Your Voice

What ‘Wolf Hall’ taught me about practicing law

Every practicing attorney is familiar with the prelaw literary canon—that list of books every law student should read. A Civil Action, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Buffalo Creek Disaster. These books are meant to inspire a love of justice, hard work and a desire to fight for society’s underdogs.

Nov 20, 2023 8:44 AM CST

Program provides senior lawyers opportunities to teach law students abroad

Do you have an interest in sharing your experience and expertise as a practicing lawyer by teaching for a few weeks at a law school in Eastern Europe, Asia or Africa? The Senior Lawyer Visiting Professors Program might be for you.

Nov 15, 2023 9:44 AM CST

The ABA Well-Being Pledge Turns 5: Progress made, progress needed

Mark Twain once said "action speaks louder than words but not nearly as often." While that general sentiment applies in almost limitless contexts, one centrally relevant to the legal profession is the push to improve mental health and well-being among lawyers and law students.

Oct 23, 2023 8:13 AM CDT

Candor: You know it when you don’t see it

Probably to his regret, the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart is best remembered for his famous nondefinition of obscenity: “I know it when I see it,” in Jacobellis v. Ohio, 378 U.S. 184 (1964).

Sep 27, 2023 2:03 PM CDT

On Better Terms: What should we do with ‘nonlawyer’?

“Nonlawyer” means someone who isn’t a lawyer. But for years, many have found the word objectionable. And the case against “nonlawyer” isn’t as clear-cut as it might seem, says a lawyer specializing in how to say concisely whatever you want in a contract.

Aug 29, 2023 8:55 AM CDT

My career approach could have killed me

In 1982, as a healthy 29-year-old with a brand-new JD, I joined a Washington, D.C., law firm handling class action tort litigation. Workdays there were fast and furious. Sixty-hour work weeks were the norm, but I was young and hungry, the work was stimulating and I leaned in.

Jul 28, 2023 12:07 PM CDT

Three Scary Letters: Big. Law. ALS.

It’s strange how three little letters can cause so much angst. As a 2L interviewing with BigLaw firms, “Law” was looming enough, without “Big” preceding it. Five years later, I faced a new set of terrifying letters: ALS.

Jul 11, 2023 11:45 AM CDT

Creating Space at the Table: Succeeding as a female in the still-male-dominated field of law

Growing up far from the big city in Delmar, New York, I did not know many lawyers, and I certainly knew of no lawyers to emulate. Back then I would have never dreamt of becoming a managing partner in a successful law firm. But here I am, thanks to the sound advice from mentors who saw my potential and helped me forge my way.

Jun 29, 2023 8:56 AM CDT

Identifying and eliminating implicit bias toward psychiatric disabilities in the legal profession

“Don’t let it happen again.” When I heard the statement, my body melted into my chair as I sat staring toward the screen in our Zoom meeting. Shock spread through my body for several moments—no words came. I was petrified and let waves of shame and disbelief flow through my body.

Jun 12, 2023 11:30 AM CDT

Fill the ‘Justice Gap’: Victims of domestic violence need your pro bono legal help

I’ll never forget sitting in professor Sarah Buel’s Domestic Violence and the Law class at the University of Texas School of Law, as she shared her iconic article: Fifty Obstacles to Leaving, a.k.a., Why Abuse Victims Stay.

Jun 1, 2023 11:52 AM CDT

A look at Paul Hastings’ viral ‘no exceptions, no excuses’ presentation missteps

There’s a saying, usually attributed to journalist Michael Kinsley, that in politics, a gaffe is when you inadvertently say something you believe but didn’t mean to disclose—maybe that taxes need to be raised or Social Security benefits trimmed.

May 23, 2023 8:42 AM CDT

Law schools should take on students’ mental health and substance use from day one

We must remind our students constantly that seeking help is a sign of strength that will not be held against them in school, when applying for admission to the bar or when applying for employment.

May 17, 2023 1:31 PM CDT

The curious case of why lawyers are not called ‘doctor’

It never occurred to this retired lawyer and senior pastor that lawyers would use the title “Dr.” until a few years after graduating from law school, when he accepted an adjunct position at a local college while also practicing law.

May 8, 2023 8:42 AM CDT

Law schools face an inflection point with diversity, equity and inclusion

In recent years, there has been a rise in law students heckling speakers. In 2018, I was shouted down at the CUNY Law School in New York. In 2022, Ilya Shapiro was shouted down at the law school formerly known as Hastings. And more recently, Judge Stuart Kyle Duncan of the Fifth Circuit was shouted down at Stanford Law School.

May 1, 2023 12:06 PM CDT

3 lessons in lawyering from the theater

As a practicing attorney and a former actor, I have often asked myself the question Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. asked those in a crowded room at Harvard in 1886: "How can the laborious study of a dry and technical system, the greedy watch for clients and practice of shopkeepers’ arts, the mannerless conflicts over often sordid interests, make out a life?"

Apr 26, 2023 11:20 AM CDT

What ‘Wolf Hall’ taught me about practicing law

Program provides senior lawyers opportunities to teach law students abroad

The ABA Well-Being Pledge Turns 5: Progress made, progress needed

Candor: You know it when you don’t see it

On Better Terms: What should we do with ‘nonlawyer’?

My career approach could have killed me

Three Scary Letters: Big. Law. ALS.

Creating Space at the Table: Succeeding as a female in the still-male-dominated field of law

Identifying and eliminating implicit bias toward psychiatric disabilities in the legal profession

Fill the ‘Justice Gap’: Victims of domestic violence need your pro bono legal help

A look at Paul Hastings’ viral ‘no exceptions, no excuses’ presentation missteps

Law schools should take on students’ mental health and substance use from day one

The curious case of why lawyers are not called ‘doctor’

Law schools face an inflection point with diversity, equity and inclusion

3 lessons in lawyering from the theater

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