Previewing Blawg Review #4

Law & Entrepreneurship News is a collaborative weblog project involving Professor Gordon Smith and students at the University of Wisconsin Law School. Their purpose is to provide links and commentary on recent developments relating to law and entrepreneurship.

This group blawg tracks judicial, legislative, regulatory, transactional and scholarly developments related to a wide variety of business topics. Each subject area is the primary responsibility of one of these outstanding student editors, who researches and writes the blog entries.

Blawg Review #4 is a special opportunity for your best blawg post this week to be featured on a weblog that is widely read in the business blogosphere, as well by the legal community. Earlier this month, Law & Entrepreneurship News hosted a great Carnival of the Capitalists.

How do these law students manage all this business law reporting and analysis and still have time for exams? This exceptional blawg has a real live research advisor, Bonnie Shucha, who is "paid to be an information detective" - that means helping find answers to law students research questions. According to her online profile, Bonnie particularly likes the challenging ones that require her to dig into those information crevices that only librarians know. And, in addition to working on Law & Entrepreneurship News, Bonnie maintains WisBlawg, a blog about legal research and internet news and information with an emphasis on Wisconsin.

As well as collaborating on Law & Entrepreneurship News, Professor Gordon Smith writes extensively on the Conglomerate law blog. A very strong supporter of Blawg Review, Professor Smith will also be hosting Blawg Review #5, at Conglomerate. More about that, and cheese, next week.

Infamy or Praise

We get either infamy or praise around here, as you know, and frankly we much prefer the latter. So, we'd like to thank everyone who lets their readers know where to find the best damn carnival of blawg posts every Monday.

The number of law bloggers showing support for Blawg Review is encouraging, and there are more joining the project weekly, as you can see from the links in the sidebar. What's most impressive is the quality of the participants, and the creativity of the bloggers who are getting involved with this project.

We'd like to share one law blogger's exceptional announcement of Blawg Review, Episode III: Blawg of the Sith. This is a sequel to Blawg Review II: The Wrath of Coleman and the announcement of the premiere of Blawg Review.

Let me say, Colin Samuels really gets it. And we really appreciate the high praise from this slithering reptile who has caught everyone's attention with his excellent writing.

Visit his blog often, and give Colin some well-deserved link love.

What's up with Instapundit?

An anonymous host of Blawg Review writes:

What's up with Instapundit? He hasn't linked to any of your "Blawg Reviews." I sent him an e-mail a while ago. Why does he link to every carnival except the blawggers' carnival?

Some readers think they know what's up. Glenn Reynolds is the anonymous Editor 'n' Chef of Blawg Review, and he's just playing dumb.

There's evidence everywhere you look, they say. Even before the launch of Blawg Review, the Editor was gratuitously thanking Glenn Reynolds, the Instapundit, for his support. Talk about slipping the tongue. This is pretty sloppy when you think about it.

We'd like to thank Professor Bainbridge and Professor Reynolds, the Instapundit, in advance, for their help in nurturing this concept for the legal community that blawgs, as they have so generously for our carny brothers, Carnival of the Vanities and Carnival of the Capitalists.

But wait a sec, that doesn't prove anything. That could just as easily be evidence that Professor Bainbridge is the anonymous Editor 'n' Chef. After all, he's the one more likely to make such a clever allusion to culinary skillz. Hold on there, just a minute, wouldn't Professor Bainbridge have mentioned his wine blog? And there's no way Stephen Bainbridge would give Glenn Reynolds two links, and himself only one, in the same sentence. Nah. So, if Professor Bainbridge isn't the anonymous Editor 'n' Chef, who might be?

Now, because of all the ignoring, a lot of law bloggers are asking, "What's up with Instapundit?" He's a lawyer isn't he, a law professor, a card-carrying member of the profession? Yes, we know it's hard for our hosts to understand why he doesn't mention their Blawg Review—we're all flummoxed.

But let's be clear about one thing. Glenn Reynolds is not the anonymous Editor of Blawg Review. That's an official denial. But your Editor dares not protest too much, or point a finger in the direction of Professor Bainbridge because he, too, hasn't linked to Blawg Review. Who'd believe it?

Bloggers Win on Appeal

Leave to appeal to a broader audience was granted for the posts of thrity-five law bloggers, who all came out winners in Blawg Review #3 under the capable case management of Appellate Law & Practice. Okay, enough with the legal puns, go read the current issue of Blawg Review, and decide for yourself.

