ABA Journal

Your body language during trial can be just as important as what you say

Law schools don’t have classes in body language, and a surprising number of trial lawyers never learn this lesson.

Dec 1, 2016 2:40 AM CST

How to bring a more conversational style to your writing

When editing most lawyers’ work, I have little regard for the writer’s voice because most lawyers haven’t cultivated a discernible voice. What all legal writers should strive for is to be the voice of reason.

Dec 1, 2016 2:20 AM CST

Law schools expect applications to increase, but grads’ job data shows decline

The numbers: 78 percent of law school admissions officers express confidence their 2016 application numbers will increase. There was a 7.6 percent decline in law firm jobs secured by the class of 2015. Two studies from this fall inspire very different impressions of the state of the legal profession, at…

Dec 1, 2016 1:40 AM CST

Technology is making it easier for lawyers to do pro bono work

The legal industry already has been heavily affected by technology and the “Uber-ization” of the marketplace. It follows that pro bono work also would be affected.

Dec 1, 2016 1:35 AM CST

ABA supports efforts in Congress to bolster legal services for homeless veterans

At first blush, legal assistance might not appear to be one of the most pressing needs facing veterans who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. But like so many first impressions, that one is wrong.

Dec 1, 2016 1:00 AM CST

Which charities or institutions do you donate money to, and why?

It’s the week after Thanksgiving, and we’ve made it through Black Friday, Cyber Monday—and Giving Tuesday, a global fundraising movement for nonprofit groups that has been promoted since 2012, the New York Times reports. This week, we’d like to ask you (whether you participated in Giving Tuesday or not): Which…

Nov 30, 2016 12:55 PM CST

Cartoon Caption: Will this lawyer get his wish?

Submit your proposed caption for this cartoon about a man finding a genie who seems down in the dumpster. The winner of our December challenge will see his or her caption and credit printed in an upcoming issue of the ABA Journal.

Nov 29, 2016 1:35 PM CST

It’s beginning to look a lot like quiz time! Take the ABA Journal’s weekly news quiz

The Thanksgiving tables are cleared, the frost is in the air. It’s that time: quiz time. This week’s answers are drawn from ABAJournal.com stories featured in our daily and weekly email newsletters. There’s no cost to subscribe and catch up on legal news. Make it your present to yourself this…

Nov 28, 2016 3:00 PM CST

How lawyers can negotiate for better salaries and positions (podcast with transcript)

While negotiating for one’s client is second nature to most attorneys, many find it a lot harder to negotiate for themselves. How can you advocate for a better position without being seen as too aggressive or off-putting? In this month’s Asked and Answered podcast, the ABA Journal’s Stephanie Francis Ward talks to Kathleen Kelley Reardon about how attorneys can ask for what they want without jeopardizing good work relationships.

Nov 28, 2016 8:45 AM CST

Who’s in, and who’s out? Take the ABA Journal’s weekly news quiz

Think you know it all? Comings and goings in Washington, D.C., come into play in this week’s ABA Journal news quiz. This week’s answers are drawn from ABAJournal.com stories featured in our daily and weekly email newsletters. There’s no cost to subscribe and catch up on legal news.Think of it…

Nov 21, 2016 4:05 PM CST

How do you manage your email?

Work-related emails arriving at all hours can take their toll on your productivity. At Divorce Discourse, family lawyer and consultant Lee Rosen writes about an app that actually holds on to email and releases it in batches at designated times of the day to lessen the number of interruptions. This…

Nov 21, 2016 2:00 PM CST

Cartoon poll: Which of these coffee captions has the best flavor?

ABA Journal readers came up with dozens of captions that went down smooth, and we chose the three we savored the most. Now it’s your turn to decide on the best one. The caption with the most votes will appear in an upcoming issue of the magazine. Vote in the…

Nov 16, 2016 3:50 PM CST

Do you think the electoral college should be abolished?

U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) filed legislation this week seeking to abolish the electoral college, the Los Angeles Times reported. “In my lifetime, I have seen two elections where the winner of the general election did not win the popular vote,” Boxer said in a statement. “The Electoral College is…

Nov 16, 2016 1:55 PM CST

What can past presidential history teach us about today? (podcast)

The law is not Dallas attorney Talmage Boston's only love. "I have had a lifelong fascination with the presidency since I was 7 years old, and in recent years have become increasingly fascinated with it, given that so many of our top historians and non-fiction writers are devoting themselves to writing presidential biographies or studying the presidencies of different leaders over the years," Boston says.

Nov 16, 2016 8:30 AM CST

What’s in the cards now? Take the ABA Journal’s weekly news quiz

Think you know it all? Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential election comes into play in this week’s ABA Journal news quiz. This week’s answers are drawn from ABAJournal.com stories featured in our daily and weekly email newsletters. There’s no cost to subscribe and catch up on legal news.Think of…

Nov 14, 2016 4:05 PM CST