Blawg Review

It's not just a blog carnival; it's the law! ~ a fool in the forest

Best in the Hood

"I about jumped out of my skin Saturday night when they announced my name and ran up to the stage to get my award before they changed their mind," said Craig Williams after being honored by the Los Angeles Press Club, along with Larry King, Kevin Sites and other leading journalists at the Southern California Journalism Awards for 2006.

J.Craig Williams received first place honors in the individual category for "weblog writing" on his law blog, May It Please the Court, winning over Luke Y. Thompson at LYTrules.com, and beating the LA Times Lakers Blog at the buzzer.

Themis, the Goddess of Justice and Law, a.k.a. She-Hulk, who gave Craig Williams the Blawg Review Award for Best Graphics on a Law Blog for the gorgeous redesign of May It Please the Court in 2005, commented on his receiving this recognition.

"I always thought Craig Williams was best in the Hood," she said, with a wink.

Studying Successful Bloggers

Dr. Nora Ganim Barnes, Ph.D., Chancellor Professor of Marketing and Director of the Center for Market Research at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, has published a very detailed study of business blogging.

Behind the Scenes in the Blogosphere

The paper (pdf) presents a lot of information that is invaluable to business bloggers, including lawyers and law professors with law blogs. Among other things, the study examines the time commitment required to make a business blog successful, and concludes it's worth the time and effort.

Dr. Barnes details what was learned from extensive research into blogging for business, including surveys, email conversations and interviews with hundreds of bloggers, resulting in these main points as headings:

1. Blogs Take Time and Commitment
2. Blogs Must Be Part of A Plan
3. A Blog is a Conversation
4. Transparency, Authenticity, and Focus are good. Bland is Bad

Ultimately, it's the Human Factor that is important.
Blogs are a human endeavor, a personal conversation, a sharing of thoughts and ideas. Readers form relationships with bloggers that are very real. Communities are formed and friendships are made.
There is a lot that can be learned about blogging from the extensive comments of the established business bloggers included in this study, and much of it is worth the careful consideration of legal professionals who take their blogging seriously, and want to be successful.

One of these days, a law professor might undertake a similar study of law bloggers, or maybe a law student can figure out how to get a credit for such a paper. Perhaps Ian Best might undertake a similar study to complement his seminal work, A Taxonomy of Legal Blogs.

Boarding at Gate 63


Check your bag and baggage this week. The next Blawg Review is gonna be a real trip.

Make your reservations ahead of time with The Airport Lawyer for Blawg Review #63 -- a chartered tour of the blogosphere in search of the best law blogs. If you'd like to get onboard with one of your own law blog posts, or recommend another great blawg you've read this week, please make your reservations here.

And before heading out to the airport, check the Weather Channel's Airport Impact Map, which let's you know what weather conditions to expect at your local airports.

Blawg Review #63, hosted by Sheryl Schelin at The Airport Lawyer blog, is reposted here, as she has decided to take an indefinite blog hiatus, with this note of thanks:
Thank Your For Flying With TAL

No "taxiing to the gate" metaphors, no "end of the journey" speeches ... just "farewell" in fairly simple terms.

Over the last several months, my life's changed fairly dramatically, and I've come to the conclusion I simply don't want to spend time on this blog anymore. I have some other interests that are percolating - some new, one long-since-sleeping but newly-awakened, all a far cry from airport law. I'm still working for HCDA, and still "the airport lawyer," but that's just what I do now - not who I am any longer. I'd rather spend my time on those other interests, and in other venues.

So, I'll park this blog here for the time being. I'm open to transferring the rights to it to another airport lawyer who's interested in taking it forward, assuming such a thing is even possible (it may not be on Typepad - I just don't know). But there's a fairly narrow window of opportunity here - interested parties will need to email me by July 28th, close of business, in order to give me time to effectuate the change. Come July 31st, this blog will be deleted.

Thanks for the readership; it's been a good experience.
Blawg Review #63

Final boarding call for Blawg Review Flight Number 63. All passengers should be on board the aircraft at this time....

Terminals have always been, and probably always will be the 'bottle-necks' of transportation, whether of ground, water, or air systems.

