666 ABA Journal Features articles.
The rapid spread of COVID-19 has forced lawyers and the justice system to quickly implement new ways of operating to best serve the public, and experts predict many of these changes will continue beyond the current global health crisis. In response, the ABA has created the Coordinating Group on Practice Forward.
Aug 1, 2020 2:40 AM CDT
“Legal documentaries reflect the best of what media can do,” says Dan Abrams, chief legal affairs anchor at ABC News. “They can expose injustices, highlight things that have been buried and force action from people in power.” On the flip side, Abrams cautions that some documentaries can blur the line between journalism and advocacy, giving them a veneer or presumption of legitimacy.
Aug 1, 2020 2:30 AM CDT
Despite legislative achievements, it wasn’t long until end runs were made around voter protection laws, and those efforts are alive and well, election law attorneys and voting rights advocates say.
Aug 1, 2020 2:00 AM CDT
Many technological changes being adopted now will persist beyond COVID-19, as will the utilization of remote working. Meanwhile, others have suggested the widespread upheaval will provide fuel for state reviews of whether to open up the legal marketplace to alternative business structures and nonlawyer practitioners.
Aug 1, 2020 12:00 AM CDT
We asked legal ethics experts for a primer on the most pressing and pernicious ethics traps out there for the modern lawyer, along with best practices to avoid problems on the front end.
Jun 1, 2020 12:10 AM CDT
How do courts determine a person’s mental state and apply that in deciding guilt or innocence? How do judges and juries weigh evidence related to brain functioning? And what do lawyers and judges need to know to effectively evaluate such questions?
Jun 1, 2020 12:05 AM CDT
Florida plaintiffs lawyer Debi F. Chalik remembers the moment she decided to file suit against Princess Cruises for negligence arising from the COVID-19 outbreak on the Grand Princess ship. It was March 6, and she was home watching Vice President Mike Pence deliver a televised briefing that included an update on the status of the Grand Princess.
Jun 1, 2020 12:02 AM CDT
Bringing a case against an ocean cruise line is challenging. Plaintiffs lawyers say these cases are highly specific and highly specialized, governed by myriad legal standards and subject to investigative challenges. It’s an area so unique that it’s easy for a novice lawyer to make an honest mistake that can permanently sink an otherwise meritorious case.
Jun 1, 2020 12:00 AM CDT
Lawyers who practice in the social enterprise and investment impact space say their structures vary depending on the deal, but all agree: This is not pro bono legal work. “It’s no longer about making money or doing good, it’s about making money and doing good,” says Scott M. Curran, founder of Beyond Advisers, a Chicago-based social impact consulting firm.
Apr 1, 2020 3:40 AM CDT
“It’s very important that as women, we have leadership roles in the law. … If we’re not participating, if we’re not in leadership roles, our voices aren’t being heard, and our experiences aren’t being taken into consideration,” says Rebecca Dallet, who spent nearly 11 years as an assistant district attorney in Milwaukee County in Wisconsin.
Apr 1, 2020 3:30 AM CDT
ABA President Judy Perry Martinez characterizes the 19th Amendment as the cornerstone of engagement for all women in our democracy. That’s why she championed “Your Vote, Your Voice, Our Democracy: The 19th Amendment at 100” as this year’s theme for Law Day, which celebrates the rule of law and is commemorated annually May 1.
Apr 1, 2020 3:25 AM CDT
For lawyers, marketing is a vital part of business, but it can be tricky, overwhelming and even intimidating. So we asked lawyers, legal professionals, marketers, consultants and other experts for 50 ways lawyers can stand out.
Apr 1, 2020 12:00 AM CDT
Social media offers cheap and targeted advertising that regulators don’t have the time or resources to fully monitor. Deceptive health claims that would land a company in court if made on television or radio are slipping by online.
Feb 1, 2020 1:45 AM CST
Beginning with the 2020 class, we decided to move Legal Rebels to February-March. To mark this new beginning for Legal Rebels, we decided to try something new. Whereas prior classes have mostly featured individuals with the occasional team thrown in, we decided that 2020’s class would be made up entirely of teams.
Feb 1, 2020 1:40 AM CST
Solving the rural attorney shortage won’t be easy, given that few law graduates appear willing to set up shop in rural America. The situation is only expected to worsen in the near future, given that many lawyers in less-populated counties are approaching retirement age and no younger attorneys have moved in to replace them.
Feb 1, 2020 12:00 AM CST
