‘Real Lawyers Have Blogs’ gives thanks on its 15th birthday – Thanksgiving Day

Fifteen years ago today, I published my first post on this blog, ‘Real Lawyers Have Blogs’ which I call ‘Real Lawyers,’ for short these days.

I had no idea what a blog was. I was interested in finding out what a web based service named TypePad was all about — something I came to understand later to be a web-based blog platform. I had read they expected to have 10,000 paying users within 90 days of their launch – those were AOL numbers in my mind. 

I swiped my credit card for $4.95 a month and I penned my first post and published it – only after reviewing it for a day or two – and I was on my way for the journey of a lifetime.

On Thankgsgiving Day, it’s only apropos that I share what this blog, I and LexBlog are thankful for, as I result of ‘Real Lawyers.’

LexBlog is not a company that decided to have a blog. LexBlog was born from this blog. So bear with me as to who is thanking who.

1. For all of you readers. Who’d have know that just penning a blog about stuff I thought important and doing nothing to market or promote ‘Real Lawyers’ would atract so many loyal readers. Readers who would come up to me at events telling me how something I penned years before had helped them. There is nothing better than knowing you helped someone. 
2. For all that we’ve learned from this blog. LexBlog and I have been challenged, given feedback and taught any number of things in response to posts and comments here. And today, on social media discussion about blog posts here. Thanks for caring. 
3. For the wonderful people I have met. The legal profession includes some of the finest and most decent people in the world. Many who care deeply about changing the world and helping people – even if one client at a time. 
4. For the places this blog and I have gone. But for ‘Real Lawyers’ I would never have been sitting in the offices of the Law Society in London last month letting them know LexBlog was going to begin doing business in the UK. That’s crazy for a snot nosed kid from a small town. ‘Real Lawyers’ took us to law schools across the States, to Europe on a couple occasions, to Bar Assciations, to small firms and to the largest law firms in the world. 
5. For a seat at the table in the online and face to face discussions on increasing access to legal services and access to justice.
6. For the opportunity to help so many lawyers, law firms and law students. Your trust in this blog, LexBlog and I is humbling.
7. For the company, LexBlog, that ‘Real Lawyers’ gave us, a company that enabled the blog to continue and a company that now employs a lot of people and supports a lot of families, 
8. For Soby Mathew and Tim Stanley. Without their help, ‘Real Lawyers” and LexBlog would never have happened. I have no idea what I’d be doing today, but for the two of them. Tim got me a speaking engagement about blogs for lawyers, something I knew darn little about, in front of an audience that shockingly wanted me to help them with blogs. Soby’s design and development work gave rise to this blog’s first real design and what could only be called first of their kind blog designs for law firms. Without Tim’s support and care, Soby would not have been able to help with this blog and LexBlog. 
9. For this blog’s and Lexblog’s team, they are one in the same. Fine, decent, caring and talented professionals serving others and growing at the same time. Without this team, this blog, LexBlog and I would be nothing.
10. For the support of my family. Starting something from scratch that never existing before and offering a product that had not existed before is not for faint of heart. This blog and I thank Mrs. Real Lawyers for putting up with me and LexBlog. In return, in ts fifteen years, this blog has given my family much, including a home filled with family on Thanksgiving Day.

Happy Thanksgiving Day to you and your family from ‘Real Lawyers’ and I. To another fifteen years.