Professional Development

ABA should consider impact of rape-disclosure questions on bar applications, 3 senators tell association

The ABA should study the prevalence of bar admissions questions that require the disclosure of campus sexual misconduct complaints and requests for orders of protection, according to a letter by three members of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Apr 29, 2024 12:17 PM CDT

Supreme Court won’t hear lawyer’s challenge to anti-bias ethics rule

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday denied certiorari in a challenge to a Pennsylvania ethics rule that bars lawyers from knowingly engaging in conduct that constitutes discrimination and harassment in the practice of law.

Apr 24, 2024 10:16 AM CDT

The future of DEI programs in the legal industry

The lack of diversity when it comes to race, gender, sexuality, disability and social class within the legal profession is nothing new. However, the last decade has marked a gradual increase in diversity across all fields.

Apr 17, 2024 8:46 AM CDT

It’s a quick goodbye for many departing associates, new NALP Foundation report finds

Eighty-two percent of associates who left their law firms in 2023 did so within five years of hiring, a figure that is at “an all-time high,” according to a report released Wednesday by the NALP Foundation for Law Career Research and Education.

Apr 11, 2024 9:09 AM CDT

Carnegie and Me: Refuting the culture war on American libraries

Our Carnegie library was a dignified brick edifice built for $6,000. It was an oasis for knowledge, not some bogus den of “literary filth” that today’s shortsighted cynics might pretend.

Apr 1, 2024 2:00 AM CDT

Should lawyers always practice ‘by the book’?

I recall as a kid growing up in Montreal, we had difficulties with a next-door neighbor. Among other things, Madame Poirier owned a large mut, Roger, which she allowed the run of the land. This included Roger doing his business on our land. It often led to confrontations with my mother, as Madame Poirier insisted that Roger was just doing what dogs do.

Mar 21, 2024 10:19 AM CDT

This state is creating a way to skip the bar exam and making it easier to pass for those who take it

The Washington Supreme Court has adopted alternative pathways to a law license, becoming the second state to do so in a little more than four months.

Mar 18, 2024 10:58 AM CDT

Writing advice for lawyers from nonlawyers

From pretty much the moment that we start law school, we get advice on how to be better writers. Most of it is from lawyers (or ex-lawyers). That’s fine to start. Legal writing is a genre and has unique considerations that you have to master, if only because courts demand it, like The Bluebook.

Mar 14, 2024 9:09 AM CDT

Why I Created a Legal Podcast: To learn, connect and grow

I don’t know about you, but I didn’t have a law school class on networking, business development or client service. Even during my time as a law firm associate, training on these professional skills was informal (at best) but mostly observational as I listened on speakerphone or sat quietly at a client lunch while the partner carried the conversations. There was no structured training in these essential business skills.

Mar 1, 2024 11:15 AM CST

Justice Thomas hires clerk accused of sending racist text; was she set up by rogue employee?

A graduate of the George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School will be clerking for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, despite a prior allegation that she sent a racist text while working at a conservative group.

Feb 26, 2024 9:51 AM CST

New website will let law clerks judge their judges

A database is launching next month that will allow young lawyers to review the judges they worked for and give law students a way to learn which judges have good—or bad—reputations as employers.

Feb 26, 2024 9:40 AM CST

Small firm hiring deserves greater scrutiny

As a law professor, one of the most rewarding parts of my job is helping students navigate their burgeoning legal careers and find positions that bring professional satisfaction and success. I am always delighted when students appear in my office with an offer in hand or a story about an amazing case that they worked on over the summer.

Feb 23, 2024 1:17 PM CST

How automation can make or break your law firm

Domination in the legal field today boils down to a rule of three: You need smart people, smart data and a smart business practice, says Bruce Karlson, the CEO of Word-Tech, a task automation company based in Kansas.

Feb 15, 2024 3:12 PM CST

Introducing the American Legal Blogger: Brought to you by the ABA Journal and LexBlog

The ABA Journal and LexBlog, a global leader in legal publishing, have teamed up to present American Legal Blogger to bring together, in one place, blogs, podcasts and other insights and guidance from blogging lawyers worldwide.

Feb 14, 2024 3:39 PM CST

Am I losing my mind? How to maintain cognitive abilities as senior lawyers age

Ever have that thought? “I must be losing my mind because I can’t remember where I parked my car or set my iPhone, your name—although I recognize your face—an address, a birthday, a password, a set of numbers, what I was looking for, etc.” Many aging lawyers have—including me.

Feb 8, 2024 2:46 PM CST