![\"lawyers](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.attorneyatwork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/lawyers-on-bluesky.jpg?resize=770%2C495&ssl=1\" "\\"\\"")
Table of contents<\/h2>\n\n- A Brief History of Bluesky Social Media<\/a><\/li>\n
- Bluesky Basics<\/a>\n
\n- Similarities to Other Socials and the Decentralized Difference<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- Key Bluesky Features for Legal Professionals<\/a>\n
\n- 1. Custom Feeds and Content Control<\/a><\/li>\n
- 2. Enhanced Privacy and Moderation Tools<\/a><\/li>\n
- 3. Custom Domains for Brand Consistency<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- Getting Started on Bluesky: An Attorney\u2019s Guide<\/a>\n
\n- Leveraging Starter Packs (for Professional Networking and More)<\/a><\/li>\n
- Keeping Your Old X Connections<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- Why Now Is the Time for Lawyers to Join Bluesky<\/a>\n
\n- The Twitter Diaspora Is Gathering There<\/a><\/li>\n
- Low Competition and High Community-Building Opportunities<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- There\u2019s No Better Time to Stake a Claim in the New Space<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
Bluesky, the newest social media platform attracting attention in the legal industry, celebrated its one-year anniversary earlier this month and notably attracted swaths of new users in the last quarter of 2024.\u00a0From its approach to content sharing to its reputation for courteous discourse, Bluesky is indeed unique. This overview explores what it is, why it\u2019s gaining traction, and why now might be the optimal time for attorneys to establish their presence on the platform.<\/p>\n
A Brief History of Bluesky Social Media<\/h2>\n
At its core, Bluesky is a microblogging platform and it shares many features with other social media sites, in particular X. In fact, Bluesky began as a Twitter-funded project back in 2019.\u00a0The initial vision was to create a decentralized social media standard that Twitter would eventually adopt.\u00a0However, by late 2022 Twitter had ceased supporting the project, and Bluesky established itself as an independent company.\u00a0After operating as an invite-only platform throughout 2023, Bluesky opened its doors to the public in February 2024.\u00a0Today, the platform operates as a U.S. public benefit corporation.<\/p>\n
Bluesky Basics<\/h2>\nSimilarities to Other Socials and the Decentralized Difference<\/h3>\n
The Bluesky user experience will feel immediately familiar to those using other social media sites (particularly those accustomed to X, formerly Twitter). It enables users to post short text updates and share images and videos. You can engage with others through likes, comments and reposts (equivalent to X\u2019s retweets). Like X and Threads, Bluesky allows for threaded conversations and hashtags for organization and topic discovery.<\/p>\n
What sets Bluesky apart is its foundation as a decentralized platform and its unique approach to content distribution and user control. Unlike traditional social media platforms controlled by a single entity, Bluesky distributes control and empowers users with impressive customization options. Bluesky has said it is creating a version of social media \u201cwhere it\u2019s built by many people [yet] still comes together as a cohesive, easy-to-use experience.\u201d<\/p>\n
This decentralized approach means that Bluesky users aren\u2019t bound to a single server or controlled by a company\u2019s algorithms and policies. Instead, the platform operates on the AT (authenticated transfer) protocol, allowing for greater user autonomy and data portability.<\/p>\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.attorneyatwork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Figure-One-Bluesky-social-home-page-770x468.jpg?resize=770%2C468&ssl=1\" "\\"\\"")
Bluesky says the company is \u201cbuilding an open foundation for the social internet.\u201d<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\nKey Bluesky Features for Legal Professionals<\/h2>\n1. Custom Feeds and Content Control<\/h3>\n
Bluesky\u2019s approach to content distribution represents a departure from traditional social media algorithms. Instead of being limited to a single algorithmic feed, Bluesky users can:<\/p>\n
\n- Create or subscribe to custom feeds based on specific interests.<\/li>\n
- Follow curated content streams focusing on particular topics.<\/li>\n
- Filter content based on keywords, topics, or user groups.<\/li>\n
- Switch between different algorithmic approaches to content discovery.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Therefore, it\u2019s possible for a user to craft a timeline made solely of content from mutual connections, cat pictures or sports-related posts. Attorneys can create custom feeds based on specific niche legal practice areas or follow content from particular jurisdictions. A family lawyer, for example, could create a feed specifically for family law updates while maintaining separate feeds for litigation news and legal tech developments.<\/p>\n
