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939 ABA Journal Columns articles.

Is it worth reconsidering retirement?

As my hair started turning salty and peppery, a most common question I received was, “Are you retired yet?” And now that I am retired from practice, a most common question is, “Are you ever considering going back to practising?”

Nov 10, 2026 11:29 AM CST

Help set the ABA’s new advocacy agenda in D.C.: Take the Legislative Priorities Survey

The historic November midterm elections have rewritten the political landscape in Washington, D.C., setting the stage for Democratic control of both chambers of Congress and a potentially consequential legislative agenda.

Nov 9, 2026 1:30 PM CST

What listening taught me about leading growth in the AI era

Listening creates an obligation. When someone shares an idea or a problem, they deserve to know what the listener will do with it, even if the answer is that they can’t solve it at that exact moment.

Nov 4, 2026 9:18 AM CST

The Burton Book Review: An interview with Bryan A. Garner

Maryanne Lavan, former general counsel of Lockheed Martin, interviews Bryan A. Garner, author of “The Etcher: The Life and Art of Oskar Stoessel.”

Nov 2, 2026 9:28 AM CST

Chemerinsky: Supreme Court once again examines conflicts over the free exercise of religion

On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in a major case about free exercise of religion. This case could either go much further in that direction or show a court that is willing to allow the government to stop discrimination.

Oct 28, 2026 5:41 PM CDT

ABA tracks new challenges affecting Public Service Loan Forgiveness borrowers

For lawyers and other student loan borrowers working in public service jobs, the path to having their remaining federal student loan balances discharged under Public Service Loan Forgiveness program after 120 months of qualifying payments is becoming increasingly difficult to navigate.

Oct 28, 2026 11:33 AM CDT

It takes a lot of workouts to look this mediocre, but exercise makes lawyers better

While the headline of this article may suggest it’s about vanity, it’s not. Well, for the most part.

Oct 27, 2026 8:46 AM CDT

AI legal research tools offer small firms more choices

Let’s take a look at some of the more affordable AI-powered legal research tools currently available that are designed for small-firm practitioners. Note that this isn’t an exhaustive list.

Oct 26, 2026 11:27 AM CDT

What can lawyers learn from law students?

Students commonly suspect that incomprehension reveals their own inadequacy. Practicing lawyers might consider the alternative. Sometimes the reader hasn’t failed the prose. The prose has failed the reader.

Oct 23, 2026 1:06 PM CDT

When AI training casts survivors as fabricators, survivors pay the price

Lawyers, law enforcement and judges need to understand how to evaluate digital evidence: where a file came from, what its metadata can and cannot tell us, and how to consider other evidence alongside it.

Oct 20, 2026 3:10 PM CDT

‘A Killer Story’: When everyone knows who did it, nobody knows anything

I get quite a few online inquiries about old convictions people want me to investigate. I’ve learned over my career that it isn’t always about the merits of the case; sometimes, people just want closure.

Oct 20, 2026 10:48 AM CDT

A ‘Spirit of Amity’ and the Original Meaning of Civility: Derek Webb’s thoughts at ABA Annual

A few months before Derek Webb came to Chicago to the ABA Annual Conference, King Charles cited Webb's work on Magna Carta in the king’s April speech to a joint session of Congress. The ABA could not have asked for a more eminent endorsement.

Oct 13, 2026 2:50 PM CDT

The case of Julius Caesar v. the Roman Republic

This is an action by the plaintiff, Julius Caesar, for damages for wrongful dismissal. The defendant contends that the plaintiff was dismissed for cause for interrupting his conquests of Egypt by spending several days with Queen Cleopatra.

Oct 7, 2026 9:08 AM CDT

Can law schools learn from computer science programs in the debate on generative AI?

Lawyers use AI to conduct research, draft documents, review contracts and handle large volumes of information. As students graduate and become lawyers, they will encounter these tools immediately. Without training, they will not be prepared to use them with sound judgment, creating a readiness gap among the next generation of legal professionals.

Oct 1, 2026 1:30 AM CDT

Blasted by My Own Canon: Syntactic ambiguity in everyday speech and legislative drafting

Have you wondered why you’re getting so many unsolicited texts and robocalls these days? I may be partly to blame.

Oct 1, 2026 1:15 AM CDT

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