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I’ll be in Chicago this week for ABA TECHSHOW—something of a tradition for me and for LexBlog.

On this trip, I’ll be meeting with inquiring lawyers, legal tech companies, and potential partners who are looking to grow their business the LexBlog way—through effective networking on the internet, powered by thoughtful publishing.

For nearly two decades, we’ve also been covering this conference as part of the media —not just the tech, but the people. Entrepreneurs building platforms. Lawyers exploring new ideas. The stories of trial, error, and impact that shape the legal profession’s future.

I’ve founded two legal tech companies myself, so I know the journey isn’t always easy. That’s why I come to TECHSHOW not just to attend—but to listen, to connect, and when it makes sense, to help shine a light on the people doing meaningful work in and around the law.

If you’re building something—a company, a blog, a network, or even just exploring an idea—I’d welcome hearing about it. We may be able to share your story across the LexBlog network, now reaching over 50,000 legal professionals.

Look me up at the show, or reach out directly.

Email: kevin@lexblog.com

(206) 321-3627

Somewhere over South Dakota tonight, flying home from New York, I started writing a book. It’s something I’ve thought about for a long time—a book on blogging for lawyers.

I never knew where to start. I knew what needed to be covered—roughly 45 chapters, give or take. Gathering, organizing, and building it into something cohesive always felt just out of reach. Heck, I’m just a normal guy crazy about blogs, not an author.

I arrived at 45 chapters after law firms asked if I had a book for their lawyers — they wanted one place that covered all the stuff I talked about in teaching and conversations with them. On the side, I made a list of what I’d have to cover and included the list in a blog post—Legal Blogging Book-Forty Five (or so) Chapters Long.

On Jill’s death and sitting in my condo during the Pandemic, I started to record one chapter a day on Facebook Live. Even with my lab, Louis’ encouragement, I couldn’t even complete the 45 by just talking.

Then, yesterday when someone told me I needed someone to help me, it hit me. I already wrote the book—I just hadn’t pulled it all together.

My blog, Real Lawyers Have Blogs, is approaching 10,000 posts. It’s the most comprehensive, passionate, and sustained body of writing on legal blogging anywhere.

No one has written more on the subject—certainly not with the same conviction, and certainly not with the same belief in what blogging can do for lawyers, and more importantly, for the people they serve.

Who else would be crazy enough to do so?

So here’s the plan:

I’m using my blog as the corpus—a large language model of sorts, built from 20 years of experience—reading, blogging, teaching—on the subject. A few fights along the way when others diminished the value of online authenticity and engagement.

Plus there’s all I’ve learned from bloggers inside and outside the law. Most everything I learned was about reading what others wrote, sharing it, and providing my take. After all, you don’t know what you know until you blog it.

Post by post, I’ll draw from this corpus and pen a book.

AI is helping researchers unlock cancer treatments by sifting through massive volumes of data. Why can’t it help shape something much simpler but meaningful for me—a book on blogging, drawn from a lifetime of trying to help lawyers share what they know and be seen for who they are?

I’ll be writing this chapter by chapter, and I’ll share drafts here on my blog along the way—just the like the Red Couch Blog did two decades ago.

It’s not just about writing a book. It’s about staying true to a mission that’s guided me from day one: connecting lawyers with people, for good—get insight out of the heads of caring and experienced lawyers and memorialize it to help people while the lawyers make a name for themselves.

This book is for the lawyers who still believe. And for those who’ve already shown what’s possible when you blog not to market, but to make a difference—in the lives of others and your own.

I’m notorious around LexBlog for what happens when you “get Kevin on the road.” I come back energized — even if it means coast-to-coast flights, sketchy sleep, less-than-ideal eating, and being on my feet half the time.

Being here in New York City this week — among friends, new ideas, and good conversations — reminded me once again: this is where I’m supposed to be.

First, LegalWeek itself. There’s no question that AI has replaced e-discovery, and its decade long reign, as the dominant force.

The opening panel on AI filled the largest hall—so much so that people couldn’t get in door. I was glad I didn’t rush over after getting in late Sunday night and running in Central Park in the morning.

My greatest energy came from validation and feedback of what we’re building at LexBlog. Our mission — connecting lawyers with people, for good — feels more timely than ever. The offerings we’ve been working on are resonating.

