Walking with Monica Bay through the aisles of Legal Tech was an experience. People would shout her name, and thrust copy into her hands. “Church and state, church and state,” she would shout back to those who thought their ad dollars would skew their coverage. Monica kept her personal blog, “The Common Scold” where she could let loose with personal commentary.
Monica Bay, larger than life, exited this world on October 27, 2023.
One of Monica’s signature moments was during the layoffs of the financial crisis, she held a pop up session at Legal Tech and invited people who had jobs to gather and help those who recently lost theirs.
Monica cared about the people, the businesses and the truth. She suffered no vaporware or the dreaded, “solutions.”
Monica would do a roadshow to meet advertisers and those seeking her coverage. She’d invite them to a Yankees game where she would hold court. Not too much business would be discussed, and she did her duty for ALM in fine style. I’m grateful to Debbie Caldwell for bringing me to the Mariners/Yankees game where I first met Monica.
One of Monica’s signature moments was during the layoffs of the financial crisis, she held a pop up session at Legal Tech and invited people who had jobs to gather and help those who recently lost theirs.
Monica had an Editors’ breakfast every year where she invited her reporters and the editor’s of sister publications under the ALM umbrella. She even invited bloggers to hear what editors were interested in publishing, giving us an opportunity to pitch. My bloggers’ breakfast at the deli would be the eyeopener, so we wouldn’t miss Monica’s gathering.
I had the privilege of listening to the great Greg Bufithis interview Monica at the last Legal Tech with Monica at the helm [I did not remember we interviewed her together, what a treat!]. She was flummoxed by the attention, with her retirement photo up in Times Square, unaware of her impact on an industry, a profession, a community. She saw herself as a newsperson and provocateur. She was proud of the photos she took. She was proud and protective and the writers she edited, a spirit Zach Warren and Stephanie Wilkins also share. She could take what she dished out with her exquisite integrity. She conducted the interview with Greg that day with a voice that was failing her then she was off to a party in her honor. The show must go on.
After retirement from ALM, she became one of the first women fellows at Stanford CODEX, again paving the way for women in this legal technical field as she did in the early 2000. Many a legal tech company hired and promoted women because, intuitively, they knew they’d have a better reception if they didn’t present to the editor in chief of our legal tech publication of record as an all male, all white team.
Monica and I moved from mentorship to friendship, and even though I did not take some impassioned career advice she offered to protect me, we remained friends. While I wouldn’t change anything, looking back, Monica was right as she often was, and I am better to have had a friend and mentor in her.
Video memorial of Monica by Greg Bufithis, with 30+ minutes of unedited Monica Bay.
Tributes to Monica can be found on LinkedIn, where Bob Ambrogi posted his wonderful obituary.
Craig Ball captured Monica’s essence in his eulogy for Monica.
Rhys Dipshan, Cassandre Coyer and Isha Marathe penned a beautiful remembrance of Monica for Legaltech News.
Memorials
Via Bob Ambrogi, two memorials are planned for the bicoastal Monica Bay:
Here are details:
- San Mateo: Thursday, Nov. 30, 11:30 a.m., at the Hilton Garden Inn, 2000 Bridgepointe Circle. A lunch buffet will be provided.
- New York: Thursday, Dec. 7, 5 p.m., at the New York Hilton Midtown, 1335 Ave of the Americas. Light food and drink will be served.
This post will be updated with details of any more memorials, and links to other news and tributes.
