TYL In Focus

    TYL In Focus is a topical collection of articles created to help new lawyers navigate and better understand a wide variety of substantive and career-development aspects of the practice of law. TYL In Focus is a benefit of membership in the ABA and is available only online. The issues are available for PDF download. To add any of these special issues to your digital library, your membership in the ABA must be current, and you must be logged onto the ABA website.

    Business Management

    Managing your practice while building client relationships can seem daunting, but there are specific and important habits and practices you can develop that will result in maintaining a healthy, satisfying practice. This issue offers you tips for starting your own practice. Kerry Lavelle discusses potential pitfalls and some firm leaders offer tips. We also have a lot of advice on building a client base and starting a niche practice.

    Finances

    Unfortunately, there isn’t a one size fits all approach for lawyers to repay their student loans. Michael Lux has 15 things for you to consider as you plan your debt repayment. We detail the best personal finance and investment apps and offer advice for those starting or transitioning to a new job. We also explain the tax consequences of marriage and whether you should get a financial advisor.

    Employment Negotiations

    Whether you are interviewing for your first job, seeking out a new opportunity, or asking for a raise or two, salary negotiation is a skill that you will need throughout your career. This issue addresses salary negotiation, fringe benefit negotiation, and how to move laterally to a new firm.

    Space Law

    Space Law governs space-related activities, including space exploration, liability for damage, weapons use, rescue efforts, environmental preservation, information sharing, new technologies, and ethics. This issue explores space law and policy, looking at the satellite monitoring of cultural heritage in conflict zones and the ways blockchain can advance space exploration.

    Higher Education Law

    The legal issues facing colleges and universities are more challenging than ever, extending to every corner of campus life with increasing complexity. In this special issue on higher education law, we have articles detailing what someone in higher education law faces day-to-day on the job, immigration and higher education, Title IX, and the GDPR. We also get into compliance risks and the history of on-campus protests.

    Antitrust

    Congress enacted antitrust laws to promote free competition and stop anticompetitive conduct on a federal level. In this special issue, we look at the AT&T/Time Warner Decision, the evolution of antitrust in the European Union and the United States, healthcare and antitrust, and more.

    Oral Advocacy

    Advocacy is an art, not a science. Effective courtroom advocacy requires more than a solid command of the factual and legal arguments. This issue of TYL In Focus offers you oral advocacy tips from a law school professor, effective courtroom advocacy from a former judicial clerk, and advice from Judge Mary R. Russell of the Supreme Court of Missouri.

    Real Estate

    Have you ever heard of adverse possession? Do you know what constitutes stigmatized property? What the heck is cannabis leasing? These are some of the topics covered in this edition of TYL In Focus, which centers on the complex practice area of real estate law.

    Technology Matters

    Technology is evolving faster than our ability to adapt. This issue of TYL In Focus examines technology and the law, from blockchain to artificial intelligence. We look at forensics and electronic discovery as well as the ways technology can improve your work-life balance.

    Military Law

    More and more, new lawyers are becoming JAG officers, working in all legal matters involving the military, which mirrors almost every aspect of civilian law. However, non-military lawyers can find themselves representing client who serve in the armed forces, and this comes with unique challenges.

    Confidentiality

    Rule 1.6 of the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct states: “A lawyer shall not reveal information relating to the representation of a client unless the client gives informed consent, the disclosure is impliedly authorized in order to carry out the representation” or the disclosure is permitted by the rules. This issue of TYL In Focus looks at confidentiality.

    Immigration Law

    In this issue, we examine issues related to immigration, such as the travel ban, and DACA. We cover immigration scams, your client’s rights, pro bono opportunities, and whether foreign national trafficking victims will continue to receive protection and immigration relief under the current administration.

    Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

    This issue touches on LGBT health disparities, employment issues, and how to work with transgender clients. Nathan Cordle describes how the Obama Administration expanded the interpretation of Title IX, only to have it reversed in 2017 by the Trump Administration. We also present stories from two lawyers who describe what it was like to come out in the profession.

    Becoming a Partner

    In this issue, we tackle the partner mystery--the challenges and rewards that come with the responsibility of partnership. We offer strategies to help you craft a career you love as well as tips on how to decide if you even want to make the transition. And of course, we cover the financial considerations involved in becoming a partner.

    Access to Education

    This issue discusses the challenges faced by many without vital educational resources. You will find articles covering the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, racial inequality in public schools, the education of foster youth, school closings, and more. In his article, Desmond Meade discusses how a prior felony conviction won’t allow him to use his law degree.

    Mentoring

    Mentoring is a vital stepping-stone to a successful career for every new lawyer. This issue discusses the importance of mentoring and what mentoring may look like in the future. We also offer countless tips on how to be a good mentee and get the most out of the mentoring experience as well as advice on how to be a good mentor.

    Cybersecurity

    It is no secret that large corporations are under constant threat of cyber attacks. They house personal and corporate data worth millions of dollars that hackers can sell and use themselves for nefarious ends, including for theft of identity and financial assets.