I got early feedback on a new service we’ll be launching soon — something that expands the scope of legal publishing across our network. You won’t need to use LexBlog’s platform. You won’t even need a blog. Because we believe legal professionals have valuable insight and commentary to share — and that insight deserves visibility in our network and across our affiliate publications.

I had a good conversation with a large publisher about how legal blogs and their thoughtful insight and commentary might be included in the offerings of major legal publishing platforms. Still learning the ins and outs of these kinds of partnerships, but each discussion helps shape our offering..

And then there’s LexBlog Compass — our AI-assisted tool designed to help legal professionals maximize the impact of their blogs. The response? Energizing. Law firms, legal marketers, reporters, even a bright legal tech entrepreneur who’s built data-driven (now AI-driven) tools and companies — all saw its value.

I also had the chance to sit down with Paula Zirinsky, a former large firm CMO who now leads a publishing and communications business. Great mind when it comes to writing — copy that’s unique, well-researched, and effective. She sees AI not as a publisher, but as an assistant editor.

Zirinsky’s a bit of a compass for me personally, keeping me in check on some of my ideas. She had just joined ProVisors, a national networking organization, and was surprised to hear that LexBlog powers the publishing network for its members with our Syndication Portal solution. I look forward to working with Paula on a few things.

In the end, it comes down to relationships—talking and learning. That’s why getting out of the office — even when it’s inconvenient — is always worth it.

Look me up if you want to meet, I am here through Wednesday.

Next week in New York City at Legalweek, and the following week at ABA TechShow in Chicago, I’ll sit down with law firms and legal professionals to introduce something we’ve been working on at LexBlog: the LexBlog Blogging Compass—an AI-assisted tool designed to help legal professionals maximize the impact of their blogs.

This isn’t AI writing content. We’re testing AI—specifically, a large language model (LLM) trained on legal blogging data—to assist in evaluating, refining, and strengthening how lawyers share their expertise.

And the irony isn’t lost on us—who knew human engagement and authenticity could be improved with an assist from AI?

What Is Compass?

Compass is a blog evaluation tool, combining AI-driven insights and LexBlog personnel expert analysis to measure legal blogs against ten proven criteria for effective blogging.

The goal? To help lawyers and law firms identify what’s working, what’s not, and how to make their blogs more engaging, strategic, and impactful—without losing the personal voice that makes great blogging stand out.

Legal blogging has always been about connection—not just publishing but engaging, building trust, and sparking online citation and conversations. To build a name and grow business.

We believe Compass can help refine those elements, ensuring firms aren’t just posting content but creating meaningful digital engagement that drives business and builds relationships.

If you’re interested in learning more, please let me know—we can meet face to face in New York City or Chicago, or later on, via a video call.

We’d welcome your feedback, LexBlog client or not.

From launching her first legal blog as a trainee to tackling “crimes against fashion” through intellectual property law, Rosie Burbidge, an IP partner at Howard Kennedy in London, has built a career that blends deep legal expertise with practical, real-world impact—and personal passion

In an interview with The Law Society (UK), she shared insights into why blogging has been an essential part of her professional growth.

For Burbidge, legal blogging is more than an academic exercise—it’s a way to stay current, refine her thinking, and engage with a wider audience. She sees digital tools as an opportunity for lawyers to share insights in real time, without the barriers of traditional publishing.

“We’ve got such amazing digital tools – it doesn’t have to be difficult to be out there communicating with people,” she added.

Her approach underscores a valuable lesson for lawyers: thought leadership status doesn’t happen by accident. Consistently sharing insights—whether through blogs, LinkedIn posts, or industry commentary—helps lawyers build credibility, deepen expertise, and connect with the right audience.

For those looking to enhance their professional profile, Burbidge’s advice is simple: Start writing. Stay engaged. Make it a habit. The law isn’t just theoretical—it’s practical, and sharing your insights is one of the best ways to make an impact.

Law firms, especially large law firms, have been blogging blind for too long—hoping blogs by practice area or a lawyer’s hunch without a clear strategy will bring business development success.

That’s voodoo marketing. We’re in the days of AI now. The firms that keep blogging the old way—without data, without a real strategy—will find themselves invisible.

