ABA Journal

Midsize corporations are slow to pick up on e-discovery innovations

Graphic by Stephen Ravenscraft This article originally appeared in the January 2016 issue of the ABA Journal with this headline: “Undiscovered Country: Midsize corporations are slow to pick up on e-discovery innovations.” • BDO Consulting’s full report (PDF)

Jan 1, 2016 1:40 AM CST

ABA applauds a new FCC rule seeking to hold down telephone rates charged to prison inmates

At the urging of the ABA and numerous advocacy groups, the Federal Communications Commission has taken steps to bring down the rates and fees charged to inmates for making telephone calls from prisons and jails in the United States. Inmates rely on prison phone services to maintain contact with their loved ones.

Jan 1, 2016 1:00 AM CST

Cartoon: Cease and desist on what intergalactic grounds? Enter your best caption now

CORRECTED: Submit your proposed caption for a chance to win our January contest and see your caption and credit printed in an upcoming issue of the ABA Journal. Submit the caption you think best fits the above cartoon by sending an email to captions[at]abajournal[dot]com with “January Caption Contest” in the…

Dec 30, 2015 11:35 AM CST

10 most-read ABAJournal.com headlines in 2015

Each Friday in our Weekly Newsletter, we send out a digest with the week’s top posts from ABAJournal.com. So which blog posts–plus one story from the ABA Journal’s July issue–were our most-read (though not necessarily the most important) news stories in 2015? We have compiled a list for you: 1)…

Dec 28, 2015 9:00 AM CST

What case do you think the Supreme Court needs to hear?

The U.S. Supreme Court is in full swing, granting or denying petitions of certiorari on a regular basis. Recently, they’ve granted a petition over the constitutionality of state laws that make refusing blood-alcohol tests a crime; they’ve denied a petition challenging a Chicago suburb’s assault-weapons ban; and have yet to…

Dec 21, 2015 1:25 PM CST

Harper Lee Prize winner tells how history and race shaped her Southern gothic novel (podcast)

The Secret of Magic is a book within a book. It is both the title of Deborah Johnson’s 2015 Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction-winning novel, and (in the world of that novel) a reclusive writer’s scandalous 1920s children’s book, which dared to feature black and white playmates solving mysteries…

Dec 21, 2015 8:30 AM CST

Cartoon Poll: Which arrowhead caption is the best fit?

More than 150 entries streamed in from readers proposing captions for December’s cartoon and we learned something. Our readers are Steve Martin fans. ABA Journal staffers have sifted through this month’s entries. Now it’s your turn to pick a favorite. The winning caption will appear with credit to the author…

Dec 16, 2015 4:02 PM CST

Where did you apply to law school, and how did you decide where to go?

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was rejected by Princeton University when he applied there for his undergraduate degree, according to American Original: The Life and Constitution of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, a 2009 book by Joan Biskupic. Before that, Scalia failed to test into Regis High School in…

Dec 16, 2015 2:50 PM CST

Tell us about acts of kindness and generosity you have seen from other lawyers

Last week, we invited readers to vent their stories of lawyer incivility. This week, at the suggestion of a reader and in the spirit of the season, we would like to ask: What acts of kindness and generosity you have seen from other lawyers? Have they inspired you to be…

Dec 9, 2015 12:45 PM CST

How blogging can help you carve a niche for your practice (podcast with transcript)

Can a commitment to blogging help develop a practice area and turn you into an expert? In this month's Asked and Answered, the ABA Journal's Stephanie Francis Ward speaks with Hilary Bricken, a Seattle lawyer and one of the authors of Canna Law Blog. Ward speaks with Bricken to find out how her firm decided to launch a blog on the topic of marijuana law; how the blog has performed as a client-development tool; and how writing for the blog has helped her expand her own knowledge and expertise.

Dec 7, 2015 8:30 AM CST

What uncivil behavior have you seen from other lawyers?

This week we noted the disbarment of a lawyer who, according to the Indiana Supreme Court, recorded and mocked his clients in front of staff and state disciplinary authorities. He also at times lied to his clients and opposing counsel about his whereabouts. (Trust account violations were also cited.) So…

Dec 2, 2015 1:15 PM CST

This lawyer is using her love for ‘Star Wars’ to expand the galaxy of geeks

For some people, Star Wars isn't just a movie, it's also a way of life. Jennifer LaFortune is one of those people. Since 2006, the Gilbert, Arizona, lawyer has been dressing up, or "cosplaying," as a Stormtrooper—Imperial Officer TK 7047, to be exact—to attend sci-fi conventions, march in parades and serve the community, all through her membership in an international costuming organization for Star Wars bad guys called the 501st Legion. She's used her interstellar skills to help the group grow and adapt.

Dec 1, 2015 3:40 AM CST

30 more words to test your pronunciation skills

If you took the pronunciation quiz in last month's issue, you may well have had any of several reactions, some negative. (1) Denial: That can't be right! I've never heard it that way. (2) Dismissiveness: This is trivial. This stuff doesn't really matter! (3) Defiance: Who the heck is Charles Harrington Elster to declare what's correct pronunciation?! (4) Humility: By golly, I have lots to learn. (5) Triumph: I got almost all of them right! My active interest in language over the years has paid off.

Dec 1, 2015 2:50 AM CST

How to appear confident and self-assured, even when you’re not

Into your mind pops the image of a lawyer. Is it Atticus Finch of To Kill a Mockingbird? Is it the Atticus Finch of Go Set a Watchman? Vinny Gambini in My Cousin Vinny?

In other words: Who is your role model? And how do you measure up?

Dec 1, 2015 2:40 AM CST

There’s an uptick in e-filing in state and local courts

Graphics by Stephen Ravenscraft This article originally appeared in the December 2015 issue of the ABA Journal with this headline: “Digital Docs: There’s an uptick in e-filing in state and local courts.”

Dec 1, 2015 1:50 AM CST