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 last year, 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 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 9th annual list of the best in blogs about lawyers and the law.”3
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 may have the lawyers running scared — just because we outvoted the lawyers in the niche category in 20134 and in 20145 — but the ABA Journal isn’t doing that voting part any more. It’s simply announcing the Blawg 100 and leaving it at that.6
Considering that we’re a year away from the Presidential election and we’re already tired of campaigning, 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. 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 23 Nov 2015). ↩
- 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. ↩
I was just thinking, “Wow, she sourced the email she received!” Then, I scrolled down to see the source citation and saw what you wrote. LOL! That cracked me up! Do you think Elizabeth would approve of your format?! Ha, ha…congratulations Judy!
Thank you — and in this case, I suspect Elizabeth would approve 100%!
Way to go, Judy! Well-deserved!
Wow, three years in a row, you must be doing something right, congratulations Judy.
Congratulations, Judy! I love your sources.
It’s because you tell really good stories, Judy.
Well deserved!
Because of following your blog for the past two years, I have become better educated on the law as it applies to genealogy, which is what I expected from reading your blog.
Here’s what I didn’t expect:
I didn’t expect to become a better writer because of you.
I didn’t expect to become a better all-around researcher because of you.
I didn’t expect to become a better citer because of you.
I didn’t expect to set my own bar higher because of you.
I didn’t expect to become just a little more human… because of you.
But, thankfully, I did.
All of those things occurred… because of you.
The Legal Genealogist deserves every award, every kudo, and every recognition she recieves.
And I am grateful to be on the getting end of your gifts to us.
Happy Thanksgiving to you, Judy G. Russell. You, The Law, and this Blog are now weaved into the fabric of my genealogical being.
I hope you take a little break, pet the cats a lot, eat lots and lots and lots of food, and enjoy many friends and family this weekend.
You deserve all of that, too.
Wow… Elizabeth, you have made my day. Thank you so much for those kind words.