Artificial intelligence has long been a tool for lawyers to perform their tasks more efficiently. However, the technology has advanced to the point where computers can now perform many of the tasks that were once the exclusive domain of humans. In this month’s Asked and Answered, the ABA Journal’s Victor Li talks to freelance writer Julie Sobowale about how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the practice of law.
You may have noticed that some lawyers are often quoted in the press. They might have practices that naturally garner attention, or perhaps they are great at explaining complex issues succinctly and have a good camera presence. Or it could just be that they’re known for returning phone calls and emails in a timely manner.
Reaching out to the media can be helpful—or harmful—to your clients. What are the best ways to approach reporters when you’re looking for a media spotlight? How can you provide reporters with useful information in a way that also promotes you and your clients in a positive light?
In this month’s Asked and Answered, the ABA Journal’s Stephanie Francis Ward discusses how lawyers can best approach the media when they’d like some press. This month’s guest is Vivia Chen, a senior columnist with the American Lawyer.
It’s time to set goals for the new year. But can you actually follow through with them?
In this month’s Asked and Answered, the ABA Journal’s Stephanie Francis Ward discusses what reasonable steps you can take in 2016 to improve your life and your career. Her guest Karen Kaplowitz gives listeners tips on making and keeping achievable goals.
With an ever-changing legal landscape—and many unemployed and underemployed lawyers—it’s more important than ever to understand how to craft your career. The market for legal jobs may be getting better, but it’s still not great. That being said, are there specific practice areas that need more attorneys to serve current and future needs?
In this month’s episode of Asked and Answered, the ABA Journal’s Stephanie Francis Ward speaks with a legal search consultant to find out what the best prospects are for a long-term, successful legal career.
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ABA Journal: “What the jobs are: New tech and client needs create a new field of legal operations”
With an ever-changing legal landscape—and many unemployed and underemployed lawyers—it's more important than ever to understand how to craft your career. The market for legal jobs may be getting better, but it’s still not great. That being said, are there specific practice areas that need more attorneys to serve current and future needs?
In the hands of author Linda Fairstein, fictional sex-crimes prosecutor Alexandra Cooper has enjoyed a career spanning 17 books and almost two decades. Cooper’s 16th adventure, Terminal City, was selected as one of the three finalists for the 2015 Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction.
Fairstein spoke with the ABA Journal’s Lee Rawles to discuss Terminal City and Devil’s Bridge, the newly released 17th book in the Alex Cooper series.
Do you get social anxiety thinking about networking at big events? Is it hard to make connections with other lawyers? Focus on what you can learn about others, rather than telling people about yourself, business development coach Larry Kohn tells the ABA Journal’s Stephanie Francis Ward.
If you’re attending the ABA Annual Meeting in Chicago this week, you may be able to put some of these tips into practice. Click here to find out more about the 2015 ABA Annual Meeting. And if you have go-to icebreakers of your own, share them in the comments.
Do you get social anxiety thinking about networking at big events? Is it hard to make connections with other lawyers? Focus on what you can learn about others, rather than telling people about yourself, business development coach Larry Kohn tells the ABA Journal’s Stephanie Francis Ward.
We’d all love to be able to unplug completely while we’re on vacation, but for many lawyers, it’s not that simple. Meeting your duty to your clients might mean that you can’t just leave your phone at home. But how can you keep distractions to a minimum and make the most out of your time off? The ABA Journal’s Stephanie Francis Ward gleans some tips and tricks from Jones Day partner Lawrence D. Rosenberg.
We’d all love to be able to unplug completely while we’re on vacation, but for many lawyers, it’s not that simple. Meeting your duty to your clients might mean that you can’t just leave your phone at home. But how can you keep distractions to a minimum and make the most out of your time off? The ABA Journal’s Stephanie Francis Ward gleans some tips and tricks from Jones Day partner Lawrence D. Rosenberg.
It’s a federal offense to grow, sell or use marijuana, but a growing number of states have laws permitting its use under specific circumstances. In Alaska, Oregon, Colorado, Washington and the District of Columbia, the product is available for recreational use. In Colorado and Washington, it may be sold commercially, and is taxed and regulated by the state. The University of Denver’s Sturm College of Law has started to offer classes in marijuana law. There’s a need for lawyers to represent cannabis businesses. But how can you advise these clients and develop this as a specialty while remaining on the right side of legal ethics?
In this month’s Asked and Answered, Seattle lawyer Ryan Espegard chats with the ABA Journal’s Stephanie Francis Ward about how he advises the marijuana industry—being mindful of state and federal regulation—and what sorts of business development activities have worked for him.
Have you ever daydreamed about having a career abroad? Before saying bon voyage, you should know what’s involved. In this month’s Asked and Answered podcast, moderator Stephanie Francis Ward will speak with an attorney who’s done it and get his tips and advice on developing a practice beyond U.S. borders.
Mary Norris has been a copy editor for The New Yorker since 1978. In her new book, Between You & Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen, she offers clear and understandable grammar lessons for some of the most common conundrums faced by English speakers. Along the way, she also lifts the veil on the editorial process for the famed magazine and describes the meandering career path that led her to The New Yorker.
In this episode of the Modern Law Library, Norris and the ABA Journal’s Lee Rawles discuss lawyers’ affinity for language.
“It is true that the legal profession has a lot riding on usage and punctuation,” says Norris.
Norris also sheds light on the little-known legal ambitions of Noah Webster, the father of American lexicography.
“He meant to be a lawyer,” Norris says. “He went to Yale, and he graduated from Yale during the American Revolution intending to be a lawyer. But he went back to West Hartford, and his father more or less cut him off. His father was all tapped out; he’d mortgaged his farm to pay for Noah to go to Yale in the first place.
“So Noah Webster went to work as a schoolteacher, and it’s because he was so appalled at his students’ pronunciation that he compiled The [American] Spelling Book, his idea being to break words down into their syllables and use spelling to teach pronunciation.”
Listen to the podcast for a list of Norris’ favorite grammar guides for additional reading.
Updated on May 1 to remove a comma.
If the unthinkable happens, will your practice be ready for an intermediary to take over or help with a transition? Do you know what would happen if you–-or one of your colleagues–-should suddenly die or become incapacitated? The ABA Journal’s Stephanie Francis Ward speaks with two experts about tools and systems you can put in place to give you and your clients peace of mind.