Previewing Blawg Review #3

On Monday, Blawg Review will be hosted by a group of federal law clerks, appellate lawyers, and law students. Some are members of the Federalist Society, others of the American Constitution Society.

But the only agenda on their group blawg, Appellate Law & Practice, they say, is to post summaries of recent appellate decisions. If there are any hidden agendas, they might only be gleaned from blog comments.

The cases discussed on Appellate Law & Practice present an interesting mix of fact and law. Case in point: "Did they really love each other when they got married? Another IJ remand." This recent post raises some important points of law, but the discussion about immigration judges really heats up in the comments thread, where an anonymous commenter takes on the anonymous blogger:

The disdain for IJs reflected by your post is common among law snobs.

That disdain (among law snobs) is exacerbated by the fact that the federal courts only see the decisions where an immigrant is denied relief. It is further exacerbated by the fact that when a published opinion is deemed necessary, it is usually because the IJ made an error in applying the law, and vacatur or reversal is necessary.

In short, "The more you know . . . " and all that jazz.

The appellate law blogger answers in kind:

Yes, we are law snobs. IJs are lawyers. In fact, most of them were “law snobs” before they were IJs, as they would all make fun of immigration lawyers in private practice. Now, when they get a chance to operate on their own with some (unfortunately minimal) independence, they demonstrate that they can't take their job seriously.

Zing! There's more said worth reading, but you get the idea—they don't hold their fire at Appellate Law & Practice.

And here's where it gets really interesting for us. The feisty folks at Appellate Law & Practice are accepting submissions now for their Blawg Review. Send in your best post this week. Or, surprise your friends and colleagues by sending in something great from their law blogs.

Roundup of the Carnivals

An amazing 135th edition of Carnival of the Vanities is up this morning at Conservative Dialysis with over 60 blogs reviewed. Earlier this week, Brian Gongol presented Carnival of the Capitalists, "the experimental edition" with a creative new format. And, yesterday, the medibloggers got together for Grand Rounds at Living the Scientific Life where the host is, ironically, ill.

It's good to see the continuing success of these "carnival" concepts. We encourage law bloggers to check out some of the other carnivals, and to experiment with making contributions of your best posts there as well as in our own Blawg Review. If a lawyer is writing about something of interest to doctors, for example, it might make sense to submit the post to Grand Rounds. If you're posting something on your blawg that would be of interest to a broader audience than law bloggers, consider submitting it to Carnival of the Vanities, or to Carnival of the Capitalists if it relates to business or economics.

And, above all, don't forget to submit your best posts each week to Blawg Review. Blawg Review #1 and Blawg Review #2 show how good this carnival blogging can be for lawyers, too, thanks to all those who submitted great posts. It's early days for the development of this concept for law bloggers, so we really appreciate all the support.

We're also encouraging participation in other carnivals, as well as Blawg Review. We've agreed to host Carnvial of the Capitalists right here on October 24th. And we're looking for just the right business blogger to host an upcoming issue of Blawg Review, too. Got any good ideas?

Update 04/21/05 From time to time, we'll get leading business bloggers to host Blawg Review, like Rob May at BusinessPundit, which will help connect lawyers and business. First, Anita Campbell, a lawyer and corporate counsel in past lives, has agreed to host Blawg Review on her well-regarded business blog Small Business Trends. Anita did a wonderful presentation of Carnival of the Capitalists, which she hosted recently.

The Sophomore Edition

Etymology: perhaps from Greek sophos wise + mōros foolish. Cleverly mixing rye humor with large doses of internet addresses, Ronald Coleman pulls himself together an entertaining Blawg Review #2 at Likelihood of Confusion.

Next week, the host will be Appellate Law & Practice. To submit your best posts (or someone else's), follow the submission guidelines here, thank you.

And to all those who have added Blawg Review to their blogrolls, and linked to Blawg Review #1 or Blawg Review #2 in their posts, thanks so much for your support and participation.

Previewing Blawg Review #2

Ronald Coleman will be the host for Blawg Review #2 next Monday. What can be said about our host that hasn't been said better, by more important bloggers? "Ron Coleman has important thoughts," says the Instapundit, Glenn Reynolds, adding, "Read the whole thing."

The name of the host blawg, Likelihood of Confusion, is the standard courts use to decide claims of trademark infringement as well as a fair description of the state of intellectual property, and discussions about it, in the 21st century, according to Ron Coleman. Ron's an intellectual property lawyer, and a writer who was a contributing editor of the ABA's Student Lawyer magazine and also wrote for the ABA Journal—he claims to have won "numerous" "prestigious" "journalism" awards.

