ABA Journal

Podcasts

Year in Review: The Modern Law Library

Our favorite pop culture picks in 2024

It's the time of year when The Modern Law Library likes to look back on the media that we've enjoyed: our annual pop culture picks episode.

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The Modern Law Library

‘Devil in the Grove’ Author Discusses Early Thurgood Marshall Civil Rights Case

ABA Journal Podcast

Jerks at Work: How to Deal with Difficult Colleagues

If you work with bullies, backstabbers and queen (or king) bees, work can make you crazy.  But it doesn’t have to, and employees might find the best solutions by first looking at themselves, say employment experts.  Hear them share their thoughts with ABA Journal podcast moderator Stephanie Francis Ward.

Related article:

ABA Journal: “No Jerks: Some Firms Argue that Collegiality Pays”

Law Scribbler Podcast

Law Deans and a Law Professor Respond to the ‘Law School Bubble’

We received nearly 200 emails and online comments on “The Law School Bubble” cover story in January. The second installment of the Paradigm Shift series, it showed how traditional U.S. legal education paradigms, driven by federal loan underwriting, are not responding to the market forces as law schools continue to add students and raise tuition rates in a mature legal services industry.

Hear ABA Journal business of law reporter Rachel M. Zahorsky host follow-up discussions with law school deans and professors to explore the merits and critiques of federal loan programs, examine the root causes of the deep debt students face and propose potential solutions to combat future tuition hikes.

ABA Journal Podcast

How to Craft a Resume That Recruiters Will Love

Never include your head shot or hobbies in a resume, but do mention your GPA, providing it’s a good one. What else should you include?  Hear veteran legal recruiters discuss their likes and dislikes with ABA Journal podcast moderator Stephanie Francis Ward in this month’s podcast.

ABA Journal Podcast

Show Me the Money: Helping Clients Find and Protect Assets in a Divorce

A client can try to preserve his or her assets during a divorce, but if the judge sees actions more along the lines of hiding money, the court will likely take more. Matrimonial lawyers Ira Friedman and Randall M. Kessler discuss this and other battle stories with ABA Journal Podcast moderator Stephanie Francis Ward.

ABA Journal Podcast

Hanging a Shingle: How to Start Your Own Law Practice

Many lawyers dream of opening their own law firm, but sometimes the golden handcuffs are cinched too tight to make it a reality. Some lawyers who actually did it discuss the challenges, and rewards, with ABA Journal podcast moderator Stephanie Francis Ward.

ABA Journal Podcast

Santa or Scrooge: How Do BigLaw Firms Determine Associate Bonuses?

Cravath, Swain & Moore on Dec. 28 announced 2011 associate bonuses, and a handful of New York-based law firms matched them within a few days.  ABA Journal podcast moderator Stephanie Francis Ward and Bruce MacEwen of Adam Smith, Esq., discuss how Wall Street law firms—and those that would like to be seen as Wall Street law firms—decided on the numbers.

ABA Journal Podcast

McElhaney Reveals the Real-Life Influences Behind Character of ‘Angus’

Jim McElhaney’s 25-year run as Litigation columnist for the ABA Journal will come to a close next fall. During those years, McElhaney’s straightforward advice on trial practice became one of the most popular features in the magazine. In this podcast, ABA Journal editor James Podgers talks with McElhaney about his popular column, and how he developed the character of Angus, the voice of wisdom and common sense on all aspects of trial work. Read a reprint of Angus’ first appearance in this month’s magazine.

ABA Journal Podcast

Sealing the Deal: How to Negotiate Fee Agreements

You’ve identified a target client, made a good connection, and they say they want to hire you. But no fee agreement has been signed yet. ABA Journal Podcast moderator Stephanie Francis Ward talks to lawyers from a variety of practice areas about ways to ethically seal the deal.

ABA Journal Podcast

SCOTUSblog Founder on How to Start Your Own Appellate Practice

Have you ever dreamed of opening your own appellate practice? The 2011 U.S. Supreme Court term opened Oct. 3, and along with the government lawyers and big firm attorneys, many solo and small firm practitioners will be entering the doors at 1 First St. ABA Journal Podcast moderator Stephanie Francis Ward talks with two lawyers about how and why they built their own appellate practices.

ABA Journal Podcast

How Can Attorneys Use Google+ to Generate Business?

Just when you mastered Twitter and Facebook, Google+ joins the mix. ABA Journal Podcast moderator Stephanie Francis Ward talks with lawyers and a social media expert about the marketing opportunities the new site offers, and the tradeoffs for privacy concerns.

ABA Journal Podcast

Obama’s Book Agent On How Lawyers Can Get Published

Great books often come from incredible experiences, and many lawyers have more than a few.  But don’t get your hopes up, says noted lawyer and literary representative Robert Barnett.  With those experiences must come great storytelling skills, and a determination to shape the idea into a manuscript.  In a podcast moderated by Stephanie Francis Ward, he discusses options for literary-dreaming lawyers with Jonathan Karp, the executive vice president and publisher of Simon & Schuster, and Hillel Italie, who covers publishing for the Associated Press.

