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305 ABA Journal Your Voice articles.

Resilience From a Roman: Lessons from Marcus Aurelius on weathering adversity

Lawyers have plenty of reasons to feel overwhelmed these days. Beyond taking on our clients’ problems as our own, technology is roiling the bar, and the courts and politics feels more contentious than ever, sowing anxiety and uncertainty in an already-stressed profession.

Jun 12, 2025 10:51 AM CDT

Horse of a Different Color: In the age of AI, lawyers must set aside resistance to change

“It’s time to stop standing on the sidewalk throwing rocks at whatever new AI capabilities are now available to the public. Sabotaging the roads will not slow the pace of change. … More regulations will likely do little to shape the emerging AI era.”

Jun 2, 2025 2:07 PM CDT

How to conduct an oral argument effectively

Oral argument is the most visible part of appellate practice. So it’s natural to get anxious. Here is a beginning-to-end guide on how to conduct an oral argument effectively.

Jun 1, 2025 1:40 AM CDT

Lawyer at a Party: How to handle unwanted legal inquiries

“My lease says no pets allowed, but that’s only for like really big dogs—right?” You take a deep breath, look at your inquisitor and wonder anew why you left the comfort of your home for this cocktail party. At home, no one asks you legal questions.

May 29, 2025 9:51 AM CDT

Why should I serve on a jury?

"Jury duty." The mere phrase often conjures up thoughts of inconvenience, long hours and endless courtroom drama. For many, it feels more like a chore than an opportunity. But serving on a jury is far more significant than most people realize. It’s not just a civic responsibility. It’s a cornerstone of democracy, a rare opportunity to directly participate in the justice system and an experience that offers both personal and societal rewards.

May 21, 2025 9:04 AM CDT

Orphan Socks: A reflection on motherhood, identity and healing

I stood over the laundry basket, my hands deep in the tangled mess of tiny clothes. Another morning, another missing sock. My baby’s outfit was perfect—except for that one stubborn sock that refused to show up. Three days in a row now. I could feel the irritation rise, bubbling up from a place deeper than I cared to admit.

May 6, 2025 2:12 PM CDT

Navigating the AI Revolution in Law School: Lessons from the front lines

As a third-year law student, I’ve had a front-row seat to the artificial intelligence revolution in the legal field. This experience has helped me integrate AI into my research, writing and studying.

Apr 30, 2025 10:23 AM CDT

Hit your stride and strive without strife

Embrace sustainable goals. The start of a new year often inspires lofty resolutions, if not illusions of grandeur, about the habits we’ll develop and professional goals we’ll conquer: more billable hours, bigger matters, rapid career advancement and the like. Yet with the first quarter already behind us, the initial momentum has all but faded, and many attorneys find themselves buried under the weight of their ambitious goals and the pressure to consistently deliver at a high level.

Apr 22, 2025 2:34 PM CDT

Business trial lawyers today through my daughter’s big green eyes

Fourteen years ago, I wrote an article for a business journal that summarized a dinner conversation I had with my 4-year-old daughter. She asked me to explain “What is a re-sezz-ee-un?” By the end of our conversation, her greatest concern shining through her little green eyes was whether Santa Claus himself would be experiencing any effects of that “re-sez-ee-un.”

Apr 16, 2025 2:23 PM CDT

The 16-Pager: How to avoid boredom in retirement with the greatest of ease

What are you going to do when you retire? That's usually the first question after the big announcement comes out. Everyone has plans, but retirees often discover that these were not as sustainable, lasting or rewarding as they'd thought, and they have empty hours to fill. At this point, developing meaningful alternatives can be overwhelming. Time passes, and opportunities are lost.

Apr 9, 2025 2:04 PM CDT

Whistle While You Work: Pursuing passions that elevate your legal career

"Whistle while you work." That's what one of my mentors routinely told me as I trained to become a better football official. He would remind me that, even at your lowest point, when it feels like the whole world is against you, it is important to remember the reason you are there.

Apr 3, 2025 9:24 AM CDT

How to negotiate mental health challenges in the law

“Even after having lived with major mental health issues, I can’t shake my outmoded ways of thinking about them and the people they afflict—myself included. We’re all judging people with mental health issues because we’ve been trained to.”

Mar 27, 2025 9:13 AM CDT

When policies afford legal professionals discretion, they should choose to be trauma informed

Lawyers are big on adhering to statutes and caselaw precedents, contractual provisions and the clauses of internal governance documents, employee handbook policies, and terms from codes of conduct. But what happens when there is ambiguity?

Mar 17, 2025 3:01 PM CDT

Law and the ‘Trust Tax’

In his book, The Speed of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything, Stephen M. R. Covey writes of a theoretical tax that is imposed in low trust environments—what he calls the “trust tax.”

Mar 12, 2025 11:11 AM CDT

How to do an appellate oral argument

Oral argument is the most visible part of appellate practice. And while lawyers differ on whether a good argument will change the outcome of your case, we can all agree that it’s the thing your clients and colleagues are most likely to see you doing. Not to mention the thrilling proposition that there may one day be a blurry artist’s rendering of you inside the Supreme Court.

Mar 6, 2025 11:49 AM CST

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Resilience From a Roman: Lessons from Marcus Aurelius on weathering adversity

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