Question of the Week

Are there things you won’t post on social media because of privacy concerns?

This week in Austria, an 18-year-old sued her parents in an effort to get them to remove her childhood photos from Facebook, the Telegraph reported. “They knew no shame and no limits,” the woman told Austria’s Heute newspaper. “They didn’t care if I was sitting on the toilet or lying…

Sep 14, 2016 3:00 PM CDT

Have you ever been assigned to a case in an all-new practice area? How did you handle it?

A recent episode of NPR’s This American Life podcast focused on individuals who find themselves in over their heads. One segment was the story of Jack Bailey, a personal injury lawyer in Shreveport, Lousiana, who was assigned to defend a criminal defendant even though it was not the focus of…

Sep 7, 2016 12:55 PM CDT

What videos or podcasts would you recommend to someone studying law?

Recently on the blog Credit Slips, Dalié Jiménez, a professor at the University of Connecticut School of Law, wrote that a lot of the required “reading” for her consumer bankruptcy policy seminar will in fact be YouTube videos—mostly segments from John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight on HBO. A law prof…

Aug 31, 2016 2:15 PM CDT

Are you a night owl or an early bird?

This week, the Wall Street Journal (sub. req.) wrote about a number of professionals who start their days at 4 a.m.—or even earlier—to get the most out of their day. Apple CEO Tim Cook starts his daily routine at 3:45 a.m., the newspaper reports. And entrepreneur and speaker Peter Shankman…

Aug 24, 2016 12:45 PM CDT

Which actor would play you in the movie of your life in the law?

This week, we noted that Oscar-winning actor Eddie Redmayne will be portraying Paul Cravath—the namesake of Cravath, Swaine & Moore—in an upcoming movie about Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse’s battle over the patent for the lightbulb. So this week, we’d like to ask you: Which actor would play you in…

Aug 17, 2016 1:15 PM CDT

Have you ever put a radical new idea into action in your practice?

Family lawyer and consultant Lee Rosen lamented in a post last week on his Divorce Discourse blog that many people are afraid to try new ideas—even ideas that he’s been able to make work at his own firm. “I can find lawyers right now who’ll tell me—at length—why they can’t…

Aug 10, 2016 12:55 PM CDT

What movie changed the course of your life?

This summer, Chicago Public Radio station WBEZ rolled out a segment on its Morning Shift program called “The Movie that Made Me,” in which interesting people are interviewed about that one movie that had a huge impact on them. In June, Chicago lawyer John A. Goldstein was interviewed. His movie?…

Aug 3, 2016 1:15 PM CDT

Do you ever play video games?

This week, downloads for Pokemon Go have surpassed 75 million, USA Today reported, and it has not even yet launched in every international market. It stands to reason that Pokemon Go may be making video-game players of people who had never previously played a video game. But video games are…

Jul 27, 2016 12:10 PM CDT

Did you like law school?

Corrected: In the last week, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence—who graduated from the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law in 1986—was named Donald Trump’s running mate on the Republican presidential ticket. In a 1994 news story unearthed in response to Pence’s nomination, Pence said he didn’t like law school.…

Jul 20, 2016 12:15 PM CDT

Ever had an employee or a co-worker who was a bad ‘fit’? Seen discrimination attributed to ‘fit’?

“It seems quaint to think about having the luxury to evaluate a legal job opportunity for cultural fit when so many would be happy for any job,” in-house attorney Celeste Harrison Forst writes at Above the Law. “If the culture isn’t a fit, a lawyer can adapt to fit because…

Jul 13, 2016 12:20 PM CDT

Should law schools accept the GRE as well as the LSAT?

The University of Arizona College of Law announced earlier this year that it would start accepting either the Law School Admission Test or the Graduate Record Examination from applicants. Unlike the LSAT, the GRE can be taken year-round at computer centers around the country. A committee working under the Council…

Jul 6, 2016 2:17 PM CDT

Have you been on any outdoor adventures? Share your story with us

In the July cover story, we profiled eight lawyers who are active outdoor sportspeople and have gone on some amazing adventures. From Antarctic marathons to feeding sharks in the Caribbean, these attorneys get out from behind their desks and go explore the world. We’ve made a photo gallery containing some…

Jun 29, 2016 12:19 PM CDT

Do you eat healthy meals during your workday?

A survey by Seamless Corporate Accounts, an online food-ordering service, looked at its ordering data and found that the legal industry is 60 percent more health-conscious during the summer months than other industries. “Once the warm weather comes around, lawyers are ordering a lot more kale, salmon, and whole grains…

Jun 22, 2016 1:50 PM CDT

Can you tell if a client or witness is lying to you?

On Scientific American’s Savvy Psychologist podcast, Dr. Ellen Hendriksen shared seven ways to tell if someone is lying. Sign No. 1 from the list is “duping delight”—catching a smile or excited fidgeting from someone who believes he or she is getting away with a lie and is getting a rush…

Jun 15, 2016 12:32 PM CDT

What’s the most memorable praise you’ve ever received related to your legal work?

Sometimes, your hard work as a lawyer, law student or law professor does not go unnoticed. A client or colleague might take the time to share a complimentary message. On Twitter this week, George Washington University law professor Orin Kerr shared a favorable comment from a student evaluation: From a…

Jun 8, 2016 2:45 PM CDT