ABA Journal

Your Voice

7 reasons why the legal profession often gets no sympathy

The legal profession is a noble one. But is that the impression the public has of lawyers? What images generally come to mind?

Let’s start with Noah’s Ark. A biblical theme park called Ark Encounter in Williamstown, Kentucky, is suing its insurers for insufficient coverage of rain-related losses. The centerpiece…



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As nation debates racism, readers respond to controversial 'MAGA' column

The ABA Journal’s July 3 Your Voice piece “Seeing Red: A professor coexists with ‘MAGA’ in the classroom” by Jeffrey Omari, has drawn a large number of comments and a lively discussion around the topics of the First Amendment and racism. Below is a sampling of reader responses to…



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How the push for inclusion in law firm hiring can carve a path for female talent

There is a fierce battle for talent underway in American law firms that could benefit women lawyers. According to Citi Private Bank, starting in 2017, law firms added more equity partners through lateral hires than from internal promotions. Citi called the phenomenon “a fundamental shift in how firms plan to…



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Humor in the courtroom: No laughing matter

While I enjoyed Marcel Strigberger’s recent Your Voice column on how the use of humor can help in law practice, I have to disagree with its central thesis.


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Seeing Red: A professor coexists with 'MAGA' in the classroom

It was just a few minutes before the start of class, and I was standing at the podium prepping my notes when, through my peripheral vision, I could see a speck of red on the student’s head as he entered the classroom. With just three weeks remaining until the end…



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What American legal education can learn from the 'Harry Potter' series

I’m sitting in my law school office daydreaming about the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and I’m working on pedagogy, not fantasy.

Published just over 20 years ago, the Harry Potter books captivated children and adults alike, with dramatic storylines, imaginative characters and even moral lessons about courage and…



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Top 10 rules to be a successful lawyer

A third-generation trial attorney, I have spent a majority of my life either working as a lawyer or hearing about it at the dinner table growing up. I was a trial attorney in North Carolina for nearly 27 years and retired in 2004 to go into consulting. I moved to…



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What I got for Father’s Day: Reflecting on parenthood, the law and justice

It’s nearly Father’s Day as I write this. I have to say, I do kind of like Father’s Day. After all, there are 20 kids, more or less, who have called me “Dad” or some variation thereof. And through them, I’ve learned a lot about the American systems of law…



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How bystanders can stand up to sexual harassment in the law office

Since the initial accusations against Harvey Weinstein in fall 2017, the media has chronicled the fall of network superstars, celebrity chefs, patrons of the arts, sports figures and corporate leaders—with sexual harassment victims sharing their stories in horrifying detail.

In their descriptions of being sexually harassed and assaulted, the survivors…



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The 6 most important qualities for an equity partner

From a sociological perspective, law firms are very different from many other businesses. On the one hand, law firms have the clear distinction between fee earners and staff (the non-fee earners). Although both categories are part of the same organization, they form two distinct separate classes: an upper class (fee earners) and a middle class (staff). These two classes do not mix well. Even a nonlawyer CEO or COO will be seen in the end as part of the middle class.


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