— Harry H. Blee, US Aeronautics Branch, 1932

Ladies and gentlemen, we have been cleared for takeoff for Blawg Review Flight Number 63 - "Around the World in 180 Posts" - okay, 27 posts. But they're good posts. They're not all blawgs, but the vast majority are; those that aren't are aviation-related and therefore superior by nature. Please make sure your tray tables and seatbacks are in the upright and locked position, and direct your attention to the overhead monitors for some important safety information.

In the event of an emergency landing, your laptop cannot be used as a flotation device, although if you have a wireless card, you might be able to send an email with your coordinates to the Coast Guard. Take a moment now, then, to familiarize yourself with the power capabilities of your in-seat outlet, using this helpful guide from Chad Dickerson of Yahoo! who offers us all some sage counsel on this topic, and sings the praises of SeatGuru, a free service that gives you the lowdown on your aircraft seat. Which seats have the most legroom? Which have those handy outlets, for which Chad tells us you need an inverter? Most important of all, which seats are closest to the lavatories? SeatGuru knows. Did I mention it was free? Be sure to check out Chad's comment section on this post for some additional insight on specific carriers' practices. In that same vein, Gizmodo, the Gadgets Weblog, expands on Chad's comments with this post about a new adapter for USB devices that can work with any aircraft seat headphone jack. Yes, headphone jack. Not that we condone the use of prostitutes here at TAL Airlines, whether in Beijing, Vegas, or anywhere else. Just thought we should mention that. (Bet you want to click that link now, don't ya?)

I'm sure you all had a brief and entirely pleasant encounter with TSA on your way to the boarding gate. Drop a line to Professor Bainbridge then, will you, and let him know that they don't all suck?

YYZ

Our first destination isn't really a blawg at all, although it has the "law" part down. We start things off with Andrey Pinsky, a Toronto aviation lawyer whose website, http://www.theaviationlawyers.net, features several meaty articles offering practical guidance on a variety of aviation matters. Most of these pertain to Canadian law, but a few branch out into US-Canadian aviation relations or are equally applicable. There's "Raising Debt Capital for an Aviation Startup Company," and an update on 2004 developments in aviation law, including some U.S. court cites, found here. While a blawg might add some breadth to Mr. Pinsky's well-designed website, I honestly don't think he needs one. Some might disagree. It appears to be fashionable these days to look askance at a lawyer that doesn’t have a blawg. My perspective is a bit different, however. I believe a lawyer should ask first, "Why should I have a blawg?" "Because everyone else does" really doesn't cut it. Rather, seek to fulfill a need, or simply do it better than someone else. Know why you're blogging, and keep that mission in mind. Blogging isn't right for everyone. (Heresy! Kick her out of the BR corps.) TAL, for instance, was designed to fill a very specific niche, being the only regularly published blawg I know of focusing predominantly on airport law (as opposed to aviation or airline law). Figure out what you can contribute better than everyone else - and let that be your blawg mission statement.

Enough pontificating. On to the next layover on this round-the-world adventure. But before we take off, let's pay a quick visit to our friend, the PithLord of Pith and Substance, who brings us this entertaining case comment. As PithLord puts it, "We at Pith and Substance sometimes kid Justice Binnie about his prose style. But we kid because we love. The man did a bang up job of making a statutory interpretation case about who should pay for Canada 3000's unpaid airport charges about as interesting as it could possibly be." I mean - really. Airport charges. Interesting. I have to shake that man's hand.

As we leave lovely Canada behind, we hear the indignant yelps of the Aviatrix at Cockpit Conversation attempting to educate the hapless reporter who mangled the difference between "approach" and "landing" and got Aviatrix's ire up. Woe be unto ye, my friend. Next time, try a little research.

STL

At George's Employment Law Blawg, guest blawger Rita Mace Walston points out the obvious and not-so benefits of telecommuting. With rising gas prices, telecommuting employees might make a lot of sense, if carefully implemented and if expectations are clearly laid out.

