Features

Millions have been invested in the emerging field of neurolaw. Where is it leading?

How do courts determine a person’s mental state and apply that in deciding guilt or innocence? How do judges and juries weigh evidence related to brain functioning? And what do lawyers and judges need to know to effectively evaluate such questions?

Jun 1, 2020 12:05 AM CDT

Coronavirus on board: Lawyer’s parents were trapped on a contaminated cruise ship

Florida plaintiffs lawyer Debi F. Chalik remembers the moment she decided to file suit against Princess Cruises for negligence arising from the COVID-19 outbreak on the Grand Princess ship. It was March 6, and she was home watching Vice President Mike Pence deliver a televised briefing that included an update on the status of the Grand Princess.

Jun 1, 2020 12:02 AM CDT

Suing a cruise line? There are a boatload of challenges unique to the industry

Bringing a case against an ocean cruise line is challenging. Plaintiffs lawyers say these cases are highly specific and highly specialized, governed by myriad legal standards and subject to investigative challenges. It’s an area so unique that it’s easy for a novice lawyer to make an honest mistake that can permanently sink an otherwise meritorious case.

Jun 1, 2020 12:00 AM CDT

Corporate lawyers can help clients change the world—and bill for it—with this growing practice area

Lawyers who practice in the social enterprise and investment impact space say their structures vary depending on the deal, but all agree: This is not pro bono legal work. “It’s no longer about making money or doing good, it’s about making money and doing good,” says Scott M. Curran, founder of Beyond Advisers, a Chicago-based social impact consulting firm.

Apr 1, 2020 3:40 AM CDT

Meet the groups helping to get women elected

“It’s very important that as women, we have leadership roles in the law. … If we’re not participating, if we’re not in leadership roles, our voices aren’t being heard, and our experiences aren’t being taken into consideration,” says Rebecca Dallet, who spent nearly 11 years as an assistant district attorney in Milwaukee County in Wisconsin.

Apr 1, 2020 3:30 AM CDT

Law Day 2020: Your Vote, Your Voice, Our Democracy

ABA President Judy Perry Martinez characterizes the 19th Amendment as the cornerstone of engagement for all women in our democracy. That’s why she championed “Your Vote, Your Voice, Our Democracy: The 19th Amendment at 100” as this year’s theme for Law Day, which celebrates the rule of law and is commemorated annually May 1.

Apr 1, 2020 3:25 AM CDT

50 ways to market your practice

For lawyers, marketing is a vital part of business, but it can be tricky, overwhelming and even intimidating. So we asked lawyers, legal professionals, marketers, consultants and other experts for 50 ways lawyers can stand out.

Apr 1, 2020 12:00 AM CDT

Cure or Con? Health products touted on social media are slipping by regulators

Social media offers cheap and targeted advertising that regulators don’t have the time or resources to fully monitor. Deceptive health claims that would land a company in court if made on television or radio are slipping by online.

Feb 1, 2020 1:45 AM CST

2020 Legal Rebels: It takes a team

Beginning with the 2020 class, we decided to move Legal Rebels to February-March. To mark this new beginning for Legal Rebels, we decided to try something new. Whereas prior classes have mostly featured individuals with the occasional team thrown in, we decided that 2020’s class would be made up entirely of teams.

Feb 1, 2020 1:40 AM CST

No Country for Rural Lawyers: Small-town attorneys still find it hard to thrive

Solving the rural attorney shortage won’t be easy, given that few law graduates appear willing to set up shop in rural America. The situation is only expected to worsen in the near future, given that many lawyers in less-populated counties are approaching retirement age and no younger attorneys have moved in to replace them.

Feb 1, 2020 12:00 AM CST

Genealogy sites give law enforcement a new DNA sleuthing tool, but the battle over privacy looms

While law enforcement and the public largely welcome the new wave of forensic genealogy, others worry that privacy rights are being eroded by an investigative approach with little regulatory oversight.

Nov 1, 2019 4:20 AM CDT

Political unrest, violence have forced millions to migrate and seek protection of the rule of law

When countries lack the capacity to stop violence and corruption, and their legal and law enforcement systems lack the ability to hold perpetrators responsible, their people often have no other choice but to seek protection elsewhere.

Nov 1, 2019 4:10 AM CDT

Lawyers are unleashing a flurry of lawsuits to step up the fight against climate change

Traditionally relegated to the statutory realm of environmental and administrative law, a cadre of attorneys and legal scholars has given the climate change issue a creative facelift that may change the legal landscape—and, they say, could determine the fate of humanity.

Nov 1, 2019 12:00 AM CDT

Inside the Legal Profession: What the industry looks like in 2019

Law remains an in-demand profession that continues to grow and pay well while making slow, but steady progress when it comes to issues like diversity, technology adoption and employment after graduation from law school.

Sep 1, 2019 3:50 AM CDT

What lawyers earn in 2019

In the decade since the Great Recession, wages for private lawyers have risen, with the average salary now at $144,230. However, digging deeper into a collection of data released in the last year-and-a-half shows the wealth is not being shared equally across gender, region, client type and practice areas.

Sep 1, 2019 3:40 AM CDT