Bluesky for Lawyers: Top 5 #LawSky Tips inc Legal Starter Packs – Social Media as It Should Be

bluesky tips for lawyers butterflies

With more than 1 million sign-ups per day, Bluesky is emerging as a refreshing alternative to former social media networks, not least for lawyers, attorneys, barristers and advocates looking to share their insights online and reconnect with likeminded people in a more curated and respectful digital community.

Inspired by an excellent Machine Pun Kelly YouTube video below (h/t legal innovator, author and commentator Mitch Jackson Esq. who is on Bluesky via https://bsky.app/profile/mitch.social ), below are five key tips for lawyers joining Bluesky, but first a brief story of how this caught my attention last week.

First, The People Who Helped Me Find Bluesky

It started with Clio’s resident lawyer Joshua Lennon sharing on LinkedIn his new Bluesky handle and plans for expansion i.e:-

“Currently joshualenon.bsky.social  , but I’m changing to my personal domain after migrating all my tweets over. See you on #BlueSky #LegalTechMafia!”

with his post also sharing Legal Tech AI Professor Mark C Palmer’s simple three steps :-

1️⃣ opens Bluesky Social
2️⃣ searches legaltech
3️⃣ starts to rebuild the family
🧱👷🔨🦺
@palmerlaw.bsky.social

CEO of Inksters (Scotland’s Plug and Play Law Firm), Brian Inkster then reminded me that:-

Gav Ward I’ve been there a little while. Mentioned it to Stephen Moore on the (Your Law Firm Success podcast). It is like the old [social network] and so much better than what that has become as X.”

Following that advice, I then set up a few Bluesky accounts, just like in the old days of former social networks:- @GavWard , @WardblawG , @FF-Lawyers and FamilyBlawg , in addition to the @MLTDigital account my colleague Emma Wyatt at MLT Digital has already set up, with more to follow.

It’s been really refreshing connecting with old colleagues again, just like in the early days of what people on Bluesky are calling the ‘old site’.

And from initial comments from connections, lawyer and legal tech sector author Mitch Jackson Esq notes

“The settings, block and moderation features are refreshing. The conversation too. Enjoying the change of tone and content. Gav Ward, I know we’re connected but everyone else, here you go 🚀 https://bsky.app/profile/mitch.social “

Five Tips for Lawyers to Make the Most from Bluesky

So without further ado, here are five tips for lawyers to make the most from Bluesky again with significant thanks to Machine Pun Kelly for sharing insights that helped for these tips via YouTube, embedded below for further reference:-

1. Set up your profile with your name/brand name as your handle

Simply go to https://bsky.app/ or download the iPhone app or Android app and choose your username with your name or brand name and just choose the default Bluesky social platform rather than a custom domain which could be done at a later point, like how Ben Stiller or Ben Jones have done it. A really good example is how Brian Inkster has done this, similar to his old “tweeting in convoy” methodology i.e. personal account at brianinkster.bsky.social, blog account at thetimeblawg.bsky.social and law firm brand account at inksters.bsky.social. This allow you to focus your posts and engagement by topic accordingly.

2. Leverage Starter Packs to Expand Your Reach

Starter packs on Bluesky are curated lists of users grouped by interest. Explore packs tailored for legal professionals, law enthusiasts, or thought leaders in specific practice areas. Following a starter pack not only boosts your network but also introduces you to relevant conversations and collaborations. See for instance the following excellent initial legal starter packs, including some of WardblawG’s Starter Packs, as very helpfully recommended by Caroline Reach, Director, NCBA Center for Practice Management, via her very useful guide to Bluesky for Lawyers on the North Carolina Bar Association website here:-

AND see also this amazing directory of (what was 15,000+ starter packs when we wrote this, now 150,000+) you can search through.

P.S. more on how to set up your own Starter Packs undernoted.

3. Customise Your Feeds for Relevant Content

One of Bluesky’s standout features is its feeds, which allow you to curate content based on topics or groups. For lawyers, creating feeds centred on legal updates, industry insights, or niche interests like employment law or legal tech can streamline your browsing experience and help you stay updated.

As part of this note the hashtag #lawsky. Michelle Kay Camp, Brian Inkster and I had a brief ‘crackling’ discussion on this:-

Michelle Kay Camp (@freelancelawmom.bsky.social) 
Ok lawyer friends, are we choosing #lawsky or #skylaw? 👀

Gav Ward (@gavward.bsky.social) 
Think given that #lawsky is more of a direct relative…that one will probably be preferred? Reminds me of #lawtech and #legaltech though where the latter became the predominant hashtag. @thetimeblawg.bsky.social may have some further thoughts in an upcoming article on the subject?