JFK

Peter Lattman is jealous of Junichi Semitsu, the legal writing instructor from San Diego who was recently hired by the Dixie Chicks as their official blogger. Meanwhile, KipEsquire doesn't like Senator Chuck Schumer's proposed bill requiring airlines to notify their passengers when flights will be late. I mean, he really doesn't like it. Of course, deregulation doesn't mean no regulation; every regulated benefit has an associated cost. Nevertheless, interesting economic take.

Speaking of economics, we can't leave the Big Apple without saying hello to our favorite eighteenth century economist, Adam Smith, Esq., or his alter ego these days, Bruce MacEwen, who urges us to "think different" as he shares his thoughts on fortune-telling for law firms, or more accurately, how to read the world stage for coming trends. Bruce cites "Scanning for Threats and Opportunities," by George S. Day and Paul J. H. Schoemaker, an intriguing article from Harvard Business School's Working Knowledge, which uses the example of a medical device manufacturer that went about this process by trying to put themselves out of business - not literally, but on paper. The question they posed - "What emerging therapies will make our device obsolete?" - can be tailored to fit any sort of business to stir up some of that different thinking for a forward-looking purpose.

Finally, Nicole Black, a New York lawyer blogger who provides contract legal research and writing services, rounds up the commentary on the controversial advertising rules proposed for New York lawyers at Sui Generis. Nicole agrees with the vast majority of bloggers I've read who conclude the new rules will have a disproportionate impact on solo and small firm lawyers, for whom web advertising is key.

BOS

People in Boston are always starting something. First it was that little tea party. Now, David Maister, world-renowned professional services consultant, started something a few weeks back on his blog, Passion People and Principles, something that continued into his comments, into a few more posts, and then wound up in, of all places, the Times of London. The snowball: a query about how to market his own website. The resulting avalanche: a fascinating discussion about content and weblogs and such.

DCA

Radley Balko discloses at Cato@Liberty the horror of Professor Sam Walker, a highly respected criminology professor whose work was quoted by Justice Scalia in a recent decision to tout the "increasing professionalism" of law enforcement agencies, in order to support his thesis that civil rights violations have been increasingly deterred from within (and not, presumably, from pressure by "activist judges"). While one would generally get a mild thrill from such an endorsement, said thrill would apparently be dependent on the Supreme Court Justice in question actually, you know, getting one's conclusions right.

Also in DC, we get this profile of Gregory Principato, the big cheese at Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA). No life-long aviation enthusiasm brought Greg to ACI; rather, it was an understanding of the role of the air travel system as the economy's driving force both as a key particpant and as an indispensable piece of the infrastructure.

As we leave the pretty white buildings behind, you might want to take a gander at the lively discussion at SCOTUSBlog on the recent Supreme Court decision in the companion cases of Rapanos and Carabell on the Clean Water Act's breadth of application, and the Corps' jurisdiction. A fascinating case, not just because of the subject matter but also the breakdown of the Court's vote. As Amy Howe reminds us, "While Justice Scalia’s plurality opinion is strikingly sweeping and remarkably disdainful of the policy and purposes of the Clean Water Act, it is only that: a plurality opinion. And, as the Chief Justice pointedly reminds us in his own concurring opinion (he also joins Scalia’s), the lower courts will now have to follow Marks v. United States, which means that Justice Kennedy’s separate concurring opinion is controlling. Under Marks, '[w]hen a fragmented Court decides a case and no single rationale explaining the result enjoys the assent of five Justices, "the holding of the Court may be viewed as that position taken by those Members who concurred in the judgments on the narrowest grounds ***."'" (cites omitted)

OKC

Jim Calloway has an awesome post up at his Law Practice Tips blog, which references Patricia Yevics' terrific article "Taming the Beast: Managing Client Expectations in a 24/7 World," in the June 2006 issue of the ABA GP/Solo Technology and Practice. Why this post? Should be obvious but here's a hint: PRACTICAL. ADVICE. Including this link from PracticePRO which offers handy tips on how to deal with difficult clients. Now, here's my rant (I was promised one when I signed on to host): What gives with the blawgs lately? I appreciate theory as much as the next law geek. But one of the great things about blawgs is the amazing opportunity the format gives us (the collective us) to help each other. Anybody can spew off about an opinion - heck, law school taught us all to form those quickly and change them often. But practical advice seems to be wanting from a lot of blawgs I've been reading lately. What's so hard about helping out your colleagues? Is there some resistance to sharing business secrets? Is this about competition? Or is it a lack of confidence - do blawgers simply not think they have something valuable to share?

