What's happening in legal social media?

If you're interested in keeping up with legal social media, you probably know there's a lot out there to sort through. Here are a few interesting articles from the blogs we follow to get you inspired:

Prosecutor's Use of Undercover Paralegals in Ethics Spat Brings Reprimand
Check out the ABA Journal's article on the attorney who used a paralegal as an undercover agent. (Apparently, sending a paralegal to pose as a student taking a survey to gather information in your ethics complaint is a bad idea.)

Will Paralegals Disappear?
The Paralegal Mentor takes a look at the future of paralegals challenged by new technologies and recession, and offers tips for keeping up in a changing workplace.

California Court Record Fees Changes Pending
The BRB's Public Records Blog offers article on the CA Administrative Office of the Courts' efforts to modify the fee structure for public access to court records.

Court Project Testing Social Media Reporting
News about the end of the first phase of the OpenCourt project in Massachusetts, designed to test reporting via social media. The project allowed for live streaming and for blogging and tweeting directly from the courtroom.

What topics are you looking for in legal social media? If you follow blogs in this area, which do you recommend?

Three Industry Blogs Worth Reading

If you're ready to explore but not quite sure where to start, here are just three of the industry blogs we follow:

• Above the Law: "A behind-the-scenes look at the world of law. The site provides news about the profession's most colorful personalities and powerful institutions, as well as original commentary on the latest legal developments." Check out the regular Morning Docket posts for an irreverent and informative start to your day.

• ABA Journal: Breaking legal news and comprehensive blawg (law blog) directory. Check out their "Latest Headlines" section.

• Uniform Commercial Code Litigation: Focuses on developments in litigation involving the UCC code. Look here for analysis of lawsuits concerning various aspects of the UCC.

Law Firms Struggling to Attract Business

In the news...

According to the ABA Journal, "More law firms are quoting suicidal prices for legal work just to get the business."

As greater numbers of firms offer lower fees in order to generate business, the result could be more law firm failures. Since law firms need to pay their partners regularly, losing money for even one year can have a profound impact on their ability to stay in business.

Pressures causing firms to offer reduced fees include a difficult economy and excess capacity in the legal industry. And the problem appears to affect all segments of the legal industry.

You can read more in the ABA Journal's article. And if you have an opinion, please share with us in the comments section below.