ABA Journal

Legal Rebels

609 ABA Journal Legal Rebels articles.

Freedom Fight: Working tirelessly to free her brother from prison inspired Janis Puracal’s Forensic Justice Project

Janis Puracal helps people who are trying to prove their innocence after a conviction. But she also works with clients pretrial to reveal any flawed or misleading forensic evidence to prevent a conviction in the first place.

Building Bridges: Patrick Palace draws on his experience to demystify technology and push for regulatory reforms

Patrick Palace’s current volunteer work includes serving as vice chair of the ABA Center for Innovation and secretary of the National Conference of Bar Presidents—two groups with members who sometimes don’t agree on regulation changes in the law.

True Calling: Ameelio platform helps inmates communicate more easily with family and get an education

Uzoma Orchingwa and Gabriel Saruhashi used their savings to launch the technology nonprofit Ameelio in March 2020. The duo offers families a free mobile app that allows them to send letters into prisons.

Thought Leader: Natalie Anne Knowlton’s research has provided an important foundation for regulatory reform efforts

Natalie Anne Knowlton’s work for the IAALS has provided data and reference for states that have overhauled or are considering modifying their UPL regulations to allow for alternative business structures or limited nonlawyer practice.

Self-Taught: Courtroom5 founders educate pro se litigants and prepare them for court

Intent on demystifying the process for people representing themselves, Sonja Ebron, who also has a background in artificial intelligence; and Debra Slone, who has a PhD in library and information science, launched Courtroom5 in 2017.

Developing an Identity: Zachariah DeMeola created a holistic way for law students to find where they fit into the profession

Zachariah DeMeola, senior director of strategic initiatives with the Law School Admission Council, has spent a lot of time stressing the importance of lawyers developing their own professional identity.

Data Broker: Josh Blandi’s platform gives firms and businesses real-time access to court records and analytics 

Josh Blandi founded UniCourt, which gives law firms and businesses real-time access to court records and legal data for case research and tracking, business development, competitive intelligence and various other purposes.

On Demand: Stacy Butler channels passion for legal innovation into i4J incubator

When Stacy Butler, the director of the Innovation for Justice Program, is asked if she will ever practice law again, she doesn’t hesitate to answer. “No,” Butler says. “It was adversarial and antagonistic. It did not feed my soul.”

2023 Legal Rebels: Charging Forward

This year, for the first time in a while, things have started to feel somewhat normal again. That being said, when it comes to Legal Rebels, what is considered “normal” or “status quo” has never been of much concern. This year’s class is no different.

Why this BigLaw firm recently started a legal ops division

Legal operations handle a lot of the business and technological stuff that many lawyers either aren’t trained to handle or don’t want to deal with. All so lawyers can focus on practicing law and representing their clients to the best of their abilities.

Poll: Which ABA Journal magazine cover from 2022 was your favorite?

We covered a wide array of diverse, in-depth and hard-hitting legal topics at the ABA Journal in 2022.

It’s a long road ahead for driverless cars, says Fastcase executive

There hasn’t been much progress when it comes to driverless cars. Most major car manufacturers have sunk hundreds of billions into developing and testing driverless cars; yet the finish line seems to be nowhere in sight. So what happened?

How lawyers can unlock the potential of the metaverse

The metaverse is all the rage these days. Users can enter a virtual world where they can interact with people from all parts of the physical world, play games, engage in commerce and do a lot of other things. Some law firms have also seen the potential.

How technology can improve immigration policy and practice

Immigration is an area of law that lends itself well to technological innovations. It is in that intersection in which immigration lawyer Greg Siskind does his work.

Taking on unauthorized practice of law regulations to expand access to justice

A professor talks to the ABA Journal’s Victor Li about New York-based company Upsolve’s lawsuit regarding UPL rules and access-to-justice issues in general.

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