The Blogosphere

Under the headline "Legal blogs mixing potshots with real progress" (subscription req'd) the National Law Journal reported that a presiding Judge in Broward County, Florida recently resigned over scandals mostly reported in a blog started by criminal defense lawyers fed up with the way things were being run in the courthouse, along with a handful of other blogs focused on law in south Florida. Supporters credit the blogs with providing valuable information about inner workings of the court system, and bringing change. Critics say the blogs can be venues for inaccurate information and unsubstantiated personal attacks.

Lawyers and criminal justice professionals have finally hit the blogosphere in force, just like almost everybody else. For a sample of some of the law and criminal justice blogs online as well as some other related websites, Read More. Special thanks to Alan Hui-Bon-Hoa of the Center for Court Innovation for assistance compiling our list. Do you have one to add? Just post a comment.

A Public Defender
Protecting the right to effective assistance of counsel. Written by a public defender in Connecticut, this blog was recently recognized by the CT Law Tribune as one of the dozen who made a difference in 2008: An Anonymous Voice With An Attitude.


A Public Defender's Life in Alaska
The life of a Canadian living in Alaska and practicing law for the Public Defender Agency. Family, the Outdoors and how America is slowly going downhill are all frequent topics.

Abolish the Death Penalty
Our mission is to put a human face on the debate over capital punishment.

Alertinfo
Crime, Justice & Society. UK focus.

Above the Law
Billed as a legal tabloid, it's geared towards associates at the big corporate firms.

The American Constitution Society for Law and Policy Blog
News and commentary.

Appellate Law & Practice
A blog devoted to appellate law and advocacy maintained by group of federal law clerks and appellate lawyers.

Austin Criminal Defense Lawyer
Viewpoint of Criminal Defense lawyer in Austin, TX.

Blawg Directory
By the ABA Journal is the most authoritative directory of law-related blogs.

Capital Defense Weekly
This site provides national coverage of case law, legislative and political developments concerning death penalty litigation.

Center for Court Innovation. "Random Notes From the Desk of Greg Berman." This blog contains news about the Center for Court Innovation, a public-private partnership that works to reduce crime, aid victims and improve public trust in justice.

Corrections Sentencing
Great blog maintained by Michael Connelly.

Court Community Service (CCS) Founded in 1985 with a grant from the Cleveland Foundation, CSS serves as an administrative arm of the courts within Cuyahoga County, to "manage an efficient system of quality alternative sentencing options responsive to the needs of the courts and the community."

Courthouse News Service
A news wire for lawyers about new appellate rulings, new legislation and new civil cases from the federal and state courts.

Crime & Consequences
This blog discusses criminal law topics including: notable federal and state cases, new studies on criminal justice policies, and other news, maintained by the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation.

Criminal Defense in Travis and Williamson County: Reality 101
By attorney Keith Lauerman.

The Criminal Justice Journalists’ News Center
Criminal Justice Journalists (CJJ) provides the Crime & Justice News (CJN) news report and news center site containing our database of CJN stories along with other information resources, maintained by John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

Criminal Justice Online
Providing criminal justice practitioners, students and academics with online information and resources, maintained by Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.)

CrimLaw
Stories about criminal defense news nationwide, including an extensive blog-roll of criminal defense and regionaly focused blogs, as well as many observations from the author's own experience as a criminal defense attorney in Virginia.

CrimProf
Publishes summaries of news items about criminal law stories of interest and scholarly research. Maintained by Mark Godsey, Associate Professor, University of Cincinnati College of Law, and Michele Berry, Associate at Gerhardstein & Branch.

Crown Heights Community Mediation Center Blog
This site is chock full of news, goings-on, and resources. If you have an interest in the diverse communities of Central Brooklyn, community mediation, or a day in the life of a neighborhood storefront resource center, but sure to check it out.

Diary of a Police Officer
Observations and accounts of life as a police officer.

Defensology
Views criminal defense at the juncture where it meets technology. Entries summarize news in forensics, law enforcement practices, and other defense related technology subjects. The topic categories include cybercrime, DNA, DUI, fingerprints, junk science, and more. Maintained by Robert Perez, Criminal Lawyer and Computer Technologist.

Defending People
Houston Criminal Defense Lawyer Mark Bennet.

Deliberations
Law, news, and thoughts on juries and jury trials.

