Last year, I did a round-up of the 10 most popular blog posts from 2015. Since I’m just back from vacation and have about 48 items on my to-do list, I thought I’d repeat the concept this year too.
I just checked the stats for the week, figuring them to be low because of the holidays. But on Tuesday, there was a huge spike of about 500%. It didn’t take long to figure out why: an article in The Hill linked to my blog post on statutes of limitations. (And here I thought the world had finally realized the brilliance of my blog. Alas.)
This year, my blog traffic went up a bit and steadied at a higher level. I wouldn’t exactly call my readers plentiful, but you are a loyal bunch. Thank you for reading and commenting. I had one colleague email me out of the blue to tell me how much he enjoyed my posts. I can’t tell you how nice that was. It can sometimes feel like spitting in the wind to blog regularly, but then someone will mention how much they like the blog, and it makes all the work worthwhile.
I’m about to start year 4 of my solo law firm, so that’s a major milestone. I’m proud of my practice and this blog. This blog was also named to the ABA’s LawBlawg 100 for the second year in a row–so thanks to all who nominated me.
On to the top 5!
So, here is the top five most-read posts:
- White Collar Crime Resource Guide: Statute of Limitations. This is a perennial winner. It covers the basics of statutes of limitations in white-collar cases and the ways the government seeks to extend the general five-year rule. If I had to guess, the hits on this post are mostly from non-lawyers.
- First-Ever Case Against Chief Compliance Officer For Failure To Implement Anti-Money Laundering Program at MoneyGram. This case, about a first-of-its-kind case against a compliance officer, was in second place. There have been some developments in the case, with rumors of settlement afoot. Plus, the compliance officer filed counterclaims against the government under the Privacy Act of 1974. This post is from March 2015, but the traffic shows that it is still followed carefully in the industry.
- When the Good Wife Faces Criminal Forfeiture: The Government’s Efforts to Seize a Spouse’s Assets after Conviction. This post, from April 2015, still gets a lot of hits. Asset forfeiture is always a hot topic. The federal government continues to take a very aggressive approach to seizing a target’s assets, even when those assets are set aside for attorney’s fees.
- What is a Reverse Proffer? In May 2016, I wrote a post describing what a reverse proffer was, in part because I couldn’t find much about the topic when I researched it. I can’t say this is the definitive description of what happens during a reverse proffer, but it seems to be a popular topic.
- When Will the Government Ask for Pretrial Detention of a White Collar Defendant? Apparently, the key to SEO is posing a question in the title. (You can thank me later.) This was a fairly straightforward post about the factors that go into the pretrial detention decision. But I don’t mean to underplay it; this is a key decision point in the criminal justice system. It is immensely important to my clients and their families.
Here is the list of my personal favorite posts:
- What To Do With Notes from an Internal Investigation? Court Says Big Firm’s Methods Were “Gamesmanship.” This post had all the hallmarks of a fun post: questioning a big firm’s investigative methods, a fun political scandal and a topic that every BigLaw lawyer can relate to.
- When Criminal Defense and Civil Litigation Collide—Taking the Fifth in Civil Litigation. Since a lot of my cases deal with the intersection of criminal and civil work, I thought this post was fun to write and dealt with a subject that many struggle to navigate.
- Why Are We Falling for the Department of Justice’s Sales Pitch? This post probably generated the most interest this year for me–the most comments from colleagues and even a prosecutor or two who weighed in.
- Thinking About Consequences and the Yates Memo. The Yates Memo was THE hot topic for client updates from BigLaw. It certainly wasn’t bad for business on the small firm front. But, all in all, the consequences do not seem dire and the new administration may undo it in the end.
- A Misleading DOJ Press Release I had several people email me with similar stories after I posted this piece. I just cannot understand why DOJ cannot be fair in its press releases. At the very least, the government should remove the ones touting indictments when the defendant is acquitted. This is a topic that I plan to revisit in the new year as well.
Speaking of the new year, please have a wonderful one!
Sara