When you are thinking about topics to write about on your blog, take a look at your calendar or even just look out the window. Often, you will be able to come up with a timely and relevant topic just by considering the month and season of the year. By applying a little creativity, you could likely come up with an idea for a post relevant to most legal practice areas related to any month or season.
Consider Seasonal Activities Related to Your Practice
For example, when summer is approaching, a personal injury attorney might write a quick post on the hazards that can be found at public pools or while boating, or address what families should keep in mind when taking a road trip to a vacation destination. On the flip side, a winter post might discuss the hazards of winter driving and provide some safe winter driving tips.
A law practice that takes medical malpractice cases may write about how a hospital visit in July can result in longer stays or more unnecessary tests because it is the time of year when veteran residents leave and new, untested residents begin. An employment law blog and a workers’ compensation blog also written in July could both talk about the dangers of extreme summer heat in outdoor workplaces, as well as how workers have the right to express concern to their employer if they feel their health or safety is threatened.
A post written in the fall for an employment law blog could talk about teachers’ rights, while a personal injury blog in the same season could talk about school bus safety or the hazards of frying the Thanksgiving turkey.
A December blog post for a family law practice could discuss the difficult issues that come up around the holidays related to divorce and child custody. This post could offer practical and topical advice for a family struggling to find a workable approach to the holidays.
Even a criminal defense attorney could use the calendar to think of a seasonal post. For example, your state may have laws restricting the movement of registered sex offenders on Halloween, even though studies have not found that more sex crimes occur over this holiday than any other time of year. The resulting post could be a timely and well-reasoned discussion about encroachments on the civil rights of people convicted of crimes.
Any topic will have any number of corresponding websites maintained by governmental or non-profit agencies that educate the public about hazards or issues they may face in certain seasons, which could be an interesting and helpful addition to a blog post meant for a general reader. A post with a more upbeat angle might include safety information and a link to a government site that provides this information. For example, the summer post on the hazards of boating might include a link to the Coast Guard’s online Boating Safety Resource Center.
This Month is _____ Awareness Month
Every month of the year and many weeks of the year are designated as vehicles to create awareness around different issues, conditions or hazards. Any month of the year is potentially relevant to your legal practice. For example, October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, August is Child Support Awareness Month, March is Eye Safety at Work Month and May is Elder Abuse Awareness Month.
An attorney whose practice is focused on Social Security disability could write about Fibromyalgia Awareness Month in May, while also noting that people with this condition may not be able to continue working and may need to apply for disability benefits.
An attorney whose practice is focused on employment law for employees may write about National Disability Employment Awareness Month in October. A post would explain what rights people with disabilities have as an employee or when applying for a job.
If your legal practice includes drunken driving defense, you surely know that DUI arrests (or DWI, OUI, OVI, etc.) go up at certain times of the year. A blog post written near New Year’s Eve or Memorial Day weekend could inform readers of DUI-crackdown efforts underway by local and regional law enforcement, as well as possibly noting for readers some basics on what to do if they are stopped at a sobriety checkpoint or arrested on suspicion of DUI.
Timely, Relevant and Searchable
Seasonal posts are particularly useful because they will be the kind of information that people are searching for on the Internet, in the same way they search for updates on current events or the passage of new laws in their region. By applying your legal knowledge to the current or upcoming season or holiday, you will create a valuable and useful take on a timely and relevant topic.