\n![\"Bluesky](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.attorneyatwork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Figure-2-Lindsays-Bluesky-Follows-770x468.jpg?resize=770%2C468&ssl=1\" "\\"\\"")
Some of the author\u2019s feeds, as seen on the desktop version of Bluesky<\/em>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n2. Enhanced Privacy and Moderation Tools<\/h3>\n
Bluesky\u2019s moderation tools offer users a reasonable degree of control over their in-app interactions, including:<\/p>\n
\n- Quite granular control over who can reply to posts.<\/li>\n
- The ability to detach quoted posts, custom block and mute lists (that can be shared among users).<\/li>\n
- Content labeling services (that help filter inappropriate or irrelevant content).<\/li>\n
- The option to control direct message accessibility.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
These tools can help lawyers maintain professional boundaries<\/a> while engaging in discussions without the common disruptions often experienced on other platforms. The ability to detach quoted posts, for example, can be particularly useful for maintaining professional discourse.<\/p>\n3. Custom Domains for Brand Consistency<\/h3>\n
Another unique feature is the ability for users to use their custom domains to create branded Bluesky handles.<\/p>\n
By default, all Bluesky handles contain the suffix \u201cbsky.social\u201d (so you\u2019ll commonly see @firmname.bsky.social and @lawyername.bsky.social). However, a firm could also set its handle to align with a domain it owns \u2014 meaning ABC LLP (with the domain name www.abcllp.com) could post with the Bluesky handle @abcllp.com. Any attorneys the firm verifies could then use subdomains to set their custom handles (for example, @jane.abcllp.com).<\/p>\n
Such handles provide a personalized touch. They can also help with brand consistency and allow firms to leverage the authority inherent in any established domain names. From Bluesky\u2019s perspective, domain-specific handles help solve the user-verification problem. While other platforms require users to go through a special approval process (to verify who they are and to obtain a coveted \u201cblue tick\u201d), Bluesky has effectively enabled a self-verification process, in which users can verify themselves by changing their handles to a custom domain.<\/p>\n
Getting Started on Bluesky: An Attorney\u2019s Guide<\/h2>\n
A great thing about Bluesky is that it\u2019s simple to get started and to begin enjoying your own, personally tailored user experience \u2014 even if your interests are quite niche or you\u2019re not sure who to follow. With Bluesky, you don\u2019t need to waste time finding other accounts or delving into extensive customizations to make the app work for you. Why?<\/p>\n
Leveraging Starter Packs (for Professional Networking and More)<\/h3>\n
There\u2019s no need to build your Bluesky feed from scratch (or passively let an algorithm choose your feed for you). Leverage the numerous Bluesky \u201cstarter packs\u201d to get a running start. These packs are unique to Bluesky, and you can use them to quickly find people to follow and begin building your feed around your personal and professional interests.<\/p>\n
Starter packs are essentially lists of Bluesky users created by other users. They are usually focused on a specific topic or geographical area. You can peruse all Bluesky accounts included in any pack. You\u2019ll find all of a pack\u2019s people included under the \u201cPeople\u201d tab, and you can see the posts for these people under the \u201cPosts\u201d tab. You can then choose to follow some or all of the accounts in the pack.<\/p>\n
Starter packs are an excellent way for lawyers to build their networks and discover any number of law-related conversations. A fantastic\u00a0directory of nearly 250,000 starter packs<\/a>\u00a0is available\u00a0to search.<\/p>\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.attorneyatwork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Figure-3-Bluesky-Social-Starter-Packs-770x432.jpg?resize=770%2C432&ssl=1\" "\\"\\"")
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\nImage 3: There are almost 250K starter packs to explore within Bluesky\u2019s Starter Pack Directory<\/em><\/p>\nHere are a few law-specific packs:<\/p>\n
\n- Bluesky Attorneys (#Lawsky<\/a>)<\/strong> is \u201cAttorneys \/ Lawyers \/ LawProfs \/ Law Students who are active on Bluesky.\u201d<\/li>\n
- LegalTech Starter Pack<\/strong><\/a> is \u201ca curated list of legal entrepreneurs and legaltech enthusiasts.\u201d<\/li>\n
- Legal Aid Starter Pack<\/strong><\/a> is \u201ccomprised of Legal Aid and pro bono programs across the US.\u201d<\/li>\n
- AI Law & Policy Starter Pack<\/strong><\/a> is \u201cthought leaders in artificial intelligence law and policy.\u201d<\/li>\n
- Law Reviews on Bluesky<\/strong><\/a> is \u201cstudent edited law reviews.\u201d<\/li>\n
- #LawProfs<\/strong><\/a> is a \u201clist of law professors on Bluesky.\u201d<\/li>\n
- There are also many practice-specific packs, including commercial law<\/a>, personal injury<\/a>, family law<\/a>, immigration<\/a> and IP<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Keeping Your Old X Connections<\/h3>\n
- \n
