Less litigation, more practical skills in law school needed, junior associates say

Almost half of law school associates say law school didn’t prepare them for practice, with a lack of training in practical experience cited most often as the reason why, according to a new study released Monday.

Apr 30, 2024 10:55 AM CDT

ABA should consider impact of rape-disclosure questions on bar applications, 3 senators tell association

The ABA should study the prevalence of bar admissions questions that require the disclosure of campus sexual misconduct complaints and requests for orders of protection, according to a letter by three members of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Apr 29, 2024 12:17 PM CDT

It’s a quick goodbye for many departing associates, new NALP Foundation report finds

Eighty-two percent of associates who left their law firms in 2023 did so within five years of hiring, a figure that is at “an all-time high,” according to a report released Wednesday by the NALP Foundation for Law Career Research and Education.

Apr 11, 2024 9:09 AM CDT

This state is creating a way to skip the bar exam and making it easier to pass for those who take it

The Washington Supreme Court has adopted alternative pathways to a law license, becoming the second state to do so in a little more than four months.

Mar 18, 2024 10:58 AM CDT

Justice Thomas hires clerk accused of sending racist text; was she set up by rogue employee?

A graduate of the George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School will be clerking for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, despite a prior allegation that she sent a racist text while working at a conservative group.

Feb 26, 2024 9:51 AM CST

New website will let law clerks judge their judges

A database is launching next month that will allow young lawyers to review the judges they worked for and give law students a way to learn which judges have good—or bad—reputations as employers.

Feb 26, 2024 9:40 AM CST

Small firm hiring deserves greater scrutiny

As a law professor, one of the most rewarding parts of my job is helping students navigate their burgeoning legal careers and find positions that bring professional satisfaction and success. I am always delighted when students appear in my office with an offer in hand or a story about an amazing case that they worked on over the summer.

Feb 23, 2024 1:17 PM CST

What to do when friends or family members ask for legal advice

“It’s never going to go well,” Arizona attorney Lynda C. Shely says about the prospect of representing anyone you are close to, including family members and friends. Shely, the immediate past chair of the ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility, works in private practice and has advised more than 2,500 law firms around the country on legal ethics matters.

Jan 25, 2024 8:34 AM CST

The First-Year Switch: Succeeding after an early lateral move

Ten years ago, I was a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed young attorney, fresh from a federal clerkship and eager to start my litigation career. One year later, I was a sleepless, burned-out basket case on my way out the door asking myself, “Did I make an awful mistake when I went to law school?” Fast forward almost a decade, and I can answer that question with a resounding no.

Jan 3, 2024 1:45 PM CST

Now is the time to consider a lawyer exchange

As lawyers, whether we practice in a corporate legal office, a global law firm or an independent firm, we are all trying to position ourselves for success in a changing and more globalized legal landscape. We are also all facing challenges in recruiting and retaining the young lawyers who will help us get there. Lawyer exchanges are one tool that can be effective on both fronts.

Dec 12, 2023 12:22 PM CST

Armin Salek builds new pathway to profession for aspiring first-generation lawyers

At age 33, Armin Salek has his dream job. He is the founder and the executive director of the Youth Justice Alliance, a nonprofit organization in Austin, Texas, that provides aspiring first-generation lawyers with financial and institutional support starting in high school.

Dec 6, 2023 10:01 AM CST

Campus politics playing bigger role in prelaw students’ law school considerations, survey says

As conflicts related to the Hamas-Israeli war flare up on law school campuses, more than half of prelaw students—58%—want to attend a law school where their politics will align with those of others on campus, according to a survey by Kaplan conducted just before the war started and released Tuesday.

Nov 28, 2023 9:17 AM CST

What ‘Wolf Hall’ taught me about practicing law

Every practicing attorney is familiar with the prelaw literary canon—that list of books every law student should read. A Civil Action, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Buffalo Creek Disaster. These books are meant to inspire a love of justice, hard work and a desire to fight for society’s underdogs.

Nov 20, 2023 8:44 AM CST

Legal profession needs to support Native American female lawyers, new ABA report shows

Native American female lawyers often feel isolated and exhausted, and they have endured pervasive bias and harassment, according to a new report published by the ABA Commission on Women in the Profession and the National Native American Bar Association on Thursday.

Nov 2, 2023 2:05 PM CDT

Race, ethnicity, parents’ education level produce differing job outcomes for class of 2022 law grads

Nikia Gray, the executive director of the National Association for Law Placement, is asking legal employers to “stand firm” on their commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion after the release of data showing that minorities from the class of 2022 fare worse in employment numbers.

Oct 17, 2023 3:30 PM CDT