YourABA June 2019

Lawyer Wellness

From fear to power

“As a profession, we need to stop pretending that fear does not exist in lawyering,” writes Heidi K. Brown in “Untangling Fear in Lawyering: A Four-Step Journey Toward Powerful Advocacy.”

Prosecution

“There must be a pony in there somewhere” – New ABA Formal Ethics Opinion 486

by Dennis Rendleman, ABA Ethics Counsel, ABA Center for Professional Responsibility

“The presumption of innocence means that if we don’t know whether someone is guilty, they are not supposed to get convicted. But the misdemeanor system reverses those presumptions so that uncertainty all too often leads to conviction” – Alexandra Natapoff, Punishment Without Crime

Practice Management

Top 5 reasons why lawyers lose money

by Gary Allen and Lynda Artesani, Legal Technology Today

There are so many ways that lawyers leave money on the table – unnecessarily.

Human Rights

Clooneys, Microsoft, others join forces with ABA on human rights project

The American Bar Association officially announced its groundbreaking TrialWatch® initiative on April 25 at Columbia Law School. TrialWatch is focused on monitoring and responding to trials around the world that pose a high risk of human rights violations.

Technology

#WhyYouShouldCareAbout emojis😊, emoticons :) and hashtags

While emails and texts have been common forms of evidence during trials for more than two decades, emojis, emoticons and hashtags are just now starting to make their way into the world of litigation.

Trial Practice

Lie detectors: Facial clues to sniff out a liar

We all encounter deceptions and half-truths in ordinary life, and body language can help us better identify when people aren’t being honest, says litigation attorney Christopher Meyers of Wilenchik & Bartness, noting research that shows up to 90 percent of human communication is nonverbal.

New Attorneys

Young Lawyers launch Men of Color Project, offering career boosters

The ABA Young Lawyers Division’s Men of Color Summit on May 4 at Howard University School of Law in Washington, D.C., marked the official launch of the division’s new initiative to advance the careers of diverse young men in the law.

Disability

Q&A: Experts advise on criminal justice clients with mental disabilities

For criminal defense lawyers, clients with mental disabilities are a part of your practice. This ranges from the white-collar criminal defense lawyer who represents an executive charged with tax evasion to the public defender assigned to represent someone charged after a violent crime.

Technology

Internet of Things brings threats -- and new opportunities

The network of connected devices will continue to expand exponentially, raising issues related to liability, security, privacy and a host of others – presenting challenges and new opportunities for lawyers.

New Attorneys

Recent JDs offer insider tips on thriving on Capitol Hill

At the Spring Conference of the ABA Young Lawyers Division, held May 2-4 in Washington, D.C., four congressional staffers shared their experiences using their law degrees on Capitol Hill.