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556 ABA Journal Columns articles.

Chemerinsky: Predicting the Supreme Court in 2021 may be dangerous and futile

At the end of 2019, law dean Erwin Chemerinsky attempted to look ahead to what to expect in the U.S. Supreme Court in 2020. He’s sure 2021 will be no different in its unpredictability. Here are some things to look for at the high court in the year ahead.

Dec 28, 2020 10:04 AM CST

10 New Year’s resolutions lawyers can make for resilience in 2021

Now is the time when people usually think about changes they can make to improve their lives—otherwise known as New Year’s resolutions. You can choose one or all of these 10 resolutions; it depends on how much you want to change your life.

Dec 28, 2020 9:02 AM CST

Lawyer and author shares her holiday wishes for women lawyers

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are more than 400,000 women lawyers in America today, and women comprise more than 36% of practicing lawyers. Women are working at all levels of practice and in every specialty area. They are smart, competent, thorough, dedicated and much more. But that does not mean it is easy for any of them.

Dec 23, 2020 11:17 AM CST

Polish your writing skills with Bryan Garner’s 2020 advice

As the editor-in-chief of Black’s Law Dictionary, Bryan A. Garner sees a lot of legal writing, both good and bad. Here is a collection of his columns from 2020. There’s a formula for effectively explaining caselaw “Legal writers are constantly called on to explain things. Among the most difficult and…

Dec 23, 2020 10:14 AM CST

Chemerinsky: Looking back at the Supreme Court in 2020

Everyone, I am sure, will be glad to bid farewell to 2020 and looks forward to better things in 2021. As the year draws to a close, the COVID-19 pandemic is surging with a catastrophic loss of lives and serious illnesses, but there is the hope of vaccines soon becoming widely available. What were the most important stories about the U.S. Supreme Court during this plague year?

Dec 22, 2020 3:09 PM CST

Top 5 legal technology stories of 2020

No matter how you look at it, 2020 has been a year to remember. It began with the Australian bushfires (remember those?). Then over the span of just a few months, Kobe Bryant died in a fiery helicopter crash, President Donald Trump was acquitted of impeachment charges, and Harvey Weinstein…

Dec 21, 2020 3:11 PM CST

CEO roundtable with Ari Kaplan: Lessons learned, silver linings and the road ahead

One of the initiatives that Ari Kaplan Advisors launched in 2020 was a periodic Zoom-based CEO roundtable to discuss trends, challenges and objectives with market leaders.

Dec 21, 2020 10:30 AM CST

Do you know what makes your judge tick?

“A good lawyer knows the law; a great lawyer knows the judge.” I guess this is a good a time as any to discuss judicial bias.

Dec 17, 2020 1:52 PM CST

How late-career litigators can reinvent themselves as law firm mentors

“Do you have a minute?” In my job, the answer to that question has to be “yes”—almost always. No one arrives in your office with a pained look on their face, unless it involves something that needs to get done now. Maybe it doesn’t rise to the level of a practice crisis or emotional emergency, but the lawyer across from you wants to complete this task right away.

Dec 14, 2020 10:04 AM CST

TV-star-turned-lawyer offers 10 acting tips for trial lawyers

“Son, if you want to be a trial lawyer, you never give up acting.” Those were the words of advice given to me by legendary Alabama trial lawyer Frank Burge when I successfully interviewed for my first job right out of law school.

Dec 10, 2020 3:23 PM CST

Does CBS series ‘All Rise’ realistically portray the pandemic-plagued legal system?

“Every time I walk into a crowded area with a large number of masked individuals, I have to remind myself this isn’t some Orwellian dimension; this is reality,” writes Oklahoma lawyer Adam Banner.

Dec 10, 2020 9:30 AM CST

Kids in divorce court: Understanding the impact and how legal professionals can help

Aside from doing everything in their power to keep kids out of the courtroom, we can hear teenage voices and work toward giving them some of what they want without giving them everything they want.

Dec 3, 2020 1:24 PM CST

Chemerinsky: COVID-19 ruling reveals much about the new Supreme Court

We are accustomed to major U.S. Supreme Court decisions in late June as the term winds to a conclusion; rarely, however, is there a blockbuster ruling a few minutes before midnight the night before Thanksgiving. But the court’s ruling Nov. 25 in Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, New York v. Cuomo is quite important and tells us a great deal about the new court.

Dec 3, 2020 9:14 AM CST

There’s a formula for effectively explaining caselaw

Legal writers are constantly called on to explain things. Among the most difficult and predictably recurrent types of explanation is why a legal precedent bears on a point to be decided. Although every lawyer must be prepared to do this, it’s surprisingly tricky.

Dec 1, 2020 12:50 AM CST

Can being forced to listen to ‘Baby Shark’ be considered cruel and unusual punishment?

I can’t pinpoint exactly what makes the song so intolerable after repeated listens. All I know is I’m not alone. Other adults have realized “Baby Shark” can be weaponized, and they are using it to their advantage.

Nov 24, 2020 9:05 AM CST

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