YourABA December 2019

Ethics

“Truthiness” and professional responsibility

by Dennis A. Rendleman, former ABA Ethics Counsel and current Springfield, Illinois, lawyer

It’s hard to remember nowadays that “truthiness” dates from all the way back to 2005. Many would say we’ve even entered into a “post-truthiness” era–rephrased as “post-truth.”

General Practice

5 ways to stay safe on airport WiFi

by Ervin Barrell, ABA Legal Technology Today

The more people you share an internet connection with, the more vulnerable you are to data theft. That’s why it is always safe to browse the internet from home or at the workplace where the networks are uncongested and secure. But you cannot hide in this comfort zone forever; you will occasionally need to use public internet, such as a coffee shop or airport WiFi. When that happens, how do you secure your data? Here are 5 tips for staying safe while using airport WiFi.

General Practice

Encryption to protect confidentiality is easier than you think

Email and other forms of electronic communications offer fast, convenient and inexpensive ways to correspond, but they also present serious risks, particularly in the area of confidentiality.

General Practice

How to confront bias in the criminal justice system

In 1999, the American Bar Association conducted a nationwide survey and released a report entitled “Public Understanding and Perceptions of the American Justice System,” in which half of the respondents thought that men were treated more fairly than women in the criminal justice system and fewer than half thought that people of color were treated as fairly as whites. A Pew Research Center study published last May on the perception of justice shows similar results some 20 years later: 9 in 10 black adults (87%) said blacks are generally treated less fairly by the criminal justice system than whites, a view shared by 61% of white adults.

Courts & Judiciary

Judges: Reporters share #1 tip for news coverage you want

News coverage of court proceedings can be maddeningly inconsistent. Some reporters are masters of the beat and have a deep understanding of law and procedure. Others, new to the courthouse, mangle rulings and misunderstand legal concepts.

General Practice

Does your social media policy violate labor law?

It’s no surprise that companies have developed social media policies to protect their interests in an age when scandalous information can be broadcast to the four corners of the Earth in the click of a mouse.

General Practice

More lawyers are needed to fill gaps in election process, experts say

With the 2020 election less than a year away, voting rights was the focus of the November program, “Fourth Annual State of Voting Rights,” held at Steptoe & Johnson LLP in Washington, D.C.

General Practice

More lawyers are needed to fill gaps in election process, experts say

With the 2020 election less than a year away, voting rights was the focus of the November program, “Fourth Annual State of Voting Rights,” held at Steptoe & Johnson LLP in Washington, D.C.

General Practice

Why senior women leave the law — and how to stem the tide

Roberta D. Liebenberg and Stephanie A. Scharf call it the “leaky pipeline” problem that’s long been discussed at law firms. That’s the one with “women representing approximately half of the new associates but then leaving their firms at higher rates than their male counterparts as they approach partnership consideration,” they say.

Human Rights

Prosecutors: New best practices on serving trafficking victims

The American Bar Association Commission on Domestic and Sexual Violence has released a new report, “Workable Solutions for Criminal Record Relief: Recommendations for Prosecutors Serving Victims of Human Trafficking.” The report is the final product of the commission’s Survivor Reentry Project, a national training and technical assistance initiative on criminal record relief for survivors of human trafficking.