ABA Journal Podcast

Shy Lawyer’s Guide to Becoming a Rainmaker

Some people are talented lawyers, but find hiding out in a hotel room more appealing than attending a convention cocktail party, especially if they don’t know anyone there.

If you’re in private practice—or want to be—such fears need to be conquered. ABA Journal Podcast moderator Stephanie Francis Ward talks with guests about how lawyers can overcome their business development anxieties, and discover that they’re much better at networking than they think.

ABA Journal Podcast

Landing a Dream Job in a Down Market

Because the job market is bad to begin with, some young lawyers are tossing aside the notion of playing it safe and pursuing dream attorney jobs.

Career counselors caution recent graduates to keep their options open, but some who recently sought and obtained jobs that drew their interests say they have no regrets.

ABA Journal Podcast moderator Stephanie Francis Ward speaks with two recent grads and a career counselor.

ABA Journal Podcast

Big Sky Country to the Heartland: Teachers Get Kids to Care About Civics Despite Political Taboos

You can probably name all nine U.S. Supreme Court justices. But most people can’t even name one. How can we change this for the younger generation?

ABA Podcast moderator Stephanie Francis Ward spoke with educators and experts about why civics ed matters in a constitutional democracy and how some young folks are already putting their lessons into action.

For more on this subject, check out the Journal’s May cover package, “Flunking Civics: Why America’s Kids Know So Little.”

You can probably name all 9 Supreme Court justices. But most people can’t even name one. How can we change this for the younger generation?

ABA Podcast moderator Stephanie Francis Ward spoke with educators and experts about why civics ed matters in a constitutional democracy and how some young folks are already putting their lessons into action.

For more on this subject, read the Journal’s May cover package, “Flunking Civics: Why America’s Kids Know So Little.”

ABA Journal Podcast

Can My Client Say That? Guests Discuss Lawyer Ethics and Testimonials on Rating Sites

Some state attorney discipline agencies are heavily regulating how lawyers use rating sites for business development. But how do those rules jive with the less-stringent Communications Decency Act of 1996, which says users of such sites aren’t liable for content posted by others?

ABA Journal podcast moderator Stephanie Francis Ward talks with guests to discuss, among other ethics issues, whether lawyers can/should face discipline for client-written “testimonials.”

ABA Journal Podcast

Are Employers Prepared to Enforce Wellness Programs If Employees Start to Slack Off?

Smoking and obesity cost employers a significant amount of money, say some lawyers; so much that many businesses have embraced wellness plans.

The offerings strongly encourage employees to participate in fitness and track their routines with outside vendors in exchange for health insurance discounts and sometimes even cash bonuses.

ABA Journal Podcast moderator Stephanie Francis Ward talks with guests about how employers are using the plans, what seems to be working, and whether employers are prepared to enforce policies if their workers start to slack off.

ABA Journal Podcast

These Lawyers Still Love Law Practice. Find Out Why (Podcast)

Many lawyers are unhappy with their chosen profession, and the economy certainly isn’t helping.  But despite the struggles many are having with law practice and a fast-changing legal industry, there are still more than a few attorneys who love what they do, and always have.

ABA Journal Podcast moderator Stephanie Francis Ward talked to some of them, and found out why. 

Also, don’t miss the related story from the February issue, “Why I Love Being a Lawyer (Seriously).”

Background music to the podcast is “Happiness” by Built to Spill, off their album Ancient Melodies of the Future.

ABA Journal Podcast

Are Scambloggers Right About Law School? (Podcast)

Peruse the Internet these days and you can’t help coming across web sites from disgruntled law students and new lawyers. From sites like First Tier Toilet and Third Tier Reality, bloggers are complaining angrily about the weak job market. Some go so far as to call law school a scam. At the same time members of the legal community—from the American Bar Association to law school deans to current students—are investigating the issues and working to make some changes.

Also read the related story from the February issue, “Law School? Bag It, Bloggers Say.”

Outsourcing

What Today’s Outsourcing Boom Means for Legal Practice (Podcast)

When Thomson Reuters announced its acquisition of one of India’s largest legal outsourcing firm late last year, we wanted to know: Is the legal information giant entering into direct competition with its law firm clients? Are general counsel eager to bypass traditional firms in favor of less expensive ancillary legal service providers for routine work?  

ABA Journal Podcast moderator Stephanie Francis Ward asks our guests what an outsourcing boom, both overseas and in the U.S., means for today’s large and small legal practices and the future of the profession.

Business of law reporter Rachel Zahorsky @LawScribbler tweeted their conversation live using the Twitter hashtag #ABAJchat.

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