Photo Courtesy of Library of Congress

Yesterday, the HR Examiner came out with Top 25 list of “Online Influencers” in Employment Law.  Through a complex formula, it purports to show who people listen to about employment law online.

Unlike Groucho Marx who famously said “I don’t care to belong to any club that will have me as a member”, I’m thankful to be on the list and think the list is a useful starting point for people looking to see who’s out there in the online world talking about employment law. 

But the list has a obvious shortcoming — nearly two thirds of the list are made up of non-lawyers. 

Back in 2009, I put together a list of 10 Twitter handles that you should consider following.  That list, though, didn’t focus just on employment lawyers.  And, like many of you, I use the internet differently than I did back then and listen and interact with different people.   

So, without using any fancy statistics or surveys, here is my brand new official list of ten employment lawyers who you should consider following online (besides, of course, yours truly.  I can be found on Twitter @danielschwartz here): 

  1. @jonhyman — Readers of this blog will know this name well.  Jon Hyman has run the Ohio Employer’s Law Blog for nearly the same time as I’ve been publishing this.   Great employment law insight, particularly for employers. 
  2. @mollydibi — Another familiar name, Molly DiBianca runs the Delaware Employment Law Blog and, as she describes herself, she’s a “genuinely nice person with an asymmetrical haircut.”  She also runs one of the best blogs around.  How’s that for a recommendation?
  3. @shborden — Never mind that he’s a Red Sox fan. Seth Borden runs the terrific Labor Relations Today blog and is a leading voice on, well, labor law issues.  He frequently practices in Connecticut too.
  4. @eric_b_meyer – Eric Meyer – also a member of Red Sox Nation — provides perhaps the most irreverant look at employment law with pithy comments to boot on  The Employer Handbook. If you’re looking for employment law with a bit of snark on the side, Eric’s got the area cornered.
  5.  @robineshea – Robin Shea is perhaps the best lawyer you’re not following online yet.  Her weekly blog posts at Employment & Labor Insider are longer than most, but well-researched and full of non-legalese. 
  6. @jeffreysnowak – Do you want FMLA Insights? Jeff Nowak is your guy. 
  7. @philipmiles – From the middle of nowhere in Pennsylvania (ok, near State College — but really, have you tried to drive through Pennsylvania?), Philip runs the Lawffice Space blog and focuses on various cases. 
  8. @BrianDHallEsq – Brian Hall edits the Employer Law Report for Porter Wright.  While his tweets can be a little inconsistent at times (c’mon, Brian, get with the program), they are nearly always quite re-tweetable. 
  9. @jason_shinn – Jason Shinn’s tweets may not be prolific, but his Michigan Employment Law Advisor has lots of easy to understand and implement suggestions for all types of employers. 
  10. @employeeatty – Donna Ballman’s “Screw You Guys, I’m Going Home” blog may not seem like an obvious read, particularly for employers, but it is worth checking out. Plus, she’s a great curator of content on Twitter. 

This list is, of course, incomplete and, in many ways, arbitrary.  People from 2009 that I continue to follow include @rossrunkel and @manpowerblawg.  And people like @worklawyer or @chaifeldblum are certainly on my follow list too.

So perhaps I’ll do a list of ten MORE people to follow sometime soon that will include some non-lawyers (like Stephanie Thomas) ; I’m certain I’ve left some people out. In the meantime, add your suggestions to the comments below.