Question of the Week

Who is your legal icon?

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has ascended to pop culture prominence, as shown on the October cover of the ABA Journal. Ginsburg’s trailblazing career has drawn a wide range of admirers beyond those who hope for her Supreme Court intercession.

Oct 17, 2018 4:15 PM CDT

Do you bring your smartphone or laptop to meetings?

The temptation can be great to bring a smartphone or laptop to a meeting—whether it’s to try to multitask, assuage the fear that you’ll miss an important call, or just combat boredom.

Oct 10, 2018 1:28 PM CDT

What was the most memorable CLE you’ve taken?

Continuing Legal Education classes can be dry as chalk dust, but with a little bit of innovation, they can be entertaining and informative. The Brooklyn Eagle recently reported that 30 members of the Kings County Criminal Bar Association descended on Yankee Stadium to attend a CLE before the Yankees took…

Oct 3, 2018 12:00 PM CDT

How do you deal with procrastination?

There’s a big project listed on your calendar with a due date that was circled months ago. Now time’s running out. You’ve barely started and would rather be undergoing a root canal without anesthesia.

Sep 26, 2018 12:00 PM CDT

What storytelling lessons have you learned during your legal career?

In the September 2018 issue of the ABA Journal, Philip N. Meyer writes about how the show Springsteen on Broadway gives lawyers three storytelling ideas. A 50-time Grammy Award nominee—and 20-time winner—the rock icon clearly left an impression on Meyer. “I was struck by Springsteen’s physicality and by his strength…

Sep 19, 2018 9:30 AM CDT

How do you deal with people who interrupt conversations?

We've all been there. You're speaking and trying to get your point across when someone cuts in with "I think ..." and another person chimes in with "Perhaps we should ..." or something else to sidetrack the conversation.

Sep 12, 2018 10:17 AM CDT

How have you approached difficult conversations in the workplace?

It's likely you dread and avoid having conversations with co-workers, supervisors or subordinates about lingering problems in your working relationships. New York Public Library general counsel Michele Coleman Mayes—in our Lived & Learned podcast—urges lawyers to look at these conversations differently.

Sep 5, 2018 9:34 AM CDT

Has a client or party in a case ever made you fear for your safety?

The September issue of the ABA Journal reports on a series of surveys on violence against lawyers. The surveys revealed that family lawyers were more likely than those in other practice areas to say they have been threatened with violence or assaulted. But 88.7 percent of all lawyers responding to…

Aug 29, 2018 11:48 AM CDT

What advice do you have for new law students?

In the coming weeks, thousands of students will start law school classes for the first time.

Aug 22, 2018 2:22 PM CDT

What’s your advice for someone deciding whether to apply to law school?

Should you go to law school? If you aren't sure, what can help you reach a decision?

Aug 15, 2018 9:10 AM CDT

Is humor a part of your workday—or trial strategy?

"Strategically placed humor is something that is very important, and something, actually, we don’t talk about that much," says Roberta "Bobbi" Liebenberg, a senior partner with Fine, Kaplan and Black in Philadelphia in an ABA Journal Asked and Answered: Lived and Learned podcast.

Aug 8, 2018 12:30 PM CDT

Have you experienced or seen gender-based harassment from judges or opposing counsel?

What does it take to be a trial lawyer if you're not a man? Lara Bazelon, a clinical professor at the University of San Francisco School of Law, raises the question in a recent article for the Atlantic, describing how she's felt the need to calibrate her appearance and approach at trial in a way that her male colleagues did not. Female litigators shared their stories of courtroom humiliations—one said opposing counsel filed a motion that she “preclude emotional displays” during trial, and another said a judge once slapped her on the back of her hand after she had earlier asked for a delay in proceedings.

Aug 1, 2018 12:25 PM CDT

Do you have self-care routines?

Many lawyers complain about their stress and anxiety—perhaps you do as well. But what are the concrete steps you take to manage stress and anxiety?

Jul 25, 2018 11:35 AM CDT

What lessons did you take away from the bar exam?

Last year, Volokh Conspiracy blogger Orin Kerr took the California bar exam before starting to work in his current position as a professor at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law—and 20 years after taking the bar exam for the first time. Last week, he blogged about his…

Jul 18, 2018 12:00 PM CDT

Is there a place other than your office or home where you go to get work done?

Do you sometimes get cabin fever—and very little work done—at your workplace desk or home office?

Jul 11, 2018 1:45 PM CDT