ABA Journal

What’s lost when jury trials vanish?

With only 2% of federal criminal cases ending up in a jury trial, how can would-be trial lawyers develop their skills? How can citizens participate in the justice system? And how can defendants receive experienced counsel?

Jun 10, 2020 2:31 PM CDT

Lawyers, addiction and COVID-19: ‘Changing the landscape for everyone’

Human beings are hardwired for interaction. We are, by definition, touchy-feely types of people. Without supportive human interaction, we tend to go insane. Numerous studies of inmates subjected to long-term solitary confinement and prisoner-of-war isolation indicate that people who isolate themselves eventually become depressed and often turn to substance relief.

Jun 4, 2020 12:02 PM CDT

Lawyer certified as emergency medical technician calls on his experience during COVID-19 crisis

“I am able to use my skills to help with the board, to help with meal organization, and to help with providing supplemental staffing at a time when more than ever an EMT is needed,” says lawyer Christopher Jennison, an ABA member, employment and labor counsel with the Federal Aviation Administration, and assembly clerk of the ABA’s Young Lawyers Division.

Jun 1, 2020 8:00 AM CDT

A Message to Our Readers

The June-July issue of the ABA Journal you’re reading now marks the second edition of the magazine you’ve received since the COVID-19 crisis forced fundamental changes to American society. Since the disease first became an issue, and particularly since the pandemic escalated in March, the Journal staff has produced significant…

Jun 1, 2020 1:50 AM CDT

Letters From Our Readers: Addressing a redress

Addressing a redress I found “Truth and Reparations,” April-May, page 9, fascinating. I have not entirely made up my mind on reparations. As a white male, I have emotionally vacillated between two poles over time. Liane Jackson’s article, though, made me really examine my own thoughts again. On the one…

Jun 1, 2020 1:45 AM CDT

Ballot box battles are more high-stakes than ever

As the Democratic primaries wind down and the general election approaches, America faces an unprecedented test of its electoral system. Dogged by the threat of Russian interference, plagued by allegations of voter suppression and shadowed by the specter of a deadly pandemic, the November election promises a perfect storm of…

Jun 1, 2020 1:40 AM CDT

New implicit-bias tool offers insight and answers

Despite evidence that diverse workplaces perform better and lead to better financial results, the legal profession has been slow to respond. Conscious and unconscious biases are baked into the system through hiring, how career-enhancing work is assigned and how lawyers are evaluated and compensated.

Jun 1, 2020 1:35 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

Lawyers are the directors and set designers of their courtroom dramas

Litigation unfolds upon a stage in the theater of the courtroom. And while combative, compulsive and closed litigation stories are constrained and shaped by evidentiary and legal rules and the meticulous presentation of factual evidence, lawyers are nevertheless the producers, directors and set designers of their own theatrical courtroom dramas.

Jun 1, 2020 12:50 AM CDT

‘Good English’ always has been a path to the legal profession

Should schoolchildren be taught standard English grammar? The traditional view, of course, is yes. The contrary position is we shouldn’t insist people learn standard written English. Instead, we should teach everyone to be tolerant of regional and class dialects—not just accents but dialects.

Jun 1, 2020 12:40 AM CDT

A love of dolphins sparked lawyer’s 30-year crusade to improve well-being of animals

James F. Gesualdi was only a year into his practice of law in 1989 when a trip to a dolphin sanctuary changed the course of his career—and his entire life. “The practice of animal law, like life itself, is all about raising consciousness,” Gesualdi says.

Jun 1, 2020 12:35 AM CDT

How are the ABA’s international ROLI programs adjusting to a global pandemic?

Communities around the world are reeling from the repercussions of the novel coronavirus pandemic and measures taken to contain it. Democratic backsliding threatens to derail significant development gains we have witnessed that have provided fair and equitable access to justice and measures to build accountable and inclusive justice institutions. Immediate…

May 28, 2020 11:24 AM CDT

An unprecedented finale to the first year of law school, starring COVID-19

A law student at the Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law talks about her first year of law school during the novel coronavirus pandemic—what she describes as “more ‘unforgettable’ than usual.”

May 28, 2020 8:00 AM CDT

Could you be replaced by a robot lawyer?

Do you really need a human for the so-called human touch in lawyering, particularly when a big part of the job is convincing the client to be reasonable? Maybe not, according to some people who created apps that they claim help people accomplish tasks traditionally carried out by lawyers.

May 26, 2020 3:06 PM CDT

Why this lawyer increased his fees during the COVID-19 pandemic

As 2020 began, lawyer Robert Theofanis was hitting his stride and thought it was time to increase his fees. He decided to hold off on increasing fees until after he updated his website with new marketing content. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

May 20, 2020 12:16 PM CDT