A story: A former classmate of mine was notorious for whining, years after graduation, that she didn't know anything. She was miserable at work - she always had a story about the latest transgression committed by this boss or the next in a long line of firm positions that, for mysterious reasons, never seemed to work out for very long - but when those of us who stuck around suggested that she go out on her own, she'd whine, "I can't possibly, I don't know anything…" This, despite the fact that she had a respectable win record defending public entities in tort actions, and despite the fact that she was slowly developing a book of business. Obviously, the lack of confidence wasn't completely stopping her from succeeding in her profession. But I often wonder what might have happened had she had a little more faith in herself … Rant over. Back to the flight plan.

TUS

At John Walkenbach's blog, J-Walk, we learn about Flight Aware, a company that provides online tracking of flight information, both general aviation (GA) and commercial. This, as John correctly notes, is "pretty slick."Now when that smooth-talking gent in the navy sweater tells you that your connecting flight from Atlanta just left the gate, you can prove him wrong! (Or right.) You can look up GA aircraft by tail number, commercial flights by flight number, browse by airport, or even get random and just see where the site takes you. Did I mention it was free?

SAT

Christopher McKinney, a Texas labor and employment law specialist, brings us The HR Lawyer's Blog, and a post on "Some Arbitration Issues." Rounding up some recent press and other blogs' posts on arbitration-related matters, Christopher boldly goes against the common wisdom and announces his opposition to arbitration: "I've tried an awful lot cases and, frankly, juries usually get it right."

There is no other airport in the world which serves so many people and so many airplanes. This is an extraordinary airport. . . it could be classed as one of the wonders of the modern world.

— President John F. Kennedy, dedicating the Chicago O'Hare airport, 23 March 23 1963.

...Hell, which as every frequent traveler knows, is in Concourse D of O'Hare Airport.

— Dave Barry. There is no concourse D at O'Hare

We've reached cruising altitude over Illinois and it'll be a few minutes before our next stop. Why not take advantage of the time to scare the crap out of yourself with memories from law school, courtesy Evan Schaeffer's Legal Underground?

LawInfo.com's LawBlog reports that Southwest pilots received conflicting reports on runway conditions preceding the Midway incident last year that took the life of a six-year-old boy. (All runways involved in today's virtual tour are in excellent condition, by the way.)

DEN

It's Christmas for Likelihood of Confusion, which recounts a Denver Post report that a Colorado company has field suit alleging that Yahoo! bought ads on Google to direct traffic to its own dating site based on searches for the Colorado company's name. I'll be around shortly to collect that wrapping paper before we land.

Any of you thinking about joining the mile high club on this flight might first want to cruise over to Anonymous Law Student and read what a bunch of lawyers had to say about lawyers in love. Not that the mile high club has much to do with love … and no, I didn't pick this one just because I was one of the lawyers ALS asked to participate in this survey. The common threads seem to be communication (or a lack thereof) and expectations (or a failure thereof). Also? I like the pictures. Visual aids rock.

OK, if you lean waaaaaay far over your seatmate and peer out the right windows, you might see a tiny speck down there that may, or may not be, Guantanamo Bay. Probably isn't. But it's as close as any of us are getting these days. So it's as good a time as any to introduce you to Jon Swift, who grants as how Amnesty's infamous characterization of Gitmo as "Kafkaesque" is probably on the money, but insists it's "Kafkaesque in a good way." After all, he "reminds" us, we may discover that the only way to save the princples [that] make our country great will be to sacrifice them." ... And speaking of aliens, trot over to Unused and Probably Unusable, why don't you, and check out Heinlein Friday, which saw Eh Nonymous's recounting of Aliens, Combatants and the Other in Heinlein's work. Your choice: with politics, or politics-free!

