Practice Management

To those that have not read about it, my little blog won Dennis Kennedy's 2008 Law-Related Blogging Award ("The Blawggies").  Specifically, my blog was awarded The Sherry Fowler Best Writing On A Legal Blog award.

Like Sally Fields' gushing acceptance speech in 1985 for Places in the Heart, I will say as well: "I haven't had an orthodox career, and I've wanted more than anything to have your respect. The first time I didn't feel it, but this time I feel it, and I can't deny the fact that you like me, right now, you like me!"

Unorthodox is right.  Whether it has been my Jewish side, my Catholic side, political leanings, or my career choices, it can be said that I have not stayed on the beaten path.  I try not to adhere to cookie cutters law practices, religion doctrine, or political allegiances.  To me, it is a truly American experience.  I am religious, yet have a healthy skepticism for religion.  I am political, yet have an abiding distrust for political leadership.  I absolutely love the practice of law, yet at times I do not.  It makes me hard to peg I guess.  Offbeat is fine, if I do have to apologize from time to time for being a little sarcastic.

I guess you could call my blog a smorgasbord of topics.  However, I have never felt that Third Wave attorneys live in a vacuum.  Law is obviously the import, but they care about cars, and good design, and politics, and faith, and tech, and education, and entertainment, and their families.  Their wants and interest are fluid, and why should my blog not be as well?

I am not sure that I deserve what Dennis has to say, but I will accept it with pride nonetheless:

"Chuck's blog (recent post) covers solo practice and the very important idea of Third Wave legal practice (recent post). However, he's succeeded in establishing a writing style that makes me willing to follow wherever his article reads. Chuck is also example of someone (Matt Homann is another) who might not have started out blogging with the feeling that they were a "great writer," but blogging has made them so. I wrote a post called "The Land of Hope and Dreams" in which I cited some examples of bloggers, including specifically Chuck for this post, who wrote "off-topic" with a compelling compassion and authenticity that produced great pieces of writing. My hat is off to Chuck on his evolution as a blogger and his ability as a writer and his wise and practical posts".

Wow!  I am blushing.  Maybe I will have to start reading my own blog once in a while.  As also mentioned by Dennis Kennedy, I much prefer reading Allison Sheilds Legal Ease Blog, Jordan Furlong's Law 21 or,  from another category, Rick Georges' Futurelawyer.  There are so many that I read, I dare not start listing them all.

Anyway, I want to thank Dennis and everybody who has taken any time to read anything that I have written.  Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you.

The 2008 Blawggie Award Categories And Winners are:

1. Best Overall Law-Related Blog - SLAW

2. The Marty Schwimmer Best Practice-Specific Legal Blog - Evan Brown's Internet Cases

3. Best Law Practice Management Blog - Bruce MacEwen's Adam Smith, Esq.

4. Best Legal Blog Category - Canadian Law-related Blogs

5. Best Legal Blog Digest - Stark County Law Library Weblog

6. Best Blawg About Legal Blawgging - Kevin O'Keefe's Real Lawyers Have Blogs

7. Best Legal Podcast - Tie, This Week in Law and Bob Ambrogi's and Craig Williams' Lawyer2Lawyer Podcast

8. The Sherry Fowler Best Writing on a Legal Blog Award - Chuck Newton Rides the Third Wave

9. Best Law Professor Blog - Jim Maule's Mauled Again

10. Best New Law-related Blog - Jordan Furlong's Law 21

11. The DennisKennedy.Blog Best Legal Technology Blog - Rick Georges' Futurelawyer

12. Most Important Trend in Law-related Blogging - Microblogging