With tax season just around the corner we thought it would be great to interview one of our prolific tax bloggers Paul L. Caron, Professor of Law and Dean at Pepperdine Caruso School of Law. TaxProf Blog is a very popular tax blog, Dean Caron uses his years of knowledge of taxes to give insight into the latest news. He took a few moments to share with us (and our readers) his blogs and his thoughts about Typepad.
Can you tell us about yourself and your blog? Is it just you writing your blog or do you have a team that helps?
I am a former law school tax professor and am now a law school dean. I started TaxProf Blog on April 15 (appropriately for a tax blog), 2004. I do the blog myself, with several law professors contributing items every week.
Why did you start your blog? Can you tell us the back story to TaxProf?
It was the outgrowth of an email listserv I created for over 300 tax law professors on April 15, 1995. The listserv and blog have helped create a vibrant community of tax professors who share information and ideas about teaching and research.
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What is your process for writing a blog post?
I do most of my posts over the weekend and schedule them for publication during the week, so blogging does not interfere with my job as dean.
How do you find fresh topics to write about?
About 1/3 of the content comes over the transom from folks; the other 2/3 comes from various feeds with tax and legal education information.
What is the funniest thing that has happened to your blog?
My wife was on a bus going to work and a guy overheard her talking with a friend about my blog. He introduced himself and said he worked for the IRS and follows my blog.
What is your favorite feature in Typepad?
The stability of the platform.
What other programs/software do you use to help with your blog?
RSS feeds from various sources.
What is the most important thing you have learned from blogging?
That it is not for everyone. I formed a network of over 50 blogs in other areas of law, but most of them have not taken off because the editors were not as committed to their blogs as I am to mine.
You have a few minutes, what is your go to tip about blogging?
Post, post, and post some more. A daily diet of posts help builds a following.
What blogs do you follow?
All of the leading tax and legal education blogs.
What is one goal for your blog in the next 6 months?
Continue to expand its reach (traffic).
Who or what inspires you to keep blogging?
I feel I am making a real contribution to tax law and legal education.
With more people starting a blog, what is one piece of tax or legal advice would you give bloggers?
Pay your taxes!
Thank you Dean Caron for taking the time to speak with us about your blog. We hope this interview will help with your goal.
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