Reflections on Law Department Management – this blawg – after one year and 1,000 posts

One year ago today I began this blog. One thousand posts later, 33,000 hits, 45 comments, 23 trackbacks – and enormous fun. Thank you ALM, thank you Anne for indulging me, and thank you to all those bloggers-in-arms who have helped me and disagreed with me and cited me. I have four thoughts, based on looking back over the year (and a movie for each, for fun).

The Silence of the Lambs. So many, many people read the blawg, but never utter a peep. They don’t comment, they don’t dash off an e-mail, they don’t give anything back. I’m sorry for that, all the silent lurkers, because it would be even more fun and instructive for all of us to hear from you.

The Matrix. It is hard for me to observe clear boundaries for my posts. A law department is a group of people that shares a mission. Anything that has to do with people who work together could be fair game for this blawg; anything that has to do with professionals and those who support them; anything about professional services, law, sociology, psychology, economics, neuro-science – you get the point. The blawg’s scope expands out in so many dimensions.

Forest Gump. People note how much I post, and perhaps someday the blog well may run dry. Perhaps, but I doubt it, because now, with everything I read and encounter, I mentally blog. What could be read and heard is infinite and even more omniscient is the Web, cultivated by the collective intelligence and curiosity of those who find my blog. Every search engine that finds my blog lets me peek into the mind of someone, stimulates ideas, and I can pick forever from the box of chocolates.

The French Connection. Not only does source material beckon from everywhere, but the more I create posts the more I see connections. Like the scholars in Hermann Hesse’s Glass Bead Game, when I reflect on the combinations and permutations, the exploration never ends. I’m in a fast car of ideas zooming though an exciting chase scene.

Rudy. What most energizes my blogging – aside from the fun, the chance to play with words, and a means to professional development (when I am not blogging I consult a bit to law departments) – is my sincere hope that this blog is creating a useful resource. A resource for those who want to manage a law department well, but don’t have all the answers. Here, maybe, are some answers or pointers.

This blawg gives me a medium for my doing exactly what I am good at: collecting interesting items, distilling them with a touch of panache, and helping in-house lawyers improve their management skills. It’s a worthwhile goal and the game is fun.