A New Blawg Materialises…
A New Day, a New Year and a New Blawg materialises… The Time Blawg [The past, present and future practice of law], brought to you by Brian Inkster.
Why Blawg?
My interest in blogging has grown from my use of Twitter [@BrianInkster] which brought to my attention the many great blogs that are out there. I have already done a bit of blogging at Inksters News and at the Inksters Give Blog but neither of those platforms is the right vehicle to express my views on the past, present and future practice of law. I am now regularly asked to contribute articles and news items or provide talks on the use of IT, social media and marketing by lawyers. There appeared to be a need for a Blawg to supplement this activity. So here it is. Oh… I also needed an appropriate Blawg on which to put the Spring 2011 edition of the UK Blawg Roundup having agreed some time ago to edit that one.
There are many excellent and well established blogs out there covering the same territory that I will be covering (see my blogroll – and do let me know if there are others I should be adding to it). I hope that The Time Blawg will complement those and enable me to express in more detail views that may arise from reading those blogs. I do, however, have a day job to do at Inksters so my posts on here may be occasional rather than regular. Having said that I did manage 96 posts at the Inksters Give Blog in little over a year.
Why The Time Blawg?
I know there may be a Dr Who reference going on with the blog name and the image of the Police Box. However, unlike my friend and fellow blogger, Tessa Shepperson, I am not a Whovian – although I do of course like to watch Dr Who when I can. So don’t expect clever references to Dr Who to creep into my blog posts or blog titles – although they may (like this particular post) do so on occasion!
Whilst there will be an emphasis in this blog on the present and future practice of law you sometimes have to glance back at the past to see/appreciate the future. The Time Blawg (like a TARDIS) will help us do just that. The Police Box does of course reference the law and I just happened to have some photos of the Police Box in Buchanan Street, Glasgow taken for use on Inksters’ websites. So it all seemed to fit.
The future?
I look forward to posting on The Time Blawg in 2011 and beyond, inviting guest bloggers, receiving comments and encouraging debate at a time when the legal profession is going through many changes. Do let me know what you would like to see on The Time Blawg and I will try to oblige. … and do also follow The Time Blawg on Twitter.
Welcome to the blawgosphere, Time Blawg. A great name and (I am sure) a great blog.
Of course the legal profession is in many ways rather like the Doctor. It is very old, far older than the 907 years (give or take a few) of the Doctors current lifespan.
It is also (on the whole) very kind (1) and tries to right the world as best it can. Sometimes gets it wrong of course, but that too is very like the Doctor. Then there are the shadows on the profession, the Dream Lords (2) of the legal world, who taint its good heart and which we are glad to throw out of the Tardis when we find them.
The law itself is rather like the Tardis, bigger, much bigger on the inside than you could possibly image looking in from the outside, a huge, huge subject, beyond the wit of man to know in its entirety unless he spends a lifetime doing nothing else.
The law can also take us to unexpected places. I for example find myself in cyberspace, a place I never expected to go to, in those far off days when I did my training. Some of us are still very much in the past, while others (such as Inksters) are looking towards the future.
So let us see what unexpected places the Time Blawg will take us to. I look forward to it. And wish you Brian, all the best.
(1) The Beast Below (2) Amys Choice
Thank you Tessa for that very nice and appropriately themed welcome!
Welcome and best of luck with your new adventure!
Looking back is crucial and that does not just count for the law. Looking back we see what we misinterpreted and can do better.
Best of luck with this blog, Vidster
Good advice Vidster, and thanks for your good wishes.
Fabulous initiative as ever Brian! Thanks so much for bringing this to us all. I’ll be sure to spread the good word. It always gives me a buzz when I witness true creativity and innovation in the legal sector. Looking forward to reading more! 🙂 Hats off to you my friend.
Warmest regards as ever
Chrissie Lightfoot
The Entrepreneur Lawyer
(of the naked kind)
Thanks for your kind words and support Chrissie.
“The past, present and future practice of law” reminds me of a CPD seminar from Tim Platell.
He opened by recalling that, when he started in the law in the mid-1970s, the conveyancing department was managed by a managing clerk, the tools of whose trade had not changed in the 50 years since the 1925 property legislation: paper, forms, manual typewriter, telephone, carbon paper, pen and postage stamps.
In the next 25 years, things changed out of recognition with the introduction of electric – then electronic – typewriters, fax machines, word processors, PCs, email, etc (listed by me in no particular order).
Things move on apace with case management systems, online resourses, online conveyancing, smartphones, etc, etc
Change accelerates. As the old Chinese curse has it: we live in interesting times!
Exactly Justin. But not forgetting the Telex machine! Even I can recall the first electric typewriters, use of carbon paper etc. These are things I will look back on when looking forward at The Time Blawg.
The Telex! Yes! Before I went to Law College I spent the summer holiday after leaving school working at the firm where I would be an articled clerk (ie: trainee solicitor in today’s language). One of the secretaries had a higher status – and significantly higher salary, it was implied – because she was *the* telex operator. Once fax machines were invented, the Telex … died
Looking forward to reading your posts. Our best regards from across the pond.
Adrian Baron
aka Nutmeg Lawyer Blog
Thank you Adrian. I have added The Nutmeg Lawyer to this blawg’s blogroll. It was interesting to read your latest post “Is Blogging worth the effort?” as I embark upon The Time Blawg and am about to start some specific law related blogs at Inksters. I have already experienced the effect you describe as a result of microblogging via Twitter. I am confident that blogging itself will bring its own rewards. I will perhaps do a post on this in one year’s time.
Hi Brian
Congratulations on the launch of your new blawg.
As one of the ‘Future lawyers’ I am excited by the launch of your blawg and hope that by looking at the past and the present we can collectively, create a better future for the next generations of lawyers to come.
I hope to be able to offer you any help you need from the perspective of a ‘new lawyer’ and remember every Time Lord needs an assistant – any room in that Tardis for an Eagle ?
Michelle Hynes-Mcilroy
@legaleaglemhm
Brian, again great innovation. I’m sure we’ll have the most blawg savvy students in the UK by the end of the semester. Michelle, Happy New Year – and give me a buzz. Cheers from a new convert.
Thanks Douglas
The University of Glasgow may have the only blawg savvy students in the UK by the end of the semester. I wonder how many law schools in the UK cover blawging in any way?
Thanks Michelle.
I will be looking for assistants to enter the Tardis from time to time to Guest Blog at The Time Blawg. So your help on that front would be much appreciated.
Brian
Just added a link on my Blog to the Tardis
Thanks for that Michelle.
Brian
The Time Blawg looks great – look forward to some interesting content and comments!
Think 2011 will be a good year for blawging….
Victoria.
Thanks Victoria
Yes… 2011 shall be the year of the Blawgs:-
http://thetimeblawg.com/2011/01/03/future-law-it-predictions-for-2011/