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Law firms must do more effective damage control to survive

When I sat down to write this column, my thoughts were interrupted by a mechanical noise coming from my backyard. It was the comforting sound of the weekly “test run” of the generator that keeps our house powered during electrical outages.

Susan Smith Blakely

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Investment bank managing director discusses legal tech market and lasting impacts of COVID-19

Ari Kaplan recently spoke with Scott Mozarsky, a managing director with the Jordan, Edmiston Group Inc., a middle-market investment bank, where he leads its legal and compliance practice.

Ari Kaplan

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Should juries be feared or revered? Retired lawyer examines their roles

The jury system first scared me at the age of 9. How, you ask? I grew up in Montreal, the son of parents who immigrated from Belgium. My late father was a humble tailor who worked in a factory. One day, we received a letter in the mail. It had an impressive-looking logo of a crown and the scales of justice.

Marcel Strigberger

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Thanks for nothing: When should lawyers end an email with 'thank you'?

Writing a professional email is difficult enough. And choosing an appropriate signoff can be daunting, with so many options to choose from: “Thank you” (or just “Thanks”), “Sincerely,” “Best,” “Regards,” “Yours” or nothing at all (as in, “—Jon”). The list goes on.

Michael Zuckerman, Jamie Hwang and Connor Cohen

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'On the Basis of Sex' and remembering Justice Ginsburg

R.I.P., RBG. Here we are again, almost four years from the last time a U.S. Supreme Court Justice died in office. Justice Antonin Scalia passed away in February of 2016, and President Barack Obama nominated Merrick Garland for the vacant position. We all know how that turned out.

Adam Banner

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'CSI effect' remains a myth, retired judge says on 20th anniversary of popular forensic science show

The “CSI effect” is a myth, Donald Shelton tells me. “Like the unicorn and the mermaid,” the former Michigan judge adds. Just in case I didn’t get his point.

Shelton is referring to the idea that juries in criminal trials have a high expectation that prosecutors will present scientific evidence…




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Chemerinsky: The Supreme Court returns to a term like no other

No other first Monday in October, the traditional start of a new U.S. Supreme Court term, ever has been like this one. With the country still in the midst of a pandemic, oral arguments will be held by telephone as they were in May. The justices and the country are still reeling from the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Sept. 18. Looming large is the coming confirmation battle over the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett, who would add another staunch conservative to the court.



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How contract review software can save your law firm time and money

As the pandemic rages on, lawyers have become accustomed to the new normal, and their comfort levels with remote working have increased significantly. Many larger law firms have extended work-from-home requirements into next year. And most lawyers from firms of all sizes have worked remotely at some point—and many continue…


Nicole Black

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How to empower working moms during the coronavirus pandemic

Ari Kaplan recently spoke with Carolyn Elefant, an attorney who focuses her practice on energy and environmental matters and the author of several books, including Solo by Choice: How to Be the Lawyer You Always Wanted to Be.

Ari Kaplan

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What I learned from Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Last week, we lost a giant—a giant who stood just a little more than 5 feet tall and who made the world a better place for all of us. She will be remembered for many of the legal theories and opinions she espoused during her 27 years on the U.S. Supreme Court, but more than anything else, she will be remembered for the critical role she played in advancing equality for women.

Susan Smith Blakely

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