GPSolo May/June 2023: Public Service: How Lawyers Can Help the Community

Professional Development

Practicing Community Service

Andréa L. Maddan

Serving our communities in ways that don’t feel like work helps us reduce stress, learn nonlegal skills, and experience gratitude. (9 minutes to read ∙ 2000 words)

Professional Development

Legal Clinics: Another Way to Get Involved with Legal Aid

Nery L. Alonso

If you’re unsure about how to get involved, legal clinics are a great introduction to your local legal aid organization. (11 minutes to read ∙ 2400 words)

Professional Development

Service to Legal Education

Tamara P. Nash

Lawyers are called to make contributions for future generations. One way to do this is by getting involved at your local law school and with current law students. (6 minutes to read ∙ 1400 words)

Professional Development

The Benefits of Active Service in Bar Associations

Brenda Lopez

Being a leader in a bar association allows you to make meaningful connections and make a positive impact on your community. (9 minutes to read ∙ 2000 words)

Professional Development

Volunteering as a Moot Court Coach or Judge: Who Benefits?

Raymond A. Catanzano

The moot court experience is a win-win situation for the students, the attorney serving as the judge, and the general public. (11 minutes to read ∙ 2400 words)

Professional Development

From Mentee to Mentor: Becoming a Mentor to New Lawyers

Chisa J. Putman

Learning how to motivate and inspire someone can be extremely rewarding. (6 minutes to read ∙ 1400 words)

Professional Development

A Day in the Life of a Nonprofit Lawyer

Andrea L. Rodricks, Lynae A. Tucker-Chellew, and Nicola Wood

Three nonprofit lawyers describe how they help advance the mission of their organizations. (12 minutes to read ∙ 2700 words)

Professional Development

Giving Back with Song and Dance at the Dallas Bar Association’s Bar None Show

Christy Albano

Each year, 50-plus lawyers strut their stuff to raise funds for law school scholarships. (5 minutes to read ∙ 1200 words)

Professional Development

Confessions of 11 Lifelong Bar Association Enthusiasts

Melanie Bragg

By actively participating in bar associations, you’ll become a member of a community whose ties remain long after your initial service. (18 minutes to read ∙ 4100 words)

Technology

The Dark Side of Crowdfunding: Goodwill and Ill Intent

Elizabeth E. Deery

The digital era has provided many avenues for crowdfunding for charitable organizations—along with new dangers. (9 minutes to read ∙ 2000 words)

Practice Technology

Turn Your Laptop into an Instant Office with an Inexpensive USB Hub

Al Harrison

With a USB hub, you can quickly transform your portable law office into a fully functional, WiFi-enabled environment. (5 minutes to read ∙ 1100 words)

Practice Management

The Challenges of Practice Management in a Boutique Law Firm

Tracey Aders

By establishing a strong reputation, maintaining client satisfaction, and retaining productive employees, boutique law firms can better serve their communities. (7 minutes to read ∙ 1700 words)

Family

Pet Custody Disputes: Who Gets Fido or Fluffy?

Joan M. Bundy

To determine pet custody, civil courts increasingly look to a balancing principle called indicia of ownership. (5 minutes to read ∙ 1100 words)

Public Infrastructure

Improving Broadband in Appalachia

Taylor McDaniels

Few incentives exist for Internet service providers to expand their networks in Appalachia, resulting in monopolies and a lack of broadband service. (4 minutes to read ∙ 1000 words)

Practice Technology

The Eyes Have It: The Marketing Power of Visual Content

Cayce Crown, Sherri Phillips, Lynn Lavender, and Carol Shiro Greenwald

Your firm can attract clients with visual marketing content, including videos, professional headshots, and multimedia storytelling. (5 minutes to read ∙ 1100 words)

Artificial Intelligence & Robotics

The Metaverse and the Future of the Law

Judge Herbert B. Dixon Jr. (Ret.)

The author explores legal and practical issues likely to arise from our future travels into the Metaverse. (4 minutes to read ∙ 1000 words)

Lawyer Wellness

Practice Kindness and Appreciate Life

Julie T. Houth

Being kind can provide a sense of purpose and meaning to the work lawyers do. (6 minutes to read ∙ 1300 words)

Professional Development

Make an Impact

Henry Hamilton III

Lawyers have skills possessed by no other profession—skills that can better society and improve our communities. (5 minutes to read ∙ 1200 words)

Professional Development

Ready Resources in Public Service and Ways to Help Your Community

Check out these ABA books and web resources in public service and ways to help your community. (2 minutes to read ∙ 500 words)

Practice Technology

The Mobile Lawyer’s Tool Kit for 2023

Jeffrey Allen

Today’s tool kit weighs less than it did 20 years ago and offers greater speed, power, and flexibility. (7 minutes to read ∙ 1700 words)

Professional Development

Tips for Solo Practitioners Who Want to Serve Their Communities

Ivette Kuyateh

These pragmatic tools can help you continue cultivating a servant spirit while still running a successful solo practice. (6 minutes to read ∙ 1300 words)

Practice Technology

Hey, ChatGPT, Know Anything about Pro Bono Legal Services?

James Ellis Arden

As the technologies we use, such as AI chatbots, grow more complex, so, too, do our ethical risks. (5 minutes to read ∙ 1200 words)

Practice Technology

Crack the Case with Thomson Reuters Case Center

Jeffrey Allen and Ashley Hallene

Case Center offers an efficient online solution when multiple parties need to present documents in a hearing. (9 minutes to read ∙ 2000 words)

Professional Development

Working with ABA Free Legal Answers

George T. Lewis and Henry Su

Do your part to ensure the quality of justice via this pro bono web platform, and you just might find that volunteering is fun and a welcome break in your workday. (2 minutes to read ∙ 500 words)