. Nevertheless, I'm beginning to see that a successful weblog, like any successful writing, must allow the reader to sense a connection with the writer. And though it's awkward for an institutional blogger like me, it is possible for passions and personality to come through, while keeping the content focused and appropriate. But it is definitely not easy.