Abstract
The Feminist Law Professors blog began in 2006 as a modest effort to make feminist legal scholars more visible to one another and to the broader world. What emerged from this effort was a dynamic, collectively imagined space that bore witness to generational shifts in feminist legal thought, the rise and fall of blogging culture, and the enduring challenges of feminist community-building. This Essay reflects on the origins, evolution, and legacies of the Feminist Law Professors blog, situating it within its legal, cultural, and technological moments. It also offers my reflections—as one of two blog editors—on the risks and rewards of writing publicly as a feminist legal scholar, as well as on the blog’s closure in 2024.
The Essay proceeds in four parts. Part II traces the blog’s origins and early goals, emphasizing blog founder Ann Bartow’s community-building vision and the blogroll’s distinctive inclusivity. Part III examines content, contributors, and style, highlighting the blog’s blend of commentary and curation across topics ranging from judicial nominations to popular culture. Part IV explores the internal and external pressures that shaped the blog’s trajectory, including online harassment, resource demands, and shifting digital habits. Part V considers whether and how blogging has been recognized as scholarly labor, with a focus on citation, archiving, and institutional valuation. The Essay concludes by reflecting on the blog’s legacy and the ongoing need for open, collective feminist spaces in legal academia.
Recommended Citation
Bridget J. Crawford,
Sex, Gender, and the Blogosphere: Looking Back at the Feminist Law Professors Blog, 2006-2024,
94
UMKC L. Rev.
611
(2026).
Available at:
https://irlaw.umkc.edu/lawreview/vol94/iss3/8