Last December we had a great response when I asked some of my closest Twitter Friends to help me compile a list of blog posts that they thought were “must reads”. I’ve decided to compile another list of “must reads” for the first half of 2009 using the same idea. I’ve gone back to my Twitter mates to ask them to submit some of the blogs that they either wrote or read that they believe others would also enjoy reading. Although most of the posts are things that got a lot of traffic when they were originally published, my favorites in this list are the “hidden gems.” Those are the posts that didn’t get a lot of traffic the first time around, but someone felt that everyone should have a second look at the post because they feel there is something relevant in them that didn’t get caught the first time around.

WARNING: This list is LONG! Back in December I was probably following about 800+ people on Twitter. This time around, I’m up around 2400+ and found that 85% are still active (meaning posting a least a few times a month.) In order for this list to remain about the same size as the December list, I’m capping it to about 150 “legal topic” posts this time (although, we’ve stretched the term “legal” in some of these posts).
In doing this, I’m integrating an unique math formula:

(T + Q(dm)) / ∑(150) = OL T = Length of Time You’ve Followed Me on Twitter
Q(dm) = Quickness of Your Direct Message Back to me
∑(150) = First 150 Direct Messages
OL = On the List!!
In other words, I went from my oldest to newest followers and sent a Direct Message via Twitter to them in that order. When I got to 150, I stopped. I’ll probably follow up at a later date with any that came in after the 150 mark. In December, we’ll do this all over again and list the best of ’09 part two!
Just like before, the list is in order from oldest to newest blog post. There were a few non-2009 posts that people liked. I placed those at the bottom of the list so that we could see the 2009 posts first. Surprisingly, there were no blog posts was only one post (Bill Marler’s Obama Eats a Burger) that got recognized twice (which did happen a few times on the previous list.) However, there was one blog that got a lot of people mentioning individual posts. Jordan Furlong of Law21.ca is Mr. Popular when it comes to writing good blog posts!
I’m linking to the blog post and noting the Twitter name of the person that suggested the post. If you’re not following the person on Twitter, you should! Hey, if they are following me, and I’m following them, they must be okay!!
Drum-roll please…. I now present the first half of 2009’s Must Read Blog Posts as submitted by the best folks on Twitter:
  1. Overcapacity? What Overcapacity? Chuck Newton Rides the Third Wave January 1, 2009 Submitted by @chucknewton
  2. How I began my Solo Practice Ohio Employment, Labor and Worker’s Compensation Law January 1, 2009 Submitted by @cjcochranjr
  3. An Unusual Criminal Proceeding With A Question About Eye Witness Testimony Perlmutter & Schuelke, LLP Blog January 1, 2009 Submitted by @bschuelke
  4. Cultivating a Writing Habit ChrisBrogan January 4, 2009 Submitted by @kathryncobb
  5. WHAT’S IN A NAME CHANGE? Myrland Marketing Minutes – Plan To Grow January 5, 2009 Submitted by @nancymyrland
  6. Back to First Principles for Knowledge Management Dr Fuzzy’s Weblog January 5, 2009 Submitted by @pennyedwards
  7. The Single Secret to Making 2009 Your Best Year Ever Zenhabits – Simple Productivity January 5, 2009 Submitted by @ElizabethPW
  8. Trends that will affect enterprise collaboration anecdote – Putting stories to work January 7, 2009 Submitted by @jkhogan
  9. “Marketing Me” with a Plan and a Purpose The Legal Watercooler January 11, 2009 Submitted by @heathermilligan
  10. PR’s Impact on the Professional Services Sales Cycle Earned Relevance January 12, 2009 Submitted by @3rddeadline
  11. Crimes Against Hypertext SitePoint January 13, 2009 Submitted by @kbladow