Discourse.net
On the fringes of the public sphere.

DUI Blog
This web log is devoted to monitoring developments in DWI law across the country. Maintained by Lawrence Taylor, Attorney.

Fight 'Em 'Til We Can't
A blog focused on Montana Criminal Defense.

FourthAmendment.com
A supplement to Search and Seizure, this blog publishes summaries of notable cases nationwide.

Grits for Breakfast
Welcome to Texas justice: You might beat the rap, but you won't beat the ride.

Holla Back NYC
An online forum for visitors, mostly women, to post photographs and stories about their experiences being groped, catcalled or otherwise sexually harassed in public.

How Appealing
The Web's first blog devoted to appellate litigation.

Indefensible
Author of a notable and controversial memoir about the Bronx Courts by the same name (and, to our dismay, not too keen on Bronx Community Solutions), David Feige expresses his outrage about the absurdity and injustice of it all.

It's Not About The Badge
A 30 year old Detention Deputy in rural Minnesota.

Innocence Blog
This web log publishes news about Institute cases, legislative action and other new developments from around the country concerning innocence claims and wrongful conviction. Maintained by Innocence Institute of Point Park University.

LAPD Blog
Official blog of the Los Angeles Police Department. News, crime reports and trends, photos.

Law and Disorder
A veteran police officer living in Iowa, with links to several other "cop blogs".

Law of Criminal Defense
This website provides updates concerning ethical issues related to criminal defense. John Wesley Hall, Jr., Attorney.

The Manhattan Institute
On their website and in their publication City Journal, this is a premier conservative think tank on urban issues, with a New York-centric outlook.

Moving Justice Forward
A blog chronicling the San Francisco Superior Court’s Collaborative Justice programs.

Mr. Police Man
Thoughts and observations from an 8-year veteran, on the job in California, USA. Several good links to other police related blogs.

Nograf's Blog
The interesting blog of Nograffiti.com.

Objective – Justice
The first law student blogger to be cited by the federal courts in an opinion.


One Man and His Plod
Blog of a police officer in the U.K. who says this about his job: "Front Line Police Officer = Law Enforcement! Not - social worker, parent, medic, locksmith, paperwork monkey, punchbag, taxi and stats gatherer".

Prevention Works
A blog by the National Crime Prevention Council.

The Policeman's Blog
One British police officer's "Journey into the mad, mad world of the British underclass and the Public sector, where nothing is too insane for it to be written down and copied in triplicate."

Police Executive Research Forum
Not technically a blog. This is the website of the national membership organization, a leader in research and public policy advocacy in the area of police tactics.

Public Pretender
A public defender in Stillwater, MN.

The Real Cost of Prisons
News, commentary and analysis on prisons: government proposals with the aim of stemming overcrowding and recidivism; inmate living conditions and changing demographics; sentencing issues.

Scoplaw
Poet/Public Defender.

Sentencing Law and Policy
Maintained by Law Professor Douglas A. Berman.

SCOTUSBLOG
Supreme Court of the United States Blog.

Tales of a Public Defender Investigator
An interesting blog by an investigator about his thoughts and the work he believes is his life's calling.

That Lawyer Dude
Maintained by Anthony Colleluori.

The Rural Bus Route
Well-loved blog by a public defender in North Dakota, although mostly focused on general topics.

Thinking Outside the Cage
Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition.

Sex Crimes
Reporting on the latest developments in sex offense laws, sentencing, registration acts, and civil commitment issues. Maintained by Rayburn Yung, Attorney.

TalkLeft
Intended for a wide audience, this blog is described as the on-line source for liberal coverage of crime-related political and injustice news. Maintained by Jeralyn Merritt, Defense Attorney.

UK Criminal Justice Weblog
Rethinking Crime and Punishment. The latest news about criminal justice issues from around the UK, drawn from media websites, government sources and criminal justice organizations. Maintained by the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies.

Exposed
A criminal defense attorney answers the question: what's my exposure? From Charles A. Ross Associates, a Manhattan-based law firm.

White Collar Crim Prof Blog
This site provides news and summaries about case law and legislative developments in federal crime, specifically white collar offenses. Maintained by Peter Henning, Professor of Law, Wayne State University.

You Don't Make Friends With Salad
Criminal Law, Austin-based.