RSS, which stands for real simple syndication, has been around for awhile now, but many attorneys still don't understand how to make use of the technology. Attorneys can use RSS feeds either as a time-saving way to gather information for themselves or to send information to site visitors and blog subscribers. In 2006, the ABA's Law Practice Today said "if you are not finding a way to incorporate RSS technology into your online research toolkit, you are missing out on an amazingly powerful resource." This is even more true nearly five years later.
An RSS feed is a format for packaging together frequently updated Web content for easy distribution in one location. It can save busy attorneys considerable time by allowing them to get the latest information from their favorite sites or blogs without visiting each one individually. You just select an RSS reader and tell it which sites you want to receive updates from, and the technology does the rest. RSS feeds can contain text, images, and media files and RSS readers can be Web-based, desktop based, or mobile-device based. Examples of RSS readers include Google Reader, FeedDemon, or NetNewsWire.
Most frequently updated Web sites and blogs have RSS feeds you can subscribe to. For example, members of ElderLawAnswers can subscribe to an RSS feed of our news articles by clicking this symbol 
found on the attorney home page. In addition, you can create your own customized feeds by going to news.yahoo.com/rss and putting in your own terms (for example: "elder law" or your law firm's name).
You can also use RSS to promote your own blogs or articles. Most blogs have RSS capability built into them, but even if you don't have a blog it is possible to set up an RSS feed on your Web site. Subscribing to an RSS feed offers clients the advantage of not having to provide their e-mail address.
For more details on RSS from the ABA's Law Practice Today, click here.
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