  12. Do you value your social capital? HeadShift Blog January 14, 2009 Submitted by @pennyedwards
  13. 5 Web Folk I Admire – Something I don’t do easily Enquiring Mimes January 16, 2009 Submitted by @wckdgfy
  14. Legal Billing – Differences between Germany and the US (Part 1) Saskia’s Spin January 18, 2009 Submitted by @sioslo
  15. Do the benefits of using Twitter include better writing for lawyers? No. The Complex Litigator January 19, 2009 Submitted by @hsleviant
  16. Forgiveness and Irony: What makes the West strong City Journal January 19, 2009 Submitted by @MarkH_Houston
  17. The Trouble With Carfax Louis M. Green, Attorney at Law January 23, 2009 Submitted by @louismgreen
  18. How to Get an E-Discovery Protocol Rolling Law.com LegalTechnology January 27, 2009 Submitted by @HaleyOdom
  19. Law Firms on Twitter – An Update LawyerKM January 31, 2009 Submitted by @LawyerKM
  20. Information alone is not valuable – targeted information is KM Librarian February 3, 2009 Submitted by @Linda_Moore
  21. Alternative Fee Arrangements Gain Traction LAWDABLE February 3, 2009 Submitted by @jeffrey_brandt
  22. Living Proof Home Office Lawyering Works Build a Solo Practice, LLC February 4, 2009 Submitted by @johnsirman
  23. The Octuplet Mess a fertile life February 4, 2009 Submitted by @surrogacylawyer
  24. B2B Social Media Marketing: Why should you start? Ad Your Comment Here February 5, 2009 Submitted by @just_kate
  25. Investigative Interviewing: Tips From an Ex-FBI Special Agent Forensic Accounting Today February 9, 2009 Submitted by @jemoore
  26. Evaluating websites exercise Ch-Ch-Ch Changing Librarian February 12, 2009 Submitted by @amylibrarian
  27. How to Build a Hellhole, Lesson I Pharmaceutical & Toxic Tort Defense February 13, 2009 Submitted by @debdobson
  28. We feel your pain…. HumanRacehorses February 13, 2009 Submitted by @HumanRacehorses
  29. What if Google billed by the hour? The Client Revolution February 13, 2009 Submitted by @glambert
  30. Twenty Theses for Government 2.0, Cluetrain Style Social Media Strategery February 15, 2009 Submitted by @CherylMcKinnon
  31. First 10 things you should do to your new BlackBerry The Legal Hokey-Pokey February 16, 2009 Submitted by @jeffrey_brandt
  32. Social Media “Teaches” Legal Marketers to Promote Themselves the Right Way Karasma Media by Kara Smith February 17, 2009 Submitted by @leahcdaniels
  33. 8 Step Cycle of Search Engine Optimization with Blogging gerry heidenreich February 18, 2009 Submitted by @gHeidenreich
  34. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to New York (Or: Pillsbury associates, brace yourselves.) Above The Law February 19, 2009 Submitted by @davidlat
  35. Non-Compete Enforcement Tips Smooth Transitions February 20, 2009 Submitted by @robradcliff
  36. Reality: The Enemy of Innovation? Creative Class February 20, 2009 Submitted by @pennyedwards
  37. An Interview with Amy Derby a/k/a/ The Law Firm Blogger Construction Law Musings – Richmond, VA February 20, 2009 Submitted by @constructionlaw
  38. With Scant Apologies to the Pay Apologists TheCorporateCounsel.net Blog February 24, 2009 Submitted by @brocromanek
  39. Court of Appeal gets out its blue pencil: Kwikset Corp. v. Superior Court (Benson) The UCL Practitioner March 2, 2009 Submitted by @hsleviant
  40. Wanted: Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection Customs Law March 3, 2009 Submitted by @customslawblog
  41. Lawyer Up, Boys The Epicurean Dealmaker March 4, 2009 Submitted by @bigtkirk
  42. Wyeth v. Levine – First Real Thoughts Drug and Device Law March 4, 2009 Submitted by @ageorgialawyer
  43. Top 10 Ways To Get Fired By Your Lawyer BlawgIT March 4, 2009 Submitted by @BrettTrout
  44. Lawyers Should Consider Producing Their Own iPhone Apps Bentley Tolk’s Marketing for Attorneys, Marketing for Law Firms, and Marketing for Lawyers March 5, 2009 Submitted by @bentleytolk
