Thousands of legal blogs (blawgs) exist with more launching each week. Meanwhile, lawyers are logging more billable hours than ever before. Doing the math, most lawyers don't have the time to find blawgs of interest. Directories exist, but they contain thousands of listings. Lawyers need a better method.

So goes the argument from TechnoLawyer, which has published as an eBook designed to help lawyers quickly find blawgs of interest -- and provide a good read in the process.

Entitled BlawgWorld 2007 with TechnoLawyer Problem/Solution Guide (BlawgWorld), this eBook consists of a compilation of essays from 77 of the "most influential" blawgs. The essays touch on everything from corporate practice to healthcare law. Readers will also find essays on a wide range of topics that includes spirituality, racism, self-evaluation, and practice tips.

"Many lawyers know that some of the most helpful content resides in blawgs, but they don't know how to find it," said Neil Squillante, the publisher. "This eBook will help them find blawgs of interest quickly."

Not everyone agrees. Writing in Legal Blog Watch, Robert Ambrogi observed "I am able to evaluate a blog only by reading several postings over a period of time. To take one self-selected post and add it to a compendium of posts from other bloggers seems to serve no practical purpose other than to stroke the egos of the bloggers who are included."

Squillante responded publicly by noting that he could evaluate a restaurant based on one meal.

Got Problems?

This year's eBook also features the TechnoLawyer Problem/Solution Guide, a new directory that connects lawyers with vendors that can help solve the issues they face on a daily basis. The TechnoLawyer Problem/Solution Guide comes in a unique question/answer format that enables readers to proactively search for material of interest to them.

The TechnoLawyer Problem/Solution Guide features 185 of these "Problems" organized within 58 different topics. For example, "How Can My Law Firm Properly Process Credit Card Payments?" falls within "Finance: Receivables" and "What are the Best Practices for Hiring a Qualified Expert Witness?" falls within "Litigation: Expert Witnesses."

Squillante got the inspiration for the unique format from the Yellow Pages, a reference that, though still popular, has seen better days.

"When I was a kid, I used the Yellow Pages for the information inside, but now I use it as a laptop stand," mused Squillante. "Why don't I consult it anymore?"

He concluded that "the Yellow Pages didn't change with the times." In his opinion, today's consumers, lawyers included, want more than just a list of names, street addresses, and phone numbers. "They want detailed explanations that answer their specific questions."

Of course, not everyone agrees that the TechnoLawyer Problem/Solution Guide is so "revolutionary." Kimberly Kralowec who writes the blog The UCL Practitioner and contributed an essay to the eBook nonetheless expressed displeasure, bemoaning the "many pages of advertising" in the eBook. "In prior years, BlawgWorld did not include advertising, which, in my view, is a change for the worse," she added.

"Some people hate all advertising and won't admit that it sometimes helps them find products and services," said Squillante. "But we're confident that those who appreciate the difference between helpful and unhelpful advertising will find the TechnoLawyer Problem/Solution Guide a valuable resource that they'll want to keep on their desktop or their firm's intranet."

Form Follows Function

BlawgWorld 2007 has a unique navigation system. TechnoLawyer claims that you can access any article from any of the 345 pages in just three clicks starting with the three main tabs at the top of each page. "Although the navigation system seems intuitive, developing it involved a lot of hard work and rough drafts," recounts editor Sara Skiff. "We believe it's a first of its kind and provides a better experience than the bookmarks found in other eBooks."

The Toughest Critics

So what do people think about TechnoLawyer's new publication? More than 60 of the toughest critics -- bloggers -- have weighed in. Aside from Ambrogi and Kralowec, the early consensus seems positive.

Some have commented on the design. "The eBook is super easy to navigate, writes Michelle Golden of Golden Practices. “It's a well-designed approach to eBooks and if you are thinking of developing one, this is a model you'll want to check out.”

Others have focused on the content. "I am just a fraction of the way through the 77 essays, but they are extremely insightful," says Reid Trautz, author of the aptly named Reid My Blog.

And some like the sponsored component. "It's a nice way to get an introduction to solutions without having to face a sales representative until you're ready to learn more," says Julie Fleming Brown who writes Life at the Bar.

A Nice Price

TechnoLawyer distributes its eBook for free. In fact, TechnoLawyer encourages anyone who downloads the book to distribute it themselves. So far, it looks like the unique marketing strategy has worked. Publisher Neil Squillante reports over 10,000 downloads of BlawgWorld 2007 in the first two weeks of its release.

You can download BlawgWorld 2007 from www.blawgworld.com or just enter “blawgworld” into Google.