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Your Voice

346 ABA Journal Your Voice articles.

Precision, persistence and finding your voice in the room

Early in my career, I thought confidence in lawyering came from having the right answer—and having it quickly. I watched seasoned litigators rattle off key holdings from memory, negotiate effortlessly with opposing counsel, and speak with authority that seemed innate. I assumed confidence was something you either had or didn’t, and that my job as a young lawyer was to quietly absorb as much as possible until one day I magically crossed some invisible threshold.

Jan 28, 2026 9:27 AM CST

The Curiosity Prompt: One question that reduces AI risk and improves lawyer competence

There is one technique this former BigLaw attorney teaches that consistently improves accuracy, reduces hallucinations, and helps lawyers stay firmly within their ethical boundaries regarding artificial intelligence. She calls it the Curiosity Prompt.

Jan 21, 2026 2:12 PM CST

Sex crimes prosecutor finds accountability for sexual harm outside of the criminal system

As prosecutors, we are trained to seek justice. While working for a district attorney, I specialized in sexual offenses and crimes against children. I understood why victims of sexual harm rely on the criminal legal system. But as a victim, I grappled with the contradiction of my professional life and what I wanted personally—an alternative.

Jan 14, 2026 2:15 PM CST

Old MacDonald’s divorce is a case of ‘E-I-E-I-Oh no’

We all know Old MacDonald had a farm. And we all know that on his farm, he had an assortment of animals, including chickens, horses and ducks. But little is known about his wife, Edna.

Jan 8, 2026 10:14 AM CST

‘Am I the Drama?’ What Cardi B can teach the legal profession

When rapper Cardi B released Am I the Drama? just weeks after winning a high-profile assault lawsuit, she turned legal adversity into cultural commentary. From narrative framing and courtroom conduct to trial publicity and client counseling, her experience offers practical lessons for lawyers and law students on managing reputation, evidence and ethics in the court of law and the court of public opinion.

Dec 17, 2025 9:01 AM CST

Pro bono work is the epitome of the holiday spirit

It may a be little-known fact to those outside the legal community, but attorneys give a significant amount of time and energy over the course of a year doing pro bono work.

Dec 11, 2025 9:25 AM CST

How tough-on-crime policies shift the burden to public defenders

Across the country, criminal justice policy is undergoing yet another pendulum swing. After over a decade of reform efforts focused on decarceration and diversion, states are now reembracing the all-too-familiar tough-on-crime approaches.

Nov 24, 2025 1:55 PM CST

The AI superpower that lawyers aren’t using is flipping the narrative

Lawyers are masters at arguing their cases, but what happens when artificial intelligence flips the narrative?

Nov 19, 2025 9:09 AM CST

Preparing clients for depositions is essential—but easier said than done

Benjamin Franklin said, "By failing to prepare, you're preparing to fail." Sounds wise, but I doubt Benjamin Franklin carried on a busy litigation practice.

Nov 12, 2025 12:21 PM CST

Your inner critic isn’t your edge

Hunched over my desk, surrounded by markups and a neglected dinner gone cold, I pressed on. It was almost sunrise, but despite my blurry vision and aching back, I was determined to power through. I had to perfect the agreement before the partner arrived in a few hours.

Nov 6, 2025 9:20 AM CST

Lincoln’s Last Theorem: Confronting the stereotype that ‘lawyers are bad at math’

Lawyers are frequently stereotyped as being "bad at math." The stereotype is inaccurate. Lawyers must employ mathematics regularly in both litigation and transactional work; they cannot be innumerate and practice competently. The “lawyers are bad at math” stereotype excuses otherwise unacceptable practices and must not be perpetuated.

Oct 28, 2025 3:01 PM CDT

The Human Clause: Margins, compounding and the contracts we keep with ourselves

Benjamin Graham, the father of value investing, left behind a principle that has outlived him: Always insist on a margin of safety. Buy only when there is a cushion between price and true worth. That buffer is not greed; it is protection against volatility, error and unforeseen storms.

Oct 21, 2025 9:23 AM CDT

A Stroke Too Far: Consent doesn’t end with conception

Before I was pregnant, I judged colleagues who were. If they arrived late to court, looked disheveled, or weren’t as sharp as I was, I thought, “Pull it together. Women’s bodies were ‘designed for it,’ weren’t they?” I cringe now, but I admit it: I rolled my eyes. I was ignorant. Then I got pregnant.

Oct 15, 2025 12:21 PM CDT

The Lawyer as Storyteller: What discovery taught me about writing

As an attorney, I was trained to live inside documents: case files, depositions, transcripts, contracts and endless emails. As a novelist, I now live inside fictional worlds. At first, those roles may seem miles apart. Yet when I sit down to draft a chapter or a legal argument, I’m reminded that both are ultimately about storytelling.

Sep 24, 2025 2:13 PM CDT

My Night With Norm: Lessons on the law with George Wendt

In the early 1990s, I was a young attorney in Chicago fresh out of law school, still learning how to balance the weight of a big-firm briefcase with my own naive ambitions.

Sep 16, 2025 3:11 PM CDT

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