TBJ Board of Editors talk social media, blogging with SMU law students

Students in the Intellectual Property Association at SMU's Dedman School of Law had the opportunity to listen to members of the Texas Bar Journal Board of Editors talk about the quickly evolving area of social media, blogging and the law on Tuesday. The board of editors met that morning on the law school campus as guests of Prof. Xuan-Thao Nguyen, who arranged the panel discussion. Board of Editors Chair Michael Smith (second from left) of Marshall blogged about the experience at EDTexweblog.com. He was joined on the panel by (from left) Mitch Smith of Beaumont, John Browning of Dallas (who teaches on the topic at SMU), and Steve Fischer of Rockport. Discussion touched on the recent Troll Tracker litigation, the dos and don'ts of lawyers as bloggers, and ethical considerations of monitoring jurors' social media presence.

State Bar Announces Twitter Novel Contest

What Ernest Hemingway reportedly considered to be his best work was also his briefest. To settle a bar bet, the story goes, Hemingway was challenged to write a complete novel in only six words. The result? "For sale: baby shoes, never worn."

Texas Bar Journal, and the 2010 State Bar Annual Meeting Legal Innovation Track: The Adaptable Lawyer will challenge you to write your own brief work of fiction — but with a modern twist: 140-character, Twitter-ready novels. The grand-prize winner will receive an Apple iPad, as well as special recognition at the 2010 State Bar Annual Meeting, during a breakfast featuring LexBlog, Inc. CEO and Twitter guru Kevin O'Keefe. Look for details in the March issue of the Texas Bar Journal.