  45. What’s My Line? Above and Beyond KM March 6, 2009 Submitted by @HeatherColman
  46. Now that Mom’s on Facebook… idealware March 9, 2009 Submitted by @kbladow
  47. This is Not a Drill Law21.ca March 10, 2009 Submitted by @ronfriedmann
  48. Decentralized and Personalized KM caselines March 11, 2009 Submitted by @KMHobbie
  49. A twitterable Twitter policy Gruntled Employees March 11, 2009 Submitted by @jeffrey_brandt
  50. The Virtues of Half-Assed Legal Work Corporate Tool March 12, 2009 Submitted by @joshuamking
  51. To friend or Not to Friend – Social Media for Lawyers Part 4: Twitter for Lawyers The Legal Intelligencer Blog March 12, 2009 Submitted by @GinaRubel
  52. BARBARA FREDRICKSON AND SHARON SALZBERG ON “POSITIVITY” LAWSAGNA March 13, 2009 Submitted by @Lawsagna
  53. Microblogging Will Marginalize Corporate Email I’m Not Actually a Geek March 13, 2009 Submitted by @jeffrey_brandt
  54. How A Transformative Recession Affects Law Practice and Legal Education MauledAgain March 16, 2009 Submitted @jordan_law21
  55. “Reciprocal Link Cloaking”, SEO “Experts” and why you need to be very careful Avvo Blog March 16, 2009 Submitted by @ConradSaam
  56. Some Thoughts on Working from Home – One Year Later The Simple Dollar March 16, 2009 Submitted by @alisonlaw
  57. Blawg Review #203 Geeklawyer Blog March 16, 2009 Submitted by @montserratlj
  58. The Button-Down Mafia: How the Public Accounting Firms Run a Racket on Investors and Thrive While Their Clients Fail The Huffington Post March 16, 2009 Submitted by @retheauditors
  59. 5 website mistakes you can and should avoid Grow My Company March 17, 2009 Submitted by @ChristinePilch
  60. A World Without Fathers and Husbands Massachusetts Divorce & Wills Lawyer March 17, 2009 Submitted by @GabrielCheong
  61. Dan Ariely: Why People Cheat Mental Floss March 18, 2009 Submitted by @shucha
  62. Got My Pitchfork: Get Me a Job at AIG! TheCorporateCounsel.net Blog March 18, 2009 Submitted by @retheauditors
  63. 20 things law firms need to have in their social media guidelines. VMO – Virtual Marketing Officer March 19, 2009 Submitted by @jaynenavarre
  64. The C-TPAT Bait and Switch Customs Law March 19, 2009 Submitted by @customslawblog
  65. Graduating into a recession Law21.ca May 19, 2009 Submitted by @halosecretarial
  66. A Response to Lev Grossman’s “Quitting Twitter” Ad Your Comment Here March 22, 2009 Submitted by @just_kate
  67. The Sun, the Cave, Enterprise 2.0 and the “A-HA” Moment Candy and Aspirin March 22, 2009 Submitted by @CherylMcKinnon
  68. How To Solve The Legal Employment Crisis Law21.ca March 23, 2009 Submitted by @gerkmana
  69. Technology Strikes–Oblivious Attorneys Stunned Sui Generis — A New York law blog March 23, 2009 Submitted by @nikiblack
  70. Joy Points The Nocturnal Gardener March 23, 2009 Submitted by @mary_siceloff
  71. Compliance and Recommendations on Social Networking Sites Compliance Building March 24, 2009 Submitted by @DougCornelius
  72. On Tactics Leading Geeks March 26, 2009 Submitted by @JennSteele
  73. Why I Do What I Do Hattiesburg Divorce Lawyer March 27, 2009 Submitted by @timothyevans
  74. Take the client and run Circumlocutions April 1, 2009 Submitted by @mglickman
  75. BigLaw Lawyers and Paralegals To Get Kindle 2 – Loaded with National Reporter Sets and US Code 3 Geeks and a Law Blog April 1, 2009 Submitted by @montserratlj
  76. A Reminder Of What Constitutes Nursing Home Neglect Nursing Homes Abuse Blog April 4, 2009 Submitted by @rosenfeld575
  77. Extranets for Law Firm and Client Collaboration – Moving Beyond Email Compliance Building April 5, 2009 Submitted by @DougCornelius
  78. State of the Enterprise Market: Slow and Unsteady Read Write Web April 6, 2009 Submitted by @ITSinsider
  79. Do You Use a Feed Reader? technola April 8, 2009 Submitted by @kbladow
  80. The Three Types of Collaboration Law21.ca April 9, 2009 Submitted by @halveramy
