Games Lawyers Play: Word counts and spacing rules in briefs appear open to interpretation

As teenagers, some of us played a game with our writing assignments. The goal was to make an essay or report appear longer than it actually was. Why? Because our teachers specified a minimum number of words or pages, and we struggled to reach that number.

Jun 5, 2024 9:01 AM CDT

In some lawyers’ hands, the lexicographer rule can run amok

As a professional lexicographer myself, I can attest that writing definitions is an extremely demanding discipline. Dilettantes invariably go awry. Yet we have this doctrine that every lawyer is a lexicographer without the need for other credentials. It’s called the lexicographer rule.

Jun 1, 2024 2:00 AM CDT

Chemerinsky: SCOTUS rulings on election districting likely to affect who’s going to Congress in 2025

Two recent rulings of the Supreme Court—one on its “shadow docket” and the other a decision on the merits—again revealed the deep division among the justices with regard to issues concerning voting and the electoral process. Each was decided by a 6-3 margin, with the familiar ideological split among the current justices, and each will have significant consequences for our political system in making it harder to bring challenges to the drawing of election districts.

May 30, 2024 9:54 AM CDT

Narcissistic Lawyers and Artificial Intelligence: A band of dysfunctional brothers?

“Your honor, no artificial intelligence was used to generate content in this document. However, we would also like to disclose that there is someone in the courtroom who exhibits highly narcissistic traits and, therefore, is likely to lie, project, confabulate and inflate the truth.” With the rise of narcissism and societal celebration and reward of narcissistic traits, is this where we are headed? Should we consider such disclosure requirements?

May 29, 2024 11:40 AM CDT

What lawyers should know about customer relationship management

Ari Kaplan recently spoke with Todd Miller, the CEO of TRĒ, an artificial intelligence-powered customer relationship management platform.

May 28, 2024 8:59 AM CDT

Artificial intelligence tools for brief writing and analysis are a small firm litigator’s new best friend

We’re in the midst of a seismic technological shift that will reinvent workflows and radically alter the practice of law. Artificial intelligence is improving at an unprecedented pace, with new legal AI tools rolling out regularly, some stand-alone and others as features built into existing legal software platforms.

May 24, 2024 10:17 AM CDT

‘Unlocked’ shows how open cells and phone access can help inmates make better choices

The premise that Sheriff Eric Higgins would allow a select pod of his jail at the Pulaski County Regional Detention Facility in Little Rock, Arkansas, to be “unlocked” for six weeks seemed more of a publicity stunt than a social experiment.

May 23, 2024 8:59 AM CDT

What’s the key to community lawyering? Less lawyering and more community

On a two-week visit to Thailand with our program director to visit several True Costs Initiative grantee partners, including the Community Resource Centre Foundation, I learned that real community lawyering looks nothing like “traditional” lawyering, and it is precisely that characteristic that makes it such a potent tool for protecting environmental and human rights.

May 22, 2024 3:13 PM CDT

A BigLaw suicide survivor’s prescription for the legal profession’s mental health crisis

I was young, single, healthy, confident and “bulletproof” when I entered law school immediately after college in 1978. I did not have any personal experience with anyone suffering mental health challenges. Mental health education and services were the furthest things from my mind.

May 16, 2024 3:28 PM CDT

Top artificial intelligence insurance tips for lawyers

To better advise artificial intelligence decisions, lawyers should know the benefits, shortcomings and best practices of incorporating insurance into AI risk management.

May 10, 2024 1:52 PM CDT

A letter to young women lawyers about ‘SADNESS’ in the law

My dear sister (in law), welcome to our profession of stress, anxiety, depression, negativity, endangerment, sickness and suicide (also known as "SADNESS"). In addition to the SADNESS, many of us carry secrets, scars and an insatiable longing for change. They all dishearten, discourage and divide us in devastating ways. Yet you can prepare for and overcome them.

May 8, 2024 2:15 PM CDT

Mother’s Day and the changing face of family dynamics and custody arrangements

Since I founded my firm, the Moore Family Law Group, in 2008, I’ve witnessed the evolution of American family dynamics. I’ve also seen firsthand how these shifting dynamics have influenced court decisions and legal strategies.

May 2, 2024 12:12 PM CDT

Chemerinsky: SCOTUS winds up term with rulings expected on major cases about government power, accountability

The Supreme Court heard the last oral arguments of the term on April 25, and now we wait for the decisions with the expectation of the usual flurry of rulings at the end of June. In thinking about the pending cases, a significant number involve the scope of government power and how to hold the government accountable.

May 1, 2024 12:08 PM CDT

5 ways motherhood has leveled up your lawyer skills

From one mom to another, you may feel like you’re losing, but let’s discuss all that you have gained from motherhood. Here are five ways that being a mother has enhanced your skills as a lawyer.

May 1, 2024 8:58 AM CDT

Where law firms and legal departments are succeeding with innovation

Ari Kaplan recently spoke with Aaron Crews, the chief product and innovation officer and head of enterprise at UnitedLex, a provider of alternative legal services.

Apr 23, 2024 11:59 AM CDT