Columns
414 ABA Journal Columns articles.
My last entry focused on a
new streaming series titled Jury Duty. If you haven’t given it a read, it’s worth a few minutes of your time. Obviously, I’m biased. Nevertheless, that installment discusses a show that has grown a bit of a cult following, and the premise is interesting if nothing else.
Jun 14, 2023 11:36 AM CDT
“Don’t let it happen again.” When I heard the statement, my body melted into my chair as I sat staring toward the screen in our Zoom meeting. Shock spread through my body for several moments—no words came. I was petrified and let waves of shame and disbelief flow through my body.
Jun 12, 2023 11:30 AM CDT
Sometimes there is great significance in what the U.S Supreme Court doesn’t do, and that was definitely so for two cases it handed down May 18 about the internet and social media.
Jun 6, 2023 8:57 AM CDT
I’ll never forget sitting in professor Sarah Buel’s Domestic Violence and the Law class at the University of Texas School of Law, as she shared her iconic article:
Fifty Obstacles to Leaving, a.k.a., Why Abuse Victims Stay.
Jun 1, 2023 11:52 AM CDT
A JD degree is a gateway to various career alternatives. One of these opportunities, teaching law in a business school, receives little publicity and often is overlooked by law school graduates.
Jun 1, 2023 9:16 AM CDT
As I write this column, less than 24 hours after the invention of the phrase chatbot lawyer, I’m fully aware that it will be my call, in conjunction with my staff, on whether the term merits an entry in the next edition of Black’s Law Dictionary. And here I am, in a national magazine for lawyers, actually using the term and thereby potentially helping it along. But I can assure readers that I will assess the matter as objectively as I can.
Jun 1, 2023 1:50 AM CDT
“The president’s time is the most precious resource we have at the White House,” Ron Klain tells me. As President Joe Biden’s chief of staff, it fell to Klain to make certain that it was used wisely.
May 30, 2023 2:55 PM CDT
My sister is a huge true-crime fan (shoutout, Ivy). She is professedly obsessed, even to the point that her favorite streaming platform is ID Go. She’s always been intelligent and curious. I think her brother being a career defense attorney might influence her intrigue. Maybe I shouldn’t flatter myself, though.
May 25, 2023 2:21 PM CDT
Ari Kaplan recently spoke with Marc Zamsky and Marla Crawford, the CEO and general counsel, respectively, for Cimplifi, an integrated legal services provider that aligns e-discovery and contract analytics for corporate legal departments and law firms.
May 25, 2023 9:03 AM CDT
There’s a saying, usually attributed to journalist Michael Kinsley, that in politics, a gaffe is when you inadvertently say something you believe but didn’t mean to disclose—maybe that taxes need to be raised or Social Security benefits trimmed.
May 23, 2023 8:42 AM CDT
Over the past few months, the legal technology sector has experienced a veritable explosion of AI-powered contract analysis tools, largely driven by the advanced capabilities of AI models like ChatGPT and similar technologies. This recent surge of contract analysis products built on machine learning and natural language processing streamlines and simplifies the traditionally laborious process of contract drafting and review.
May 22, 2023 9:49 AM CDT
We must remind our students constantly that seeking help is a sign of strength that will not be held against them in school, when applying for admission to the bar or when applying for employment.
May 17, 2023 1:31 PM CDT
"Chicken?" Why not? I would like to talk about a subject many of us in the legal profession are afraid to discuss: fear. As lawyers, our work can be stressful, leaving us gripped with fear. This must be a relevant issue, as with my glance at a thesaurus, I note that there are at least three synonyms for fear beginning with the just letter “a” alone—namely “anxiety,” “alarm” and “angst.”
May 15, 2023 9:00 AM CDT
I started my legal career in the Oklahoma County Public Defender’s Office. During one of my 1L first-semester classes, the Oklahoma County public defender and the Oklahoma County district attorney spoke with my section. They conveyed the opportunities available in their offices and explained the application process. I knew from the beginning of law school that I wanted to practice criminal defense, so I showed up at the PD’s office the next day. The intern coordinator kindly told me to wait until I had at least finished my first round of final exams.
May 10, 2023 2:52 PM CDT
It never occurred to this retired lawyer and senior pastor that lawyers would use the title “Dr.” until a few years after graduating from law school, when he accepted an adjunct position at a local college while also practicing law.
May 8, 2023 8:42 AM CDT
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