AI and GPT have changed the game, but most firms aren’t using these tools to find their edge in publishing.

I have been playing around the last couple weeks using GPT to look at which AmLaw 200 law firms were blogging on which subjects and to identify timely subjects on which no law firms were publishing.

Took seconds—even located relevant blogs on which firms had not posted in almost two years.

A firm’s blog strategy should be as sharp and intentional as its legal strategy—and AI can tell you exactly where to focus. Lawyers who have been lay or ill equipped when it comes to business development can find AI easy to use and data driven.

Find niches—even if you have to go as deep as in a Petri dish

Most legal blogs cover the same big topics—GDPR, employment law updates, SEC enforcement trends. But the riches are in the niches.

With AI, you can scan the legal landscape and find gaps—narrow, underserved areas where no one is publishing. Play around with GPT finding opportunities, just as you’ve played around with GPT on everything else.

• Is there a new regulation on AI use in healthcare compliance that no firms are covering yet? I don’t know. If so. Own it.
• Are mid-sized construction firms struggling with labor classification issues, but blogs only talk about Fortune 500s? That’s your niche.

When you own the niche, your blog becomes a must-have resource for clients, prospects, referral sources, and influencers in that space.

Exploit what your lawyers already know

You don’t need to chase trends blindly. AI can help you map your firm’s expertise to emerging legal opportunities.

• Which of your lawyers are sitting on untapped knowledge?
• Which practice areas and/or lawyers could be positioned as must-know niches or authorities when it comes to a blog?

A lawyer who routinely handles AI compliance issues for finance clients but isn’t writing about it is a lost opportunity. AI-driven blog strategy can surface these hidden strengths.

Analyze the competition—then take the open ground

Want to see where your firm is vulnerable and where the opportunities are? AI tools can map:

• What competitors are publishing—and more importantly, what they aren’t.

• Which practice areas are saturated with content and which are wide open.
• Where your firm has expertise but no visibility.
• If your competitors aren’t writing about AI bias risks in hiring, but employment law clients need guidance—why aren’t you owning that space?

The warning: adapt or be forgotten

We are in the days of AI. Law firms that keep blogging like it’s 2010—without data, without strategy—will get left behind.

• If you don’t use AI to identify your space, someone else will.
• If you don’t own the niche, your competitors will take it.
• If you don’t adapt, your voice will disappear into the noise.

Bottom line: AI eliminates the guesswork

No more random blog topics. No more writing about whatever comes to mind. AI tells you:

• Where the gaps are.
• Where your firm has an advantage.
• Where your competitors are leaving opportunities for you.

No more voodo blog strategy. AI-driven blog strategy-like AI is for everything is the future. Get after it-or risk being irrelevant.

“Where’s the outrage” wrote legal tech leader Ryan McLead, on the widely read, 3 Geeks and a Law Blog, referring to Covington & Burling LLP and Perkins Coie LLP being being attacked by the current administration.

Seeing little commentary from the legal community, McLead, CEO of Sente Advisors, shared:

McLead acknowledged that he saw a few people speak up.

The irony was that unlike McLead speaking up on an independent legal blog publication, the others he saw were writing on social publishing platforms owned and controlled by third parties, in some cases sympathetic to and supportive of the administration.

I saw people in legal speaking up on Meta’s Facebook platform. I laud them for speaking up, but Facebook’s algorithms are controlled by someone who would sink posts to the bottom of the ocean on a call from the White House.

LinkedIn’s platform, though owned by a company more neutral than Meta gave millions of dollars to Trump’s two campaigns, and which cannot afford to be on wrong side as far as the White House is concerned.

Over two hundred years ago, journalists in colonial America published to take on the British, particularly in the years leading up to and during the American Revolution. Their writings were instrumental in shaping public opinion against British rule and rallying support for independence.

These so called “infamous scribblers,” such as Paine and Franklin, wrote on their own independent publications. Imagine if they wrote for or on newspapers controlled by the British or people sympathetic to the British.

I am not saying speaking up on LinkedIn, Facebook and elsewhere—including the ABA’s strong position against the White House’s attack of law firms, is not valuable. It is.

The better choice, though, is to be standing up on an independent publication, one that you control.

