Many lawyers ready to blog do not know how to write. And that can be a real problem.
I began blogging as means of learning to write better.
I had a one year covenant not to compete after selling my first company to LexisNexis. Though I had practiced law for seventeen years and graduated from law school, I thought my writing was weak, at best.
I set a goal of improving my writing in one year.
I had the dumb luck of running into blogging, something I had ever heard of. I picked up a few books on writing better and I was off and running.
You may not believe it in reading me, but blogging has enabled me to write in an engaging and conversational manner. Blogging has given me confidence that I am connecting with my audience.
Lawyers contact LexBlog and I ready to roll with a blog. Problem is many lawyers do not know how to write.
While lawyers are strong writers due to the demands of our legal profession, legal writing doesn’t necessarily translate to engaging, accessible writing that resonates with a broader audience.
Legal writing emphasizes precision, formality, and adherence to structure, which can result in dense and technical prose not capturing a reader’s attention outside of a legal context.
Good blogging or article writing for a wider audience requires, among other things:
- Clarity: Making complex legal issues understandable to non-experts.
- Brevity: Avoiding unnecessary legal jargon and condensing ideas for readability.
- Engagement: Using a conversational tone, storytelling, and relatable examples to draw readers in.
- Personality: Using a unique voice making you authentic and relatable to people so they see who you are, not just what you know.
A lawyer’s expertise is a strong foundation for writing, but writing well for the audience you are looking to engage via blogging requires a shift in approach.
You needn’t delay your legal blogging until you learn to write better, you can blog your way to better writing.