ABA Journal

Fighting Genocide: Catherine van Kampen calls for accountability for crimes against Yazidis

Catherine van Kampen was watching CNN in August 2014 when the news broke that the Islamic State Group had launched a brutal and sweeping attack on the Yazidis in the Sinjar region of northern Iraq. More than 400,000 Yazidis fled their homes, and tens of thousands became stranded on Mount Sinjar.

Aug 1, 2025 12:25 AM CDT

The ABA works to expand U.S. lawyers’ access to international markets

For decades, the American Bar Association has championed a rules-based, liberalized system of international trade. This commitment is grounded in two core values: advancing the rule of law and enabling U.S. lawyers and firms to serve clients wherever they do business.

Aug 1, 2025 12:10 AM CDT

Sept. 8, 1935: Huey P. Long is shot

On the evening of Sept. 8, 1935, U.S. Sen. Huey P. Long was working late at the Louisiana state Capitol in Baton Rouge doing what he loved: hectoring the Louisiana legislature—whether it was to improve lives in the state or to settle a personal grievance.

Aug 1, 2025 12:05 AM CDT

The brain tumor that almost made me blind

As a lawyer, I used to think advocacy was something I only did for others. After almost going blind, I learned the hard way that it’s also something I must do for myself.

Jul 31, 2025 10:23 AM CDT

Careers in Transit: What it’s like for lawyers to live abroad

For attorneys, the move abroad can be tricky, depending on whether you’re planning on still practicing U.S. law overseas or whether you’d like to get admitted in a new country so you can practice that country’s law.

Jul 30, 2025 1:57 PM CDT

2025 Margaret Brent Award recipients inspire ‘next generation of women lawyers’

Five female lawyers who have excelled in their field and paved the way for other women to succeed will receive the Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award during the ABA Annual Meeting in Toronto.

Jul 29, 2025 12:24 PM CDT

Chemerinsky: What were the sleeper cases of this SCOTUS term?

As always, the end of the U.S. Supreme Court’s term was filled with important cases that received a great deal of media attention. But the term also had a number of significant decisions that received much less media attention.

Jul 29, 2025 10:56 AM CDT

How generative artificial intelligence is affecting demand for legal services and need for ‘AI fluency’

Ari Kaplan recently spoke with Subroto Mukerji, the CEO of Integreon, an alternative legal and global managed services provider.

Jul 29, 2025 9:06 AM CDT

New law preserves SALT and QBI deductions, avoids large tax hikes for law firms

Congress passed a broad tax reform package in early July that extends numerous expiring tax cuts and makes many additional changes to the federal tax code while preserving the existing state and local tax (SALT) and qualified business income (QBI) deductions currently enjoyed by law firms and many other pass-through businesses.

Jul 28, 2025 12:31 PM CDT

This 30-year-old film explains wiretap rules well

Columnist Adam Banner is a sucker for a Martin Scorsese crime film. While he was on vacation and looking for something to watch, he noticed the 1995 classic Casino streaming. He is a fan of the film and thought it was ripe for another viewing.

Jul 28, 2025 9:15 AM CDT

How to choose the right bankruptcy tools for your firm

So far, 2025 has been a year of constant ups and downs, marked by increasing unpredictability. Financial markets have responded accordingly, fluctuating wildly and dramatically impacting investments and 401(k) accounts. Adding to the tumult, rising costs and the threat of new tariffs are stretching household budgets thinner than ever.

Jul 25, 2025 2:57 PM CDT

Contracts can happen even when you don’t expect them

I do not like entering into contracts. If I ever have to sign a contract, the prospect likely checks most of the boxes for a recipe of a potential diagnosis of PTSD. Mention the words “offer” and “acceptance” and I quiver. I would say I have had these sentiments since…

Jul 21, 2025 9:25 AM CDT

William Neukom, former ABA president with influence ‘from boardrooms to ballparks to courtrooms,’ dies at 83

Former ABA president Bill Neukom, once chief lawyer for Microsoft and CEO of the San Francisco Giants, has died at 83.

Jul 17, 2025 11:22 AM CDT

You can talk about your mental illnesses. It’s good for business

“You can’t talk about your mental illnesses. It’s bad for business.”

I've heard this countless times in various forms. And for a long time, I listened.

I bought into the idea that silence was safer, that vulnerability was a liability and honesty could cost me everything.

Eventually, I couldn’t be quiet any longer.

Jul 16, 2025 11:00 AM CDT

How agentic artificial intelligence could shake up the legal industry

What is agentic artificial intelligence? Find out what we can expect from it now and in the not-so-distant future.

Jul 16, 2025 10:00 AM CDT