    Sports and Entertainment

    In this issue, Jeff Cohen shares the basics of entertainment law, and Roger Abrams gives advice on how to become a sports lawyer. We also look at artful negotiation, the gender pay gap in professional sports, and we hear from the grandfather of computer games law.

    Business Law

    Did you know that one of the most important duties performed by new attorneys is closing a transaction? We have this covered. This special issue also offers information on commercial credit agreements, the basics of commercial general liability policies, B Corporations and Benefit Corporations, and tips on how to comply with the regulatory flexibility act.

    Class Actions

    This issue looks at practical aspects of communicating with a class from a plaintiff's perspective; offers a primer on elevated health claims; provides class action basics for solo practitioners; and addresses the problems of the class action system.

    Environmental Law

    In this issue, we survey the litigation of environmental issues outside of conventional environmental law, increased renewable energy development and reducing carbon emissions, clean water and sanitation, global environmental law practice, and much more.

    Ethics

    Ethical issues and dilemmas are pervasive in the legal profession—they affect both the work environment and the lawyer’s work itself. In this issue of In Focus, we look at some of the thornier issues facing new lawyers and provide insight into how civility and attention to ethics can help in professional advancement.

    In-House Counsel

    With this issue, we go in-depth to look at what it takes to make the leap and what the work entails—including the career paths available to corporate counsel; fee arrangements; how to talk to the media; working with clients; and much more. This issue guides those considering making a move, the lawyers who are in the process of moving, and those who are just starting out in the world of corporate counsel.

    Solo and Small Firm

    With this installment, we provide a blueprint for launching your own law practice—from choice of entity and essential technology to branding your firm in the digital age. We even provide information about how to find the right kind of mentor and consider the reality of the work-life balance.

    Poplaw

    In this edition of In Focus, we examine several high-profile cases involving artists, celebrities, movie studios, and streaming services. We also explore how to best use storytelling in one’s everyday practice and survey the landscape of intellectual property law as it applies to superheroes.

    Litigation

    In this issue, you can read about case preparation, how to take a deposition and develop an opening statement. You can also read about how mediation plays a role in the litigation process. We've even included a couple of pieces that speak to a litigator's mindset—one from a judge, another from noteworthy legal instructor James McElhaney.

    Writing

    This issue draws rare insight from some of the sharpest minds in the profession—including Bryan Garner, who reveals the ways in which the writing of others improves our own compositions; Duke Professor George Gopen, who provides insight into how to control, through writing, the perceptions others have of our clients’ stories; and Judge Richard Posner, who instructs us in the drafting of effective appellate briefs.

    Administrative Law

    This issue provides advice from both administrative law experts and a new practitioner, looks at a rulemaking question confronting Wallstreet, and outlines 10 easy steps for using the powerful Freedom of Information Act. Also included are a review of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs' New Agency Rules and a glimpse into Rulemaking 101.

    Dispute Resolution

    This e-book surveys the use of deep listening in ADR and elsewhere in practice, looks into a crystal ball to predict the future of conflict resolution, examines the ethics and new rules of ADR, provides tips for mediating like a pro, and shines a light on how technology is being used for online divorce mediation.

    Health Law

    With this issue, we take a closer look at ways to start a successful health law career, investigate lesser-known aspects of the Affordable Care Act, demystify the Health Information and Portability and Accountability Act, and survey the subtleties of the laws surrounding medicinal and recreational marijuana.

    Holiday Law

    This issue investigates various aspects of holidays, including new approaches to holiday marketing of a law practice, tips for hosting (and attending) office and at-home parties, the legal framework for displays of religious holiday items in public forums, and even how to bail out a family member or friend from jail.

    Intellectual Property

    Intellectual property is a broad, popular field of practice that has significant ramifications for lawyers of many kinds. This installment of TYL In Focus surveys this complex area by offering a primer on the lingo of IP law, an overview of trademark basics for general practitioners, and a look at copyright and works made for hire. The issue also delves into the protection of trade secrets and the intersection of fair use and the First Amendment.

    Labor and Employment

    This special issue looks at whether a downward trending rate of unemployment signals a healthy recovery, US Supreme Court cases related to labor and employment law, equal pay for women, recent HIPAA changes that affect labor and employment practitioners, and National Disability Employment Awareness Month.

    Criminal Law

    This special issue provides information on how to build a practice through referral work from other attorneys, an exploration of the differences between criminal and civil discovery, and lessons from criminal law for civil law practitioners. It also includes a look at how to represent protesters and what it's like to work in DUII defense work.

    Networking

    The inaugural issue of TYL In Focus covers the all-important topic of networking. We provide perspectives on how to become more comfortable in practice, suggestions for the best places to make connections, and tips and tactics on cementing good habits into your daily networking regimen. It also includes a painful look back at some of our own rookie mistakes.

    TYL Article Library

    Our article library is arranged by topic and includes a vast array of valuable career advice.

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