M. Lee Smith Publishers (MLSP) is a leading provider of legal and practical information for human resources practitioners, attorneys, and other business and legal professionals. The company started in 1975 with one weekly newsletter, The Tennessee Journal, which gave a behind-the-scenes report on the Tennessee legislature. Today, the company has an extensive catalog of products and services providing state-specific and federal legal information covering all 50 states in print, online, and on DVD. The company also produces business directories and holds live, audio, and online conferences.
To create this wealth of legal information, M. Lee Smith Publishers founded the Employers Counsel Network (ECN), made up of select, top-level law firms in all 50 states, Washington D.C., and Canada. The attorneys from these firms represent employers in workplace issues and disputes. Many of them also present at MLSP conferences and are featured in MLSP supervisor and employee training videos on employment law. The company also works with other source experts to provide top-notch legal information products and services.
In 2005, Dan Oswald purchased the company from founder M. Lee Smith. The company continues to focus on providing high-quality legal information while expanding its audience and catalog of products and embracing new media.
History
M. Lee Smith Publishers (MLSP) was founded in 1975 by M. Lee Smith, a graduate of Vanderbilt University Law School who clerked for federal judge William E. Miller before serving as legislative assistant to U.S. Sen. Howard Baker (R-TN). After involvement in the successful Tennessee gubernatorial campaign of Winfield Dunn, Smith spent four years as the governor's executive assistant. In 1975, Smith turned his interest in politics and law to publishing.
Smith's first subscription newsletter was The Tennessee Journal, a weekly insiders guide to Tennessee government, politics, and business. The Journal provides the state's most influential politicians and business leaders with decision-making intelligence.
The next newsletter Smith produced was the Tennessee Attorneys Memo, a weekly summary of Tennessee appellate court decisions, followed by other directories, manuals, and newsletters for the legal community.
In the mid-1980s, Smith recognized the increasing impact of state legislatures and courts on how businesses operate. To help corporate executives and human resources professionals comply with rapid changes in state law, Smith launched a series of state Employment Law Letters, eventually establishing one in every state. The content is provided by select law firms in each state, which also comprise ECN. The attorneys from these firms represent employers in workplace issues and disputes. Together, M. Lee Smith Publishers and the ECN members also create state-specific manuals, guidebooks, and electronic products.
Over the years, many of the company's human resources products have become instantly recognizable thanks to the insignia trademark "HR shield." You can find a complete lineup of the company's human resources and employment law-related products, events, and services at HRHero.com. You also can follow the company on Twitter at @HRHero.
In November 2003, Dan Oswald, a 15-year publishing veteran, joined M. Lee Smith Publishers as president and publisher. His focus was on growing the company into a diversified information provider to the human resources and legal audiences. The company began to hold day-long employment law seminars, expanded its audio training business, and launched a number of new newsletters, books, and manuals. In January 2005, Oswald purchased MLSP from Smith and continued to focus on growing the business. The company has done this through new product offerings that include a comprehensive employment law subscription website (HR Laws) and online training delivered directly to the desktop (Training Today). In addition to running the business, Oswald writes a weekly blog about business and CEO concerns titled The Oswald Letter. He also can be found on Twitter at @oswaldletter.
