In case you hadn't noticed, earlier this week we launched AboveTheLaw 2.0 -- a redesigned, retooled version of ATL, the legal tabloid site you've come to know and love. There have been a few technological hiccups associated with the relaunch -- e.g., most of yesterday -- and there will surely be more in the days (and weeks) ahead. But we will muddle through. Thanks again for your continued patience.

On the question of design, opinions will differ, as they always will on matters aesthetic (and more on that later). But on an objective level, the new site offers several cool new features not available on the old site:

1. Community Section: This is ATL's version of a message board. Annoyed that we haven't yet used your idea for an open thread? Start up the thread yourself! The Community section is open to any readers who wish to post discussion topics of their choosing. To access this part of the site, just click on the "Community" box in the upper right-hand corner (or click here). [FN1]

2. Past Precedents: One of the problems with a blog-style, purely chronological format is that the newest post always goes above the old, regardless of relative importance -- and when a post scrolls off the ATL front page, it's sometimes as if it never existed. So in the "Past Precedents" box on the front page, we draw your attention to recent notable stories and classic ATL items that no longer grace the main page.

3. Comment Capabilities: If you want to take ownership of your most witty or insightful comments, now you can, by registering for a commenter username and password. This is how internet celebrities are born! E.g., Loyola 2L.

But if you prefer to comment anonymously, you can still do that, just as you could on the old site. Simply click on the "Comment as a guest" link, and have at it.

(One minor note: the byline for guest commenters will always read "guest." So if the humor of your comment inheres in the byline, you need to incorporate that into the body of your comment -- which you can easily do by "signing" your comment inside the box provided for comment text.)

4. Hot Topics: Self-explanatory. Certain popular or noteworthy subjects discussed on ATL will be highlighted in the "Hot Topics" band at the top of the page.

And now, the promised word on design. Although some of us are nostalgic for the old design, which had a certain amateurish charm -- we kinda miss the demonic-looking judge of the old site logo -- we've been told that there's no turning back. The new design -- by the professionals over at Concentric Studio, who redesigned our sister sites, Dealbreaker and Fashionista -- is here to stay. (But a few tweaks may be made here and there; feel free to offer constructive criticism, in the comments to this post, or in this Community thread.)

Nevertheless, just out of curiosity -- because we've received both rants and raves, and don't know whether the emails and comments are representative of the readership as a whole -- please take our poll:

We hope that you enjoy the new look and features of the revamped ATL. We'll continue to work hard to make it, in terms of both form and content, a delightful site, informative and entertaining at the same time. Welcome!

[FN1] Please note that we will moderate the Community section, just as we moderate comments on regular posts, primarily to remove spam and other problematic material. Unfortunately, due to%2