Adjunct Law Prof Blog

Reviewing Radin's Boilerplate

ContractsProf Blog (A Member of the Law Professor Blogs Network) has been hosting a series of short reviews of Margaret Radin's new book Boilerplate: The Fine Print, Vanishing Rights and Rule of Law.  Contributions so far have been by Ethan Leib (Fordham), David Horton (UC Davis), Andrew Gold (DePaul), Theresa Amato (Citizen Works), and Peter Alces (William & Mary).  It looks like there may be more to come. 

Hat Tip:  Kim Krawiec at The Faculty Lounge

Craig Estlinbaum

Lists of Law Faculty Who Blog

An interesting article about the scope of law professor blogging which is full of carts can be downloaded here. They list Adjunct Law Prof Blog, but they did not list the articles that cited us. 

Mitchell H. Rubinstein

Becoming A Lawyer Blog

I just came across Becoming A Lawyer, a blog by law school publisher Wolters Kluwer-one of the giants in law school publishing. It provides helpful information to prospective law students. For example, the article I just read is about being a law student and a parent at the same time. If your a college student thinking about law school and even if your a 1 L, you may want to check this blog out.

Mitchell H. Rubinstein

Miller and Retroactivity

Douglas Berman (Ohio State-Moritz) at Sentencing Law & Policy  blog has some timely and interesting comments on whether Miller v. Alabama, the recent high court case striking down mandatory sentences of life imprisonment without parole for juveniles, will be or should be applied retroactively for juveniles already serving live without parole sentences.

Craig Estlinbaum

Re-Introducing Guest Blogger Judge Craig Estlinbaum

I am delighted to report that Judge Craig Estinbaum of 130th Judicial District Court of Texas has decided to rejoin us a guest blogger. Many of you will remember Craig when he served as Contributing Editor to this blog. Craig is also an adjunct professor of law at South Texas Law School and he just completed his first law review article. 

Mitchell H. Rubinstein

Bloggers Held Not To Be Journalists

Obisdian Finance Group v. Fox, ____F.Supp.2d____ (D. Or. Nov. 30, 2011), is an important case for us bloggers. Oregon has a statute which limits defamation damages unless a plaintiff first requests a retraction. The court held, however, that a internet blogger, was not protected under that statute and therefore, could not rely on that defense. The court also held that a blogger was not protected under that state's shield law which privileged journalists from revealing their sources. 

It is hard to find fault with the court's decision. It was based purely on statutory interpretation. Though blogging is similar to other journalist type activities, it is different. The medium is different (internet) and you do not have to sell your story; rather you just put it out there. There are no professional organizations, educational degrees or regulations which govern blogging. In short, it is different. Perhaps this case will trigger legislation throughout the several states.

Mitchell H. Rubinstein

Checkout Legal Skills Prof Blog

Jim Levy, a contributing editor at Adjunct Law Prof Blog, Law Librarian Blog and Legal Writing Prof Blog finally took the big step and started his own blog. Its called Legal Skills Prof Blog. As its name implies, it focuses on legal skills. Some of this blog's early posting include an article about using Google Docs and the job market that new lawyers must face.

This is a must read blog. Congrats to Jim.

Mitchell H. Rubinstein 

Law Professor Bloggers

The National Law Journal ran an interesting Sept. 6, 2010 story about law professors that blog. Though Adjunct Law Prof Blog was not mentioned, two bloggers on the law professor blog network were profiled. 

Mitchell H. Rubinstein

Law Professor Blog Rankings

The annual ranking of law professor blogs are out. We are not listed even though we meet the criteria. Just another example of how adjuncts are second class citizens.

Mitchell H. Rubinstein

Anonymous Blog Comments

Legal Blog Watch ran an interesting story about anonymous blog comments and links to several other stories. As the posting states:

The New York Times ran an interesting article Monday about how certain news Web sites and blogs have begun moving away from the once-standard practice of allowing anonymous posting of comments on articles. In the story, the Times mentions the recent hubbub surrounding Cleveland judge Shirley Strickland Saffold, whose e-mail address was used to register a commenter named "Lawmiss" on the Cleveland Plain Dealer's Web site. Lawmiss proceeded to make some inflammatory (and likely unethical, if, in fact, Lawmiss is found to be Judge Saffold herself) comments on articles about cases before her.

