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4178 ABA Journal Public Interest articles.

New laws aim to quash racial profiling in 911 calls

Rep. Janelle Bynum, a Black member of the Oregon House of Representatives, was inspired to sponsor a bill against racial profiling in 911 calls after someone called the police on her as she went door-to-door in a Portland suburb to speak to constituents in an effort to keep her seat in the state house. The incident prompted her to co-sponsor a bill to deter biased 911 calls, allowing civil claims for up to $250 in damages.

Feb 1, 2021 1:20 AM CST

Utah became first state to change ethics regulations to allow for alternative business structures

The leadership of Justice Constandinos “Deno” Himonas and John Lund paved the way for the Utah Supreme Court’s unanimous vote in August to adopt a package of sweeping regulatory changes.

Feb 1, 2021 1:10 AM CST

Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, law firms are starting to embrace virtual offices—but will it last?

Blame it on the pandemic. Law offices throughout the country are finally tiptoeing into the virtual world. For most professions, this is nothing new: More than half of professionals worked remotely at least half the week before the COVID-19 pandemic was declared in March.

Feb 1, 2021 1:10 AM CST

Thanks to chief justice, the Michigan Supreme Court pivoted to remote proceedings during COVID-19

Court is less intimidating on screen, Chief Justice Bridget Mary McCormack says. “When you are in the comfort of your own home, where you feel safe and secure, it’s easier to feel confident in letting the court know what’s on your mind.”

Feb 1, 2021 1:00 AM CST

Do origin stories define or help refine constitutional interpretation?

All lawyers are storytellers. And Supreme Court justices are not exceptions. Outcomes in constitutional law are typically predicated upon the stories the justices tell—interpretations of foundational “origin stories”—that shape understandings of the law and who we are as a people, writes Philip N. Meyer.

Feb 1, 2021 1:00 AM CST

Housing lawyer Sateesh Nori knew COVID-19 would force courts to go digital—so he stepped in to help

As COVID-19 spread through New York City and shuttered its courthouses in March 2020, Sateesh Nori realized JustFix.nyc could do even more to empower tenants to exercise their rights during the pandemic.

Feb 1, 2021 12:50 AM CST

Citing access to justice, Arizona decided to embrace controversial alternative business structures

Members of the state’s legal community and regulatory reform proponents credit Arizona Supreme Court Vice Chief Justice Ann A. Scott Timmer and Administrative Office of the Courts Director Dave Byers with playing leading roles in Arizona’s progress.

Feb 1, 2021 12:40 AM CST

Jayne Reardon is changing the practice of law by promoting civility and looking toward the future

Reardon is a great listener who gets people’s support by understanding their agendas and emotions. “She plays the long game, not the short game. She never comes in and jams something down people’s throats,” law professor William Henderson says.

Feb 1, 2021 12:30 AM CST

Mona Kaveh gives a voice to foster children in Las Vegas

Mona Kaveh has represented nearly 30 foster children since she began volunteering with the Children’s Attorneys Project in 2010. “It made me so happy that these kids had someone fighting for them. I always say, as much as I try to advocate for these kids, I feel like they have changed my life so much and inspired me so much in return. What they have been through and what they are still able to achieve is so inspiring.”

Feb 1, 2021 12:30 AM CST

Judge Scott Schlegel deployed tools to help keep his docket moving at the height of the pandemic

Soon after his 2013 election to the bench in Louisiana’s 24th Judicial District, Judge Scott Schlegel started looking for ways to repurpose technology common in the private sector for deployment in the court system.

Feb 1, 2021 12:20 AM CST

ABA pushes for a federal guardianship court improvement program

Karen Murphy Jensen, a senior judge with Maryland’s Caroline County Circuit Court, has spent the past five years working to reform guardianship court practices. “Judges are really embracing wanting to know more about guardianship cases as well as the alternatives to guardianship,” says Jensen, the chair of the Guardianship and Vulnerable Adults Work Group of the Maryland Judicial Council’s Domestic Law Committee.

Feb 1, 2021 12:20 AM CST

Karen Murphy Jensen is working to reform guardianship practices. Photo courtesy of Maryland Judiciary.

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117th Congress has opportunities for bipartisan criminal justice reforms

Hundreds of criminal justice bills were introduced but ultimately died at the end of the last Congress. The good news for those seeking change is that most of the problems were specific to the 116th Congress, and the 117th presents new opportunities for progress.

Feb 1, 2021 12:15 AM CST

Judge John Tran spearheaded adoption of tech to facilitate remote hearings and helped train lawyers

After the Virginia Supreme Court issued an order June 22 stating that remote proceedings should be used to conduct as much business as possible, Tran offered webinars to help lawyers with the Fairfax Bar Association get up to speed with Webex.

Feb 1, 2021 12:10 AM CST

Quinten Steenhuis used tech expertise and passion for social justice to create tools for legal needs

For nearly 12 years, Steenhuis worked as a senior housing attorney, systems administrator and developer at Greater Boston Legal Services, where he also built Massachusetts Defense for Eviction, which helps pro se tenants defend themselves.

Feb 1, 2021 12:00 AM CST

2021 Legal Rebels: Meet 10 legal professionals who are courting change

For this year’s class of Legal Rebels, the ABA Journal and the ABA Center for Innovation have chosen to highlight judges, lawyers and legal professionals who have helped bring about changes to the judicial system.

Feb 1, 2021 12:00 AM CST

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