Digging the Dirt
Digging the Dirt is a mixture of news, comment and guides, mostly (but not exclusively) about things currently going on in property and environmental law which I find interesting or entertaining. It’s not meant to be a comprehensive legal update site however – it’s more of a magazine - but it is free!
I really want my blog to be useful to both lawyers and non-lawyers alike – indeed especially non-lawyers - and so I try to avoid “legalese” and jargon - and most of the time I try and keep the posts brief; I reckon I've got you for about a minute, if I'm lucky.
I certainly don't think I've got all (or any) of the answers - if I've made any howlers, let me know (nicely please!).
I really want my blog to be useful to both lawyers and non-lawyers alike – indeed especially non-lawyers - and so I try to avoid “legalese” and jargon - and most of the time I try and keep the posts brief; I reckon I've got you for about a minute, if I'm lucky.
I certainly don't think I've got all (or any) of the answers - if I've made any howlers, let me know (nicely please!).
Why's it called Digging the Dirt?
I worked for some years in the London office of an American law firm. I discovered whilst I worked there that in the US attorneys who specialise in “real estate” law are often called “dirt lawyers”. I don’t know whether it’s meant to be an insult, but it amused me. Whatever the travails of the market and anything else the world can throw at us – it’s still possible, just about, to dig dirt law.
Digging the Dirt is featured on solicitorsblogs.com, British Business Bloggers and infolaw and was mentioned in the UK Blawg Roundup #6 , UK Blawg Roundup #8 and most recently in Charon QC's mammoth UK Blawg Review #10.
Digging the Dirt was also mentioned in 2011 by the Guardian, in its review of legal blogging – The Death of Blogging? Not for #Law Blogs.
An extract from Digging the Dirt has even appeared in the London Evening Standard.
And in a more bizarre claim to fame, Digging the Dirt also appears in footnotes to Wikipedia entries about the 13th Century Italian jurist, Accursius and his Latin phrase cuius est solum, eius est usque ad coelum et ad inferos.
Being an obsessive (but still learning) photographer, I try to use photographs I've taken myself as much as possible on this blog to illustrate the posts (some of them fill space at the bottom of this page). You can also view them on flickr, where I've licensed them for use by anyone else if they feel the need - I'd be flattered!
Where I don't have a suitable photo of my own or if I'm short of inspiration, I use photos offered under the Creative Commons licence on flickr, attributing the photographer whenever I do so. Thank you to all who have made their photographs available in this way.
An extract from Digging the Dirt has even appeared in the London Evening Standard.
And in a more bizarre claim to fame, Digging the Dirt also appears in footnotes to Wikipedia entries about the 13th Century Italian jurist, Accursius and his Latin phrase cuius est solum, eius est usque ad coelum et ad inferos.
Being an obsessive (but still learning) photographer, I try to use photographs I've taken myself as much as possible on this blog to illustrate the posts (some of them fill space at the bottom of this page). You can also view them on flickr, where I've licensed them for use by anyone else if they feel the need - I'd be flattered!
Where I don't have a suitable photo of my own or if I'm short of inspiration, I use photos offered under the Creative Commons licence on flickr, attributing the photographer whenever I do so. Thank you to all who have made their photographs available in this way.
Other places
For more frivolous communication and rants limited to 140 characters you can follow me on twitter @JonDickins. Links to my blog posts are fed to twitter by the magic of twitterfeed.
About me
Originally from Monmouthshire, I graduated in law at the University of Oxford (Lincoln College) in 1987; qualified as a solicitor in England & Wales in 1990; and have over 20 years experience in commercial property law and, more recently, environmental law and sustainability.
I was for several years a partner in the London office of a regional firm and prior to that I worked as an associate in two large City firms.
Based in London, I'm now a consultant solicitor for the specialist property law firm, Stepien Lake LLP and for sustainability advisors, SIAM LLP.
You can find a brief summary of my background and professional experience by clicking on the “View my complete profile” tab opposite and by visiting my profile on LinkedIn.
I regret that I'm unable to advise anyone individually on any specific matters or problems directly through this blog – please see the disclaimer at the foot of this page for more about that - and I don't respond to anonymous enquiries.
However, if you'd like to contact me to enquire whether I can help you in a professional capacity, please use the form at the bottom of this page - I'd be delighted to hear from you.
I was for several years a partner in the London office of a regional firm and prior to that I worked as an associate in two large City firms.
Based in London, I'm now a consultant solicitor for the specialist property law firm, Stepien Lake LLP and for sustainability advisors, SIAM LLP.
You can find a brief summary of my background and professional experience by clicking on the “View my complete profile” tab opposite and by visiting my profile on LinkedIn.
I regret that I'm unable to advise anyone individually on any specific matters or problems directly through this blog – please see the disclaimer at the foot of this page for more about that - and I don't respond to anonymous enquiries.
However, if you'd like to contact me to enquire whether I can help you in a professional capacity, please use the form at the bottom of this page - I'd be delighted to hear from you.
