ABA Journal

Latest Features

50 startup tips to get your practice off the ground

For many, being your own boss is the ultimate dream. But the idea of hanging up your own shingle can be scary and confusing, while others might not know where to start. The ABA Journal asked lawyers, legal professionals, marketers, consultants and other experts what to keep in mind when starting your own practice.



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Amy Breihan has dedicated her career to helping juvenile lifers seek parole

It’s been nearly nine years since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Miller v. Alabama that mandatory life without parole for juveniles violates the Eighth Amendment. It’s been five years since it held in Montgomery v. Louisiana that its 2012 decision was retroactive. In that time, Amy Breihan has helped seek second chances for prisoners in Missouri who were younger than age 18 when they were sentenced to life behind bars.



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Compared with 2016, there are now half as many for-profit law schools

In 2010, there were six for-profit law schools; as of March 2021, however, only three with that tax status remain—and two of the three hope to eventually convert to nonprofit status.



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How quickly can Biden deliver on policing reform?

President Joe Biden promised criminal justice reforms but has had to balance competing interests between progressives and moderates as he finalizes his Cabinet.



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As madness moves through March, SCOTUS considers NCAA case over athlete compensation

Just days before the March Madness tournament crowns a champion, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in a high-stakes battle between the National Collegiate Athletic Association and a legal class of student-athletes from the top revenue-producing sports of football and men’s and women’s basketball.



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AI certification initiatives could prove very useful to legal industry, experts say

Artificial intelligence is supposed to be a countervailing force against human errors and biases. However, AI-enhanced tools are only as good as the data they rely on.



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Required USC course on race is expected to help law students with various viewpoints

Stephen M. Rich was asked in January to teach the first required course on race, racism and the law at University of Southern California’s Gould School of Law, and he happily accepted the task. He recognizes, though, that the student makeup of the course may be different than it would be for an elective course on the same topic.



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Law student using American Sign Language wins 4th Circuit appeal



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Pandemic worsens already-growing debt problem with many legal remedies on hold

While many Americans remain jobless, some companies have increased their collection efforts on old debt as they grapple with less revenue amid the sluggish economy. But with government offices and courts closed, it’s hard for attorneys to move cases along.



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Holistic crisis management: Lawyers step in to solve problems, large and small

Throughout Laurence Kahn’s career as a lawyer who prosecuted consumer fraud and resolved countless disputes, he always believed a big part of his job was helping people with their problems. In 2004, that attitude sparked a thought one night as Kahn lay in bed.



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