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545 ABA Journal Columns articles.

We should focus on—and invest in—AI that serves people without lawyers

We’ve all seen the headlines about AI-boosted lawyers run amok. Since ChatGPT landed, phantom cases have cropped up in court filings around the country. Judges have responded, meting out sanctions, excoriating counsel, and—more recently—even issuing a flurry of new orders and rules that regulate how litigants can use new AI-based technologies.

Nov 21, 2024 2:17 PM CST

Court reporting and the evolution of legal support

Ari Kaplan recently spoke with Greg Hong, the co-founder and CEO of Steno, a tech-enabled provider of legal support and court reporting services.

Nov 15, 2024 9:40 AM CST

The power of female mentorship

As we reflect on our journeys through the legal profession, one theme emerges: the power of mentorship, particularly female mentorship. The power of female mentorship cannot be overstated.

Nov 14, 2024 10:03 AM CST

‘Jailbreak: Love on the Run’ misses chance to examine staff sexual misconduct at detention centers

Many states including Oklahoma, where I practice, have laws that create strict liability crimes when a person in power engages in a sexual relationship with someone subject to that authority. The underlying theory is someone cannot legally consent in those situations because of the power imbalance.

Nov 7, 2024 2:31 PM CST

Can lawyers hold doctors accountable for wasting our time?

I’m mad as hell, and I’m not waiting any longer! Those were the sentiments expressed by a lawyer colleague of mine, Franklin, after his doctor kept him waiting for over two hours. “I should send him a bill for my wasted time,” he said. I’m sure many of us have…

Nov 7, 2024 12:12 PM CST

Chemerinsky: Elections matter, from composition of federal bench to our highest court

In what might be one of the of the most consequential presidential campaigns in our lifetime, and maybe American history, remarkably little attention has been paid to judicial appointments. But the longest legacy of any presidency is the picks for the Supreme Court and the lower federal courts. History shows how much presidential elections matter.

Oct 31, 2024 8:52 AM CDT

Things worth knowing about our lawyers and leaders

It is the final question I pose, when interviewing lawyers to write their bios, as a small part of my legal marketing, PR and communications practice. I will already have digested their standard fare: what they do, what they want to do more of, why what they do really matters and to whom.

Oct 30, 2024 2:40 PM CDT

Generative AI brings new insights to litigation analytics tools

Updated: With the emergence of generative artificial intelligence, many traditional software categories have been reinvented. Legal software has not been immune from this impactful change. Over the past few years, AI has been increasingly embedded into tools that support legal workflows, and the result has been improved functionality that increases the overall intuitiveness and value of legal software.

Oct 28, 2024 9:03 AM CDT

‘The Calculator Mistake’: Denial, hostility won’t help lawyers deal with emergence of AI

My high school trigonometry teacher was, by his own admission, “old school.” He didn’t allow us to use calculators. Ever. Instead, all decimals had to be divided by hand, all formulas known by memory, and all square roots worked out on paper. We were unlikely to walk around with calculators when we got older, he explained, and so we had to be able to work things out with only a pencil and our brain.

Oct 23, 2024 2:00 PM CDT

Artificial intelligence in the legal field ‘will lead to an exciting evolution in the ecosystem,’ Airia CEO says

Ari Kaplan recently spoke with John Marshall, the CEO, and Dan Quintas, the head of legal solutions at Airia, a generative artificial intelligence platform for law firms and other organizations.

Oct 18, 2024 9:05 AM CDT

The Power of Pro Bono: A fair hearing, respect and justice for all

Irene walked into the office of a young lawyer in a small town in Mississippi more than 40 years ago with an eviction notice and a two-page lease. Events that would follow turned the lawyer into a legal aid attorney and a believer in the power of pro bono legal work.

Oct 16, 2024 10:28 AM CDT

The Career Evolution: Making strategic moves within the law

The legal job market is robust. And within all those professional journeys there are two types of searchers: those lawyers seeking a job change and those seeking a career change. If you’re in the market, it’s important not to conflate these two paths.

Oct 10, 2024 10:25 AM CDT

Law professor Jonathan Turley discusses free speech at ABA Crossroads Caucus event

In a scoop any journalist would envy, the ABA Crossroads Caucus welcomed professor Jonathan Turley to the first-ever public event to discuss his new book, The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage, just ahead of its planned release by Simon & Schuster. The program, held Aug. 3 at the ABA Annual Meeting, drew a broad audience, including then-ABA President Mary Smith, past ABA President Deborah Enix-Ross, numerous members of the ABA Board of Governors and at least one retired judge.

Oct 9, 2024 10:23 AM CDT

Female lawyer lead in ‘Matlock’ on CBS shows the power of appearing powerless

When I first came across the new Matlock offering staring Kathy Bates, I figured it would either be a reboot or a continuation of the original series, which starred Andy Griffith and ran from 1986 to 1995. However, the production team answered that question within the first few minutes of the pilot: 2024’s Matlock is kin to its predecessor only in name and genre. The meta explanation given for the series’ title is the first of many surprises in store for the audience.

Oct 9, 2024 8:44 AM CDT

Friend’s compassion—even in death—inspired my own ‘David’s Will’

Sometimes in life we are fortunate to meet someone who dedicates everything to a higher calling. For me, this person was David Breaux. While he had few financial resources, David was, by every measure that counts, a rich man.

Oct 2, 2024 2:11 PM CDT

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