On the cusp of the new year and its new beginnings, I pause to celebrate the astonishing continuity of the Legal Theory Blog, published since 2002 (at least) by Lawrence (Larry) Solum, now at the University of Virginia School of Law.

For anyone unfamiliar with it, Larry’s site is a combination of posts documenting new and notable works of legal scholarship (mostly manuscripts uploaded to SSRN) in a wide range of fields and occasional entries in his ongoing “Legal Theory Lexicon.” It has been – in my opinion – one of the most significant public contributions to legal education over the last 25 years. More below the jump.

The key to the Legal Theory Blog is, I believe, the expert and attentive voice of its author/editor. The blog is not an automated notification system; it is not a list of all new works in the fields that Larry chooses to track. It is the product of a trusted and trustworthy source, a mostly analog filter in a world of digital noise, where filters are increasingly automated and, for a variety of well-known reasons, suspect. Law professors take note when a link to their work appears on the Legal Theory Blog. That link signifies that a human being paid attention, and that maybe others will, too. Some authors positively celebrate when Larry – who usually shares few comments in posts about others’ work – adds a “Highly Recommended” note or even a rare “Download it while it’s hot!” For readers familiar with the Great British Bake-Off, “Download it while it’s hot!” is legal education’s version of a “Hollywood handshake” – without Paul Hollywood’s piercing blue eyes and icy stare.

Students as well as faculty and others undoubtedly benefit from the Lexicon.

Early in my career, Larry was generous in reading and sharing comments on some of my more ambitious theory-driven projects. Intellectually, since then our interests have evolved in different directions. But I have been a daily reader of the blog since its beginnings on Blogger (remember Blogger?), through its Typepad years, and now in its WordPress incarnation.

Thank you, Larry, and here’s to more Legal Theory and legal theory in 2026!