Features

After Obergefell: How the Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage has affected other areas of law

The word patchwork may be the best way to describe the layers of laws that governed the relationships of same-sex couples before June 26, 2015, the day the U.S. Supreme Court recognized a constitutional right to marriage for gay couples in Obergefell v. Hodges (PDF).

Jun 1, 2016 4:00 AM CDT

A new dawn for Cuba as it opens for business

The 90-mile corridor between Key West and the north coast of Cuba is far wider, deeper and considerably more dangerous when you factor in everything that's happened between the two countries during the last 57 years. Former ABA President Stephen Zack (with a flag from pre-revolutionary Cuba in his office)…

Jun 1, 2016 12:10 AM CDT

Secret Snitches: California case uncovers long-standing practice of planting jailhouse informants

Angry about a child custody dispute, Scott Dekraai armed himself with three handguns, drove to the beauty salon in Seal Beach, California, where his ex-wife worked and opened fire. The two-minute rampage in October 2011 left eight people dead and one injured, making it the worst mass shooting in Orange…

May 1, 2016 4:10 AM CDT

Two reluctant entrepreneurs tackle challenge of copyright duration

Elizabeth Townsend Gard was researching British literature when it became clear that she would have to learn something about copyrights. It was 1994, and Gard was trying to start her dissertation on the author Vera Brittain, who is best known for her work set during World War I. She didn't…

May 1, 2016 4:00 AM CDT

Did litigation kill the Beatles?

As the most successful band in history, the Beatles generated not only a record number of music hits but probably more legal disputes than any other music group before or since. As the first international rock band brand in a still nascent music business – and guided by a neophyte…

May 1, 2016 12:10 AM CDT

Some law firms look outside law practice to avoid their ‘Kodak moment’

During the course of reporting this story, the name Kodak kept coming up as a symbol of where the legal industry could be headed if it continues to resist technology. A survey released in January by Georgetown University's Center for the Study of the Legal Profession and Thomson Reuters' Peer…

Apr 1, 2016 4:50 AM CDT

Court systems rethink the use of financial bail, which some say penalizes the poor

Shannan Wise of Baltimore had never been arrested before. A single mother of two, she was busy juggling her family, her job as a driver for a private van service, seasonal work at Target and going to school to become a medical biller.

Apr 1, 2016 4:40 AM CDT

How artificial intelligence is transforming the legal profession

The future of the legal profession began 20 years ago. The technology boom was just beginning with the emergence of email and personal computers. Jay Leib was working for Record Technologies Inc. as director of software sales and training in 1999, and the company was scanning documents into databases for…

Apr 1, 2016 12:10 AM CDT

Personal injury lawyers turn to neuroscience to back claims of chronic pain

Personal injury lawyers see neuroscience as a way to document their clients’ pain if and when it might be contested. The problem, many scientists say, is that the research, while showing much promise, is still in its nascent stage. Read this ABA Journal feature recently honored by the American Society of Business Publication Editors.

Mar 1, 2016 4:30 AM CST

Justice moves slowly for those who need interpreters

Even where states require interpreters, actually obtaining them can be problematic. Many states simply don’t have people on staff who can interpret in less-common languages. Read this ABA Journal feature recently honored by the American Society of Business Publication Editors for its government coverage.

Mar 1, 2016 4:20 AM CST

Minority women are disappearing from BigLaw—and here’s why

Occasionally when Jenny Jones walks down the hall of her white-shoe law firm, a chairman emeritus will stop and ask how she's doing and about her work. These moments are a highlight because outside of this intermittent interaction, Jones feels largely ignored by the powers that be.

Mar 1, 2016 12:15 AM CST

Meet the father of the landmark lawsuit that secured basic rights for immigrant minors

At first, Carlos Holguín was skeptical. A well-known actor in Hollywood called seeking help for his housekeeper's daughter after immigration authorities arrested and detained the girl for being in the country illegally.

Feb 1, 2016 5:00 AM CST

Will those who led the financial system into crisis ever face charges?

In 2005, when the impending financial crisis was obvious to some and under the radar to many, Bill Black published a book laying out his theory of control fraud, his criminological term for looting a corporation from the inside. Read this ABA Journal feature recently honored by the American Society of Business Publication Editors.

Feb 1, 2016 4:10 AM CST

China’s latest crackdown on lawyers is unprecedented, human rights monitors say

The attacks published in China's state-sponsored news media pulled no punches. Wang Yu is an "arrogant convict of a woman," screamed an op-ed article in one major newspaper. Wang Yu is a "hypocritical and false lawyer." Wang Yu is a "shrew."

Feb 1, 2016 12:10 AM CST

Metrics can tell the tale of a firm’s fate

It's never easy being a star witness. Take former Dewey & LeBoeuf finance director Frank Canellas. In late July, at a time when many law firm executives are planning trips to exotic locales or spending time in their summer homes, Canellas got to hang out in lovely downtown Manhattan. He…

Jan 1, 2016 4:30 AM CST