Question of the Week

What are your funniest and weirdest stories from the courtroom?

Last week, we took note of a Connecticut man who drove a stolen car to a court hearing on a stolen-car charge.

Mar 21, 2018 1:55 PM CDT

What’s the strangest thing you’ve seen forfeited or used as collateral or payment in a case?

Last week, before former pharmaceutical executive Martin Shkreli was sentenced to seven years in prison for securities fraud, he was ordered to forfeit more than $7 million from his own funds or "substitute assets."

Mar 14, 2018 12:50 PM CDT

Have you ever felt you had to limit contact with a difficult client?

Lawyers can place limitations on their contact with difficult clients as long as the lawyer still “promptly informs and consults with the client on matters within the lawyer’s duty of communication,” the New York State Bar Association said in a recent ethics opinion. The opinion came about after a lawyer…

Mar 7, 2018 9:40 AM CST

What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever heard a judge say during proceedings?

“No man is fit to be a cheesemonger who cannot guess the length of a street.”

Feb 28, 2018 11:45 AM CST

What frequently misused—or misspelled—phrases annoy you?

You often can't hear the difference between the “right” and “wrong” versions of common expressions. But in this digital age when so much of our communication is typed, it's easy to fall into language traps—and see whether someone is misusing or misspelling a common expression.

Feb 21, 2018 1:28 PM CST

What was your path to law? Twitter threads dazzle

This month, law lecturer Matthew Channon of Exeter University in England encouraged lawyers from less privileged backgrounds to share their stories on Twitter.

Feb 14, 2018 12:50 PM CST

How was your legal education paid for?

The possible factors behind the skyrocketing cost of attending law school and the large sums borrowed by many law students in pursuit of a JD are constantly in the spotlight.

Feb 7, 2018 12:45 PM CST

Do you or your law firm accept bitcoin or other cryptocurrency for payment?

In 2013, a handful of large law firms started accepting payments in bitcoin. Today it’s more commonplace—lawyers understand cryptocurrency better. Ethics authorities have weighed in on accepting bitcoin payments. And digital-currency clients seeking legal representation wish to pay their fees this way. “If I’m willing to accept it, it’s easier…

Jan 31, 2018 1:00 PM CST

Which judge is the best writer?

This week, Slate’s Mark Joseph Stern opined that he thought Neil M. Gorsuch’s writing has gone downhill. “During his tenure on the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Gorsuch produced a number of witty, lucid, and pithy opinions,” Stern wrote. “But since his elevation to the Supreme Court, Gorsuch’s prose…

Jan 24, 2018 1:00 PM CST

Do you knit or create other handiwork?

What do you do when you need to unwind? Or just keep your hands busy? People are often dismissive of knitting, lawyer Jeena Cho—a new ABA Journal contributor—wrote recently at Above the Law. But knitting can provide positive benefits: It helps alleviate stress and is linked to better memory and…

Jan 17, 2018 12:22 PM CST

What cybersecurity precautions do you take?

Do you use a password manager? Two-factor authentication? The ABA Journal is presenting a yearlong series of cybersecurity stories on the web and our print magazine, and this week legal affairs reporter Jason Tashea has a roundup of five cybersecurity precautions you should already be taking. This week, we’d like…

Jan 10, 2018 11:32 AM CST

What are your favorite office supplies?

The holidays are over, and most of us are back at the office. We’ve asked you in the past about your “work uniform” and your primary work computer. And after seeing this question on Corporette, we’d like to ask you the same one: What are your favorite office supplies? Are…

Jan 3, 2018 9:30 AM CST

What were the top legal words of 2017?

After Dictionary.com named “complicit” its legal word of 2017, someone asked legal journalist Robert Ambrogi what he considered to be the legal technology word of the year. (His eventual answer in his Above the Law column: Blockchain.) Ken Bresler of Massachusetts Weekly (via Clear Writing Co.) published a list of…

Dec 20, 2017 10:38 AM CST

Which colleagues and clients do you buy gifts for?

We’re in the thick of the season of holiday parties and year-end bonuses. And possibly gifts for co-workers and clients. This week, we’d like to ask you: Which colleagues do you buy gifts for? Your bosses? Your direct reports (or do you just give them cash)? What about clients? Do…

Dec 13, 2017 11:00 AM CST

Can you write a happy legal-themed story in 4 words?

On Wednesday morning, the hashtag #writeahappystoryin4words was trending on Twitter. Some of the super-short happy stories we found: Eating without getting fat. Baby shoes, well worn. Twitter introduces “Edit” button Inspired by this, we’d like to ask you: Can you write a happy legal-themed story in four words? Answer in…

Dec 6, 2017 11:59 AM CST