Paul Lippe’s ‘new normal’ was always about innovation (podcast)

For years, Paul Lippe has been a leader in helping corporate law departments adopt the approaches used in the best and most innovative parts of their own companies—and in doing so, significantly changing the relationships with and the work done by their outside lawyers.

Jun 14, 2017 8:30 AM CDT

Sessions denies meetings and talks with Russians, disagrees with some Comey details

Speaking under oath for roughly 2 1/2 hours during a hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions denied having any substantive meetings or discussions with Russian officials outside of his duties as a senator while he was involved in President Donald Trump’s election campaign.

Sessions also repeatedly parried questions seeking information on some of his discussions with the president and disagreed with some details given to the same committee less than a week ago in testimony by former FBI director James Comey, also under oath.

Jun 13, 2017 7:18 PM CDT

Cartoon Poll: Will this one-eyed octopus find blind justice?

We eyeballed and grappled with more than 100 entries for this month’s caption. Now, we want to know which is your favorite. The caption that receives the most votes will appear in an upcoming issue of the magazine. Vote in the cartoon poll for one of the captions listed below:…

Jun 13, 2017 1:11 PM CDT

If money were no object, would you stay in your job?

This week, we noted a story of a onetime lawyer who late last month took her first vows as a cloistered Dominican nun. One obstacle lawyer Tara Clemens—now Sister Marie Dominic—had to address before taking those vows was paying off $100,000 in student loans. Clemens accomplished this after seeking and…

Jun 7, 2017 1:20 PM CDT

David Grann uncovers conspiracy behind 1920s murders of members of oil-rich Osage Nation (podcast)

Although the Osage Nation had been forced from their ancestral lands by the U.S. government, through shrewd and careful bargaining, they retained the mineral rights to one of the richest oil fields in the world: Osage County, Oklahoma.

But the wealth of the Osage Nation, instead of insuring the prosperity and safety of the tribe, made its members targets for what was later known as the Reign of Terror. The task of solving dozens of murders fell in the 1920s to the newly formed FBI and its young director, J. Edgar Hoover.

Jun 7, 2017 9:21 AM CDT

Finding personal time that energizes you can actually help your practice

Whether it’s finding and sticking with an exercise routine that gives you the energy you need to function, taking up a new hobby or something much more serious—such as taking care of an ill parent—I have been unapologetic about my personal commitments. This has in turn helped fuel me with the energy and a healthy perspective I have needed for my work.

Jun 1, 2017 4:10 AM CDT

10 Questions: Judge and former NFL player Dwayne Woodruff pushes to achieve

Judge Dwayne D. Woodruff, a former professional football player—and Super Bowl champion—Woodruff went to law school full-time while he played defensive back for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Now, after more than a decade on the court bench, Woodruff is running for a seat on the state supreme court.

Jun 1, 2017 4:00 AM CDT

Alternative facts and the law: Is justice a reality?

I tell students in my first-year classes the practice of law anticipates the interaction between law and facts; legal doctrine matters only as applied to “the facts.” If we exist exclusively in a hall of mirrors where there are no actual facts but only alternative facts, then there may be judgment but not justice.

Many students find my perspective naive. One of my students put it this way: “As a general rule, the justice system seems to favor the ‘knowable’ version of the truth. Lawyers tend to believe the opposite.”

Jun 1, 2017 2:30 AM CDT

How to create emphatic sentences

Let’s investigate a little-known secret of style.

Quick: What’s the most emphatic part of a sentence? Many legal writers don’t know, and this explains why many are so poor at phrasing.

Jun 1, 2017 2:10 AM CDT

How managed services are building systems for corporate legal work

Legal managed services providers design, build and staff process-driven systems that efficiently complete legal work. The work’s content often is sophisticated and important to the client’s long-term commercial interests. Yet the volume is too large to be performed cost-effectively by law firm associates and too narrow and repetitive to warrant hiring more in-house lawyers.

Jun 1, 2017 12:10 AM CDT

Deadline for ABA Journal Ross Contest for Short Fiction extended to June 7

The ABA Journal will accept entries for the 2017 ABA Journal/Ross Writing Contest for Legal Short Fiction through June 7, 2017. Because of some recent technical difficulties, if you submitted a contest entry May 15 or later, but never received an email confirming our receipt of your entry, we urge…

May 31, 2017 4:40 PM CDT

Do you still take time to go out for lunch when at work?

Julie Jargon of the Wall Street Journal (sub. req.) notes that the tradition of going to a restaurant to sit down for an afternoon meal has gone the way of the three-martini lunch. Citing information from a market research firm, Jargon reports that Americans made 433 million fewer restaurant trips…

May 31, 2017 10:50 AM CDT

Cartoon Caption: Will this one-eyed octopus find blind justice?

This octopus doesn’t seem too thrilled about the foundation of justice. Send us your best caption for this month’s cartoon to give this eight-legged creature its due process. The winner of our June challenge will see their caption and credit printed in an upcoming issue of the ABA Journal. Congrats…

May 30, 2017 3:39 PM CDT

How to land government contracts as a minority- or women-owned firm (podcast with transcript)

Government entities at all levels often set aside a portion of work for minority and women-owned businesses, including law firms. But many people are unsure about how to land these contracts or receive certification.

May 30, 2017 8:00 AM CDT

How casual is your summer workplace wardrobe?

At the Careerist (sub. req.), blogger Vivia Chen notes a survey by Seyfarth Shaw’s consulting group that found half of the 400 managers surveyed had concerns about workers’ summer attire. Issues ranged from attire being too revealing or too casual down to having visible tattoos and piercings. “Although ‘traditional’ casual…

May 24, 2017 12:51 PM CDT