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Your Voice

364 ABA Journal Your Voice articles.

Does the adoption of the uniform bar exam foreshadow uniform regulation?

It seems a reasonable extrapolation to wonder whether, when, and how there will be more uniform regulation of lawyers once they have been admitted to the practice of law. Are we moving toward more national standards for attorney regulation?

Jul 31, 2018 6:05 AM CDT

Can law students improve contracts drafted by accomplished lawyers?

I had had great teachers of contracts, but they emphasized theory, not practice. I resolved to prepare law students to tackle the costly, time-consuming problems of contract ambiguities. Many years of practice allowed me to make good on this resolution.

Jul 16, 2018 7:15 AM CDT

Being smart isn’t as admirable as you may think

There are certain things that matter more to me than I care to admit. Chief among them have been my accomplishments when compared to my peer group and how I am perceived by others. Along these lines, I used to place a lot of value in being described as smart.

Jul 10, 2018 7:10 AM CDT

Remembering RFK and the lawyers’ committee he inspired

Fifty years ago this month, one of the most significant voices of our time was silenced by an assassin’s bullet. Robert F. Kennedy’s passionate advocacy on behalf of the poor and dispossessed was born of his belief in the inherent dignity and worth of all human beings.

Jun 21, 2018 8:00 AM CDT

It’s not the associate salaries, it’s the human skills that challenge law firms

Earlier this month, New York-based Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy announced it will increase its associate salaries across the board by $10,000 to $15,000—a starting salary of $190,000 for those fresh out of law school. What followed was an outcry in the legal media and reports that unhappy clients are…

Jun 19, 2018 7:00 AM CDT

Gaining the confidence to write what you have to say

When I started my law blog in June 2016, I did so without too much trepidation. I was essentially briefing cases and writing about my practice in ways I was pretty comfortable with. But then I wanted to branch out. I started to have ideas about things other than recent…

Jun 12, 2018 7:00 AM CDT

Lawyers weigh in: How to prevent stress, substance abuse and depression in the profession

Recently I wrote the Your Voice column "Lawyers weigh in: Why is there a depression epidemic in the profession?" Even though I’ve learned a lot about this topic through my job at Rocket Matter, I was still shocked by the responses and by how attorneys view their own industry.

Jun 5, 2018 7:10 AM CDT

How one millennial and his firm see law practice today

Millennials now make up the largest single generational group at big law firms, according to a report by the American Lawyer. While most millennial attorneys are still associates, it is only a matter of time before they become the majority of partners.

May 23, 2018 8:55 AM CDT

Your Voice: Abandoning law school admissions testing would harm students, not help

Since 1980, I have been consistently reviewing law school applications. Even then, as a first-generation black American college work-study student in the admissions office at Columbia Law School, it was pretty clear to me that admission to elite law schools was preordained by one’s academic pedigree. Some of the faculty…

May 14, 2018 7:00 AM CDT

Lawyers weigh in: Why is there a depression epidemic in the profession?

Through my job as director of content at Rocket Matter, I’ve learned a lot about this profession. One thing that has really stood out to me is how many lawyers are suffering. Our website recently ran a five-part series on depression, substance abuse and wellness in the legal industry. The…

May 11, 2018 7:00 AM CDT

The rules on being general counsel in the cyber century

In what we are calling the cyber century, the first signs of danger appear on a screen; a hack, a viral video, a tweet. Any of these can be the opening shot of a bruising battle that can quickly escalate to a crisis. As general counsel, are you ready to…

May 8, 2018 7:00 AM CDT

What do associates want from their firms? You may be surprised

The associates you hire want to do a good job. They strive to become good lawyers. They recognize the demands that are placed on them for their time, attention and skills. And they are up for the challenge. But they need some help along the way. There are things firms…

May 2, 2018 7:00 AM CDT

Start monetizing those unused (discountable) billable hours

Recently, a business trip took me to Paris. As the schedule was tight and I had a number of appointments across the city, I had to frequently rely on Uber to get me places in time. Doing a number of comparable rides over a couple of days, I started to…

Apr 16, 2018 7:00 AM CDT

Internal investigations need rethinking in the #MeToo era

As I’ve watched the #MeToo movement gain momentum over the past several months, I’ve been thinking a lot about the intersection of #MeToo and the internal investigations space. In particular, I think the current environment warrants an examination of certain aspects of the usual approach to sensitive internal investigations. First,…

Apr 10, 2018 7:00 AM CDT

Frame those onerous tasks in order to motivate you to act

I keep two 5-by-8-inch notebooks with me at all times: one white and one yellow. These allow my mind to rest a little more easily. If I were to lose them, I’d be in a heap of trouble. The yellow one contains all of my daily billable time entries, and…

Apr 3, 2018 8:00 AM CDT

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