Question of the Week

Do you think online courses are effective?

Technology has altered the legal profession, and legal education is no exception.

Feb 7, 2019 3:00 PM CST

How do you prepare for days away from the office to stay productive?

With subzero temperatures taking the Midwest by storm, courthouses and many private businesses shut their doors this week, report the Washington Post and Chicago Tribune. The American Bar Association even made the decision to keep its Chicago headquarters closed. Safety is a priority in an arctic blast. But when you’re…

Jan 31, 2019 11:45 AM CST

How do you manage your screen time?

Technology can be both a friend and a foe. Computers and phones keep us constantly connected, but they also distract from the physical world. Between scrolling through Twitter and checking for emails, you might forget to put down your device and live in the moment. This week, ABA Journal Legal…

Jan 24, 2019 2:31 PM CST

Who is your favorite civil rights hero?

Martin Luther King Jr. is one of the most prominent faces of the American civil rights movement, having set the standard for nonviolent activism in an era of rampant racial discrimination. Jan. 15 marked the 90th anniversary of his birth. This Monday, a national holiday honors the memory of a…

Jan 17, 2019 1:30 PM CST

Have you ever thought about writing a book?

It’s no secret that the legal profession requires skill with the written word. But usually that ability is reserved for court motions and briefs—not novels. In the January/February issue of the ABA Journal, one feature highlighted lawyers-turned-literary-agents who are on the hunt for the next best-selling book idea. These attorneys…

Jan 9, 2019 12:35 PM CST

What’s your 2019 New Year’s resolution?

Every year the Earth makes another trip around the sun. At this point in the journey, we make New Year's resolutions on how to navigate the next lap.

Jan 3, 2019 12:49 PM CST

Do you give holiday gifts to clients and co-workers?

The end of the year is traditionally a gift-giving time, whether it’s to celebrate the new year or religious holidays such as Hanukkah or Christmas. While you might feel confident about what to get your parents, children or significant other, the etiquette of gift-giving at work can be more complex.…

Dec 19, 2018 3:42 PM CST

Who are your favorite lawyers to follow on social media?

Every summer, the ABA Journal asks our readers to submit their favorite legal blogs and social media accounts as part of our annual Web 100 feature. We use a combination of reader suggestions, contributions from a panel of outside judges, and our own favorites to compile our list. But there’s…

Dec 12, 2018 1:54 PM CST

What common language errors make you grit your teeth?

Whether you’re listening to a voice message from a client, reading aloud a brief or consulting a colleague about a case, you’ve likely heard someone use a wrong word in a sentence—and it made you cringe.

Dec 5, 2018 3:59 PM CST

Do you always write briefs to the maximum length?

Earlier this month, the U.S. Supreme Court ruffled feathers with some proposed changes to its rules. One of the biggest changes would be cutting the allowed length of reply briefs from 6,000 words to 4,500 words. Merit briefs also would face a lower word-count limit, going to 13,000 from the…

Nov 28, 2018 5:00 PM CST

What are you thankful for?

Our parents told us to count our blessings. Many people take that literally. The gratitude journal is part of faith tradition and evidence-based health practice. In a 2008 experiment, Robert Emmons of the University of California at Davis had different groups keep weekly journals about positive and negative or neutral…

Nov 20, 2018 5:00 PM CST

Have you ever won elected office?

Some ABA members hear the call of political office, and several found success in 2018 midterm elections. They’ve even credited lessons learned through ABA experiences with helping them achieve their political ambitions. Five years before lawyer Joe Cunningham was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives on Nov. 6, he…

Nov 14, 2018 8:00 AM CST

How do you shift gears to be more productive?

Sometimes under stressful work situations, your brain is barraged by so many thoughts you feel blocked and stymied. And it’s not always easy to break out of that anxiety spiral and tap into a productive flow. But one group of researchers has a suggestion: an 8-bit video game with a…

Nov 8, 2018 12:17 PM CST

What’s your most memorable civil wedding ceremony story?

On Oct. 31, for the second year in a row, Akron Municipal Court Judge Nicole Walker will be officiating Halloween-themed weddings.

Oct 31, 2018 11:10 AM CDT

What word or words do you struggle with pronouncing correctly?

Standard pronunciation is a moving target. Lawyers are trained to mind precedent. These two ideas are likely to clash in court, or anywhere attorneys argue their positions.

Oct 24, 2018 11:30 AM CDT