In the ABAJ top 100
It all began around this time in 2013, when The Legal Genealogist got an email with a return address of americanbar.org — and almost deleted it.
I figured it was a pitch for membership in the American Bar Association. And, since it’s been a loooooong time since I was in active law practice and I don’t keep an active law license, I had my finger on the delete key when — for some unknown reason — I decided to read it before deleting it.
“Congratulations,” it said. “Your blawg has earned a spot in the ABA Journal’s Blawg 100, our 7th annual list of the best in blogs about lawyers and the law.”1
That recognition, from the prestigious American Bar Association Journal, was cool.
Then around this time in 2014, I got another email, and it had a return address of americanbar.org, too.
“Congratulations,” it said. “Your blawg has earned a spot in the ABA Journal’s Blawg 100, our 8th annual list of the best in blogs about lawyers and the law.”2
That was doubly cool.
Then just about this time last year, in came another email, and it had that same americanbar.org return address.
“Congratulations,” it said. “Your blawg has earned a spot in the ABA Journal’s Blawg 100, our 9th annual list of the best in blogs about lawyers and the law.”3
That was cool, too.
So… yesterday afternoon, my email program started whining for my attention and there it was, with a return address of americanbar.org.
“Congratulations are in order,” it read. “Your blawg has earned a spot in the ABA Journal‘s Blawg 100, our 10th annual list of the best in blogs about lawyers and the law.”4
And that — no doubt about it — is definitely cool.
And since any recognition I get is really a reflection of the support of the readers of this blog, all I can say is… thank you. I’m honored and grateful.
And we can all be thankful in this Thanksgiving season for one thing more about this Blawg 100 thing.
In the past, the ABA Journal has also had vanity voting, where readers of blogs in several categories got to vote for their favorites.
Now… far be it from me to suggest that the genealogists had the lawyers running scared — just because we outvoted the lawyers in the niche category in 20135 and in 20146 — but the ABA Journal isn’t doing the voting bit any more. It’s simply announcing the Blawg 100 and leaving it at that.7
Considering that we’re still recovering from some other election, I suspect we can all be grateful for that, too.
Thanks again, folks.
SOURCES
- Yeah, yeah, I know. Trust me — I’m as pained by the “blawg” spelling as you are. ↩
- Ditto. ↩
- Ditto. Really. ↩
- No, actually, they’re not going to change the spelling. They like it, you see. ↩
- Judy G. Russell, “It’s a win!,” The Legal Genealogist, posted 3 Jan 2014 (https://www.legalgenealogist.com/blog : accessed 28 Nov 2016). ↩
- See ibid., “Two years in a row!,” The Legal Genealogist, posted 8 Jan 2015. ↩
- The fact that it has also had problems in the past with ballot-box stuffing may have had something to do with it too… Seriously. “Q. Why do I have to register to vote in the Blawg 100? A. Because we experienced significant voting irregularities in the past, we opted to require voters to register beginning in 2009.” “Frequently Asked Questions About the Blawg 100 and Voting,” Blawg 100, ABA Journal (http://www.abajournal.com/ : accessed 14 Dec 2014). Go ahead. It made me laugh too. ↩
Perhaps this will count as an early vote for next year. Feel free to stuff it in as many boxes as you like!
Thanks so much, Peter!
Congratulations! And your 5th anniversary of blogging will be coming soon. I’ve enjoyed your mix of education on law, methodology and genetic genealogy with the family-related posts. [You know, if you almost deleted the 2013 announcement, could you have missed one in 2012?]
Thanks! No, I don’t think I missed one in 2012. I think it took some time for the blog to get on the ABA’s radar. 🙂
Congratulations! Well deserved Judy! Also, love the first few footnotes about your ‘blawg’award.
Thanks for the kind wawrds… 🙂
Congratulations! That’s a great honor. I really enjoy reading your Blog and appreciate all the wonderful work you’ve done. It’s one of my email subscriptions I never get tired of reading.
Thanks so much!
Yeah!! You’re always a winner to my non-lawyerly eyes. Congratulations indeed.
Thanks so much, Celia!
Your lawgic is flawed.
Awch. Awch awch awch… 🙂
Judy, you have been recognized for the great job you do, but I feel all us readers have been the big winners learning from you!
Thanks so much for the kind words.