10 Questions

David Lat discusses conquering the coronavirus, pursuing dreams

Lawyer, journalist and publishing entrepreneur David Lat has spent nearly two decades covering the ins and outs of the legal world while working as a federal prosecutor and later through the popular legal news-and-views site he co-founded, Above the Law. Rarely, however, has Lat stood at the center of a news cycle. That changed with COVID-19.

Aug 1, 2020 1:15 AM CDT

Once in prison for life, this New Jersey lawyer’s story has inspired an ABC TV series

In 1991, a New Jersey jury decided Isaac Wright Jr. was a drug kingpin and sent him to prison for life plus 70 years on related charges. Except Wright didn’t do it—he was framed by the very prosecutor arguing the case against him. Wright spent the next seven years studying law from his maximum-security prison cell, eventually proving his innocence and winning his freedom.

Jun 1, 2020 1:25 AM CDT

‘People at home have got to start paying attention,’ says Texas lawyer on COVID-19 front lines

On April 3, personal injury lawyer Jim Mullen departed from his wife and toddler for a three-week assignment as a temporary nurse at a Level 1 trauma center in New York City. He completed his first shift—7 p.m. to 7:30 a.m.—this past Sunday morning. He spoke to the ABA Journal shortly afterward and answered 10 questions.

Apr 8, 2020 8:00 AM CDT

From neurodiversity awareness to autism activism, this disability justice advocate fights for the rights of the marginalized

Autistic, Asian, nonbinary. Advocate, activist, organizer. Writer, speaker, educator, lawyer. Lydia X.Z. Brown is all of those things but also this: a force of nature. We asked Brown 10 questions.

Apr 1, 2020 2:50 AM CDT

This Alaska lawyer blends life and law as a tribal court judge and an Orthodox Jew

How does a Jewish kid from Philly become a tribal court judge in Alaska? Just ask Judge David Avraham Voluck.

Feb 1, 2020 1:10 AM CST

This Tennessee attorney is having a ball owning a baseball team

Rob Frost, who practices with the Knoxville, Tennessee, firm Arnett, Draper & Hagood, is part owner of the Forest City Owls of Forest City, North Carolina, one of the 16 baseball teams that make up the Coastal Plain League, a collegiate summer league.

Nov 1, 2019 2:50 AM CDT

10 Questions: This North Carolina litigator reigns as Miss USA

In May, Cheslie Kryst received a verdict from a panel of judges that changed the course of her life.

Sep 1, 2019 2:10 AM CDT

10 Questions: This Hudson Valley lawyer serves up a deliciously different practice model

Jason M. Foscolo works exclusively with farmers and food entrepreneurs as founder of the Food Law Firm. An innovative subscription billing service allows Foscolo to keep both his hours and his income steady. He lives and works in Red Hook, a charming town in New York’s Hudson Valley known for its family farms, scenic nature trails and sophisticated restaurants.

Jul 1, 2019 2:25 AM CDT

10 Questions: Magician-turned-lawyer helps make legal problems disappear

Jeffrey W. Cowan isn’t just a lawyer. He’s also a former professional magician. Today, his practice is built on business and employment trial law, but he also maintains a niche practice helping magicians and magic-related businesses make their legal problems disappear.

Jun 1, 2019 1:45 AM CDT

10 Questions: Texas attorney masters the craft of a legal-themed microbrew business

Greg McCarthy and his neighbor co-founded Legal Draft in 2015, and they’ve been successfully pouring on the legal humor to a growing audience of Texas beer drinkers ever since.

May 1, 2019 2:45 AM CDT

10 Questions: Prosecutor uses her experience as a survivor to advocate for domestic violence victims

Shot three times by her estranged husband, April W. Ross uses her experience to improve the legal process, from setting legislative agendas to helping lawyers improve the efficacy of their communication with victims.

Apr 1, 2019 1:55 AM CDT

10 Questions: This former criminal defense lawyer builds on his Puerto Rican heritage as a bilingual comedian

Comedian Elizardi Castro is going to make you laugh, in two languages. Castro is the creator of Made in Puerto Rico, a high-energy bilingual one man show about island life, culture and pride.

Mar 1, 2019 1:55 AM CST

10 Questions: This single mother of 5 overcame a lifetime of obstacles to become a lawyer

This past October, with the help of her family, friends and church, Ieshia Champs became a statistic once again. She was among the 77.87 percent of first-time test takers who passed the July 2018 Texas bar exam. In December, she accepted a position as an assistant county attorney with the Harris County Attorney’s Office, where she’ll be working in the Children’s Protection division.

Jan 1, 2019 2:50 AM CST

12 of the most fascinating lawyers of 2018

The ABA Journal's 10 Questions column is a Q&A in which Jenny B. Davis speaks to legal professionals with unique careers or personal histories. Check out some of our favorite questions and answers from 2018, and click to learn more about these fascinating people.

Dec 26, 2018 4:45 PM CST

Ramsey Clark’s 70 years of political and legal activism memorialized on film

The new documentary Citizen Clark … A Life of Principle, currently on Amazon.com, provides an overview of Clark’s incredible decadeslong, multidimensional career and his intense, complex and often-controversial commitment to justice and the rule of law. As the American people search for meaning in the lives of mavericks and activists, it may be the perfect time for a new generation to discover Clark, a 65-year American Bar Association member.

Nov 1, 2018 2:00 AM CDT