Full-Court Press: Two South Carolina lawyers focus the spotlight on Alex Murdaugh–and themselves

Over the past few years, many TV shows, YouTube videos and podcasts saw significant audience interest from anything Alex Murdaugh-related. Ronald Richter and Eric Bland, two South Carolina lawyers who in 2021 sued Murdaugh on the Satterfields’ behalf, have been happy to share their opinions about him.

Feb 1, 2025 2:30 AM CST

Judges Without JDs: In the United States, judges are not always required to be lawyers

More than half of states allow nonlawyers to serve as judges in lower-level local courts. Nonlawyers can be justices of the peace, magistrates, municipal judges or probate judges. The types of cases over which they preside can include eviction, probate and civil disputes with limits on the financial stake.

Feb 1, 2025 2:20 AM CST

2025 Legal Rebels: Rebels Without a Pause

For the 2025 class of Legal Rebels, we have chosen to honor seven individuals and one state licensing board. These rebels were not content with waiting for change to come to them. They were already hard at work trying to improve important aspects of the legal industry well before anyone knew what ChatGPT and generative artificial intelligence were.

Feb 1, 2025 12:00 AM CST

25 Books for Lawyers: Attorneys share reads they found inspiring, insightful and useful in the practice of law

The ABA Journal asked attorneys to share reads they found inspiring, insightful and useful in the practice of law. Here are 25 of their suggestions.

Dec 1, 2024 3:00 AM CST

Show, Don’t Sell: Luxury brands use experiential marketing to attract customers—and so can law firms, experts say

But experiential marketing isn’t exclusive to high rollers. It’s been used by brands behind products ranging from sneakers to chocolate-hazelnut spread to foster excitement and ultimately investment.

Dec 1, 2024 2:50 AM CST

5 tips to make the most of an experiential marketing initiative

Dec 1, 2024 2:45 AM CST

Moms in Law: Millennials demand work-life balance more than their predecessors, but challenges persist

Millennials tend to emphasize a healthy work-life balance when choosing employers. That includes lawyers with young children. According to a 2023 ABA study, 61% of the mothers surveyed said they experienced demeaning comments about being a working parent, compared with 26% of fathers. But a growing number of young lawyers are pushing back.

Dec 1, 2024 12:00 AM CST

Finding a Pathway: Assisting Native American and Indigenous law students requires confronting the challenges they face

Aspiring Native American lawyers face a host of unique challenges in their journeys to, through and beyond law school, even as law schools and legal associations offer support throughout the pipeline all the way to their first job. Research about Native and Indigenous law students and lawyers uses a variety of criteria, making it hard to compare facts and figures. But all point to the same fact: Native and Indigenous people are underrepresented in the legal profession, starting in law school.

Oct 1, 2024 3:40 AM CDT

Formidable Foe: Roberta Kaplan doesn't back down from tough fights

Lawyers who know Roberta Kaplan say they weren’t surprised when she agreed to represent writer E. Jean Carroll in her litigation against former President Donald Trump, even though it meant being the subject of intense media scrutiny. Kaplan, her friends say, isn’t the type of person to be intimidated.

Oct 1, 2024 3:30 AM CDT

No Small Matter: Even a wrongful misdemeanor conviction can change someone's life forever

An unfortunate case of mistaken identity has had years of repercussions for one man and inspired a group of law students to try to correct what they see as a miscarriage of justice. It was a long shot. Innocence clinics usually don’t work with clients convicted of minor offenses.

Oct 1, 2024 12:00 AM CDT

The Jury Is Out: Why do legal dramas often ignore this vital part of the justice system?

It’s no surprise that when it comes to how juries and jurors are portrayed in pop culture, the narrative of the juror with an agenda is one of the dominant tropes out there.

Aug 1, 2024 3:30 AM CDT

Defenseless: Lack of public defenders creates a crisis for indigent clients and increased caseloads for lawyers

Many states are facing a crisis in public defense because of low pay, excessive caseloads, frequent burnout and a “great resignation” of qualified attorneys that began during the pandemic and shows no signs of ebbing.

Aug 1, 2024 3:00 AM CDT

We the Immigration Lawyers: 9 attorneys share what drives them

Immigrants coming to the U.S. can face legal uncertainties, difficult living conditions and the pain of family separations. Yet a hope that opportunities will outweigh the travails is strong with many new arrivals. That’s something lawyers who help immigrants understand well.

Aug 1, 2024 12:00 AM CDT

Judging the Judges: State judicial oversight often lacks consistency and transparency

While legal ethics experts say state judicial oversight tends to be more aggressive than in the federal system, there’s still a wide difference in execution between jurisdictions. In addition, critics say some states need to make their judicial oversight processes and judicial disclosure reports more transparent.

Jun 1, 2024 4:00 AM CDT

Lockdown Lessons: What lawyers learned during the pandemic

Whether it was adopting technology, changing workflows, transitioning to virtual/hybrid work or taking more time for mental health, the pandemic forced a legal industry long known for being staid and risk-averse into being open to change.

Jun 1, 2024 3:30 AM CDT