Legal blog publications, that is blogs published with their own title and on their own domain, as opposed to legal blogs run inside a law firm marketing website, are going to perform better in AI knowledge systems such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

This, for a lot of reasons, especially being that such blogs are being published primarily to establish thought leadership and authority versus marketing purposes and website traffic.

I tan the question by ChatGPT and received the following answer:

ChatGPT shared these takeaways, which I agree with, as to which blogs are more likely to be used as sources in AI & LLMs.

In an era where AI and LLMs shape how legal knowledge is accessed and shared, where a blog is published matters just as much as what it says.

While law firm website-hosted blogs serve a purpose, independent legal publications stand a far better chance of being recognized as authoritative sources—cited, indexed, and surfaced by AI-driven search and research tools.

For lawyers looking to establish thought leadership, grow their business, and ensure their insights are part of the legal conversation, publishing your blog as an independent publication on an independent domain isn’t a branding decision—it’s a move toward visibility and credibility.

I’ve been on the road this week to Wisconsin, Illinois and New York. None of my visits were to the large metro areas you might expect when selling a legal publishing and tech solution.

It was refreshing, as both the trip and the people I had the opportunity to spend time with reminded me that business is all about relationships.

Seth Godin, a hero of mine since I started LexBlog—he started blogging at the same time to build his name—says marketing is about relationships and people, not transactions.

The most successful businesses, per Godin, don’t focus on transactions. They connect, inspire, and foster loyalty by prioritizing people over profits.

Godin’s principal’s on relationships include:

• Beyond Transactions – Focus on building relationships, not just making sales.
• The Power of Connection – People buy trust, stories, and shared values.
• Loyalty and Advocacy – Strong relationships turn customers into advocates.
• Storytelling and Authenticity – Honest, compelling stories create real bonds.
• Marketing as a Generous Act – Help solve problems, not just push products.
• The Strategy of Becoming – Define who you serve and why it matters.
• Emotions and Belonging – Give people a sense of connection and purpose.

The purpose of my trip was simple: to build relationships and find ways to help.

We shared personal and professional stories, clarified who we serve and why, and had plenty of laughs over business conversations. We spent nearly two uninterrupted hours together and I had the chance to meet more of their team.

Doesn’t happen on Zoom.

While I am not a fan of connecting flights or renting cars to travel interstate highways, my trip was worth it. I was helping others and building relationships with people and organizations that value the same.

Sometimes it can take years to discover you (me in this case) to realize you’re doing things the wrong way.

I met with a leading lawyer working in a niche a few weeks ago who was incredibly passionate about their work.

I sought them out to meet because I saw them online as well as on national television. I believed they could do more to help the people they served—and the people they could serve, via blogging. They were excited about the opportunity, and we’ll talk again.

Someone on my team asked me, why hadn’t they blogged before? Why hadn’t they at least thought about blogging?

I explained that it never crossed their mind. They and their operations people were presented with websites, SEO, and content marketing—all good, but merely tools to have online presence—rather than a way to shape their field.

Blogging, if considered, was seen as just another checkbox in a marketing plan, disconnected from the work they love and the reputation they’ve built.
No one ever showed them the dream.

Real blogging—the kind that positions a lawyer as the go-to authority in their niche—isn’t about marketing. It’s about owning the conversation in your area of law. It’s about:

• Practicing in the area you love, without worrying where the work will come from.
• Being sought out by clients, reporters, and peers—not chasing them.
• Building a body of work that outlives your career, helping others long after you’ve written it.
• Leaving a legacy that your family (even your grandchildren), colleagues, and profession can look to with pride.

A lawyer who blogs with consistency and authenticity becomes the trusted name in their space. Not because they gamed an algorithm, but because they shared their knowledge and experience with the world—because they cared and connected with people.

I realize now that someone—me—needs to sell them this dream. After all, I believe in this dream—this vision with every fiber in my body.

In the early days of LexBlog, I was passionately conveying and spreading this vision. Over time, I became complacent, watching as we shifted to what I’d call the selling of blogs and our publishing platform, rather than the dream of what real blogging can mean for a leading lawyer in a niche.

I may be a little older, but I am no less passionate. I can begin to do things the right way—again.