It may seem self-evident that Kevin O’Keefe, founder and CEO of LexBlog – the blogging site specifically designed for lawyers and law firms – would be of the opinion that lawyers ought to blog. But, as is often the case with issues that seem self-evident, it is worth looking into the reasons why O’Keefe is such a proponent of blog sites and other social-media-networking opportunities for lawyers.

O’Keefe practiced law for 17 years before creating a website that ultimately became the foundation of lawyer.com. He was an early convert to online networking, and started writing his own blog more than a dozen years ago. While he admits that blogging is not for every lawyer, his own experience has shown him a range of benefits available to those who choose to blog. The title of his own blog site, Real Lawyers Have Blogs, leaves no doubt about his perspective on the subject.

In a recent article, O’Keefe posted ten reasons why he believes lawyers should have blogs. Those who are not already bloggers (or those who are, but are feeling guilty because it’s been two years since they last posted) may be surprised and inspired (or re-inspired) to note that the first item on his list is, “Because it is fun.”

O’Keefe’s nine other arguments in support of blogging cover a range of rationales from altruism, through self-fulfillment, to economic benefits and career advancement. It appears that a lot of lawyers already agree that there are benefits to blogging: more than 8,000 (including me) use LexBlog as their platform.

Let me know your thoughts about lawyers and blogging in the comments section below, or directly via email