An Interview of Amy Derby- the Law Firm Blogger

For this week’s Guest Post Friday, I get to turn the tables on Amy Derby of Law Firm Blogger fame. Amy interviewed me for Musings’ second Guest Post Friday. Amy is a law blog consultant who helps small firms and solos learn to write better blogs and utilize the social web to network and brand. Based in Chicago, IL, she was previously a corporate bankruptcy paralegal at DLA Piper. Amy has been very helpful to me in getting Musings up and running and I recommend her highly to anyone starting a legal blog.

You were originally a bankruptcy paralegal at DLA Piper, what event (if there was one) caused you to decide to go free lance?

There wasn’t an event, per se. I actually loved the work and the people I worked with, but I was a bit of a workaholic and had burnt myself out. For years I had wanted to move to the west coast and go back to school. In the spring of 2004 I gave a few months notice and moved to San Francisco. I was taking a few writing classes and began doing freelance work, then eventually some consulting. I hadn’t planned to go out on my own permanently; it just kind of stuck. Five years later I’m back in Chicago and am a workaholic freelancer, despite the misnomer.

Aside from the great blogging advice, what other help do you give law firms and law bloggers?

I used to do a lot of freelance writing work for law firms – mostly website copy and articles. I don’t do as much of that anymore. I’ve had a few folks ask me to consult on non-blogging social media matters, but blogs are more my area.

I know this is a big question, but what has your biggest challenge been in spreading the word about the benefits and joys of Web 2.0, Twitter and blogging?

Frankly, I think I do as much cautionary warning and damage control as I do spreading the word about the benefits. I’m by no means an aggressive advocate for Web 2.0, and there are many cases where my honest reaction is that many lawyers shouldn’t be using these methods.

A lot of folks who come to me begin by saying they want to start blogging because a marketing person told them they should, but they don’t know the full scope of it and don’t have the time or desire to blog. Rather, they want to hire ghostwriters to blog for them to boost their websites’ SEO, or something similar. Always a challenge.

Probably my biggest challenge is that I’m not a lawyer. While I can do my own personal research on solicitation rules and such, I obviously can’t give anyone legal advice. Some firms come to me needing guidance that I’m not qualified to give them, and I usually refer them to Kevin O’Keefe at LexBlog.

What in your mind is the best thing that has happened for you because of Web 2.0 and your blogging experience?

Definitely the people I’ve met. I’m not a natural networker. At any networking event, I’m usually the geek in the corner playing with my PDA or talking to the one other reclusive person in the room. Twitter, especially, has helped me get to know a lot of people. When I went to ABA Techshow this spring, I already knew so many faces from Twitter that it was easy to start up conversations.

I’m sure you’ve met many people through your participation in Web 2.0 and blogging (I know I have), are there any folks in particular that you feel are at the top of the list of great people to know in this arena?

So many! Kevin O’Keefe is a great resource, obviously. Grant Griffiths and Michael Martine of Blawging Lawyers are excellent blog coaches and good people. I’ve met Adrian Lurssen of JD Supra – super nice guy, and I’m a huge JD Supra fan. I’m also a fan of Matthew Homann and his blog, the non-billable hour. I hope to meet Susan Cartier Liebel at some point, because I am so impressed by what she’s doing with Solo Practice University. I met Andrea Cannavina of Legal Typist this year and am looking forward to meeting Laurie Mapp of Halo Secretarial next week when she’s in Chicago. There is a much longer list, but that’s a start, eh?

Your blog provides a great platform for discussions of law firm related blogging, what is the one thing you would tell newbie law bloggers to get them started?

Thank you, Chris. I appreciate that. The first thing I ask is what people want to get out of blogging, so I can help them align their goal with a strategy to get that objective met. Once people know what their purpose is and who their target audience is, it’s a heck of a lot easier to figure out how to reach those people and continually produce content that will interest them. Simplistic, perhaps, but I see so many bloggers who have a goal of getting business who don’t blog in a way that will get them business.

Thanks so much for taking the time to interview me, Chris. I hope to meet you in person one of these days!

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