After the American Bar Association launched its social networking site, LegallyMinded, in December 2008, I wrote a review that I summed up with this title: ABA Social Network Fails to Connect. Regrettably, it was a commendable idea but poorly executed. As I wrote then, “It jettisons features that should be central and weighs itself down with others that are useless or redundant. It is as if the ABA came late to a crowded race, barefoot and with bricks in its backpack.”

Today, the ABA announced that it is shutting down LegallyMinded, effective April 7. In an e-mail sent to everyone who registered for the site, it said: “After careful evaluation of current opportunities and challenges in the digital space, the ABA has decided to cease operation of LegallyMinded at 3pm Central Time on Thursday, April 7, 2011.”

Photo of Bob Ambrogi Bob Ambrogi

Bob is a lawyer, veteran legal journalist, and award-winning blogger and podcaster. In 2011, he was named to the inaugural Fastcase 50, honoring “the law’s smartest, most courageous innovators, techies, visionaries and leaders.” Earlier in his career, he was editor-in-chief of several legal publications, including The National Law Journal, and editorial director of ALM’s Litigation Services Division.