ABA Journal Podcast

Law prof finds ways to connect remotely amid historic election and COVID-19 restrictions

April Dawson, an associate dean and professor at the North Carolina Central University School of Law, has been finding creative ways to use technology in the classroom, even before the pandemic, and she says the experience helped her connect with students.

Nov 30, 2020 9:04 AM CST

Lawyer recounts the life and legacy of the mysterious man behind Pilates

In 1963, John Howard Steel was a 28-year-old attorney with a challenging litigation practice, an unhappy marriage and a stiff neck. At the urging of his mother, Steel decided to try physical therapy at a gym owned by an elderly German immigrant named Joseph Pilates. It was a decision that would change Steel's life.

Nov 25, 2020 3:05 PM CST

Constant communication has been key amid COVID-19, law school dean says

“We have all gone above and beyond to ensure that we are creating relationships with our students and mechanisms for ensuring they have the ability to contact us, to learn from us, to ask the questions they have,” says L. Song Richardson.

Nov 18, 2020 9:00 AM CST

Having a hard time connecting with your witness? Try these tips

You're a plaintiffs attorney with a promising tort case, but getting the narrative evidence you need from a particular witness is like squeezing blood from a stone. How can you get through to them and help ensure that your client gets the damages needed for long-term care? The real problem might be that your communication styles are fundamentally different, says author and trial consultant Katherine James.

Nov 11, 2020 9:03 AM CST

How to maximize your business development during the COVID-19 crisis

Plenty of lawyers in private practice worry about business development during the COVID-19 pandemic, but there may be more opportunities to discover new clients than they realize. And that is thanks to an increase in online events, says Karen Kaplowitz, a lawyer and business development coach.

Oct 26, 2020 8:56 AM CDT

Knowing when to tell your client no and other ethical dilemmas

One of the most important ethical obligations a lawyer has is knowing when to tell their client no. But how do you know when that moment has come, and how do you deal with it?

Oct 21, 2020 10:47 AM CDT

Firms of the future: COVID-19 prompts more law firms to pursue real estate downsizing

In recent years, a growing number of law firms reduced their brick-and-mortar office space as a way to cut costs and also better meet the changing workplace needs of their attorneys.

Oct 14, 2020 9:30 AM CDT

Voting rights attorney writes a tale of dark money chicanery in ‘The Coyotes of Carthage’

Steven Wright spent several years at the Department of Justice's Voting Section witnessing all manners of election chicanery, voter suppression and dark money campaigns. So when he turned his efforts toward fiction, he decided to write what he knew.

Oct 7, 2020 4:38 PM CDT

How is the lawyer known as ‘Popehat’ on Twitter keeping busy during the pandemic?

Lawyer Kenneth White says his wife would like him to cut back on his Twitter time, but he has not. And like many other lawyers, he’s dealing with online litigation, including virtual court appearances, hearing postponements and telephone depositions.

Sep 28, 2020 9:06 AM CDT

Constitutional scholars sound warning on SCOTUS and the separation of church and state

The separation of church and state is a concept that is often talked about, but there's hardly a national consensus on what that should look like—or whether it should exist at all. In recent years, the U.S. Supreme Court has been shifting towards an "accomodationist" interpretation, say the authors of The Religion Clauses: The Case for Separating Church and State. To Erwin Chemerinsky and Howard Gillman, this is a dangerous approach.

Sep 23, 2020 9:30 AM CDT

This Louisiana judge continues to innovate during the COVID-19 crisis

Judge Scott Schlegel’s history of utilizing technology in his Louisiana courtroom to make life easier for attorneys and members of the public has come in very handy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sep 16, 2020 8:00 AM CDT

‘Demagogue’ tells the story of Sen. Joseph McCarthy’s rise and fall

What made 1950s America vulnerable to a man like Joseph McCarthy, a junior senator from Wisconsin? In Demagogue: The Life and Long Shadow of Senator Joe McCarthy, author Larry Tye takes an in-depth look at McCarthy's life.

Sep 9, 2020 8:00 AM CDT

This law prof has been fighting off Twitter trolls during the coronavirus crisis

While Veena Dubal was adapting to working at home with three young children during the COVID-19 pandemic, the “reply guys” came after the California law professor on Twitter for her support of a 2020 state law that extends employee classification status to gig workers.

Aug 31, 2020 8:00 AM CDT

6 key numbers that can diagnose the financial health of your law practice

Do you know how many billable hours you can devote to a new case? Or whether you need to add another attorney to your firm? Can you afford to take time off from your practice, and if so, how much? If you're one of the lawyers who is kept up at night with worries about your firm's finances, you are not alone.

Aug 27, 2020 9:30 AM CDT

Bench trial by video? This lawyer says it went better than expected

Kathy Ehrhart and her firm represented two of three defendants in a civil case focused on alleged breach of contract over a real estate transaction. The video proceedings had some tech challenges, but the overall experience was better than she expected.

Aug 19, 2020 8:00 AM CDT