MGQ

On to the international leg of our journey - and our first stop is Somalia (oh come on, Canada doesn't count). Professor Brian Tamanaha writes at Balkinization that recently released documents show that the US government financed the Somali warlords against the Islamic forces in and around Mogadishu, against the wishes of both the UN and the Somali government. Did I dream Black Hawk Down? No, the website's still up... Looks like the 21st century now has its own version of "better dead than red."

PEK

We'll enjoy a brief respite at Beijing while we refuel the plane. As Dan Harris at China Law Blog warns us away from the fake erectile dysfunction medications apparently for sale within, let's stick to window shopping. Somebody bring me back some Kung Pao?

And now, in the most roundabout fashion, possible only thanks to the virtual nature of our trip, we'll jaunt over to ...

MAN

.. where JD Hull notes - with wry amusement? Fear? Loathing? - that what happens in Vegas might stay in Vegas but only til it finds the direct flight out of McCarran International to Manchester, England, England.

That is the trouble with flying: We always have to return to airports. Think of how much fun flying would be if we didn't have to return to airports.

— Henry Minizburg, 'Why I Hate Flying.'

Which brings us back to our final destination, the lovely MYR, my home field (the linked page notwithstanding, it's no longer an Air Force Base). What? I'm piloting this bird. I get to pick where we land. I doubt you'll complain once you check out our beaches, seafood, and golf courses. Enjoy your stay. When you're ready to trudge back to your dreary lives in the concrete jungles of the world, we'll be here with connecting and direct flights to suit your travel needs - assuming you ever want to set foot in an airport terminal again after this.

Thanks to Ed. for the opportunity and the support, and to SkyGod.com for the quotes. Most of all, thanks to the bloggers who wrote and submitted this week's entries. You made this job very, very hard. But totally in a good way. For more information about the use of airport codes, see this excellent explanation, also by SkyGod.com.

Blawg Review has information about next week's host, and instructions how to get your blawg posts reviewed in upcoming issues

Music to Review Blawgs By

Matt Barr has posted a playlist of "music to review blawgs by" at his blog, New World Man, where he's hosting Blawg Review #62. If you haven't experienced Matt's weekly playlists, you're in for a surprise this week, when the musical theme is lawyers.

While you're visiting New World Man, check out a few of his recent posts to get a sense of this blogger's keen legal mind, and some idea what we're in for with this next Blawg Review.

Matt Barr is an entertaining blog carny, having recently hosted the Carnival of Liberty, which he set to the musical accompaniment of libertarian love songs!

Matt's been on our list of prospective hosts of Blawg Review for almost a year now. Before Matt was setting blog carnivals to music, he caught our attention with his very impressive Carnival of the Vanities #148 -- presented from the perspectives of each of the Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States.

We're in for a real treat. So, if you'd like to contribute one of your own posts or recommend another's for Matt Barr's Blawg Review #62 at his New World Man blog, please get your submissions in as soon as you can this week following the handy Submission Guidelines.

Legally Blonde Justice


Blawg Review #61, hosted by Blonde Justice, is a collaboration with criminal defense attorneys Woman of the Law and Not Guilty.

Bloggers Ante Up


"There are about a thousand bloggers and blog readers here. But the place is also overrun by journalists," reported the team from ThinkProgress in Las Vegas this weekend.

Not just the American media, but also the foreign press, took note of the YearlyKOS convention, where not only journalists but presidential hopefuls paid attention to leading polibloggers. "We are liberal, moderate and conservative Democrats," said Markos Moulitsas Zuniga, aka Kos, of the Daily Kos blog, in his keynote address.

The Observer observed:
Thousands of bloggers gathered last week in the Riviera to exchange ideas, debate and plot their steady takeover of journalism and political debate from newspapers, magazines and television.

Anyone who thinks blogging is over-rated should have looked at the guest list of power players who followed the blogging herd to Las Vegas to woo and be wooed by these latest additions to the political scene. Reporters and columnists from all the main newspapers showed up, as did Democratic strategists. Even potential Democrat candidates for the 2008 presidential election pitched up to network and sell their political wares to the online community. Although the event was meant to appeal to all parties, its guest list was overwhelmingly liberal.
Ann Coulter, sweet as she is, couldn't get laid in Vegas this weekend.

