Many readers here refuse to read the Wall Street Journal Law Blog as a matter of principle.  Not me.  I read it every day, as it’s on Dan Hull’s “must-read” list and that’s good enough for me.  True, last February when Peter Lattman announced he was going straight, I was tempted to drop it, but I figured I would give the new kid, Dan Slater, a chance.

Turned out that Slater was pretty good.  It took him a few weeks to get up to full ramming speed, but once he got there, he stayed there.  Until now.

A mere year after Slater took the helm, he’s out.  Yesterday, Slater announced that it was his last day at the helm of the WSJ Law Blog.

Today is my last day as the Law Blogger.

Writing the blog for the past year has been a privilege. And I’m happy to report that the Law Blog will remain strong under the guidance of longtime LB editor Ashby Jones.

All the best,
Dan

A man of mystery until the end, Slater’s farewell offers no clue as to why he’s done or where he’s going.  Generally, that’s a bad sign. 

Slater was in litigation at Kaye Scholar before jumping ship to blawg for profit.  Certainly a financial commitment on Slater’s part, leaving the lucrative and stable practice of Biglaw.  Well, at least that was how it was a year ago.  Could it be that the venerable chronicle of capitalism can’t afford to keep Slater on staff?  It seems that way.  The lack of mention of why and where suggests that Slater became a statistic, as he certainly wasn’t tossed on his ear for not doing a great job.  He did a great job.

What should one take from this.  Is all that hype about blogging being the wave of the future collapsing when it comes time to decide whether it’s worth a few corporate shekels to pay the blawger?  Has the blawgosphere’s promise remained merely a promise, never to produce a dime aside from those charging for the dream?  Does Dan Slater’s ouster portend capitalism’s abandonment of the blawgosphere as profit center?  Beats me. 

The WSJ has paper to pay for, and Slater may be nothing more than the victim of dead tree mentality.  Or maybe in the fast paced world of Web 2.0, the old-timers can’t see the point of commitment.  My newspaper friends think that if there’s no cash left to pay for reporters, there certainly can’t be any around for blawgers.  Maybe an explanation will be forthcoming, but I don’t know if I would believe it either way.  Nobody likes admitting that they’re in trouble.

I was sorry to see Lattman go.   I’m now sorry to see Dan Slater go.  I hope his parting is amicable and he’s got a new home, with a big yard and white picket fence, all lined up.  Thanks for a great year of work, Dan, and best of luck to you.