How Appalling

No Comment. Unfortunately, my busy schedule -- in addition to being a "blogger", I also practice appellate litigation -- prevented me from answering the inquiries from Mr. Jason Kraus of the ABA Journal regarding the content of this "Web log."

In other news, I noticed that the Philadelphia Phillies will be giving away nesting dolls as a promotion this year, but no bobbleheads. While I am already recognized as the "foremost chronicler" of the Supreme Court Bobble Heads, I am sure if someone created nesting dolls for the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit -- a place where I have made many appeallate arguments -- no one would be better qualified than me to chronicle them!

Appalling! I don't know what's more appalling: that someone stole my idea for this blog, whether the fact that I haven't updated this blog in almost a year, whether the new parody blog "appallingblog" is probably funnier than this one or whether I just got around to updating this blog after he started his.

In any event, I just should point out that a lot of people like this blog. Including the other Appalling Blog.

Do I measure up? A few days ago, I was at Home Depot. I went there to get a tape measure. But walking through the garden section, I saw sacks of garden mulch and I remembered that -- in January -- I offered my readers three posts about fertilizer, guano and the Ninth Circuit.

Don't be shy about going through my archives to look for them.

Earlier today (actually, just twelve minutes ago), I put up this post.

I've been so busy in the last year with the success of my blog, that I forgot to tell you how successful my blog has been. I'm told that people like it.

Now, with photos!: When I was in Washington last month, and received a VIP tour of the Supreme Court building, one of the current clerks -- I can't say who, but she's made this website her browser's homepage -- said I bore a striking resemblance to Justice Wiley Rutledge. She showed me the portrait and, well, I have to agree! I would have told you this before, but unless you've had a chance to meet me in person, you would have had to take my word for it.

Now that my law firm's website has included pictures of its attorneys, you can decide for yourself.

UPDATE: A person who enjoys this website, writing from a ".gov" web address, believes that "[I] do not give [my]self enough credit. [I am] much better looking than Justice Rutledge... and considerably more handsome than Mahlon Pitney." My correspondent goes on to note that her grandmother, who once worked in the Library of Congress, always found Justice Benjamin Cardozo to be very handsome. Who doesn't?

Guess who's the life of the party? You knew it: Me:

Pop Quiz: There is a large room. Among others, the room contains a former Solicitor General, the most respected Supreme Court journalist, a 25-year veteran of the OSG, two lawyers that won the two most famous Supreme Court cases of the term, and the editor-in-chief of DC's most popular legal publication. Who draws the most attention?

That's right -- a blogger. The room in question was Georgetown's moot court room, where Legal Times hosted its Suprem Court round-up. Howard Bashman of How Appealing was in the audience, and not only was he formally recognized by the panel, but I caught him smiling and shaking hands with quite a few people at the reception afterwards. For the record, he is as nice in person as his blog is appealling.

Via Life, Law, Libido.

A Blogger I've Never Heard Of. A blogger I've never heard of thinks very highly of this site:

What [he] like[s] about [me] . . . is something [I] share[] with many other law-related bloggers: a singular passion for the subject matter, rather than personal gain. A bit of evidence from today's offerings: "of course this blog is not being operated for personal financial gain but as a free service to you, the reader." Right on!

This pleases me.

My Partners. Here is a great article about the pros and cons of Blawging:

"When others from my firm go out and meet new people, oftentimes they’re met with the comment, ‘Isn’t Howard Bashman with that firm?’ " [I] sa[id]. How Appealing is not mentioned on Buchanan Ingersoll’s firm site, but [I am] thinking about making the request.

After reading that article, the Dean of a very important law school called me and asked me if, when I go out and mention my firm and meet new people, am I oftentimes met with the comment, "Isn't Samuel Braver with that firm?"

I had to answer her truthfully. "No, people don't usually ask me that question."