  81. Pricing Against the Market – How To 3 Geeks and a Law Blog April 9, 2009 Submitted by @gnawledge
  82. Free as in “Me” 43 Folders April 10, 2009 Submitted by @cyberlaw
  83. Contract Drafting for the 21st Century: A Conversation Between Ken Adams and Ron Friedmann Prism Legal April 12 2009 Submitted by @jordan_law21
  84. Cloud computing requires savvy elegal April 13, 2009 Submitted by @DavidCanton
  85. Blawg Review #207 Law21.ca April 13, 2009 Submitted by @DougCornelius
  86. Open Letter to Law Firms: Control The Message Marketing Strategy and the Law April 14, 2009 Submitted by @jonlin98
  87. Knowledge Management, Bacteria Style Green Chameleon April 15, 2009 Submitted by @pennyedwards
  88. Lessons From the Domino’s Pizza Video: Part I Social Media North Carolina Law Life April 16, 2009 Submitted by @DonnaChmura
  89. The Worthlessness of American Legal Education The Legal Satyricon April 17, 2009 Submitted by @jordan_law21
  90. Why Ask Why: Building Law Firm Web Sites 3 Geeks and a Law Blog April 17, 2009 Submitted by @sioslo
  91. The “Dirty Little Secret of Patents” is that Most are Worthless to Their Owners. Here is Why. IP Asset Maximizer Blog April 17, 2009 Submitted by @IPStrategist
  92. Does Web 2.0 Dilute a Presenter’s Message? 3 Geeks and a Law Blog April 20, 2009 Submitted by @JennSteele
  93. Top rate of income tax could be 60%, not 50% The Baillieu Blog April 22, 2009 Submitted By @danversbaillieu
  94. Lawyer Twitter Practices: 29 Do’s and Don’ts slaw.ca April 25, 2009 Submitted by @jordan_law21
  95. The Sky Is The Limit – Up Close & Personal With SkyGrid Advocate’s Studio April 27, 2009 Submitted by @advocatesstudio
  96. Lockstep Compensation – Fair or Foul? Corcoran’s Business of Law Blog April 28, 2009 Submitted by @jordan_law21
  97. Online social networking at work Work Matters April 28, 2009 Submitted by @johnsirman
  98. Nine Legal Technology Trends for 2009 – The Year of Hunkering Down DennisKennedy.com April 29, 2009 Submitted by @jordan_law21
  99. Enterprise 2.0 marketing score card: solid ‘C’ Pretzel Logic April 29, 2009 Submitted by @lehawes
  100. Managing how your friends experience your Facebook page Grow My Company April 30, 2009 Submitted by @ChristinePilch
  101. My Mom is on Twitter IT Pro Marketer April 30, 2009 Submitted by @Rex7
  102. A Sick Situation Domestic Disturbances April 30, 2009 Submitted by @molecule18
  103. The May 2009 Carnival of Trust Settle It Now – Negotiation Blog May 1, 2009 Submitted by @vpynchon
  104. Want to Be a Guest Blogger? technola May 4, 2009 Submitted by @kbladow
  105. Less Time on Twitter, More Time Exercising Law Firm and Attorney SEO and Internet Marketing May 5, 2009 Submitted by @george_murphy
  106. 5 Simple Ways to Use Linkedin to Market Your Firm The Nutmeg Lawyer May 5, 2009 Submitted by @brettowens
  107. The Great De-Leveraging Adam Smith, Esq. May 6, 2009 Submitted by @jordan_law21
  108. Using Social Media vs. Using a Social Media Strategy I am Jen and this is my Blog May 6, 2009 Submitted by @jenz036
  109. When Star Wars Geeks Marry This is What Happens just a guy thing May 6, 2009 Submitted by @JoshCamson
  110. On Human Sustainability reconnectwithsimmons. May 7, 2009 Submitted by @JennSteele
  111. Obama Eating A Burger – A “Teachable Moment” in Food Safety Marler Blog May 7, 2009 Submitted by @mary_siceloff & @bmarler
  112. Supreme Court’s Plenary Docket–Part Two Balkinization May 8, 2009 Submitted by @Collinudell
  113. Blackberry Bold vs. iPhone Social Media Law Student May 7, 2009 Submitted by @Rex7
  114. David Armano – The Twitter 20 Interview on Visual Thinking and Social Business Convince & Convert May 7, 2009 Submitted by @elizabethsosnow
  115. Crowdsourcing – The Live Experiment 3 Geeks and a Law Blog May 7, 2009 Submitted by @glambert
  116. The Road Not Taken Above and Beyond KM May 8, 2009 Submitted by @HeatherColman
  117. The Twenty-First Century Mom Lawyer: A Life Without Seams MyShingle.com May 10, 2009 Submitted by @nikiblack