Mitchell H. Rubinstein

Justia Ranks Adjunct Law Prof Blog 61st Most Popular of All Time

Justia ranks blogs. I am delighted to report that we are ranked number 61 of all time. It ranks 3,000 of them so this is quite an honor. Of course, Justia covers just law and legally related blogs. Who are the top 10 (actually 11)? They are as follows:

Sorted by Popularity | Sort by Name | Sort by Last Post Date

Today | This Week | This Month | All Time

Above the Law [Feed]

A legal tabloid that provides news and gossip about the profession's colorful personalities and powerful institutions, as well as original commentary on breaking legal developments.

Last Updated: May 21, 2010 - Rank All Time: 1

http://abovethelaw.com/

Sex Offender Issues [Feed]

Covers sex offender laws and cases.

Last Updated: May 20, 2010 - Rank All Time: 2

http://sexoffenderissues.blogspot.com/

The Indiana Law Blog [Feed]

Covers Indiana law, as well as interesting developments in law and government. By Marcia Oddi.

Last Updated: May 21, 2010 - Rank All Time: 3

http://indianalawblog.com/

New York Supreme Court Criminal Term Library Blog [Feed]

News and information gateway to web based services provided by the New York State Supreme Court Criminal Term Library in New York County.

Last Updated: March 31, 2010 - Rank All Time: 4

http://www.bloglines.com/blog/PLL

Law Blog [Feed]

Covers law and business and the business of law. By the Wall Street Journal.

Last Updated: May 21, 2010 - Rank All Time: 5

http://blogs.wsj.com/law

DealBook [Feed]

Covers mergers and acquisitions, investment banking, IPOs, private equity, hedge funds, venture capital and law. A Financial News Service of The New York Times.

Last Updated: May 21, 2010 - Rank All Time: 6

http://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com/?=rss2

TaxProf Blog [Feed]

By University of Cincinnati Law Professor Paul L. Caron and Ron Jones.

Last Updated: May 21, 2010 - Rank All Time: 7

http://taxprof.typepad.com/taxprof_blog/

Sentencing Law and Policy [Feed]

By Moritz College of Law Professor Douglas A. Berman.

Last Updated: May 21, 2010 - Rank All Time: 8

http://sentencing.typepad.com/sentencing_law_and_policy/

How Appealing [Feed]

Covers appellate litigation. By Howard J. Bashman.

Last Updated: May 21, 2010 - Rank All Time: 9

http://howappealing.law.com/

Class Action Defense Blog [Feed]

Covers CAFA, class certification, employment law, FCRA, FDCPA and multidistrict litigation. Published by Michael Hassen of Jeffer Mangels Butler & Marmaro LLP.

Last Updated: May 15, 2010 - Rank All Time: 10

http://classactiondefense.jmbm.com/

Instapundit.com [Feed]

Online magazine of opinion. By University of Tennessee College of Law professor Glenn Reynolds.

Last Updated: May 21, 2010 - Rank All Time: 11 http://pajamasmedia.com/

Mitchell H. Rubinstein

Blogging As Legal Scholarship

Is blogging legal scholarship? That is the 64,000 question raised by several scholars. Orin Kerr of The Volokh Conspiracy as well as Doug Berman, Steve Bainbridge, Ann Althouse   recently blogged about this. 

Readers may be surprised at my take on all of this. Blogging is NOT legal scholarship. Why? Because a one page posting analyzing a recent case is not nearly as comprehensive as an article. It also does not go through the cite check process and is meant to be a single story.

Are some blog postings important? Yes. Do some blogs contribute to the development of the law? Absolutely. But they are not scholarship. I view them the same as articles in law related publications such as the National Law Journal or law.com. They have a place in the legal academy and should count for something by law schools-but they are not legal scholarship.