- Similarities to Other Socials and the Decentralized Difference<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- Key Bluesky Features for Legal Professionals<\/a>\n
- \n
- 1. Custom Feeds and Content Control<\/a><\/li>\n
- 2. Enhanced Privacy and Moderation Tools<\/a><\/li>\n
- 3. Custom Domains for Brand Consistency<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- Getting Started on Bluesky: An Attorney\u2019s Guide<\/a>\n
- \n
- Leveraging Starter Packs (for Professional Networking and More)<\/a><\/li>\n
- Keeping Your Old X Connections<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- Why Now Is the Time for Lawyers to Join Bluesky<\/a>\n
- \n
- The Twitter Diaspora Is Gathering There<\/a><\/li>\n
- Low Competition and High Community-Building Opportunities<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- There\u2019s No Better Time to Stake a Claim in the New Space<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
Bluesky, the newest social media platform attracting attention in the legal industry, celebrated its one-year anniversary earlier this month and notably attracted swaths of new users in the last quarter of 2024.\u00a0From its approach to content sharing to its reputation for courteous discourse, Bluesky is indeed unique. This overview explores what it is, why it\u2019s gaining traction, and why now might be the optimal time for attorneys to establish their presence on the platform.<\/p>\n
A Brief History of Bluesky Social Media<\/h2>\n
At its core, Bluesky is a microblogging platform and it shares many features with other social media sites, in particular X. In fact, Bluesky began as a Twitter-funded project back in 2019.\u00a0The initial vision was to create a decentralized social media standard that Twitter would eventually adopt.\u00a0However, by late 2022 Twitter had ceased supporting the project, and Bluesky established itself as an independent company.\u00a0After operating as an invite-only platform throughout 2023, Bluesky opened its doors to the public in February 2024.\u00a0Today, the platform operates as a U.S. public benefit corporation.<\/p>\n
Bluesky Basics<\/h2>\n
Similarities to Other Socials and the Decentralized Difference<\/h3>\n
The Bluesky user experience will feel immediately familiar to those using other social media sites (particularly those accustomed to X, formerly Twitter). It enables users to post short text updates and share images and videos. You can engage with others through likes, comments and reposts (equivalent to X\u2019s retweets). Like X and Threads, Bluesky allows for threaded conversations and hashtags for organization and topic discovery.<\/p>\n
What sets Bluesky apart is its foundation as a decentralized platform and its unique approach to content distribution and user control. Unlike traditional social media platforms controlled by a single entity, Bluesky distributes control and empowers users with impressive customization options. Bluesky has said it is creating a version of social media \u201cwhere it\u2019s built by many people [yet] still comes together as a cohesive, easy-to-use experience.\u201d<\/p>\n
This decentralized approach means that Bluesky users aren\u2019t bound to a single server or controlled by a company\u2019s algorithms and policies. Instead, the platform operates on the AT (authenticated transfer) protocol, allowing for greater user autonomy and data portability.<\/p>\n
\nBluesky says the company is \u201cbuilding an open foundation for the social internet.\u201d<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\nKey Bluesky Features for Legal Professionals<\/h2>\n
1. Custom Feeds and Content Control<\/h3>\n
Bluesky\u2019s approach to content distribution represents a departure from traditional social media algorithms. Instead of being limited to a single algorithmic feed, Bluesky users can:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Create or subscribe to custom feeds based on specific interests.<\/li>\n
- Follow curated content streams focusing on particular topics.<\/li>\n
- Filter content based on keywords, topics, or user groups.<\/li>\n
- Switch between different algorithmic approaches to content discovery.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Therefore, it\u2019s possible for a user to craft a timeline made solely of content from mutual connections, cat pictures or sports-related posts. Attorneys can create custom feeds based on specific niche legal practice areas or follow content from particular jurisdictions. A family lawyer, for example, could create a feed specifically for family law updates while maintaining separate feeds for litigation news and legal tech developments.<\/p>\n
\nSome of the author\u2019s feeds, as seen on the desktop version of Bluesky<\/em>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n2. Enhanced Privacy and Moderation Tools<\/h3>\n
Bluesky\u2019s moderation tools offer users a reasonable degree of control over their in-app interactions, including:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Quite granular control over who can reply to posts.<\/li>\n
- The ability to detach quoted posts, custom block and mute lists (that can be shared among users).<\/li>\n
