Columns
409 ABA Journal Columns articles.
If you’re a litigator, you know that knowledge is power. The more you know about the court, opposing counsel, expert witnesses, the parties and the judge, the better. This is because more information allows you to make sound, informed decisions to help you achieve a successful end result for your client.
Oct 27, 2020 2:53 PM CDT
When I sat down to write this column, my thoughts were interrupted by a mechanical noise coming from my backyard. It was the comforting sound of the weekly “test run” of the generator that keeps our house powered during electrical outages.
Oct 26, 2020 3:10 PM CDT
Ari Kaplan recently spoke with Scott Mozarsky, a managing director with the Jordan, Edmiston Group Inc., a middle-market investment bank, where he leads its legal and compliance practice.
Oct 23, 2020 11:00 AM CDT
Law school taught me many things, but one that stands out for me is this: Chocolate cake reduces stress.
Oct 22, 2020 11:37 AM CDT
It pales in comparison to the structural and physical violence that people experience outside the ivory tower, but it is also unforgiving, can feel unrelenting and often goes unnamed.
Oct 15, 2020 11:23 AM CDT
The jury system first scared me at the age of 9. How, you ask? I grew up in Montreal, the son of parents who immigrated from Belgium. My late father was a humble tailor who worked in a factory. One day, we received a letter in the mail. It had an impressive-looking logo of a crown and the scales of justice.
Oct 13, 2020 3:30 PM CDT
Writing a professional email is difficult enough. And choosing an appropriate signoff can be daunting, with so many options to choose from: “Thank you” (or just “Thanks”), “Sincerely,” “Best,” “Regards,” “Yours” or nothing at all (as in, “—Jon”). The list goes on.
Oct 12, 2020 9:00 AM CDT
R.I.P., RBG. Here we are again, almost four years from the last time a U.S. Supreme Court Justice died in office. Justice Antonin Scalia passed away in February of 2016, and President Barack Obama nominated Merrick Garland for the vacant position. We all know how that turned out.
Oct 7, 2020 10:03 AM CDT
However, Donald Shelton is quick to make clear that the perception of a “CSI effect,” plus ever-evolving technology and social media, are altering the manner in which juries hear and decide cases.
Oct 6, 2020 9:02 AM CDT
Last year, I wrote that the legal profession’s
failure to retain women and minorities was not a “hard problem,” but rather a character flaw. My intent was not to imply malice; many partners at law firms genuinely want their diversity numbers to improve. Still, facts are facts.
Oct 1, 2020 9:14 AM CDT
No other first Monday in October, the traditional start of a new U.S. Supreme Court term, ever has been like this one. With the country still in the midst of a pandemic, oral arguments will be held by telephone as they were in May. The justices and the country are still reeling from the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Sept. 18. Looming large is the coming confirmation battle over the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett, who would add another staunch conservative to the court.
Oct 1, 2020 9:09 AM CDT
Let’s try a 20-question quiz. The object is to select the choice that writers, editors and book publishers have overwhelmingly used over the past several decades. We’re assessing your knack for standard written English. We’re testing your feel for plurals, possessives and subject-verb agreement. These are grammatical issues, not word-choice issues. See how you fare.
Oct 1, 2020 1:10 AM CDT
This type of software is grounded in machine learning and natural language processing, and it assists lawyers in analyzing contracts for their clients more effectively and efficiently, saving tons of time and money, writes lawyer and author Nicole Black.
Sep 29, 2020 9:00 AM CDT
Ari Kaplan recently spoke with
Carolyn Elefant, an attorney who focuses her practice on energy and environmental matters and the author of several books, including
Solo by Choice: How to Be the Lawyer You Always Wanted to Be.
Sep 25, 2020 9:58 AM CDT
Last week, we lost a giant—a giant who stood just a little more than 5 feet tall and who made the world a better place for all of us. She will be remembered for many of the legal theories and opinions she espoused during her 27 years on the U.S. Supreme Court, but more than anything else, she will be remembered for the critical role she played in advancing equality for women.
Sep 24, 2020 2:04 PM CDT
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