Mitchell H. Rubinstein

Law Professor Blog Rankings

TaxProf Blog complied its annual list of the top 35 Law Prof Blogs, here.  No, we are not on that list-yet, but we are getting close. Congrats to Jim Levy, our contributing editor who also writes at Legal Writing Prof Blog for his enormous contribution which lead to such a large increase in readership.

Mitchell H. Rubinstein

50 Great Blogs For And By Law Professors

Online Universities published a list of 50 great blogs by and for Law Professors and we made the cut! The top 23 are as follows:

Legal News

Follow the latest legal cases by visiting these news blogs.

1. Law Blog: The WSJ law blog is updated multiple times a day and follows the big legal cases of the moment and business law.
2. Above the Law: Above the Law is part news, part legal tabloid, and is a great resource for keeping up with behind-the-scenes dirt from law schools, top firms, and major cases.
3. The Volokh Conspiracy: This group blog is mostly written by law professors and focuses on law theory and research, law professors and law school, and top (or just weird) cases.
4. Blawg Review: Get an aggregated list of the week’s best law blog posts here.
5. Robert Ambrogi’s LawSites: Robert Ambrogi is a great resource if you want to find new legal resource websites.
6. The Shark: California law school students keep up with news, salaries and more.
7. Paper Chase: JURIST’s legal news blog is all about "serious law" from "primary sources."
8. Legal Counsel Corner: This legal commentary blog covers the latest headlines in business law, bail bonds, bankruptcy, class action lawsuits, family law and more.
9. ABA Blogs: Find law blogs in every single niche, plus tickers of the featured and most popular blogs and posts.
10. Adjunct Law Prof Blog: Mitchell H. Rubinstein is an adjunct professor at New York Law School and blogs about interesting cases, from domestic violence to health care. He also posts about New York law and law school issues.
11. American Constitution Society: The ACS tracks top law cases and news.

Theory and Philosophy

Here you’ll find discussion and research devoted to legal theory and philosophy.

12. Dorf on Theory: Cornell law professor Michael Dorf, with his lawyer and professor friends, muses on various law topics here.
13. Kenneth Anderson’s Law of War and Just War Theory Blog: This law professor from American University blogs about international laws of war.
14. Ernie the Attorney: Ernie has been blogging since 2002 and examines how the legal system responds to change.
15. Leiter Reports: Law professors will appreciate this philosophy blog that comments on academia, intellectual property and legal philosophy.
16. Florida Student Philosophy Blog: Florida undergrads, grad students and faculty discuss logic, ethics, the philosophy of law and plenty of other topics here.
17. Engage: Conversations in Philosophy: Follow this blog for intriguing discussions and questions about social responsibility, public policy, civil disobedience and more.
18. Feminist Legal Theory: Learn all about feminist legal theory from this blog, published by the UC Davis School of Law.

Business Law

Business law professors will find plenty of resources and commentary on these blogs.

19. M&A Law Prof: Read about mergers and acquisitions and major cases within the industry from Brian JM Quinn and Michael A. Woronoff.
20. May It Please the Court: J. Craig Williams blogs about legal news and mostly business law subjects.
21. The Conglomerate: This blog follows and analyzes top business law cases and economic policy.
22. The Becker-Posner Blog: This prominent blog covers practically everything, but it’s a great resource for business and economics law.
23. The Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance and Financial Regulation: HLS faculty and fellows share commentary about business law, banking, and more.

Mitchell H. Rubinstein

List of Law School Bloggers

Evidence Prof Blog is putting together a list of law professors who blog, available here. Unlike some other lists, adjunct profs are included and therefore, this blog is included. Readers may find this posting of interest.

Mitchell H. Rubinstein 

Jim Levy Joins Adjunct Law Prof Blog As Contributing Editor

I am delighted to announce that Professor James Levy has joined us as a Contributing Editor. Jim is also a contributing editor at two of our sister blogs, Legal Writing Prof Blog and Law Librarian Prof Blog. Jim teaches Legal Writing at Nova Southeastern Law School in Florida. I think being a contributing editor at 3 blogs must be some type of record. Please join me in welcoming Jim.

