As the variety and quality of blogs grow in the China blogoshpere, a new genre begs the question: Are law blogs the new black?

Hunched over a keyboard, the writer diligently transcribes their day of wonder. The colors, struggles, noise and underhand dealings. Everything was not as it should be. How could a place like this function? Everything was foreign to this foreigner.

The typical China expat blogger has stereotypically been a young, explorative diarist who either through will or serendipity found themselves exploring a new culture and country. This stereotype is long overdue for a shake-up. These days, the most eye-catching blog genre in the China blogosphere is shaping up to be the law blog.

It may be this blogger’s age showing, but I can't help but read these types of blogs. The keenness that I have for such blogs can be equally derived from both empathy and voyeurism. Some of the stories you find echo both my friends and my own dealings in China. The spicy hook of attraction comes from experts and keen observers who love to dissect the gore that can be applying (or bending) the letter of the law in China.

Undoubtedly the best blog in this broad collection is the big red engine of thought that is The China Law Blog. Written predominantly by the prolific Dan Harris, the broad range of business, law and other government-related areas this group-effort explores is unparalleled among China's blogs. The blog's high quality of commentary consistently attracts interesting and lively discussion threads.

And like all popular genres, there's always someone who enters the scene and pushes the genre to a completely different, and in this case, vengeful level. Enter The ChinaLawyerBlog. Authored by a disgruntled foreign lawyer, the blog pulls no punches in its aim to expose the alleged wrong-doings, un-professionalism and outright exasperation of their former employer. Here is one excerpt about an older colleague at his former firm:

He's a lawyer to you if you are under 25, in case you ever think of pulling rank on him. But for the rest of the firm he's the office fool, whose job is to do be shamed and yelled out by the firm's managing partner when he gets angry, to never agree or disagree with anything, since that could just cause him problems, and to spy on others for the benefit of his boss. I call him the elder moron.

Not nice, but far from the worst that the author deals out. One former co-worker who fell into the cross-hairs of potentially libelous criticism concerning her business practices retorted with spray:

I have seen your blog. You are the biggest liar I have ever seen in my life. You are seriously sick and need to see a doctor. By the way, I am not threatening you. I am going to sue you—that is exactly what I am going to do, and I will sue you for a huge amount of damages.

This style of revenge blog has drawn polarizing comments from the authors of The China Law Blog and its legion of chest-beating commentators. Blogger Phil had this to say about the whole storm in a tea cup:

Blimey, you lawyers don't like that blog! I can see what (prior commenter) Brad Luo was saying about the problem of talking about employers in a small world. But judging by what the blog says, Jeff doesn't want to remain in the world of Chinese law firms much. And Dan, you say, "I also think we all have our own, differing realities," but at the same time say Jeff's reality is a car crash.

There are a number of other blogs that periodically dance upon the sharp edge of China law, business and perception. My favorite blogs include the indomitable PR spinner ImageThief, The China Briefing Blog and DiligenceChina. All of these blogs share top notch common denominators—great writing and engaging subject matter.

The China Lawyer Blog may fall down on great writing, but with incredible stories of misfortune, I'm sure this will be enough to keep readers glued to the site.