YourABA April 2019

Professional Development

10 tips for better legal writing

The legal writing process is not “one size fits all” and “people need to find the one that fits them best," David Howard Spratt, professor of legal rhetoric at American University Washington College of Law, said in the recent “Landslide Webinar Series: Take Your Legal Writing from Good to Great—Drafting Tips from the Pros”.

Ethics

Undue influence? Special interest groups sponsor judicial education

by Dennis Rendleman, ABA Center for Professional Responsibility

In February 2019, the federal Committee on Codes of Conduct issued a new judicial ethics opinion, Advisory Opinion No. 116: Participation in Educational Seminars Sponsored by Research Institutes, Think Tanks, Associations, Public Interest Groups, or Other Organizations Engaged in Public Policy Debates.

Trade, Sports & Professional Associations

Is it time to pay college athletes?

Duke basketball player Zion Williamson’s injury less than a minute into his team’s highly anticipated game against North Carolina in February revived the debate about amateurism in college sports. Should the expected No. 1 NBA draft pick risk his financial future by continuing to play, or sit out the rest of the season?

Pretrial Practice & Motions

Child witnesses: Must-dos to best ensure reliable testimony

In everyday life when speaking to a child, most adults modify their language so the youngster can understand what they are saying. But that same approach often does not occur in the courtroom, say the authors of a recent article in The Judges’ Journal.

Practice Management

Top three reasons for malpractice suits – and how to mitigate your risk

Clients suing their lawyers has become more acceptable and easier to do, says a veteran attorney reflecting on changes during the past three decades in the legal malpractice arena.

Practice Technology

Billable time: Considerations for first-timers

Lawyers have heavy workloads and often work whenever they can, at any hour, from any location. Tracking billable hours can be challenging, but is essential for your business to succeed.

Practice Technology

AI boosts contract analysis

by Erçin Aslan, ABA Law Technology Today

Digitally augmenting the work of lawyers and in-house counsels could be the next step in the vast field of contract review. In complex fast-paced economies, diverging interests collide and are balanced out by the law and the tools it provides for that purpose, such as the use of contracts.

Ethics

How small firm lawyers can avoid ethics traps

Recognizing potential ethics traps as a small firm lawyer requires more than just following the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct. A good lawyer will internalize the concepts stated in the rules more effectively with real-life examples, and one way to do this is by studying attorney discipline matters and malpractice claims.

Practice Management

Family lawyer: Identifying, managing difficult clients

Anne Hamer, a family lawyer at Wolff Ardis PC in Memphis, shared her checklist for how to evaluate potential clients on the webinar, “Difficult People: Dealing with Opposing Counsel and Clients.”

Pretrial Practice & Motions

Best pretrial hacks

Strategies and techniques to enhance the chances for successful resolution of lawsuits and disputes are many and evolving, and the ABA book, “From the Trenches III: Pretrial Strategies for Success,” builds on the earlier editions published in 2015 and 2017, respectively.