You may have also noticed that Professor Eric Lustig (New England School of Law) has decided to leave us. Eric has been with Adjunct Law Prof Blog since we started in May 2007 and please join me in thanking him for his time and contributions.

Mitchell H. Rubinstein

2009 Legal Educator Blog Census

Professor Colin Miller over at Evidence Law Prof Blog, one of 50 or so sister blogs that are members of the Law Professor Blog Network did a great job putting together a legal educator blog census.

Here is the portion covering bloggers at law schools starting with A-M:

http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/evidenceprof/2009/09/am-version-20.html

Here is the portion covering bloggers at law schools starting with N-Z:

http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/evidenceprof/2009/09/nz-version-20.html

Here is an alphabetical listing of all blogs:

http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/evidenceprof/2009/09/alphabetical.html

He also complied some statistics which readers may find of interest.

http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/evidenceprof/2009/09/rankings.html

Mitchell H. Rubinstein

Introduction of Guest Blogger Professor Jim Levy

Jim Levy, associate professor of law-Nova Southeastern, who is a good friend to this blog, asked me the other day if he could guest blog. I was thrilled that he asked. Jim is a contributing editor over at Legal Writing Prof Blog, which is like a sister blog to this one since we are both on the same network and we both often address the same types of stories.
Jim is a graduate of Suffolk University School of Law and Colby College. He has taught at several different law schools, primarily in the area of legal writing. Unlike so many other profs, Jim also practiced law for several years at a major law firm. Therefore, you can be confident that Jim knows what he is talking about. 
Jim is known as the "scholarship dude" and after you read a few postings of his, I think you will understand why. Please join me in welcoming Jim to Adjunct Law Prof Blog.
I expect that Jim's postings will start shortly.


Mitchell H. Rubinstein 

New York Criminal Practice Blog

There is a new blog in town that focuses on New York Criminal Practice and Procedure. It is run by Professor Larry Cunningham, a legal writing professor at St. John's Law School. Professor Cunningham explained his reasons for starting this blog as follows:

The practice of criminal law in New York is incredibly complex and sophisticated.  The Penal Law, for example, has one of the most complex sentencing regimes in the nation, along with numerous crimes, such as depraved indifference murder, that have rich bodies of case law interpreting their meaning.  The Criminal Procedure Law is filled with traps and missed opportunities for the unwary and uninformed.  The New York Court of Appeals and the four Departments of the Appellate Division regularly churn out important decisions that interpret and apply these provisions.

At the same time, there exists a scarcity of resources--particularly on the web--for attorneys and judges to stay current on the substantive and procedural law of New York criminal practice.  This blog hopes to fill this void by providing:

• information about new cases from the Court of Appeals and Appellate Division;
• summaries of important new decisions;
• commentaries about emerging and contentious topics;
• advice about how to handle particular legal questions and problems;
• news about important pending cases and controversies; and
• a forum for the exchange of ideas about these topics, through user comments.

Although I have a background in both prosecution and criminal defense, I am hoping to offer a neutral, objective perspective on these subjects.  I am not maintaining this blog as advertising or a way to obtain clients.  As a full-time law professor, I hope to bring an academic, yet practical, perspective on New York Criminal Law and Procedure

Comments and suggestions are always welcome.  (LC)

Please check out this blog. Even if you do not practice criminal law, you may want to bookmark it for future reference.

Mitchell H. Rubinstein

 

Top Law Professor Blogs

Dean Paul Caron (who owns this Network) and runs TaxProf Blog has an interesting Oct. 30, 2008 posting ranking the top law professor blogs. No we are not on it yet. The blog numbered 35, Legal History Blog (last on this list) had 125,00 plus visitors in the last year. We are getting close to that number, but we are not there yet. Query, whether they would include a blog run by an Adjunct in law professor blog rankings. Unfortunately, I do not believe that they will do so.

So lets teach them a lesson and surpass those rankings.

Speaking of rankings, whose on top? InstaPundi.

Congratuations to Paul and all those for a job well done.

Mitchell H. Rubinstein