Federal Aviation Administration’s chief counsel has fought challenges with resolve

Marc Nichols describes his career and life’s trajectory not as a straight line leading him to the FAA but more of a wandering path in which he has fought against difficult circumstances and seized opportunities. The key, Nichols says, is to stay determined and embrace change. “Change can sometimes be your friend. It’s about mental attitude and perseverance.”

Jun 1, 2024 1:40 AM CDT

Law prof’s textbook stresses AI ethics

“All legal writing classes are a situation where students may be tempted to use these tools without really understanding them. It would be very easy for students to make the wrong decisions in terms of exercising judgment,” says April Dawson, author of Artificial Intelligence and Academic Integrity.

Jun 1, 2024 1:30 AM CDT

10 Questions: Entertainment lawyer and documentarian knows where the good bars are

As Sheppard Mullin’s LA-based head of global media, Robert Darwell makes deals for companies like Disney, Amazon MGM Studios, Nickelodeon and Meta, and he’s helped make hundreds of movies possible, including Brokeback Mountain and Selma. But it’s not just Darwell’s law practice that earns him attention—he’s also recognized for his work as a documentary filmmaker.

Jun 1, 2024 1:20 AM CDT

More lawyers—and clients—want to learn about sustainable development practices

As many industries develop sustainable development practices, lawyers can play a role too. In a book released by ABA Publishing, Sustainability Essentials: A Leadership Guide for Lawyers, John Dernbach, with co-authors Irma Russell and Matthew Bogoshian, provide digestible how-to tips for proactively infusing a sustainable development framework into legal work.

Apr 1, 2024 1:20 AM CDT

This Los Angeles lawyer found her calling as a death doula

Everyone is going to die, it’s just a matter of where, when and how. For those who happen to know the specifics of their situation, Alua Arthur, a former legal aid lawyer, can help. Arthur is a certified death doula, which means she provides emotional and organizational support for people who are nearing death, allowing them to embrace the end in a way that honors their wishes, customs and beliefs.

Apr 1, 2024 1:10 AM CDT

A love for canines influenced this lawyer’s work to outlaw greyhound racing

People often ask me how I came to become a lawyer for greyhounds. In fact, the dogs led me to law school.

Apr 1, 2024 1:00 AM CDT

After his transplant, lawyer co-founds research group focused on developing synthetic kidneys

Kenneth Kleinberg’s client list is a veritable who’s who of Hollywood. As a founding partner of Los Angeles’ Kleinberg Lange Cuddy & Carlo, he’s negotiated agreements and counseled on film and TV rights for more than five decades. But these days, much of Kleinberg’s time is taken up by an endeavor that captivates less of the public imagination: kidney research.

Feb 1, 2024 1:30 AM CST

Law grad turns culinary passion into TikTok fame and a brand-new cookbook

Feb 1, 2024 1:20 AM CST

10 Questions: In crafting a new career, this Texas contracts attorney created a community

The brainchild of Laura Frederick, a former in-house lawyer for Tesla, ContractsCon debuted in 2022. Her path from law practice to entrepreneurship began during the pandemic, and she’s since built a global community of contract law professionals via LinkedIn and created How to Contract, a successful online legal education platform.

Feb 1, 2024 1:10 AM CST

$19.3M jury award on behalf of assaulted prisoner came from showing, not telling

Imagine being locked up with a dangerous predator while surrounded by people who cannot be bothered to care about your humanity, your health or your safety—much less be motivated to intervene and help. That’s the situation our client, Jane Doe, faced while incarcerated at the Logan Correctional Center in Lincoln, Illinois.

Feb 1, 2024 1:00 AM CST

A second child during China’s one-child policy becomes an immigration lawyer in the US

“I came into this world as the second child of my family during the stringent era of China’s one-child policy. To avoid governmental persecution, we took refuge in a secluded rural area where my mother was forced to give birth at home without any medical attention. As I grew older, my inquisitive nature drove me to question why my sister and I lived apart, and why I seemed to be the cause of additional paperwork at school.”

Dec 1, 2023 1:30 AM CST

As CEO of an air carrier, this lawyer steers the company and flies the planes

If Benjamin Klein isn’t in his office, there’s a chance he could be above it. That’s because Klein isn’t just the CEO of Aero, a San Francisco-based air carrier specializing in semiprivate air travel, he’s also a first officer. Which means he can—and does—fly planes for Aero.

Dec 1, 2023 1:20 AM CST

Needless complexity in the courts and 50 ways to reduce it

Just before stepping down as a judge on the Connecticut Superior Court, Thomas G. Moukawsher published The Common Flaw: Needless Complexity in the Courts and 50 Ways to Reduce It. Moukawsher admits his guide “gets pretty far down in the weeds.” But there’s good reason. It is the weeds, he says, “that are choking the litigation-centered humanity out of courts—with snarled complaints, tangled motion practice, choking discovery, smothering trials and stultifying legal rulings.”

Dec 1, 2023 1:10 AM CST

Florida lawyer creates the role models he didn’t have through a children’s book

“It’s been my goal to try to change the imagery of what attorneys look like to kids,” says Okoye Morgan Jr., founder and general counsel of The Black Law Company in Tampa, Florida.

Oct 1, 2023 2:40 AM CDT

Former NSA and CIA general counsel has made it her mission to strengthen national security through civic education

Elizabeth Rindskopf Parker has spent decades dealing with national security. Today, Parker’s focus isn’t spies, surveillance or foreign governments. It’s education—specifically, inadequate civic education from elementary school to graduate school. When Americans don’t understand the foundations of their democracy, they are susceptible to misinformation and manipulation, she says. In her view, civic education is a national security imperative.

Oct 1, 2023 2:30 AM CDT