In a Google World, Lots of Options for Law Practice Efficiency

Sometimes it seems to be a Google world, and the wealth of tools and applications there (beyond search and Gmail) can help lawyers practice more efficiently and effectively. The offerings include word processing (Google Docs), an appointment calendar (Google Calendar), spreadsheets (Google Spreadsheets); slide presentations (Google Presentations), telecommunications services (Google…

Apr 12, 2011 3:19 PM CDT

Regulators Ignoring Internet’s Real Effects, Lessig Says, and Free Exchange Suffers

Although patently obvious to innovators like Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, Napster’s Sean Parker and IP geolocation pioneer Cyril Houri, most regulators refuse to accept that the Internet has fundamentally changed the exchange of shared content, says ABA Techshow 2011 keynoter Larry Lessig. This mindset to force regulation without regard for the…

Apr 12, 2011 1:54 PM CDT

Lawyers Who Ignore Social Media Equal to Cavemen Who Refuse to Hunt, Techshow Duo Says

“Social media is to marketing what email is to business communication.” This bold analogy on the importance of building an online network of relationships underscored the discussion of co-presenters Robert Ambrogi and Reid Trautz at ABA Techshow on Monday on ways to use social media to boost your overall reputation…

Apr 12, 2011 12:45 PM CDT

4th Annual Beer for Blawggers on Tuesday Evening at Techshow

The ABA Journal and LexBlog will host a 4th Annual Beer for Blawggers meet up at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday after ABA Techshow sessions break for the day. Law bloggers and faithful blog readers are welcome to join us for this opportunity to meet face-to-face and raise a glass in celebration…

Apr 11, 2011 9:43 PM CDT

The Future of Law Practice: Is It What You Think?

Technology will push bar regulators to ease jurisdictional restrictions. More than 50 percent of clients will rely on consumer review websites like Yelp to find a lawyer. And iPads and other smart tablets will be as ubiquitous in firms and courtrooms as microwave ovens are in homes. Those were a…

Apr 11, 2011 2:40 PM CDT

Ethics 20/20 Commission Seeks Input on Alternative Business Structures for Law Firms

The ABA Commission on Ethics 20/20 is seeking comment on whether lawyers and nonlawyers in the United States should be allowed to team up to form entities that provide legal services and, in some cases, do other work as well. The commission is asking for input by June 1. An…

Apr 5, 2011 6:53 PM CDT

ABA Committee Members Show No Inclination to Start Over on Accreditation Standards Review

A request that an ABA committee put a hold on its review of law school accreditation standards to consider the broader ramifications of its efforts on the future of legal education did not get much of a response. The Association of American Law Schools made the request at a public…

Apr 2, 2011 10:03 PM CDT

With Our Courts Starving for Resources, the ABA Will Redouble its Advocacy Efforts

In what country do courts require you to bring your own paper if you want to file a complaint? Where are civil jury trials being suspended for up to a year? Where is it that 97 percent of lawyers surveyed say their clients are under pressure to settle or plead…

Apr 1, 2011 9:00 AM CDT

The 25th ABA Techshow Recalls the Pioneer Days of Legal Technology

The IBM AT, enhanced for business use, was the hot computer to have in 1986. As much as 360 kilobytes of information could be stored on 5-inch floppy diskettes. Letter-quality documents could be churned from a daisy-wheel printer. Or, if you wanted to spend around $4,000, a high-quality laser printer…

Apr 1, 2011 6:00 AM CDT

Bellows Named President-Elect; 10 Chosen for Board of Governors

The nominating committee of the American Bar Association’s House of Delegates announced its candidates for ABA president-elect and 10 seats on the Board of Governors in February. The House of Delegates will vote on the nominees in August when it convenes at the 2011 ABA Annual Meeting in Toronto. The…

Apr 1, 2011 5:50 AM CDT

The ABA Adjusts Its Lobbying Efforts to Suit a New Climate on Capitol Hill

It did not take long for the seismic impact of the November elections to be felt throughout the federal government and in the public sector, as many programs supported by the ABA and other organizations are now finding themselves under siege. While the Obama administration and members of both political…

Apr 1, 2011 5:40 AM CDT

Task Force Probes Defense Lawyers’ Role After Padilla

An American Bar Association task force has plunged into the work of studying the evolving role of criminal defense lawyers in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark 2010 decision in Padilla v. Kentucky. The panel has taken on the ambitious task of examining the impact of Padilla on…

Apr 1, 2011 5:30 AM CDT

Lawyers Giving Back

Apr 1, 2011 5:25 AM CDT

ABA Notices

NOTICE BY THE SECRETARY OF THE AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION REGARDING ELECTION OF DELEGATES-AT-LARGE Pursuant to ß 6.5 of the ABA Constitution, six Delegates-at-Large to the House of Delegates will be elected at the 2011 Annual Meeting for three-year terms beginning with the adjournment of that meeting and ending with the…

Apr 1, 2011 5:20 AM CDT

Hot Topics on ABA Meeting Agenda: Post-Law-School Jobs Data; ‘Revolutionary’ Legal Ed Changes?

Already expected to be well-attended because of a hot topic on the agenda for discussion—rules for reporting post-law school employment—a meeting of the American Bar Association Standards Review Committee this weekend is heating up further as the Association of American Law Schools enters the fray to protest what it describes…

Mar 31, 2011 9:46 PM CDT