Admittedly, we haven't had time to "fact check" any of that, but he writes better than many bloggers and seems to have important thoughts on the subject of online freedom of speech. In a recent post, Ron takes a critical look at some proposed laws intended to take the Internet out of the purview of American campaign finance reform laws, and thinks bloggers should be reticent.

I am not so sure we should "get behind" this law and allow and thereby take the pressure off the Net and the bloggers, who are the ones who should be fighting the good fight to rid all media of the special treatment given to "the press" for its commercial speech (called "news" and "editorial" content).

That doesn't mean I'm not in favor of bloggers getting the same benefits--and responsibilities--as "journalists," as I have argued before , and today, too, in commentary on Corante to a posting by Alex Wexelblat. I am. I just think everyone should get them--or get them back. Everyone. And I am afraid that if the pressure is off bloggers, we're more, not less, likely to continue down the path to free-speech hell.

If you'd like to exercise your rights to free speech on Ron's blog, as well as your own, get your submssion in now for Blawg Review #2. His promises to be another well-read weekly roundup of the best of the blawgosphere. He's really funny.

ProfessorBainbridge.com

a blawg reviewed by Evan Schaeffer

Why ProfessorBainbridge.com is recommended:

In an article about blawgs I wrote last year for the Illinois Bar Journal, I had this to say about ProfessorBainbridge.com:

A corporate law professor at UCLA, Stephen Bainbridge writes an always-entertaining blog that provides "an eclectic mix of law, business and economics, politics and current events, Catholicism and wine." Recently, Professor Bainbridge provided his readers with online commentary during the Martha Stewart trial.

The description remains accurate. Professor Bainbridge was one of the first weblogging law professors, and he's gained a wide and adoring audience. Even though I rarely agree with his politics, his weblog has something I admire: a strong point of view.

Professor Bainbridge's ability to say what he thinks conforms with my own theory of weblogging, developed from my experiences writing newspaper Op-Eds in the 1990s. As I learned then, Op-Ed editors don't want wishy-washy. They want a writer who can take a position and defend it, preferably in as few words as possible. It's a formula that works just as well on weblogs.

As applied to ProfessorBainbridge.com, the formula means short, thoughtful posts that won't leave you guessing about Professor Bainbridge's opinions.

If you're new to ProfessorBainbridge.com, try these posts:

1. In a post about the Terri Schiavo case, Professor Bainbridge says he'd "prefer a system of legislative supremacy - such as Great Britain long enjoyed - to our system of judicial supremacy."

2. In a post about politics, Professor Bainbridge explains the flaws of the Democrats.

3. In a post about "the cult of the imperial CEO," Professor Bainbridge says that the board of directors, rather than the management, should be "the principal decisionmaker within the corporation."

High Praise Honorable Mention

"Wow! Ok, I get the whole "Carnival" thing now," says Denise Howell in a rave review of Blawg Review. "The blawgosphere needed this. Hopefully it will be a vehicle for introducing the long tail of law bloggers to a diverse and dispersed readership."

Thanks to everyone who participated in Blawg Review #1, yesterday, at Notes from the (Legal) Underground. By all accounts it was very well received. At the time of this post, Blawg Review #1 was at the top of the 20 most popular items listed on Blawg Republic.

High praise for our project was given by Professor Ann Althouse, who doesn't like the word "blawg" much, but says she was "awed" by Evan Schaeffer's Blawg Review #1.

And, with a clever reach-around post titled "What I Should Have Submitted to Blawg Review" Professor Gordon Smith says, "The past few days have been so crazy that I didn't manage a submission in this inaugural posting, but Conglomerate will be hosting the Blawg Review next month, and we should be a regular participant."

It seems that all the excitement in the blawgosphere yesterday was totally missed by law professor Glenn Reynolds, the Instapundit, who did note for his readers that some Carnival of Canadians was up, and a new Carnival of Revolutions first issue was launched with posts about the democratization of the world. It must be difficult to keep one's eye on what's happening in the legal community these days, when one's sights are on dominating the whole world.

This might be sad, if it weren't so funny, says our next host, Ron Coleman, at Likelihood of Confusion, who points out the entertaining insanity of it all. A graduate cum laude of the school of quick wit and retort, Ron takes it all in stride, and pokes some fun at Professor Pundit.

If you want to get in on a very entertaining Blawg Review #2 (no pun intended) please get your best posts submitted this week, as soon as possible.

Habemus Unum

Blawg Review #1, the carnival of the blawgs, is up at Evan Schaeffer's Notes from the (Legal) Underground with 31 noteworthy posts from this past week in the blawgosphere.

