Columns

Is the law making you fat? A lawyer and life coach shares her story

Law school taught me many things, but one that stands out for me is this: Chocolate cake reduces stress.

Oct 22, 2020 11:37 AM CDT

For minority law students, learning the law can be intellectually violent

It pales in comparison to the structural and physical violence that people experience outside the ivory tower, but it is also unforgiving, can feel unrelenting and often goes unnamed.

Oct 15, 2020 11:23 AM CDT

Should juries be feared or revered? Retired lawyer examines their roles

The jury system first scared me at the age of 9. How, you ask? I grew up in Montreal, the son of parents who immigrated from Belgium. My late father was a humble tailor who worked in a factory. One day, we received a letter in the mail. It had an impressive-looking logo of a crown and the scales of justice.

Oct 13, 2020 3:30 PM CDT

Thanks for nothing: When should lawyers end an email with ‘thank you’?

Writing a professional email is difficult enough. And choosing an appropriate signoff can be daunting, with so many options to choose from: “Thank you” (or just “Thanks”), “Sincerely,” “Best,” “Regards,” “Yours” or nothing at all (as in, “—Jon”). The list goes on.

Oct 12, 2020 9:00 AM CDT

‘On the Basis of Sex’ and remembering Justice Ginsburg

R.I.P., RBG. Here we are again, almost four years from the last time a U.S. Supreme Court Justice died in office. Justice Antonin Scalia passed away in February of 2016, and President Barack Obama nominated Merrick Garland for the vacant position. We all know how that turned out.

Oct 7, 2020 10:03 AM CDT

‘CSI effect’ remains a myth, retired judge says on 20th anniversary of popular forensic science show

However, Donald Shelton is quick to make clear that the perception of a “CSI effect,” plus ever-evolving technology and social media, are altering the manner in which juries hear and decide cases.

Oct 6, 2020 9:02 AM CDT

The psychological obstacles to achieving diversity in the legal profession

Last year, I wrote that the legal profession’s failure to retain women and minorities was not a “hard problem,” but rather a character flaw. My intent was not to imply malice; many partners at law firms genuinely want their diversity numbers to improve. Still, facts are facts.

Oct 1, 2020 9:14 AM CDT

Chemerinsky: The Supreme Court returns to a term like no other

No other first Monday in October, the traditional start of a new U.S. Supreme Court term, ever has been like this one. With the country still in the midst of a pandemic, oral arguments will be held by telephone as they were in May. The justices and the country are still reeling from the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Sept. 18. Looming large is the coming confirmation battle over the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett, who would add another staunch conservative to the court.

Oct 1, 2020 9:09 AM CDT

Do you use ‘good English’? Test your grammatical skills with this 20-question quiz

Let’s try a 20-question quiz. The object is to select the choice that writers, editors and book publishers have overwhelmingly used over the past several decades. We’re assessing your knack for standard written English. We’re testing your feel for plurals, possessives and subject-verb agreement. These are grammatical issues, not word-choice issues. See how you fare.

Oct 1, 2020 1:10 AM CDT

How contract review software can save your law firm time and money

This type of software is grounded in machine learning and natural language processing, and it assists lawyers in analyzing contracts for their clients more effectively and efficiently, saving tons of time and money, writes lawyer and author Nicole Black.

Sep 29, 2020 9:00 AM CDT

How to empower working moms during the coronavirus pandemic

Ari Kaplan recently spoke with Carolyn Elefant, an attorney who focuses her practice on energy and environmental matters and the author of several books, including Solo by Choice: How to Be the Lawyer You Always Wanted to Be.

Sep 25, 2020 9:58 AM CDT

What I learned from Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Last week, we lost a giant—a giant who stood just a little more than 5 feet tall and who made the world a better place for all of us. She will be remembered for many of the legal theories and opinions she espoused during her 27 years on the U.S. Supreme Court, but more than anything else, she will be remembered for the critical role she played in advancing equality for women.

Sep 24, 2020 2:04 PM CDT

ABC’s ‘Judd, for the Defense’ and discovery obligations through the years

For this installment in my column, I initially set out to write one of my “look back” pieces on a legal-centric television show focused on a prosecutor. Initially, my pick was Jake and the Fatman. If nothing else, I love the show’s title. The series was in syndication from 1987 until 1992, but I couldn’t find a full episode anywhere. It’s not streaming, and it’s not on YouTube, Dailymotion, or any of my other usual go-to video aggregators. I’ll keep looking, but until then, I had to change course a bit.

Sep 23, 2020 3:48 PM CDT

You accepted a clerkship; now what? A to-do list for before your first day

‘Tis the season. No, not for holiday shopping (thankfully), but for law clerk hiring. Prospective clerks are hearing back on offers for next year right about now, and it’s never too early to begin preparing. I often muse on my time as a law clerk and the rewards of the experience. And although articles abound regarding the benefits of a clerkship, there are few that offer advice to incoming clerks on what they should do to prepare for the experience.

Sep 23, 2020 3:29 PM CDT

6 strategies to get a perfectionistic lawyer off the ledge

In one of life’s ironies, the very things that make a great lawyer may also make a lawyer miserable. Achievement equaled value; if we did not get more than 100 on a test, we failed. This is the lawyer’s curse of perfectionism, writes James Gray Robinson.

Sep 17, 2020 9:13 AM CDT