Professional Development

How to practice law remotely and efficiently during the COVID-19 crisis

As people across the country are coping with countless changes in light of the novel coronavirus pandemic, the ABA Journal’s Asked and Answered podcast is taking a break from its regularly scheduled programing to share information with lawyers about how they can adjust to the world’s current situation—such as having to work from home, whether they want to or not.

Mar 30, 2020 9:27 AM CDT

Ethics and civil procedure are most important knowledge areas for new lawyers, survey says

A survey of nearly 15,000 lawyers sought to determine what knowledge, skills and abilities are needed by newly licensed attorneys.

Mar 12, 2020 12:04 PM CDT

How to achieve vocal power in and out of the courtroom

Public speaking is a crucial part of working as a lawyer. It is especially important for female lawyers who are claiming their vocal authority in speaking roles in courts.

Mar 11, 2020 9:32 AM CDT

Internal candidate is selected to lead the ABA’s legal ed section

William Adams, the deputy managing director of the ABA's Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar, will replace Barry Currier as the organization's managing director of accreditation and legal education, starting April 6. Currier announced in summer 2019 that he would be stepping down from the position.

Mar 3, 2020 10:45 AM CST

ABA and SoFi offer student loan debt relief through new contest

Three ABA members could see a portion of their student loan debt paid off through a new partnership between the ABA and SoFi.

Feb 10, 2020 10:18 AM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Utah allows bar admission for DACA immigrants; first openly gay federal judge dies

Utah allows bar admission for DACA immigrants The Utah Supreme Court has approved a new rule that allows immigrants brought to the country illegally as children to gain admission to the state bar. The U.S. Department of Justice had opposed the move, citing the Trump administration’s decision to rescind the…

Feb 4, 2020 3:14 PM CST

Why you should insist on diversity in your law practice

How women are perceived matters. As partners like to remind associates, when it comes to making it, perception is reality, writes author and lawyer Suzie Scanlon Rabinowitz.

Jan 23, 2020 11:08 AM CST

Confidence in the economy is dropping among law firm leaders, new survey finds

Law firm leaders’ confidence in the economy is waning, according to a new survey by Citi Private Bank’s Law Firm Group.

Jan 16, 2020 12:45 PM CST

9 tips on how to dress for the courtroom

We’ve all heard the cliches: You only get one chance to make a first impression, dress for success, and you are what you wear. While these maxims are familiar, they are also true. You are judged in less than seven seconds, so dressing appropriately can help you win or lose your case.

Jan 16, 2020 6:30 AM CST

New survey finds No. 1 reason why partners leave their firms—and it’s not the most-obvious one

Contrary to popular belief, dissatisfaction with compensation is not the No. 1 reason why partners leave their law firms, according to a new survey of more than 1,300 lateral partners.

Jan 15, 2020 12:36 PM CST

How to kick off 2020 with more productive business meetings

When considering our New Year’s resolutions, we all want to be more resourceful with our time, especially with our workdays. We don’t realize how much time meetings can take up if they are conducted in an inefficient manner.

Jan 8, 2020 6:00 AM CST

BigLaw firm defends its commitment to diversity after Al Sharpton’s criticism

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom is defending its diversity efforts after the Revs. Al Sharpton and Dale D. Dennis II criticized the law firm for having few racial minorities in its Wilmington, Delaware, office.

Jan 7, 2020 3:42 PM CST

Online courts, the future of justice and being bold in 2020

Ari Kaplan recently spoke with Richard Susskind, who has worked on technology for lawyers since 1981. He is the author of a newly released book, Online Courts and the Future of Justice.

Jan 2, 2020 9:49 AM CST

4 exercises to improve your legal abilities in 2020

Being a lawyer is such a mental exercise that we often forget that we have physical bodies we need to maintain and nurture. This often results in poor health, stress, fatigue and even addiction. What better time to start a new habit than the new year! We all have unused resolutions. Here are some that are actually good for you.

Jan 2, 2020 9:40 AM CST

Top 5 Your Voice columns of 2019

The Your Voice columns of 2019 that we found most impactful were the ones that dug deeper, got personal and exposed the human side of the profession, and justice, itself—and sometimes they included a little humor, too.

Dec 23, 2019 9:44 AM CST