There are some WSBA Law Practice Management CLE lectures in RealAudio at the State Bar site. The criminal defense bar members may share briefs with each other in an online community that they would hesitate to post at their firm Web site, for example. The Washington State Trial Lawyers Association appears to offer valuable content to its members, such as sample briefs, issue papers, and legislative updates. The Washington Family Law Reporter site, created by Kirkland lawyer Chris Fox, is a fine example of a topical site that draws both attorneys and public visitors with content re-purposed from the print version. Findlaw has drawn together a library of over 14,000 articles by lawyers, and a similar service with a Washington focus would win a wide audience.
Some firms ask visitors to email a request to view an article.
Open publication of material on the Web is the better approach, however, because more traffic is likely to result with a parallel increase in marketing effectiveness. For more on marketing, PromoteWebs lists frequently asked questions about Web marketing and improving a site. Attorneys can post their articles at a free legal Web site at Findlaw, or generic home page sites, such as GeoCities and Homestead, and link to other legal content. For those with more ambition, compare starter Web sites that can be used as templates for small firms or area of practice sites at LegalWebs. In sum, the quality of the online primary legal materials in Washington is excellent.