If Forrest Gump Were A Lawyer Blogger

You know the movie, Forrest Gump, where a seemingly dim protagonist accidentally winds up at the forefront of many historic moments, and finds wild success beyond whatever anyone ever expected?  Forrest Gump  came to mind when I learned about solo personal injury lawyer Eric Turkewitz’s most recent foray into the big time.  Of course, Eric (who’s not only a fellow solo, but a blogging buddy, co-defendant and my attorney ) is hardly dim, nor is his fame accidental or undeserved.  Rather, it’s the serendipitous product of his ever-engaging and clever blog, NewYork Personal Injury Law Blog.

If you don’t already know, for the past week, Eric’s face has been displayed on buses, billboards and magazines throughout New York City as part of an ad campaign for the New York City Marathon.  Best part of the story? Eric’s eight-year old son snapped the photo. Second best part? Eric was  discovered as the result of this blog post recounting his experience running the New York marathon.

But this is hardly the first or only time that Eric’s gained national notice from his blog.  He’s been approached by Oprah, triggered an investigation of a Supreme Court nominee’s ethics with this post (on whether Justice Sotomayer properly referred to her short-lived solo practice with an “& Associates” in her firm name), ferreted out a doctor  who’d been secretly blogging his medical malpractice case (and was later outed on the stand), set in motion a national debate over whether the Supreme Court might hear a case on secession based on a letter his brother received from Justice Scalia on that topic and of course, is front and center to the Internet blockbuster of the century, Rakofsky sues the Internet.  Eric shows up in so many public places that it’s no wonder that the New York Times bought his April Fools’ Day prank that he was going to become the official White House law blogger.

Yet all of these serendipitous experiences flow from Eric’s blog, where incidentally, he breaks every “rule” about blogging written by the marketers. Eric doesn’t just limit himself to topics related to New York personal injury law or 200 fifty word posts that basically string keywords together.  He doesn’t outsource  his blog writing to ghostwriters or professional content providers.  He doesn’t tweet incessantly about every word that he puts up at his blog, or even blog every day like clockwork when there’s nothing to say. He doesn’t avoid expressing strong views that may potentially be unpopular with potential clients.

And guess what? Precisely because Eric breaks the blogging rules is why he’s found visibility beyond any marketer’s dreams.  Eric engages and  holds our interest with insightful analysis not seen elsewhere, personal stories about law practice and family, a wicked sense of humor and a pulse.  Like Forrest Gump, Eric’s got dedication and heart which is why his blog captivates us – and which is why like Forrest Gump, Eric and his blog are at the forefront of so many historic moments.  Because at the end of the day, we’re all rooting for the good guy.  Go Eric!