ABA Journal

Chemerinsky: Voting rights cases before SCOTUS could have profound effects on future elections

On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in important cases concerning the meaning of the Voting Rights Act of 1965: Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee and Arizona Republican Party v. Democratic National Committee. The cases involve Section 2 of the act, which prohibits voting practices or procedures that discriminate on the basis of race, color or language.

Feb 25, 2021 1:03 PM CST

Does A&E’s ‘Court Cam’ accurately reflect American courtrooms?

I like to start the new year by cleaning out my life, more or less. It’s kind of a ritual for me. I take time to send out file destruction letters to clients whose cases were closed out more than five years ago and permanently delete client communications from my email inbox that are just as old (five years is the rule in Oklahoma). Generally, I try to give myself a bit of a fresh start.

Feb 24, 2021 2:47 PM CST

Public defender with Patreon for FOIA lawsuits shares her thoughts on lawyers and social media

Lawyer Beth Bourdon is willing to go places where other attorneys may be hesitant, including this summer when she joined Parler—to see how long she could post potentially offensive materials without getting kicked off the conservative social media site.

Feb 22, 2021 8:33 AM CST

Police reform and homeland security: Some policy recommendations to close the racial justice gap

Last summer, in response to the killing of George Floyd and other victims of police brutality and amid a public health crisis and economic collapse, Americans saw an overdue reckoning with racial injustice. Around the country, large swaths of peaceful multigenerational, multiracial demonstrators marched to demand social justice and racial equity.

Feb 18, 2021 9:08 AM CST

What can Texas tell us about the rise and fall of the death penalty?

In Let The Lord Sort Them: The Rise and Fall of the Death Penalty, Maurice Chammah shares how Texas became the country’s capital punishment capital.

Feb 17, 2021 9:34 AM CST

Top tips for lawyers to boost their online reputations

In today’s online-centric world, lawyers often get just one click and one page of search engine results to make their cases to prospective clients. It’s the first and maybe only opportunity to showcase their credibility to clients in an increasingly competitive market.

Feb 16, 2021 10:55 AM CST

HBO Max’s ‘Perry Mason’ and the benefits of practicing law as a second career

“What thoroughly impresses me ... are those who leave another professional endeavor to pursue the practice of law,” says Adam Banner. “Some people choose the law to change directions. Others choose the law to get further down the path they’re already on.”

Feb 11, 2021 9:16 AM CST

How to know when it’s time to send a client packing

Unlike other relationships, a lawyer-client obligation can spawn without the lawyer even consenting to it, writes Marcel Strigberger.

Feb 10, 2021 1:42 PM CST

Virtual onboarding has provided some unexpected benefits, firm shareholder says

John Van Amsterdam, a shareholder at Wolf, Greenfield & Sacks, says events hosted via video conferencing platforms because of COVID-19 have provided a surprisingly effective avenue for building personal connections at the firm.

Feb 10, 2021 12:22 PM CST

5 ways to be shameless in 2021

Negative self-judgment is a career killer. When we believe that we are fundamentally flawed, it is like swimming upstream 24 hours per day, seven days per week. We aren’t born that way, but we learn that we are unworthy from an early age. The problem for lawyers arises when our careers do not go as planned.

Feb 4, 2021 9:21 AM CST

Why do barristers wear wigs? ‘Dress Codes’ explores fashion and the law

Ask any attorney about the most outlandish clothing they've seen worn in a courtroom, and most will have a colorful story. But what determines the appropriateness of any outfit?

Feb 3, 2021 9:09 AM CST

Elizabeth Greene aims to prevent heart disease and stroke in central Massachusetts

Elizabeth Greene had been practicing with Mirick, O’Connell, DeMallie & Lougee in Worcester, Massachusetts, for two years in 1997 when she heard about a new opportunity. She received an email from a partner who volunteered with the American Heart Association but was moving on to other projects. He told her the organization wanted to rekindle its presence in central Massachusetts and needed someone’s help.

Feb 2, 2021 9:56 AM CST

Chemerinsky: SCOTUS hands down a rare civil rights victory on qualified immunity

Per curiam decisions handed down without briefing and oral argument generally do not get much attention, so it is understandable that the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling about qualified immunity in Taylor v. Riojas might have been overlooked, even by civil rights lawyers.

Feb 1, 2021 9:11 AM CST

Reimagining Policing: Organizations and activists help drive law enforcement change

A new administration means a new approach to justice issues in America, but it remains to be seen what actions will be taken amid clamors for reform. There have been months of protests over police brutality and continued killings of Black people at the hands of law enforcement. And while President Joe Biden conducts triage, activists are seeking substantive change.

Feb 1, 2021 2:10 AM CST

How to release self-destructive thoughts and cultivate optimism

During this period of COVID-19, when so many of our norms have been disrupted and the future is uncertain, it is an understatement to say there is a lot to feel anxious about.

Feb 1, 2021 1:50 AM CST