THE LEGAL GENEALOGIST - My Favorite Blog

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Ever since Pat Morgan of the Medina County Genealogical Society recommended it to me, I have been a huge fan of The Legal Genealogist blog.

 Its stated purpose is to  "help folks understand the often arcane and even impenetrable legal concepts and terminology that are so very important to those of us studying family history." It does that and so much more, EVERY DAY!

The Legal Genealogist is the creative achievement of Judy Russell. Judy's training and background are quite impressive. (Check out the list of her qualifications at the bottom of this blog.) She describes herself as a "genealogist with a law degree." I love that she puts being a genealogist first!

Judy Russell, aka The Legal Genealogist
Photo courtesy Judy Russell.

BUT...

She cannot answer legal questions. SHE CANNOT AND WILL NOT ANSWER LEGAL QUESTIONS. She is not your lawyer.

Once you understand that, here are some of the reasons that her blog is #1:

1. It is delivered to my email in-box every day.  Let me repeat that - EVERY DAY. I don't have to go looking for it. It appears like magic. Occasionally I will delete the posting without reading it, but that is rare.
2. She explains legal terminology and concepts in a way that I can understand. This is an area of weakness for me, but she makes it comprehensible.  Here is an example: https://www.legalgenealogist.com/2019/01/31/the-thing-and-the-rights/
3. DNA on Sundays - every Sunday, the blog is about DNA testing. Again, Judy makes these very complex concepts intelligible to me.
4. Poignant sketches of her family. Genealogists have weak spots for touching family stories. I am no exception. Neither is Judy. 
5. Methodology - the "how-to's" of genealogy. There is always more to learn.
6. Access to records - Judy is an advocate for open access to records. And she raises the awareness of others (like me) to threats to that access and recommends a course of action to advocate to keep records open.
7. She revisits concepts like "terms of use",  privacy in genealogy, and copyright law regularly. 
8. She is a dynamic speaker. The Ohio Genealogical Society has hosted Judy at their annual conferences several times. Hers is one of the "don't-miss" sessions, no matter what the topic.
9. Whenever Judy is really busy, her blog will feature the ABC's of legal terms. Judy is often quite busy, but I never feel cheated when her blog is a definition. Because Judy always makes it interesting, and...
10. She is funny.

Check out the blog at: The Legal Genealogist Blog - https://www.legalgenealogist.com/

Subscribe to her blog for daily emails at: Daily Legal Genealogist Email

Oh, and what is your favorite genealogy blog??

JUDY'S BACKGROUND

Judy has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. and a law degree from Rutgers School of Law-Newark.
As a genealogist she is a Colorado native with:

• Deep southern roots on my mother’s side 
• First generation German on my father’s side. 

Employment history:

• Newspaper reporter 
• Trade association writer 
• Legal investigator 
• Defense attorney 
• Federal prosecutor 
• Law editor 
• Adjunct member of the faculty at Rutgers Law School, for more than 20 years 
• “Retiree” as of 2014 
• Lecturer at genealogy conferences across the country. 

Genealogical Education:

• Two decades learning the trade as a genealogist, (see below) 
• Has attended the National Institute on Genealogical Research at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., and completed courses in: 
• Advanced Methodology and Evidence Analysis 
• Writing and Publishing for Genealogists 
• African American Research 
• DNA analysis and more 
• Credentials as a: 
• Certified Genealogist® 
• Certified Genealogical LecturerSM from the Board for Certification of Genealogists® 
• A member of: 
• The National Genealogical Society 
• The Association of Professional Genealogists 
• The state genealogical societies of New Jersey, North Carolina, Virginia, Texas and Illinois, among others. 
• She now to serves on: 
• The faculty at the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR)
• The Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG)
• The Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP)
• The Midwest African American Genealogy Institute (MAAGI) 
• The Genealogical Institute on Federal Records (Gen-Fed)
• A member of the Board of Trustees Board for Certification of Genealogists®  

Publications:

• National Genealogical Society Quarterly (see Judy G. Russell, “`Don’t Stop There!’ Connecting Josias Baker to His Burke County, North Carolina, Parents,” National Genealogical Society Quarterly 99 (March 2011): 25-41. 
• The award-winning “George Washington Cottrell of Texas: One Man or Two?,” National Genealogical Society Quarterly 105 (September 2017): 165-179. 
• The National Genealogical Society Magazine (see Judy G. Russell, “Autosomal DNA testing,” National Genealogical Society Magazine, October-December 2011, 38-43.
• “Fifty years of credentialing,” National Genealogical Society Magazine, January-March 2014, 15-19. 
• “Shootout at the Rhododendron Lodge: Reconstructing Life-Changing Events,” National Genealogical Society Magazine, January-March 2015, 28-35. 
• BCG’s OnBoard newsletter, among others. 

SOURCE: The Legal Genealogist Blog: https://www.legalgenealogist.com/