YourABA October 2018

Diversity & Inclusion

The Crusade against Model Rule 8.4(g)

by Dennis Rendleman

It has been a little over a year since the ABA House of Delegates adopted Model Rule 8.4(g).

Professional Development

The art and science of lawyering: Law 3.0

by David Carns

Most professional services require a mixture of art and science. Professions like medicine, law, architecture and engineering demand much more of practitioners than applying information learned by rote.

Trial Practice

Seasoned judges: Practical wisdom to avoid “nightmare trials”

Two experienced trial judges – Haywood S. Gilliam Jr., of the U.S. District Court for Northern California and Ioana Petrou of the Superior Court of California – know what a smooth-running trial looks like and share their thoughts on pretrial and trial strategies in the ABA webinar, “Sweet Dreams: Management Tips to Avoid Nightmare Trials.”

Career

5 musts for an effective succession plan

Lawyers who don’t have a succession plan for their practice in the event of death or disability leave their clients and firms in jeopardy. This happens more often than you think, particularly with small and solo law firms, and it shouldn’t, according to the legal experts who participated in the webinar, “So It’s Time: Responsible Planning for Closing the Law Office.”

Career

Imposter Syndrome? 8 tactics to combat the anxiety

What do Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Serena Williams and Tom Hanks have in common? They have all admitted to struggling at one point with Impostor Syndrome — that feeling of not being smart enough, being terrified of making mistakes and worried about being exposed as a fraud, despite career attainments or expertise.

Appellate Practice

State supreme court justice: Keys for successful oral arguments

According to Judge Mary R. Russell of the Missouri Supreme Court, a successful oral argument is one where any “questions asked of the attorney are addressed fully. Don’t put the answer off. Pause and make sure any other follow-up questions that are being asked are also answered.”

Business Development

Does your law firm accept only cash and checks? You’re losing money

If you’re still just accepting checks and cash as forms of payment, you’re losing out on thousands of dollars per year in business.

Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity: Your ethical obligations outlined by legal tech experts

Data breaches are an everyday event, and legal professionals have a specific obligation to protect themselves and their clients from exposure to these threats. The webinar “Darkest Hour? Shining a Light on Cyber Ethical Obligations,” is one in a five-part series sponsored by the ABA Cybersecurity Task Force and supported by “The ABA Cybersecurity Handbook: A Resource for Attorneys, Law Firms, and Business Professionals, Second Edition.”

Business Development

4 tips to profit in several niches (even if you don’t think you can)

As a lawyer hanging her own shingle for the first time, serving as many clients as possible in as many areas of the law as you can handle may seem like the best way to maximize revenue.