原文: Why Every Law Student Should Blog

I started blogging during my first year of law school at the Frugal Law Student. When I started it, I just thought it would be a fun way to share with my friends and family the ways I’m saving money in law school.

But my foray into blogging has actually helped advance my legal career. That’s why I think every law student should have a blog. Here are two specific ways a blog can help you.

1. It’s a great job marketing tool. A blog is the ultimate marketing tool for law stuents. When you go into a job interview, employers are looking for what distinguishes you from the dozens of other applicants they’re interviewing. On paper, most applicants look the same, especially when you apply for large firms. You and everyone else will be in the top of your class, you’ll all be on law review, and you’ll all be active in extracurricular activities.

One of the questions you’re guaranteed to get during the interview is “What do you do when you’re not doing law school?” You could give a vanilla answer that everyone gives like “I like to exercise” or “I like to read.” Or you could give an answer like this: “I author a blog that focuses on international environmental law;  I’ve done guest contributions to the blogs of several environmental law scholars; and I’ve managed to attract a large enough following that I have commercial sponsorships for my blog.” Which answer do you think will stick in your interviewer’s mind?

The second answer packs in a lot more information than the first one. By blogging, you tell your interviewer that 1) you’re serious about environmental law; 2) you’ve networked with other attorneys and legal scholars in that field; 3) you know how to leverage technology; and 4) you know how to market yourself.

When you leave, the person who interviewed you is going to check your site out. They’re going to be thinking about you after the interview, which is good. By checking your blog out, they can get a better idea of who you are because your personality will show through your writing. They’ll probably send a link to the other attorneys in the firm.

All things being equal, who do you think is going to get an offer for a summer job? The person who just said they like to read or the person who said they blogged? I think the answer is obvious.

A blog can be a successful marketing tool even if you don’t write about law related stuff. Find something you’re passionate about and start writing. If you like to run, (one of those vanilla answers) start a blog and track your progress and share your tips on running. Then when you’re asked what you like to do outside of law school you can say, “I enjoy running and I write a blog offering tips on how runners can improve.” Your interviewer will be impressed with your tech saviness. When they check your site out, they’ll get a better idea of who you are.

Of course the effectiveness of a blog as a marketing tool depends on a few factors. First, while you can be less formal on a blog, remember that potential employers might be reading it. So don’t use vulgar language, don’t post pictures of you after a Thursday night partying, and don’t discuss your sex life. Be personal, but stay professional.

Second, edit! Your blog is basically another resume for employers to use to determine whether to hire you or not. If your blog posts are full of spelling mistakes and grammatical errors, it reflects poorly on you.

2. It improves your writing. Blogging has definitely helped my legal writing. When you write for a blog, your audience consists of internet users who have the attention span of a gnat. You have to capture their attention and maintain it through good solid writing. When you write on a blog, you want to use short sentences and paragraphs; you want to tell a story that draws people in; and you want organize your writing with headings that make it easier for the reader follow.

Do these tips sound familiar? It’s the exact same thing you’re supposed to do in legal writing! By blogging consistently, you can improve your legal writing immensely.

Also, knowing that hundreds or even thousands of people may be reading your posts forces you to edit it carefully. Producing content that’s free of mistakes shows you respect your reader. When you prepare a trial brief or a research memo, you’ll want to show that same respect. Blogging can help you get in the habit of editing more carefully.

译文: 为何每个法律系学生应该写博客

     我读法学院一年级的时候开始在“Frugal Law Student”这个网站上写博客。刚开始时，我只是认为，用这种方式来同我的朋友和家庭分享我在法学院省钱的方法，是非常有趣的。

     但是这次写博客的尝试，实际上帮助我在法律职业生涯上有了提高。这就是为什么我认为每个学法律的学生都应该有一个博客。下面是博客带给你帮助的两种具体方式。

1、   它是个了不起的求职市场营销手段。博客是法学学生的终极市场营销手段。当你参加求职面试时，雇主们寻求的是你同众多其他面试的申请者与众不同之处。在求职简历上，大部分申请者看起来水平相当，尤其是当你申请大公司时。你还有其他每个人都是你们班级的佼佼者，你们都具有法律思维，并且你们也都积极投身于课外活动。

     在面试中，必定被问到的一个问题便是“当你不在法学院上课时你做什么？”你可以给出一个随大流而又动听的答案，像是“我喜欢运动”或“我喜欢读书”。或者你可以给出这样的答案“我开了个博客来关注国际环境法；我已经在许多环境法学者的博客上撰写了文章；并写成功地吸引了大量的追随者为我的博客提供商业支持。”你认为哪种回答会给面试官留下深刻印象呢？

     第二种回答比第一种包含了更多的信息。通过写博客，你告诉你的面试官：1）你很重视环境法；2）你已经同其他律师和法学者在此领域有网上交流；3）你知道如何驾驭科技；4）你知道如何推销自己。

     当你离开后，面试你的人将会查看你的网站。他们会在面试后考虑录用你，这是有益的。通过查看你的博客，他们能对你有更好地了解因为你的个性将在你的文章中充分体现出来。他们也可能会把连接发给公司的其他律师。

     平衡一下，你认为谁会得到一个暑期工作？是说自己喜欢阅读的人呢还是说自己写博客的人呢？我觉得答案显而易见。

     即使你不写关于法律的东西，博客仍会是一个成功的市场营销工具。照到你为止疯狂的东西然后开始写吧。如果你喜欢经营，开一个博客纪录你的发展历程，分享你的经营秘诀。然后，当被问及法学学习之余你喜欢做什么时，你就可以说，“我喜欢经营，并且我写有一个博客，为经营者们如何发展提供建议。”你的科技意识会给面试官留下深刻印象。当他们查看你博客时就会对你了解更深。

     当然作为一个市场营销工具，博客的有效性有多方面决定因素。第一，有时你在博客上是不够正式的，记住，可能成为你老板的人会去阅读它。所以不要使用粗俗的语言，不要发布你在一个礼拜四晚上聚会后的照片，而且不要谈论你的性生活。有个性，但要职业化。

     第二，编辑！你的博客本质上是雇主们用来决定是否录用你的另一份简历。如果你博客上的帖子充满的拼写和语法错误，这会显得你词藻贫乏。

2、   它提高你的写作。写博客明显地帮我提高了法律写作水平。当你写博客时，你的读者是网络用户组成的，他们的注意力范围就像一个小昆虫。你必须吊住他们的胃口，并通过坚持好的写作来维持他们的注意。当你写博客时，你想要使用短句和词组；你想要讲吸引人们的故事；并且你想要用读者容易搜索到的标题来组织你的写作。

     这些建议听起来熟悉么？这恰恰是你在法律写作中应该做的事情！坚持写博客，你就能极大的提高你的法律写作水平。

     同时，知道有成百上千的人可能正在读你的帖子，你就有动力去认真编辑它。创作准确无误的内容显示了你对读者的尊重。当你在准备一份庭审概况或者研究备忘录时，你也将想显示同样的尊重。写博客能帮你养成更加认真编辑的好习惯。