This looks like a great start for a new carnival about law-related topics that seems to have attracted some of the best names in law blogging. We're grateful for all this support and participation. If you'd like to host an issue like this on your blawg, just follow the Hosting Guidelines.

The next host will be Ronald Coleman of Likelihood of Confusion, who is taking submissions all this week for Blawg Review #2. Get your best posts of this week submitted for review, as soon as you publish them on your blawg.

Here are the Submission Guidelines again, for those who haven't yet participated. Many of those who got into the first issue will be back again for more of this action. And, we're expecting them to be joined by a bunch of new faces and big name law bloggers for the next issue.

Previewing Blawg Review #1

Evan Schaeffer will be our host for the premier issue of Blawg Review at Notes from the (Legal) Underground on Monday, April 11th.

A regular feature of Blawg Review will be a preview of the next host, which we will be doing here every Thursday. This won't be a full review of the blawg like the ones that will be special features here from time to time, as submitted by our readers and contributing editors.

No, this advance preview is just a brief introduction to help those who are thinking of submitting one of their posts to Blawg Review get a bit of an idea what's so special about the host of our next issue.

Evan Schaeffer is a trial lawyer who represents plaintiffs in Madison County, Illinois. When he's not filing junk lawsuits, Evan publishes serious law weblogs about trial practice and personal injury law. But he's best-known in the blawgosphere for his incomparable Notes from the (Legal) Underground, which asks the question, "Why are lawyers so stuffy?" Evan doesn't take himself too seriously on this blog, where he reveals his engaging personality.

Perhaps what makes Notes from the (Legal) Underground so special, and unique among blawgs, is the community of regular commentators that hangs out in the comment threads at the bottom of Evan's posts. These are not the usual comments that follow blog posts, but are full blown conversations, debate and discussion amongst a regular cast of characters that proudly regard themselves as Evan's posse. It's more like a discussion board, sometimes, than a blog. Evan leads the discussion with a set-up post that brings to our attention an interesting point of law or current events, or a cleverly written piece of fiction, or maybe even a podcast in which he gets his kids to read definitions of complex legal terminology from Black's Law Dictionary. It's all good stuff.

So, if this is going to be your first time visiting Notes from the (Legal) Underground, come for the Blawg Review on Monday, and hang around for the fun. It's more addictive than crack—and it's legal.

Law & Entrepreneurship News

Carnival of the Capitalists is located at the intersection of law and entrepreneurship this week. It's an excellent example of what we can look forward to when law bloggers take the carnival of the blawgs we call Blawg Review on the road from here in the weeks ahead. The law students of the University of Wisconsin Law School, with Professor Gordon Smith as Faculty Advisor, will be hosting Blawg Review on May 2nd at Law & Entrepreneurship News.

And the premier issue of Blawg Review will be hosted next Monday, April 11th, at Notes from the (Legal) Underground, where Evan Schaeffer is now accepting submissions all this week. Don't miss out on the opportunity to get in on this first ever Blawg Review.

Here's all you need to do to get a post from your own law-related blog submitted to Blawg Review.

Hosts & Hostesses Wanted

We're going to be accused of being sexist around here if we don't soon have some women in law offer to host Blawg Review.

While we're very pleased with the overwhelming number of offers to host we've received from male lawyers, law students and law professors, we haven't figured out how we have failed to attract women from the legal fraternity community who blog: Bag and Baggage, Sua Sponte, MyShingle, Underneath Their Robes, Stay of Execution, and Blonde Justice, for example. If we overlooked mentioning you in this list, please send us an email demanding fair treatment and threatening to sue if you're not immediately added to our roster of Future Hosts.

We've run this by some lawyers, specialists in gender discrimination. They advise us that "Future Hosts" is sexist language, and that we might be breaking some laws if we don't appeal to women in language that makes it clear that this is an equal opportunity weblog. If we don't, they advise us, some might allege that this project is just another example of how men are conspiring to make it difficult for women's voices to be heard in the blogosphere.

Comments are open to women, too.

Blawg Review Deconstructed

It's humbling for me to read someone who takes the Blawg Review website, and the launch article on Notes from the (Legal) Underground, and distills it all into one easy-to-understand post.

And to be perfectly clear, calling Evan Schaeffer and Kevin Heller a "hugely creative and innovative duo" doesn't curry favor with your humble Editor's alter ego. On the other hand, anyone who links to my writing with the word Genius! (with an exclamation mark) has my utmost respect.