Blawg Review #60

When you don't show up to host the Blawg Review as scheduled, and don't offer so much as an apology or a really good excuse like my dog ate my blog, that's just unacceptable. Pardon me, sir? What's your name? Are you in this class? Sit down then, and pay attention if you will, please. You've already wasted enough of our time.

I'm Professor Kingsfield, and I'll be your host of Blawg Review #60, today. Some of you might have heard of me, and came prepared. The rest of you will be prepared next time.

Where were we now? Yes. You come in here with a skull full of mush and you leave thinking like a lawyer.

Today, we will review last week's material in a number of subjects that some of you might think you already understand well enough. Let us disabuse you of that notion. First, a subject near and dear to my heart.

The Law of Contracts

Is an agreement written in blood enforceable? Mr. Lattman

Constitutional Law

Could the Los Angeles County Sheriff's release policy to ameliorate a jail overcrowding problem be Constitutionally deficient on gender equity grounds? Mr. Volokh

Intellectual Property

What's the most jail time one can do in a case related to trademark infringement? Mr. Umansky

Does anyone have any thoughts on patents? Is the international drug patent system preventing developing countries from obtaining needed medicines, vaccines and diagnostic tests? Mr. Albainy-Jenei

The young man talking in the back there. Yes, you. The one with the Einstein T-Shirt on. I don't know your name. Are you sure you belong here? As long as you and your lady friend there are laughing, perhaps you might share your discussion with everyone, provided it has something to do with intellectual property, of course. Speak louder! Fill the room with your intelligence! ... I'm going to have to ask you to leave the class for that...You... are a SON OF A BITCH, Kingsfield. ...Young man! That is the most intelligent thing you've said all day. You may take your seat.

Criminal Law and Civil Rights

Should a prison inmate be entitled to a state-funded sex change operation? Mr. Kaimipono. That's not a last name? Okay, that's what's down here on the seating plan.

Family Law

Is the legal system is biased against fathers, favoring mothers in custody battles. Mr. Seth. Is that your first name? Sorry.

Seriously, now, if Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie split up, who gets custody of the new baby domain names? Yes, Seth?

Mediation & Arbitration

What are the differences between mediation and arbitration, and is there such a thing as binding mediation? Mr. Williams

Would arbitration be better with the "loser pays" rule? Mr. Wilson

Workplace Law

Are no holds barred in current labor disputes? Mr. Secunda

Technology and the Law

Can't we use new technology, and implant some sort of radio frequency ID chips, to keep track of sex offenders and immigrants? Mr. Farry

Tax Law

The Green Bag's distribution of the new Justice Kennedy bobblehead to 1,710 of its subcribers raises an issue. What are the tax consequences of the bobbleheads? At what point is a valuable item received by a subscriber treated as income? Mr. Caron

Laws of Foreign Jurisdictions

Should the SCOTUS take into consideration the decisions of courts in foreign jurisdictions? What do they know about what the law should be in the United States? Mr. Geist

Why does it matter that the NSA call program would be illegal under European privacy law? Ms. Bignami

Law Blogging

How many of you here have blogs? Raise your hands. I see...most of you. Well, maybe I should blog, too, perhaps anonymously. What do you think about law professors blogging? Mr. Caron, Mr. Kennedy

Can a lawyer actually make money with a law blog? Anyone? I'm not sure I have your name here. Yes, you, the young lady in the Blogger T-shirt.

Law Practice Management

How are you doing? Mr. Maister

Do you still want to be a lawyer? Mr. Kerr

Be Prepared Next Time

Does anybody know what day it is today? Mr. Svenson

School's Out

We're letting you off a bit early today, because we got started late. If you'll take some advice from an old professor, don't bother with lengthy law review articles and legal texts this summer. But do keep in touch with Blawg Review. And remember. There's more to life than law. I see a hand up in the back there. Yes. Do you have something important to add? Mr. Hunt, is it? Congratulations. Class dismissed.

[Editor's Note: Professor Kingsfield's Blawg Review #60 is an alternative to Blawg Review #60: Gimme Some Truth at The Trademark Blog, which is not by any measure a Blawg Review. Regular participants in Blawg Review make their submissions and recommendations expecting that the host will, within the bounds of individual creativity, prepare a Blawg Review. It is essential to our project that we live up to those expectations, and not use the privilege of hosting Blawg Review for some other presentation, however interesting that might be.]

