Attorney Jeff Nowak reaches his blog and social media audience in a real and intimate way that may be unmatched by any lawyer in the country.

Publishing FMLA Insights has established Jeff as the FMLA guy, nationally. Not a bad place when you represent a who’s who of businesses.

More than the law, which any lawyer can share in a blog, or on LinkedIn and the like, Jeff establishes a real and intimate relationship with his readers and followers.

And it’s those relationships – and a reputation – you are after as a lawyer, not web traffic and a profile which reads just like the next guy’s.

When I first met Jeff in a mid-size firm in Chicago, we spent our time talking baseball.

Cubs or Sox – Jeff was a Southsider, if I recall right. He was umping little league and I was coaching. Heck, he may have been coaching too.

Think he’s president of his little league now. Wonder how many AmLaw 100 lawyers can say that. Jeff was recruited to Littler after starting his blog.

Jeff writes for his audience.

How many HR directors know what “The Court denied Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgement,” Jeff asked me. A court is a building.

Instead, how about “The Judge said no soup for you,” as Jeff put it in a blog post.

Jeff’s bringing his son, Luke’s chronicling of a baseball road-trip he and his son took to six stadiums in five cities (Yankees and Mets in one NYC) to FMLA Insights this morning was the stuff that dreams are made of.

How many blog post titles have you seen that read anywhere close to “What Does a Baseball Road Trip Teach Us About Bugging an Employee While They Take FMLA Leave?

Let alone a blog post that suggests readers click through to six YouTube videos which your son did of each city/ballpark on a road trip.

Watch one, they’re good. My first thought was there’s a son following his old man into the digital media world. Luke’s good.

And why not, he’s seen first hand that the effective use of a blog and social media can help one achieve their personal and porofessional dreams.

Through authenticity, trust, a reputation and relationships.

Few lawyers may blog on FMLA, but if you are looking for a role model as a blogger and social media user as a lawyer or other professional, you could do a lot worse than Jeff.

And here’s Day One from Luke.