Features

A Test of Time: The enduring meaning of the Declaration of Independence

I worry that the many celebrations of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence will commemorate the historical moment but fail to appreciate the enduring meaning of the extraordinary statement approved on July 4, 1776. A reading of the Declaration of Independence reveals its ongoing relevance—indeed, especially for this particular time.

Jul 1, 2026 1:55 AM CDT

Back to the Future: As the country celebrates its 250th anniversary, old methods of training lawyers are back in style

To mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the ABA Journal traced the purpose and pedagogy of legal education throughout our nation’s history to gain insight on where we are now and where we might head. Can the future of best practices to educate lawyers and admit them to the bar be found in a close look at the past? Could early American educational methods offer a preview of what’s to come—and what to avoid—in legal education? And how can debates about the proper balance between academics and working with the practicing bar to provide quality legal education inform today’s and tomorrow’s standards?

Jul 1, 2026 1:50 AM CDT

The Rights Fight: ABA members reflect on 60 years of protecting civil rights

Known as the “conscience” of the ABA, the Section of Civil Rights and Social Justice for 60 years has been only membership entity in the association that is solely devoted to civil rights, human rights, civil liberties and social justice. It fulfills its mission by promoting through advocacy and education a multitude of crucial issues, including racial equality, gender equity and LGBTQ+ rights.

Jul 1, 2026 1:45 AM CDT

Turning Tides: As menopause discrimination becomes a hot topic, lawmakers and employers offer protections

Traditionally, menopause hasn’t been the subject of most work-related conversations or legislation trends, says Naomi R. Cahn, a professor at the University of Virginia School of Law who specializes in family law, feminist jurisprudence and reproductive technology. But with the success of the menstrual equity movement—which fought to normalize conversations around menstruation and increase access to tampons and other menstrual products—women’s health advocates and feminist legal experts like Cahn have turned their attention to menopause.

Jul 1, 2026 1:40 AM CDT

The ABA celebrates the 250th!

The ABA has been celebrating the semiquincentennial of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in a number of the ways over the past few months, with programs, webinars, a traveling exhibit from the ABA Standing Committee on the Law Library of Congress and more.

Jul 1, 2026 12:00 AM CDT

Stolen Treasures: A lawyer and a Holocaust survivor help families find items that Nazis seized decades ago

Sometimes when they are working together at her home, Detroit attorney Jonathan Schwartz brings the deli food while Holocaust survivor Clara Garbon-Radnoti smokes maybe a cigarette or two. For almost two decades, Garbon-Radnoti has been translating documents contained in over 180 digitized, searchable microfilm reels with more than 160,000 frames that were donated to the Zekelman Holocaust Center in Farmington Hills, Michigan.

Apr 1, 2026 1:50 AM CDT

Exodus: Thousands of federal lawyers left their jobs by choice or by force in 2025

A political party shift in the White House traditionally doesn’t change much for career government lawyers. But the second President Donald Trump administration issued directives that some lawyers who worked in federal government say they couldn’t follow for ethical reasons.

Apr 1, 2026 1:45 AM CDT

Silent Pain: Lawyers in abusive relationships often keep quiet out of reputational fears

While it receives little attention, lawyers can and do experience emotional, physical and other forms of abuse, according to a consultant who offers corporate training on domestic violence and support to high-achieving professionals who also are victims.

Apr 1, 2026 12:00 AM CDT

New Precedent: This year’s class of Legal Rebels is leading the way during a time of rapid change in the industry

For this year’s class of Legal Rebels, the ABA Journal and the ABA Center for Innovation have chosen to honor eight individuals who are leading the way during these changing times.

Jan 1, 2026 1:35 AM CST

Out of Bounds: After a natural disaster, sometimes there’s a thin line between attorney help and solicitation

After a natural disaster, it can be confusing to know what conduct is appropriate and what falls outside the scope of the rules, ethics lawyers say, particularly for lawyers located outside the state. After the deadly 2023 wildfire ripped through the island of Maui, Hawaii saw an influx of mainland lawyers offering their services.

Jan 1, 2026 1:30 AM CST

Water Wars: A growing demand for water requires navigating complex laws that regulate its distribution

Whether Americans are able to alleviate the catastrophic depletion of life-sustaining surface water and groundwater—exacerbated by what scientists have concluded is a global warming-driven drought—will depend on the outcomes of negotiations, litigation, legislation and other forms of conflict resolution that vary greatly by jurisdiction.

Jan 1, 2026 12:00 AM CST

Legal Reel-ism: What are some scenes in TV and movies that accurately reflect what it’s like to be a lawyer?

When it comes to law and pop culture, there’s a reason why dramatic license is more important than a bar card. Screenwriters have to be entertaining first. While some degree of realism is necessary in order to get viewers to become invested, it is not the primary factor. That being said, there are some scenes that accurately reflect what it is to be a trial lawyer.

Oct 1, 2025 2:00 AM CDT

A Mother's Trial: Nurse wrongly accused of child abuse forges career bridging law and medicine to help others

“You don’t know when you’re going through this that the doctor you’re talking to is investigating you,” Alexcia Stees says. It was the beginning of a long journey during which Stees, a mother of three, would stand accused of child abuse and build a new career to help others in similar situations.

Oct 1, 2025 1:55 AM CDT

A League of Their Own: Lawyers represent sports organizations in many roles as the industry evolves

Many lawyers gravitate toward the industry because of their personal involvement in or passion for sports. They fill diverse roles, including representing teams and leagues in private practice, serving as in-house counsel for sports organizations, working as agents, and managing compliance for universities or athletic associations.

Oct 1, 2025 12:00 AM CDT

Craving Connection: Lawyers, who face stress and adversarial work, experience more isolation than many professionals

Studies depict lawyers as struggling under the stress of their jobs and lifestyles, weighed down by a host of mental health issues and uniquely positioned to experience feelings of isolation. In 2018, for example, the Harvard Business Review found that lawyers outranked engineers and research scientists when it came to loneliness.

Aug 1, 2025 1:40 AM CDT