Lawyers Support Troops

Thanks to everyone who linked the Memorial Day Blawg Review special this week. Many law bloggers wrote thoughtful posts remembering courageous men and women in the military who died in service to their country, including relatives, friends, and colleagues. Throughout the week, we updated our Memorial Day post to include references to the remembrances of many law bloggers.

Law blog readers also responded, in emails to Blawg Review, expressing appreciation for our special focus on Memorial Day, which included the remembrances by lawyers now on active duty, like Phillip Carter.

For many of us, it was a reminder that lawyers go to war.
Hundreds of the military’s nearly 9,000 active-duty and reserve attorneys serve in Iraq and Afghanistan today.

It takes a lot of lawyers to fight a war.

The war on terrorism is "rich in legal issues," said Brig. Gen. Kevin Sandkuhler, the Marine Corps’ top lawyer. "A new issue seems to come up each week."

Military lawyers – known as judge advocate generals in most services and judge advocates in the Marine Corps – work in command posts, advising superiors whether a mosque is a legitimate target for a satellite-guided bomb or when troops can fire their weapons.

Some assist the prosecution of insurgents in Iraq and enemy combatants at Guantanamo, while a few defend detainees, appealing their cases all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Many have guided the formation of governments in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Others pay out claims for deaths, injuries and property damage caused by American troops; participate in courts-martial or help soldiers deal with divorce and income tax problems.

One Army JAG has died in action; several have suffered wounds.

"I never expected to award a Purple Heart to one of my attorneys," said Sandkuhler. So far, six Marine judge advocates have received Purple Hearts.
As noted by Bob Ambrogi in Lawyers, Bloggers and Memorial Day, "in all walks of life, law included, there are those who carry with them every day the scars and memories of military service, invisible to the rest of us."

2006 TechnoLawyer Awards

The 2006 TechnoLawyer @ Awards: Final Results are in.

Patent Baristas gets special recognition this year as the participant in TechnoLawyer's BlawgWorld 2006 credited for the most referral downloads of the popular introduction to legal blogs.

Regular participants in Blawg Review, Stephen Albainy-Jenei, Karlyn Schnapp and Nicole Tepe, the baristas who co-write Patent Baristas, prepared a special brew for Blawg Review #19 and will be hosting again on October 2nd this year.

60 Sites in 60 Minutes

The complete list of the "60 Sites in 60 Minutes" presented at the ABA Techshow by Bob Ambrogi, Jim Calloway and Natalie Kelly is now available online for those who missed the show, as well as those who were there but unable to note all the sites in the allotted time.

At the top of their "Serious" list (by a fortuitous alphabetization) is "a big law blogroll" by your humble editor at Blawg Review, which should be at the top of anyone's list of law blogs. So much for humility!

MyHq Blawgs is a convenient single link to add to any blogroll; a neatly organized arrangement of blawgs that is maintained by an editor, assisted by the work of many helpful law bloggers.

Law student Ian Best at 3L Epiphany deserves all the credit he got for his ambitious taxonomy of law blogs. We were aided, also, by Kurt Hunt at Clever WoT, who aggregated a lot of law student blogs, as well. And this big law blogroll is following the ongoing work of Dan Hull, who is making note of many excellent law blogs from around the world, at What About Clients? We've also added to our big law blogroll a few selected law blogs found on the incomparable Blawgs.org directory, not to mention Blawg Republic, which has not included our project weblog Blawg Review in its otherwise excellent directory, yet.

Not included on the "60 Sites in 60 Minutes" presentation is our own "offbeat" site, the Blawg Review Guest Map, powered by Google. Very cool. If you're not already on our little map of the world, take a few minutes to add yourself to this map -- zooming in to your precise street-level location if you like -- and be sure to include a link there to your weblog. See who's already on the map. Although most of those who have added themselves to this map so far appear to be lawyers, law students, and law professors in the United States, you can click and drag the map to see law bloggers from all around the world.