The Time Blawg (@thetimeblawg.bsky.social)
Once upon a time we had #twegals over there. Do we now have #skegals on here? Or is it #blegals? 🙂

Gav Ward (@gavward.bsky.social) 
Liking both #Blegals and #Skegals. The former sounds like a type of dog…

Chat’s ideas:
#LawOnSky, #BlueskyBar, #SkyJustice, #SkyCounsel, #CloudCourt, #SkyLitigation, #LexBlue, #BlueAdvocates, #BrieflyOnBluesky, #SueInTheSkyWithDiamonds, #CloudNineContracts, #SkyHighVerdicts + familiar #LawCloud 😉

Gav Ward (@gavward.bsky.social) 
… #BlueskyBar would be a good blawg or podcast name here for the barristers/advocates/judges perhaps @thetimeblawg.bsky.social. Prior Skeets don’t represent endorsement of ChatGPT’s ideas…

The Time Blawg (@thetimeblawg.bsky.social) 
Don’t like “Skeets”. Butterflies apparently crackle. So we should all be crackling 😉

Further thoughts on this line of thought appreciated as the Bluesky terminology evolves.

4. Respect Sky Etiquette and Build Meaningful Interactions

Bluesky emphasises respect and collaboration. Key etiquette rules include avoiding unsolicited DMs, being generous with follow-backs, and always using alt text for images to ensure accessibility. For lawyers, this fosters a professional and inclusive environment ideal for meaningful dialogue.

5. Explore Bluesky Tools to Enhance Your Presence

Bluesky’s open-source design offers a variety of tools to optimise your engagement. Apps like Clear Sky help manage followers and blocks, while Bluesky Network Analyzer recommends accounts popular within your network. And switching platforms doesn’t mean starting over. Use Sky Follower Bridge to identify and connect with legal peers and clients who have also made the move to Bluesky. This tool helps transfer your existing social network contacts effortlessly, ensuring continuity in professional relationships. For lawyers, these tools can identify new contacts and refine your professional audience.

Why Bluesky Matters for Lawyers

Bluesky is more than just an alternative to other social networks; it’s a platform that champions thoughtful interaction and customisable content. Lawyers have the opportunity to engage in respectful discussions, expand their networks, and showcase expertise in a community-driven environment.

Start exploring Bluesky today and rediscover the power of social media done right.

For more practical tips, watch Machine Pun Kelly’s insightful video on getting started with Bluesky:-

 

Undernote – How to Set up Your Own Starter Packs on Bluesky

Per this starter pack guide from the Bluesky Team, you can set up your own Starter Packs on Bluesky as follows:-

  • Access Starter Packs Tab: Navigate to your profile and select the “Starter Packs” tab, located next to your media and likes tabs.
  • Create a Starter Pack:
    • Use the auto-generation tool: Click “Make one for me” to receive a pre-populated starter pack with suggested users and custom feeds.
    • Build manually: Click “Create” to add specific users and custom feeds yourself.
  • Customise Details: Name your starter pack, write a description, and choose up to 150 recommended users and 3 custom feeds.
  • Share Your Starter Pack: Generate a link or QR code to share your pack via text, social apps, or your professional network.
  • Engage with Your Community: Receive notifications when users join Bluesky through your starter pack and welcome them!

Look forward to seeing you on the other side (site)

Hope this helps and look forward to connecting and engaging on Bluesky – again you’ll find me at gavward.bsky.social

G

Keywords through which you may find this Bluesky tips for lawyers blog post : Bluesky, lawyers, social media, legal network, Sky Follower Bridge, Starter Packs, Sky Etiquette, Clear Sky, curated feeds, lawsky

P.P.S. Editorial note – Corrections made to the initial publication within one hour of publishing to remove references to Jack Dorsey as Brian Inkster noted: “Thanks for the mention Gav Ward. It should be noted that it is no longer Jack Dorsey’s Bluesky and when he resigned from the board he urged users to stay on X! Not sure if he remains of the same opinion though given developments on X since then: https://amp.theguardian.com/technology/article/2024/may/07/jack-dorsey-quits-bluesky-board-urges-users-stay-elon-musk-x-twitter” ; and also thanks to Espy who noted: “If you want more followers/engagement, you might want to avoid calling this Jack Dorsey’s Bluesky. Jack Dorsey hasn’t been involved in a very long time and was never involved beyond Twitter providing seed money for the original protocol development.”

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