‘Better Call Saul’ highlights stress and mental illness in the legal profession

Spoiler alert: The final two episodes of the third season of AMC’s series Better Call Saul let viewers glimpse a world where lawyers suffer from stress and other various mental illnesses. Unfortunately, the portrayals are alarmingly close to the challenges practicing attorneys face.

Jul 31, 2017 8:30 AM CDT

Linda Oatman High wins ABA Journal/Ross Short Legal Fiction Contest

During her 35-year career as a writer, Linda Oatman High has written more than 20 books for children and young adults, three plays and numerous feature articles and news stories. But she had never written a legal-themed piece until she saw a call for submissions to the ABA Journal/Ross Writing…

Jul 26, 2017 3:47 PM CDT

Book Review: A beach read for lawyers entitled ‘Beach Lawyer’

You know after a breakup when your family tells you “the right one will come along?” You begrudgingly take their advice with the proverbial grain of salt because even though they’ve been out of the game for God knows how long, they’re still together and seem happy enough. Then one…

Jul 24, 2017 4:00 PM CDT

‘Rogue One’ actress Jones to play Ruth Bader Ginsburg in upcoming movie

Felicity Jones will play Ruth Bader Ginsburg in an upcoming movie about her life written by a relative of the U.S. Supreme Court Justice’s late husband. The film is called On the Basis of Sex, report Deadline Hollywood, the New York Daily News, Variety and Forbes. Jones starred in Rogue…

Jul 19, 2017 9:19 AM CDT

Is prime-time courtroom drama having a ‘Bull effect’ on juries?

Attorneys have a love-hate relationship with voir dire. On one hand, picking a jury is a slow, tedious process—not to mention somewhat awkward depending on your personality. Still, every trial lawyer agrees that jury selection can be critical.

Jul 6, 2017 8:00 AM CDT

Wall Street Journal’s Law Blog shuts down

The Wall Street Journal Law Blog has shut down after more than a decade. The blog announced the decision in a post published on Monday. “Law Blog was the first of its kind at the WSJ and was an immediate hit, attracting readers from all corners of the legal world,”…

Jul 5, 2017 11:18 AM CDT

Book Review: ‘Tom & Lucky (And George & Cokey Flo)’

In time for the 80th anniversary of one of the most sensational trials in U.S. history, The People v. Charles Luciano, comes a novel so deeply rooted in fact its own present historical value is undeniable. Centered around the trial of New York mob boss Charles “Lucky” Luciano, the book…

Jul 1, 2017 10:33 AM CDT

'The Originalist' draws appellate judges to weigh in on Scalia legacy

As the stage play The Originalist opens, the audience finds Justice Antonin Scalia (actor Edward Gero) comparing opera—which the justice famously loved—to his judicial philosophy.

“There’s a sanctity to the score. The notes are the notes,” he says. “That is precisely my view of the Constitution.”

Jul 1, 2017 2:05 AM CDT

Silver Gavel Awards have honored outstanding depictions of law in media for 60 years

In 2017, the ABA Silver Gavel Awards for Media and the Arts will celebrate their 60th anniversary. To Kill a Mockingbird, Law & Order, NPR’s All Things Considered, SCOTUSblog and Netflix’s Making a Murderer—these were different forms of media, but all increased public awareness and understanding of the American judicial system and all have earned Silver Gavels over the years.