- Content labeling services (that help filter inappropriate or irrelevant content).<\/li>\n
- The option to control direct message accessibility.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
These tools can help lawyers maintain professional boundaries<\/a> while engaging in discussions without the common disruptions often experienced on other platforms. The ability to detach quoted posts, for example, can be particularly useful for maintaining professional discourse.<\/p>\n
3. Custom Domains for Brand Consistency<\/h3>\n
Another unique feature is the ability for users to use their custom domains to create branded Bluesky handles.<\/p>\n
By default, all Bluesky handles contain the suffix \u201cbsky.social\u201d (so you\u2019ll commonly see @firmname.bsky.social and @lawyername.bsky.social). However, a firm could also set its handle to align with a domain it owns \u2014 meaning ABC LLP (with the domain name www.abcllp.com) could post with the Bluesky handle @abcllp.com. Any attorneys the firm verifies could then use subdomains to set their custom handles (for example, @jane.abcllp.com).<\/p>\n
Such handles provide a personalized touch. They can also help with brand consistency and allow firms to leverage the authority inherent in any established domain names. From Bluesky\u2019s perspective, domain-specific handles help solve the user-verification problem. While other platforms require users to go through a special approval process (to verify who they are and to obtain a coveted \u201cblue tick\u201d), Bluesky has effectively enabled a self-verification process, in which users can verify themselves by changing their handles to a custom domain.<\/p>\n
Getting Started on Bluesky: An Attorney\u2019s Guide<\/h2>\n
A great thing about Bluesky is that it\u2019s simple to get started and to begin enjoying your own, personally tailored user experience \u2014 even if your interests are quite niche or you\u2019re not sure who to follow. With Bluesky, you don\u2019t need to waste time finding other accounts or delving into extensive customizations to make the app work for you. Why?<\/p>\n
Leveraging Starter Packs (for Professional Networking and More)<\/h3>\n
There\u2019s no need to build your Bluesky feed from scratch (or passively let an algorithm choose your feed for you). Leverage the numerous Bluesky \u201cstarter packs\u201d to get a running start. These packs are unique to Bluesky, and you can use them to quickly find people to follow and begin building your feed around your personal and professional interests.<\/p>\n
Starter packs are essentially lists of Bluesky users created by other users. They are usually focused on a specific topic or geographical area. You can peruse all Bluesky accounts included in any pack. You\u2019ll find all of a pack\u2019s people included under the \u201cPeople\u201d tab, and you can see the posts for these people under the \u201cPosts\u201d tab. You can then choose to follow some or all of the accounts in the pack.<\/p>\n
Starter packs are an excellent way for lawyers to build their networks and discover any number of law-related conversations. A fantastic\u00a0directory of nearly 250,000 starter packs<\/a>\u00a0is available\u00a0to search.<\/p>\n
\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\nImage 3: There are almost 250K starter packs to explore within Bluesky\u2019s Starter Pack Directory<\/em><\/p>\n
Here are a few law-specific packs:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Bluesky Attorneys (#Lawsky<\/a>)<\/strong> is \u201cAttorneys \/ Lawyers \/ LawProfs \/ Law Students who are active on Bluesky.\u201d<\/li>\n
- LegalTech Starter Pack<\/strong><\/a> is \u201ca curated list of legal entrepreneurs and legaltech enthusiasts.\u201d<\/li>\n
- Legal Aid Starter Pack<\/strong><\/a> is \u201ccomprised of Legal Aid and pro bono programs across the US.\u201d<\/li>\n
- AI Law & Policy Starter Pack<\/strong><\/a> is \u201cthought leaders in artificial intelligence law and policy.\u201d<\/li>\n
- Law Reviews on Bluesky<\/strong><\/a> is \u201cstudent edited law reviews.\u201d<\/li>\n
- #LawProfs<\/strong><\/a> is a \u201clist of law professors on Bluesky.\u201d<\/li>\n
- There are also many practice-specific packs, including commercial law<\/a>, personal injury<\/a>, family law<\/a>, immigration<\/a> and IP<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Keeping Your Old X Connections<\/h3>\n
- LegalTech Starter Pack<\/strong><\/a> is \u201ca curated list of legal entrepreneurs and legaltech enthusiasts.\u201d<\/li>\n
- Bluesky Attorneys (#Lawsky<\/a>)<\/strong> is \u201cAttorneys \/ Lawyers \/ LawProfs \/ Law Students who are active on Bluesky.\u201d<\/li>\n
- Low Competition and High Community-Building Opportunities<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- Keeping Your Old X Connections<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- 2. Enhanced Privacy and Moderation Tools<\/a><\/li>\n
- Key Bluesky Features for Legal Professionals<\/a>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.attorneyatwork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/AttorneyatWork-Logo-%C2%AE-2021-1.jpg?resize=372%2C106&ssl=1\" "\\"\\""){kind=logo}
<\/a><\/figure>\n