David Lat has shaped modern legal media more than almost anyone. From the pseudonymous blog Underneath Their Robes to launching Above the Law in 2006 and now publishing the reader-funded Substack Original Jurisdiction, he shows how gossip, hustle and independent vision can build a lasting journalism career.
In this episode Kevin digs into that journey, the business models behind each phase and what lawyers can still learn from blogging today.
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Episode outline
- 00:00 Kevin’s intro and why David matters to legal publishing
- 01:56 Birth of Underneath Their Robes
- 05:17 Blogging under a pseudonym and the big reveal in The New Yorker
- 13:40 Growing up near Nixon and developing a storytelling instinct
- 15:27 Pitching investors and launching Above the Law
- 18:35 Eight-posts-a-day grind and why effort still pays off
- 26:30 Adding value beyond headlines in an AI-summarised world
- 30:20 Staying ahead of “the robots” and keeping commentary fresh
- 36:17 Why Substack’s subscriber model beats ads for trust and revenue
- 44:41 Balancing journalism, family and human connection online
Key takeaways
- Authentic voice plus clear value-add still separates great legal commentary from AI summaries and wire copy
- Direct subscription revenue aligns incentives with readers rather than advertisers
- Consistent blogging lets young lawyers build expertise, clients and media invitations faster than traditional networking
- Hustle matters—David once spent 60-plus hours a week publishing eight to ten posts daily to make Above the Law stick
- Analysis, context and well-timed jokes keep readers coming back despite information overload