International

The ‘think like a lawyer’ approach to law school is outdated

I have been writing about change within the legal industry for a few years, but have held off commenting directly on the law school and bar experience for a couple of reasons.

Jun 14, 2018 7:00 AM CDT

Proposed Florida law resurrects the debate around the legal duty to help someone in distress

Florida would be in a distinct minority of states if it imposes a duty to rescue people in distress. The rule in the United States is you have no duty to rescue a stranger, and legal scholars are divided on whether that’s a good thing.

Jun 1, 2018 1:50 AM CDT

Is there an ethical problem with attorneys ghostwriting for pro se clients?

Some states require no disclosure on the part of attorney ghostwriters assisting pro se litigants. Some states mandate disclosure, while other states sometimes require such disclosure.

Jun 1, 2018 1:30 AM CDT

UK judge calls for ban on pointed kitchen knives to reduce stabbing deaths

A retiring judge in the United Kingdom is calling for a ban on the sale of large pointed kitchen knives to reduce stabbing deaths.

May 30, 2018 7:15 AM CDT

Reed Smith expands ‘Innovation Hours’ program

Reed Smith is expanding its Innovation Hours program, which allows fee earners to bill up to 50 hours on select projects.

May 21, 2018 7:54 AM CDT

DOJ to give financial boost to FBI’s violent crime database

The Justice Department is seeking to bolster the FBI’s efforts at apprehending violent criminals — issuing grants for local police departments to test rape kits and requiring that those agencies submit information to an underutilized FBI database designed to catch serial killers and rapists.

May 4, 2018 7:00 AM CDT

Former Volkswagen CEO is indicted in emissions scandal

Former Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn has been charged with conspiracy and wire fraud in connection with the company’s use of software to cheat on diesel emissions tests, the U.S. Justice Department announced on Thursday. Winterkorn, 70, and five other Volkswagen executives were charged in a fifth superseding indictment unsealed on…

May 3, 2018 4:36 PM CDT

How can lawyers find cybersecurity solutions that work for them?

Lawyers don’t have to break the bank if they wish to be protected from cybertheft. But that doesn’t mean they can afford to be cheap in selecting security products and services.

May 1, 2018 1:10 AM CDT

Parents of Otto Warmbier sue North Korea over death of their son

The parents of University of Virginia student Otto Warmbier have sued North Korea for the death of their son, who was detained for the alleged theft of a poster. The suit says Warmbier was tortured during a 17-month detention in North Korea that began in January 2016, report the Washington…

Apr 27, 2018 9:13 AM CDT

‘Right to be forgotten’ can apply to criminals: UK high court rules against Google

The “right to be forgotten” notched a win in the High Court of England and Wales, requiring Google to delist references to a businessman’s criminal history.

Apr 16, 2018 8:00 AM CDT

Legal technicians belong in courtrooms

One of the constant criticisms of the Washington limited license legal technician is that there only around 30 licensed technicians so far—even though the program is still in its infancy. A second challenge is that, currently, the LLLT cannot represent a client in court.

Apr 13, 2018 7:00 AM CDT

Wife of detained Chinese lawyer marches to demand answers on his fate

The wife of a detained Chinese human rights lawyer is planning a 12-day walk from Beijing to the city where she believes her husband may be imprisoned. Li Wenzu says she doesn’t know whether her husband, Wang Quanzhang, is still alive, but she hopes her 100-kilometer walk will help get…

Apr 6, 2018 2:48 PM CDT

UK law firms disclose gender pay gap numbers, but don’t reveal US data

Dozens of law firms in the United Kingdom are disclosing information on the pay gap between male and female employees as a result of regulations that apply to businesses with more than 250 employees. Some U.K. law firms have gone beyond the law’s requirements to report on the pay gap…

Apr 6, 2018 12:55 PM CDT

Sex trafficking survivors in Nepal receive legal training

A project developed with the ABA empowers sex trafficking survivors in Nepal with legal and job training from paralegals.

Mar 1, 2018 2:45 AM CST

AI software is more accurate, faster than attorneys when assessing NDAs

In a new AI-versus-lawyer matchup, the lawyers were bested when trying to accurately spot issues in non-disclosure agreements.

Tasked with spotting issues in five real NDAs from companies including Cargill and Pacific Gas & Electric Co., the software from LawGeex outperformed the attorneys with an average of 94 percent accuracy, according to their study. The attorneys had an average accuracy rate of 85 percent.

Feb 26, 2018 7:00 AM CST