  118. HOW DAVID BEATS GOLIATH The New Yorker May 11, 2009 Submitted by @jasnwilsn
  119. FAQ: Is an Internet Contract Enforceable? E-Commerce law May 11, 2009 Submitted by @JonathanFrieden
  120. 10 Ways To Put Your Content In Front Of More People Smashing Magazine May 12, 2009 Submitted by @3rddeadline
  121. Attorney Advertising and Lawyer Marketing Blog AttorneySync May 12, 2009 Submitted by @JeffTBerman
  122. Do foreigners now file FBAR disclosures? Hodgen Law Group PC May 12, 2009 Submitted by @philiphodgen
  123. Self-Identification and Status Updates: Personal Entrypoints to Museum Experiences Museum 2.0 May 14, 2009 Submitted by @elloyd74
  124. Why Not Apply A Three Strikes Rule To Everything? Techdirt May 14, 2009 Submitted by @DavidCanton
  125. Letter to Attorney General Andrew Cuomo RE: Craigslist Waking Vixen May 14, 2009 Submitted by @glambert
  126. Of project management, the lawyer doth protest too much, methinks. Legal Project Management May 15, 2009 Submitted by @paulceaston
  127. Now is NOT the Time for Blind Faith. It is a Time for Thoughtful Action Build a Solo Practice @ SPU May 18, 2009 Submitted by @halosecretarial
  128. Icky Iqbal LAW PROF on the LOOSE May 19, 2009 Submitted by @lbergus
  129. 11 Striking Findings From an Eye Tracking Study ProBlogger May 20, 2009 Submitted by @jaynenavarre
  130. Proudest Day In My Professional Life In-House ACCess May 20, 2009 Submitted by @LauraAWalters
  131. BPAI Shuts Down Dissent in Favor of Efficiency PatentlyO May 21, 2009 Submitted by @ColoradoPatent
  132. Dig the Suits Out of Your Closet Counselor Chicago IP Litigation Blog May 22, 2009 Submitted by @rdd
  133. Did ICBC Snoop In My Private Records When I Was Called For Jury Duty? ICBC Law Blog May 22, 2009 Submitted by @erikmagraken
  134. Steve Baird Thinks the Washington Redskins Need a Re-Branding The TTABlog May 22, 2009 Submitted by @asilverstein
  135. Black Liquor Sparks New Trade Feud and Old Controversies slaw.ca May 24, 2009 Submitted by @OmarHaRedeye
  136. 54 Tips For Writers, From Writers Abundance Blog at Marelisa Online May 24, 2009 Submitted by @Marelisa
  137. The Case for Working With Your Hands The New York Times May 24, 2009 Submitted by @paulgregorylang
  138. Legal Information Organized by Subject: Announcing JD Supra Law Centers JD Scoop May 26, 2009 Submitted by @JDTwitt
  139. In Strauss, et al. v. Horton, as State Registrar of Vital Statistics, et al., the California Supreme Court denied original writs of mandate challenging Proposition 8 (constitutionally definining valid “marriage” as being between a man and a woman) The Complex Litigator May 26, 2009 Submitted by @hsleviant AND SOME GREATS FROM ’08
  140. A book publisher’s manifesto for the 21st century the digitalist May 13, 2008 Submitted by @Linda_Moore
  141. Social Media and Your Summer Job Social Media Law Student May 25, 2009 Submitted by @JoshCamson
  142. How David beat Goliath Law21.ca August 26, 2008 Submitted by @jasnwilsn
  143. Sorry to Burst Your Bubble Lex Fortis September 18, 2008 Submitted by @lexfortis
  144. The Future of Law Firm Branding Law21.ca October 3, 2008 Submitted by @lsuttell
  145. Off Topic: SHIRLEY NAGEL may be the hottest woman alive!!! Gabe’s Guide to the e-Discovery Universe November 2, 2008 Submitted by @GabeAcevedo
  146. Now Here is How You Raise a Brand Community…. Buzz Canuck November 6, 2008 Submitted by @leahcdaniels
  147. Off Topic: Blago, American Hero Gabe’s Guide to the e-Discovery Universe December 10, 2008 Submitted by @GabeAcevedo
  148. December 16, 1773: Boston Tea Party RHAPSODYINBOOKS’S WEBLOG December 16, 2008 Submitted by @RKaiser
  149. Why I Support Sex Worker’s Rights: Part I My Introduction to “Patty” That Lawyer Dude December 17, 2008 Submitted by @ThatLawyerDude
  150. 2008: The Best and Worst of Legal Marketing Avvo blog December 30, 2008 Submitted by @ConradSaam