ABA Journal Podcast

Experienced cloud-based law firm thrives during COVID-19, co-founder says

“You make a lot more money when you come work for us than you do at a traditional firm,” says Kevin E. Broyles, a co-founder and managing partner of FisherBroyles.

Mar 17, 2021 8:57 AM CDT

Interested in infectious disease litigation? Before you accept a case, read this

When Davis M. Walsh and Samuel L. Tarry began assembling Infectious Disease Litigation: Science, Law, and Procedure, they had no idea a pandemic was soon going to make the topic more relevant than ever.

Mar 10, 2021 12:10 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

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

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

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

How your firm can use technology to build business and keep clients

As a longtime technology consultant to law firms, Heinan Landa knows that lawyers are cautious customers who can be resistant to change. But the old expectations around client service no longer exist, he says, and meeting the new standards requires a shift in the way law firms do business.

Jan 27, 2021 9:14 AM CST

Law prof focuses on positives from the COVID-19 pandemic

A Colorado law professor recently discussed how he incorporates mindfulness in his life and finding “pandemic positives” with ABA Journal Senior Writer Stephanie Francis Ward.

Jan 25, 2021 9:08 AM CST

‘White Fright’ author discusses historical lynch mobs and the attack on the Capitol

Historian Jane Dailey discusses her new book, White Fright: The Sexual Panic at the Heart of America’s Racist History, and what America’s history with lynch mobs can teach us about the attack on the Capitol.

Jan 13, 2021 12:37 PM CST

Law firms should not rush lateral hiring, due diligence expert says

With the shift to virtual recruitment amid the COVID-19 crisis, the speed at which law firms vet and hire lateral partners has increased, according to Michael Ellenhorn, the founder and CEO of Decipher. But Ellenhorn, whose company helps legal industry clients evaluate potential hires, says law firms would be wise not to quicken the hiring process too much.

Jan 13, 2021 9:00 AM CST

What it’s like to argue before the Supreme Court during COVID-19

Jeffrey L. Fisher has argued more than 40 U.S. Supreme Court cases, and he relies heavily on the justices’ body language during arguments. But that wasn’t possible for his last three, which were conducted by phone because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dec 28, 2020 9:00 AM CST

Check out our favorite reads from 2020

As a tumultuous year draws to a close, we gathered together ABA Journal editors and reporters to discuss what the past year has been like for them as readers. With the stress of the pandemic and national elections, how had their reading habits changed?

Dec 23, 2020 9:00 AM CST

Listen to our 10 favorite podcast episodes of 2020

Looking for a new listen? We’ve picked our favorite 2020 episodes from each of the ABA Journal’s three podcasts. And if this whets your appetite, find more than 10 years of past episodes on our podcast page.

Dec 22, 2020 4:20 PM CST

Deloitte is monitoring regulatory reforms but is focused on growing new practice

As states such as Utah and Arizona have approved opening up their legal marketplaces to alternative business structures in recent months, there has been speculation that the Big Four accounting firms would be among those seeking to take advantage.

Dec 16, 2020 9:00 AM CST

Former corporate lawyer draws inspiration from her family for her tireless clemency work

Brittany K. Barnett was a perfect fit for corporate law. As a certified public accountant who comes from a family with an entrepreneurial spirit, it made sense to fulfill her childhood dream and become a lawyer. But the same east Texas upbringing that gave her the ambition to succeed as a corporate attorney also wound up pulling her toward what her mother calls her "heart work": clemency and sentencing reform.

Dec 9, 2020 10:40 AM CST