Legal Rebels Updates

JusticeText wins pitch competition at SXSW

JusticeText, a technology platform that assists public defenders with processing video and audio evidence, recently won a pitch competition at the annual South by Southwest conference in Austin, Texas. The creators of JusticeText were featured as 2022 Legal Rebels by the ABA Journal in February.

Mar 21, 2022 10:30 AM CDT

David Van Zandt has made a career out of touching third rails in higher education

When David Van Zandt became dean of what is now Northwestern University's Pritzker School of Law in 1995, he faced a steep learning curve. Up until then, he had never managed an organization of more than a few people.

May 15, 2019 6:30 AM CDT

Legal writing pro is helping teach AI to draft contracts (podcast)

Ken Adams has brought his contract expertise to a Pittsburgh artificial intelligence startup. The transactional lawyer stopped practicing law “the regular way,” as he puts it, in 2006 and devoted himself full time to his interest in contract language. After constant exploration on the topic, the 57-year-old 2009 ABA Journal…

Sep 12, 2018 6:00 AM CDT

2 Legal Rebels join forces to design the legal department of the future

Sitting on a beach in Florida with his wife, Jeff Carr was enjoying his retirement in April 2017 when he received a phone call asking him to join Univar as general counsel.

Aug 27, 2018 2:26 PM CDT

From Pangea3 to Burford, David Perla steps lively into new roles

David Perla hasn’t let his innovator shoes collect any dust in the last 14 years.

Aug 27, 2018 2:25 PM CDT

Legal services innovator moves on to app development (podcast)

It’s too easy for attorneys to be aware that something isn’t perfect in their practices and accept the situation instead of pushing back. So says longtime legal innovator Nicole Bradick.

Aug 15, 2018 6:05 AM CDT

What have previous Legal Rebels been up to? We talked to 8 of them to find out

We love featuring innovators in our annual Legal Rebels issues, but these creative legal minds don’t stop churning after they earn their titles. ABA Journal editor and publisher Molly McDonough sat down with eight of our Legal Rebels and Legal Rebels Trailblazer alums at the ABA Techshow in March to…

Apr 6, 2017 2:45 PM CDT

Dentons hires former general counsel for General Mills who pushed law firms for diversity

Dentons has hired former General Mills general counsel Roderick “Rick” Palmore, a 2009 ABA Journal Legal Rebel who promoted diversity in the legal profession. Palmore will serve as a senior counsel at Dentons, where he will advise corporations on risk management and governance issues, according to a press release. Palmore,…

Jul 22, 2015 11:13 AM CDT

Freelance attorney network Custom Counsel acquired by CuroLegal

Custom Counsel, a service which matches lawyers available to do contract work with law firms and legal departments that need temporary or project-based help, was recently acquired by CuroLegal, an outsourced law-practice-management company. Many lawyers use Custom Counsel for litigation support work, including brief writing, says founder Nicole Bradick, who…

Feb 3, 2015 1:30 PM CST

‘I want to push the limit,’ says ‘09 Legal Rebel

Photo of Richard Granat by Tom Salyer. RICHARD GRANAT REBEL YEAR: 2009 HOME: Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. WHAT HE’S BEEN UP TO: The legal profession moves too slowly for Richard Granat, a 72-year-old grandfather who takes pride in reinventing his career multiple times. That includes being a founding team member…

Jun 24, 2013 7:17 PM CDT

Simplify contracts with software, says Legal Rebel

Photo of Kingsley Martin by Wayne Slezak Legal Rebel Kingsley Martin Rebel Year: 2012 Home: Beverly Shores, Ind. What he’s been up to: Recent inspiration comes from iBooks. Martin, a former tax lawyer who designs his own software, envisions something where lawyers click or swipe a contract subject link, which…

May 28, 2013 8:16 PM CDT

Social media helps Legal Rebel grow her practice

Photo of Carolyn Elefant by Arnold Adler. Carolyn Elefant Rebel Year: 2010 Home: Bethesda, Md. What she’s been up to: Carolyn Elefant, the woman behind My Shingle, continues to blog about sole-practice life and grow her legal practice. An energy lawyer who loves trains and travel, Elefant says that today…

Mar 26, 2013 1:46 PM CDT

Online legal info free for 20 Latin American countries

Photo of Tim Stanley by Tony Avelar. Legal Rebels Update: Timothy J. Stanley Rebel Year: 2009 (Read his profile from 2009.) Home: Los Altos, Calif. What he’s been up to: Twenty Latin American countries—including Mexico, Colombia and Cuba—now have access to free, online legal information thanks to Timothy J. Stanley…

Feb 26, 2013 7:30 PM CST

Finding ways to keep fees low is ‘09 Legal Rebel Luz Herrera’s passion

Photo of Luz Herrera by Tony Avelar. Legal Rebel Luz Herrera Rebel Year: 2009 (Read her profile from 2009.) Home: San Diego What she’s been up to: Showing Thomas Jefferson School of Law students and alumni ways they can charge affordable rates and support themselves continues to be Luz Herrera’s…

Feb 1, 2013 2:30 PM CST

‘09 Legal Rebel James Holderman Finds Ways to Engage Jurors, Increase Efficiency & Lower Costs

Judge James F. Holderman Photo by Wayne Slezak James F. Holderman Rebel Year: 2009 Home: Chicago What he’s been up to: While courts across the country struggle to reign in social media-enthused jurors, Chief Judge James F. Holderman has found success curbing disallowed Internet use in the U.S. District Court…

Dec 21, 2012 5:32 PM CST