POLITICS, WEBLOGS, AND PLAINTIFFS' LAWYERS . . . At a national seminar last week for plaintiffs' lawyers, I was surprised when one of the keynote speakers urged the audience to learn more about weblogs and podcasts.

The seminar was Mass Torts Made Perfect. The speaker was Mike Papantonio of Levin Papantonio. Papantonio's topic: "Corporate Controlled Media: What Lawyers Everywhere Are Up Against."

Most of Papantonio's talk was about the prevalence of conservative talk radio. As those who are familiar with Papantonio know, he favors a more progressive political message, one that's featured on his own radio show, Ring of Fire, which he does with Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

Speaking to an audience of plaintiffs' lawyers, Papantonio urged them to become more involved in the country's political discussion. The vehicle? If not radio, then weblogs or podcasts. "The only thing holding you back is your own damned selfishness," Papantonio said.

How was his call to action received by the lawyers in the crowd? I'm not sure, although it's hard to argue with Papantonio's successes in using the Internet to get his message out. If you doubt that, take a look at the way some of Papantonio's successes are collected at YouTube. It's another one his suggested Internet vehicles. His firm uses it too.

As for me, I'm not too tempted to make this weblog any more political than it already is. Other than the occasional left-of-center podcast, my only politics involves breaking from the normal routine to write about tort reform. I suppose I've done that a lot, as evidenced by my collected tort-reform posts here and here. But I don't do it steadily, primarily because there's so much vitriolic arguing that goes along with those posts that I couldn't stomach it every day.

Among plaintiffs' lawyers, I might be in the minority. Mike Papantonio certainly hopes so. In the coming months, I'll be watching to see whether his weblogging evangelism leads to any new politically-focused weblogs or podcasts by lawyers.

Comments

[Greedy Trial Lawyer]

Mike is right. We are what we are and do what we do. Our voices should be heard because our clients need justice more than ever. We cannot leave politics to those who are poisoning the minds of a generation of Americans against the rights of the injured.

[NotAPapantonnioKoolAidDrinker]

Well well well. For a guy who has said he does not have email he sure is tech savvy.

He is right however I want to ask this. Will Papantonnio be tehre for you when the heat is turned up? Why not talk to some of the poor saps who were asked to walk the hot coals on the securities fraud cases his firm was handling? A debacle.

Thanks but not thanks Sir. I don't need some of your younger lawyers who were working in the PDs office three years ago telling me how to do it online after I get all excited and then call Papantonnio for help.

For those already on the web welcome aboard Levin Firm. How about reaching out to us now?How about your selfishness in not offering to lower the price of an insanely expensive conference?

[Ted]

Did you get to stay at the Wynn? Great rooms, a great poker room and my favorite double-deck blackjack game on the Strip there.

What did Bill Clinton have to say at lunch?

[Evan]

Ted: Yes, I stayed at the Wynn and I agree it's excellent. As for Clinton, I'll save that for a post. Don't hold me to it though. It already seems like the Clinton lunch happened a long time ago and there was nothing lawyer-specific in his comments.

[mark]

Interesting Evan. I passed on going this year for many reasons.

I hear Pap on his evangelical passion for getting the word out. I am happy to know him, but I would want to ask him this question - did he seek you out? Others? Has he called David Swanner? Mr. Day in TN? Has he offered up content? interviews? When you have a message like his, you can shout from the mountaintops that we need to get motivated and do it yourselves and then do nothing, or you can reach out to guys like you. Bloggers who are already there - have you been approached by Pap?

It's not that hard, really. Looking at your blogroll Pap could pick out at least a dozen of "Plaintiff friendly" ones to help get the message out.

I went one step further, asking him for a post. It's easy to beat the bushes at a semninar for cases, causes, and more. The real work begins when you get back to the office. How many lawyers sitting in that audience know how to analyze a fosamax potential claim? Is the model, you get it in, then talk to a law firm like Levin to handle? If that is the model, then apply it to blogs ... get the blog up, and Pap helps from there.

I typed his name in technorati, and didn't get much before your post today on blogs mentioning Pap.
Went to bloglines, pretty much the same.

If they really want to get the message out, does not the old saying "you know where to find me" apply?

[Evan]

Mark: Have I been approached by Papantonio? No. I don't know what conclusions you can draw from that. Papantonio's message was more about political weblogs than law-related weblogs (what some insiders call "blawgs"). I don't really have a political weblog. The examples of weblogs Papantonio gave in his talk were of the Daily Kos variety. In addition to weblogs, he also talked about how a lawyer can get on the radio--I think that's more his thing personally. He undoubtedly reaches a lot more people that way than I do with this weblog.

With all this said, however, I agree that if Papantonio is going to talk about plaintiffs' lawyers with weblogs, it wouldn't be a bad idea for him to get on the same page with those of us who are already doing it.

[mark]

It just seems to me - just 1 lawyer in the deep south - that if you are talking about this to lawyers they are your audience. Blogs and podcasts to me seem like an outlet for attorneys to step out a little bit from their firms. I have blogged about New Orleans and Katrina, even college football, as well as elections.

A lawyer who attended the conference handles mostly WC and PI. Less than 1% of his cases relate to mass torts. He'd like to 'learn' more, hence the conference. MTMP tell him how to get the cases.

A lawyer who has a website may or may not have a blog. Probably less than 1% of a lawyer's blog posts may be politically related. He goes to a conference and Pap tell him more.

Yes, there are differences. If he is going to say that some lawyers are too damned selfish to do something, that's pretty ... ahem ... damning. Offer me content, give me a hand with a podcast, help me out in one way or another. Lecture me and then send me home? I'm a little too old for that.

I would wager that 5 minutes of you speaking on how you can be be blogging on sites like blogger.com would help many.

But what do i know?