Professional Development

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

A lawyer’s personal take on making New Year’s resolutions that stick

We’re nearing the beginning of a new year. That means resolution time. During the 40-plus years of his litigation practice, Marcel Strigberger made his share of resolutions on how to optimize his practice habits and routines, winning some and losing some.

Dec 19, 2019 6:00 AM CST

What resolutions do you have planned for 2020?

The year is almost over, and it’s time to think about how you’re going to start off 2020. Lawyer James Gray Robinson wrote earlier this year, “If we were honest with ourselves, we would admit that New Year’s resolutions are rarely successful. That is because we hope to change something…

Dec 18, 2019 10:26 AM CST

Career confessions of an atypical law school graduate

“I’m excited at what lies ahead. My circuitous professional path since law school reflects a profession in flux. … At the same time, there has never been a more exciting moment to create a new path,” writes law professor Jason Tashea.

Dec 17, 2019 6:00 AM CST

Do you decorate your workspace for the holidays?

The winter holidays are nearly upon us. Have you gotten in the spirit at work?

Dec 11, 2019 12:56 PM CST

What do you think about adopting a four-day workweek?

Walter Benenati, managing partner of the Benenati Law Firm in Orlando, Florida, said recently the firm’s four-day workweek increased morale and productivity. Benenati adopted the shorter workweek at the beginning of the year to give employees an extra day to run errands, attend to personal matters and spend time with…

Dec 4, 2019 9:51 AM CST

Dreading the office holiday party? Check out tips from an introverted lawyer

Holiday parties can be hard if you’re introverted, and they can be worse if you have social anxiety. But skipping them is not a great idea, says lawyer and author Heidi K. Brown in this new episode of the ABA Journal’s Asked and Answered podcast.

Nov 25, 2019 6:00 AM CST

Top tips for lawyers to stay in control of their business development

From daily happiness levels at work to reframing how you think about competition, brand expert and lawyer Katy Goshtasbi offers ways for lawyers stay on top when it comes to business development—whether it’s their own brand or their firm’s brand.

Nov 21, 2019 6:30 AM CST

Law school in this state gets record $125M gift and new name

The University of Pennsylvania’s law school is getting a new name after receiving a record-setting $125 million gift from the W.P. Carey Foundation.

Nov 8, 2019 4:14 PM CST

The legal profession doesn’t have a leadership problem—it has a character problem

“We’ve become self-important takers who favored me over you, more over less, and shiny objects over personal connections,” writes lawyer Charles P. Edwards. He discusses why having good character is important for leaders in the legal field.

Nov 7, 2019 6:30 AM CST

Former FBI Director Comey encourages law students to be ‘ethical leaders’

It was never one of former FBI Director James Comey’s career goals to be an “unemployed B-list celebrity,” he said, addressing a crowd at the University of Chicago Law School on Tuesday. During a lecture he gave on leadership roles, he said it became his mission to communicate what being an ethical leader means after President Donald Trump fired him in May 2017.

Oct 31, 2019 12:40 PM CDT