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The Modern Law Library


What today’s rainmakers do differently

Matthew Dixon, co-founder of DCM Insights, is a researcher who's spent the bulk of his career looking into the shared characteristics and behaviors of successful B2B salespeople. In 2011, he released a study called "The Challenger Sale." When giving a keynote on his findings at an annual partner retreat, an audience member stood up and challenged him.

Perplexed about AI? Richard Susskind wants to help

For nearly 30 years, Richard Susskind has written books asking lawyers to envision the future of the law and the legal profession in ways that stretch the imagination. Susskind has been one of the foremost proponents of the transformative potential of technology in legal services. Now, he's asking us to imagine larger transformation still: a world in which artificial intelligence reigns and humanity faces being sidelined.

‘Secrets of the Killing State’ exposes realities of lethal injection

Execution by lethal injection is seen by many Americans as a less barbaric alternative than older methods, such as hanging, firing squads and electrocution. It is easy to assume that the process must resemble euthanasia procedures for terminally ill people or pets. The reality is very different, says Corinna Barrett Lain, a law professor and a death-penalty expert.

‘Patenting Life’ shares tales from a career on the cutting edge of science and the law

Jorge Goldstein entered the fields of science and law at a time of immense change for them both.

How thinking like an athlete can make you a better lawyer

Peak performance in high-stress environments. It's the goal for the basketball players taking the court during March Madness but just as much for players on a different kind of court. Lawyers can and should learn a lot from elite athletes, says Amy Wood.

This Harvard Law prof thinks constitutional theory is a terrible way to pick a judge

What if we are asking the wrong questions when selecting American judges? Mark Tushnet thinks our current criteria might be off.

‘The Licensing Racket’ takes aim at professional licensing system in America

Should you need a license for that? For law professor and antitrust expert Rebecca Haw Allensworth, there are huge problems with professional licensing in America—and her solutions might not make anyone completely happy.

Former Watergate prosecutor and friends reflect on life in ‘Legal Briefs’

For some people, retirement is an opportunity to kick back and finally relax. But for Roger M. Witten, it was a chance to finally tackle that book that he'd been thinking about writing. With a little help from longtime friends and colleagues, Legal Briefs: The Ups and Downs of Life in the Law was born.

When should life sentences be overturned? Judge shares how he decides

A federal judge's new book is giving readers a rare inside glimpse at how a judge determines which prisoners deserve to have their sentences overturned.

Our favorite pop culture picks in 2024

It's the time of year when The Modern Law Library likes to look back on the media that we've enjoyed: our annual pop culture picks episode.

Horse-loving lawyer left the law to help run a Colorado ranch

Ami Cullen grew up loving horses and competing in hunter/jumper events. But when it came to her career, she decided that law would be her calling. She graduated from law school and began work with a law firm in Maryland working on medical-malpractice cases. Then a visit to a Colorado dude ranch changed everything.

What went wrong—and right—with 10 famous trials

J. Craig Williams believes empathy is an important quality to be a trial lawyer. It's served him in his profession, and it's a tool that he has also been using as an author trying to get into the minds of people from past eras.

‘Watchdogs’ author has no regrets about choosing civil service over the NBA

Glenn Fine's career-long crusade against corruption might have its roots in his college days. As a point guard for the Harvard basketball team, Fine had his personal best game Dec. 16, 1978, the same day that he interviewed for—and received—a Rhodes Scholarship. He put up 19 points against Boston College, including eight steals, and the team nearly eeked out a win against the favored Boston players. A remarkable day.

Meet the sheriffs who believe they are ‘The Highest Law in the Land’

The first image conjured in your mind by the word "sheriff" might be the protagonist of a Wild West movie or Robin Hood's foe, the sheriff of Nottingham. But unless you're a resident of Alaska, Connecticut, Hawaii and Rhode Island, there's likely an elected law enforcement official in your area who has that title.

‘Company’ is the perfect short story collection for spooky season

Most—though not all—of the 13 short stories in Company deal with members of the Collins family. Three generations of narrators bear witness to the changing fortunes of the family, and as with any witness statement, everyone has a different perspective on what actually happened. Also, there are ghosts—and at least one witch.

The Supreme Court is a liberal body—when it comes to legal writing

Jill Barton spent the first decade of her career working as a journalist, with the Associated Press Stylebook always at hand to determine word usage and punctuation choices. But when she became an attorney, she says, she realized that there was no single equivalent style guide when it came to legal writing—and she had to adjust to using the Oxford comma.

Legal thriller author David Ellis’ day job? Appellate court justice

Justice David W. Ellis has served on the Illinois Appellate Court for the 1st District for nearly 10 years. But readers may know him better as author David Ellis, bestselling writer of more than a dozen legal thrillers.

‘Shaping the Bar’ author says bar exam protects legal profession, not public

The goal of the bar exam is to be a gatekeeper for the legal profession and protect the public. But the current system, dominated by the Uniform Bar Examination, gets a failing grade from Joan Howarth, an academic, an attorney and the author of Shaping the Bar: The Future of Attorney Licensing.

Summer reading picks and why a YMCA-funded crusade against obscenity matters today

Do you need some distractions during vacation travel or while lying directly under your A/C unit and sweating? It’s time for The Modern Law Library’s summer recommendations episode, in which host Lee Rawles shares her pop culture picks with you, plus a re-airing of one of our older episodes with current relevance.

‘The Lawyer Millionaire’ author shares the 7 biggest money mistakes lawyers can make

Finances are a fraught area for many attorneys. Despite a high earning potential, new lawyers often start out with a financial disadvantage because of the opportunity cost of the years devoted to school and bar prep, coupled with high student loans.

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