Still They Rise: Numbers for women in the profession are increasing

More than four out of 10 attorneys in the United States are women. However, men still overwhelmingly dominate when it comes to rising through the ranks, as only 28% of law firm partners were women in 2023. That figure marks a slow and steady improvement from 2013, when it was only 20%.

Jun 1, 2025 4:10 AM CDT

20 judges share tips for preparing for your first court appearance

As the calendar counts down to the day of a lawyer’s first court experience, fears of forgetting a key point, getting yelled at by the judge or just plain looking stupid may dominate your thoughts. But judges interviewed by the ABA Journal say that for the most part, you will do well simply by being a reasonable person. Here are their suggestions on how to shine.

Jun 1, 2025 4:00 AM CDT

Bullying is a problem in the legal profession. How can the cycle be broken?

“I have heard from so many people saying, ‘This is exactly what happened to me,’” says Erin Gordon, author of Look What You Made Me Do: Confronting Heartbreak & Harassment in Big Law. “Partners in particular have power in their firms, and they are like bullies in the schoolyard.”

Jun 1, 2025 12:00 AM CDT

Managed Care: When dealing with a serious illness, lawyers should attend to themselves and clients

Lawyers who discover they have a serious or terminal illness face a slew of emotions, along with a list of decisions they must make, including whether and under what circumstances to continue working. For some, health insurance and a paycheck are powerful motivators for staying in their jobs; but lawyers with terminal diagnoses also cite continued purpose, concern for their clients and a fondness for their colleagues.

Apr 1, 2025 3:30 AM CDT

Future Forward: How lawyers can embrace sustainability

Sustainable development means more than “being green,” says John Dernbach, an emeritus professor at Widener University Commonwealth Law School and the founding director of its Environmental Law and Sustainability Center. Rather, he says, sustainable development balances environmental protection, economic development and social justice.

Apr 1, 2025 3:00 AM CDT

Changing Course: Meet 6 students with unusual paths to law school

The ABA Journal talked with six law students and recent graduates with unusual first careers: Olympic athlete, flight attendant, behavioral analyst for kids with special needs, Catholic priest, Broadway actor and chimpanzee handler. While they had unique experiences before heading to law school, their backgrounds have impacted their studies and their hopes to effect lasting change in their original fields though law.

Apr 1, 2025 12:00 AM CDT

Full-Court Press: Two South Carolina lawyers focus the spotlight on Alex Murdaugh—and themselves

Over the past few years, many TV shows, YouTube videos and podcasts saw significant audience interest from anything Alex Murdaugh-related. Ronald Richter and Eric Bland, two South Carolina lawyers who in 2021 sued Murdaugh on the Satterfields’ behalf, have been happy to share their opinions about him.

Feb 1, 2025 2:30 AM CST

Judges Without JDs: In the United States, judges are not always required to be lawyers

More than half of states allow nonlawyers to serve as judges in lower-level local courts. Nonlawyers can be justices of the peace, magistrates, municipal judges or probate judges. The types of cases over which they preside can include eviction, probate and civil disputes with limits on the financial stake.

Feb 1, 2025 2:20 AM CST

2025 Legal Rebels: Rebels Without a Pause

For the 2025 class of Legal Rebels, we have chosen to honor seven individuals and one state licensing board. These rebels were not content with waiting for change to come to them. They were already hard at work trying to improve important aspects of the legal industry well before anyone knew what ChatGPT and generative artificial intelligence were.

Feb 1, 2025 12:00 AM CST

5 tips to make the most of an experiential marketing initiative

Dec 1, 2024 3:00 AM CST

Show, Don’t Sell: Luxury brands use experiential marketing to attract customers—and so can law firms, experts say

But experiential marketing isn’t exclusive to high rollers. It’s been used by brands behind products ranging from sneakers to chocolate-hazelnut spread to foster excitement and ultimately investment.

Dec 1, 2024 2:50 AM CST

25 Books for Lawyers: Attorneys share reads they found inspiring, insightful and useful in the practice of law

The ABA Journal asked attorneys to share reads they found inspiring, insightful and useful in the practice of law. Here are 25 of their suggestions.

Dec 1, 2024 2:45 AM CST

Moms in Law: Millennials demand work-life balance more than their predecessors, but challenges persist

Millennials tend to emphasize a healthy work-life balance when choosing employers. That includes lawyers with young children. According to a 2023 ABA study, 61% of the mothers surveyed said they experienced demeaning comments about being a working parent, compared with 26% of fathers. But a growing number of young lawyers are pushing back.

Dec 1, 2024 12:00 AM CST

Finding a Pathway: Assisting Native American and Indigenous law students requires confronting the challenges they face

Aspiring Native American lawyers face a host of unique challenges in their journeys to, through and beyond law school, even as law schools and legal associations offer support throughout the pipeline all the way to their first job. Research about Native and Indigenous law students and lawyers uses a variety of criteria, making it hard to compare facts and figures. But all point to the same fact: Native and Indigenous people are underrepresented in the legal profession, starting in law school.

Oct 1, 2024 3:40 AM CDT

Formidable Foe: Roberta Kaplan doesn't back down from tough fights

Lawyers who know Roberta Kaplan say they weren’t surprised when she agreed to represent writer E. Jean Carroll in her litigation against former President Donald Trump, even though it meant being the subject of intense media scrutiny. Kaplan, her friends say, isn’t the type of person to be intimidated.

Oct 1, 2024 3:30 AM CDT