Modern Law Library

Outcomes in state supreme courts aren't as simple as Blue vs. Red

12 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Most of the spotlights are on the U.S. Supreme Court when it comes to legal cases that impact civil rights. But state supreme courts are the final arb...

In 'All Her Little Secrets,' the death of an attorney's boss could bring her secrets to light

22 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In her debut novel, All Her Little Secrets, attorney Wanda M. Morris has written a legal thriller full of corporate intrigue and small-town secrets. ...

Our favorite pop culture picks in 2021

08 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In our annual year-in-review episode, Lee Rawles speaks to her ABA Journal colleagues Blair Chavis, Matt Reynolds and Amanda Robert to find out how th...

America's fights over medical treatment choices didn't start with COVID-19 and Ivermectin

24 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Like the legal profession, the practice of medicine in the United States is highly regulated. But it hasn't always been, and the idea that a person ha...

Discover the man behind 12 Angry Men, and the real-life case that inspired him

10 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Whenever the ABA Journal has conducted a survey to find the best legal movies or the best legal plays, Twelve Angry Men has made the list. The black-a...

Want to change a veteran's life through pro bono? There's a manual for that

20 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Since World War II, more than two million service members have been discharged from U.S. military service with a status other than "honorable discharg...

How SCOTUS enabled police abuses of civil rights–and what we can do about it

13 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Much has been said about police officers and departments who violate civil rights or enforce the law in discriminatory ways. But not as much attention...

How to market your legal services to Hispanic clients

22 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Hispanics are becoming an increasingly large segment of the U.S. population, and for an enterprising lawyer, serving the legal needs of Spanish-spea...

A tale of love, loss and conservatorships in the Golden Age of Hollywood

08 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Britney Spears' legal battle over the conservatorship that put her under the control of her father brought international attention to the conservators...

How LinkedIn can help lawyers develop and market their brands

25 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

How do you use LinkedIn? Do you see it as a static resume, or is it the equivalent of your morning newspaper? For Marc W. Halpert, LinkedIn is the mos...

How neurodiverse lawyers can thrive in the profession–and change it for the better

11 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

There’s a business case to be made for hiring attorneys with ADHD, autism, learning disabilities and other neurological differences. Businesses have...

Can the raucous history of Chicago's lakefront teach us how to preserve land for public use?

21 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Joseph D. Kearney and Thomas W. Merrill discuss the shenanigans that ultimately gave the city and the state of Illinois one of its most priceless parc...

Do we need to rethink how we handle classified leaks?

07 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In anticipation of the 50th anniversary of the Pentagon Papers, First Amendment scholars Lee Bollinger and Geoffrey Stone discuss their book "National...

Summer reading and a book coming to the silver screen

23 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Host Lee Rawles shares some of her favorite books she's read since this year, and we revisit our 2017 interview with David Grann in anticipation of th...

'Vice Patrol' examines how police and courts enforced anti-gay laws before Stonewall

09 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In Vice Patrol: Cops, Courts, and the Struggle Over Urban Gay Life Before Stonewall, author Anna Lvovsky examines the way that queer communities were ...

Little-known labor history is illuminated in union attorney's new book

26 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

An attorney's research for a novel turned into an in-depth look at Long Island labor camps where workers lost their lives.

Are you good in a crisis? There may be a growing practice area for you

12 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Brescia and Stern discuss their book, Crisis Lawyering: Effective Legal Advocacy in Emergency Situations, their experiences, and delve into the ethica...

Sen. Mazie Hirono speaks out in 'Heart of Fire'

21 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sen. Mazie Hirono's journey to becoming an outspoken opponent to Trump and the GOP is shared in "Heart of Fire."

Increasing revenue while cutting down on billable hours? 'AI for Lawyers' says it's possible

07 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Can artificial intelligence increase firms' revenue while cutting down on billable hours? The authors of AI for Lawyers say it's possible.

'Watergate Girl' give an inside look at special prosecution team that brought down Nixon

24 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In 'Watergate Girl,' Jill Wine-Banks battles obstruction and the era's sexism to bring Nixon and cronies to justice.

Interested in infectious disease litigations? Before you accept a case, read this

10 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A different kind of wave of coronavirus cases will be coming to courts. Here's what you should know before you take a case.

What can Texas tell us about the rise and fall of the death penalty?

17 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In Let The Lord Sort Them: The Rise and Fall of the Death Penalty, Maurice Chammah shares how Texas became the country's capital punishment capital.

Why do barristers wear wigs? 'Dress Codes' explores fashion and the law

03 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The rules surrounding what we wear can be unwritten social mores or codified in law. Dress Codes: How the Laws of Fashion Made History explains why.

How your firm can use technology to build business and keep clients

27 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Most lawyers are cautious about change, but in The Modern Law Firm, Heinan Landa says technology adoption is key to getting and keeping clients.

'White Fright' author discusses historical lynch mobs and the attack on the Capitol

13 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

White Fright author Jane Dailey discusses what America's history with lynch mobs can teach us about the attack on the Capitol.

Our favorite reads from 2020

23 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Lee Rawles speaks with editor Victor Li and reporters Lyle Moran, Amanda Robert and Stephanie Francis Ward to find out which books helped them make it...

Former corporate lawyer draws inspiration from her family for her tireless clemency work

09 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Brittany Barnett shares how formative experience changed her and made her identify strongly with Sharanda Jones, an incarcerated woman Barnett met dur...

Lawyer recounts the life and legacy of the mysterious man behind Pilates

25 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

John Howard Steel tells the ABA Journal's Lee Rawles about the unlikely history of Pilates–both the exercise phenomenon and the man himself.

Having a hard time connecting with your witness? Try these tips

11 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Katherine James explains to the ABA Journal's Lee Rawles how she draws from her background in the theater to advise lawyers. James shares some of her ...

Knowing when to tell your client 'no,' and other ethical dilemmas

21 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Legal ethics experts Lawrence J. Fox and Susan R. Martyn walk through the Six C’s” of legal ethics and share their advice for what lawyers most ne...

Voting rights attorney tells a tale of dark money chicanery in 'The Coyotes of Carthage'

07 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Steve Wright discusses how he got into creative writing, what it's been like to teach students at the University of Wisconsin Law School remotely, and...

The case for separating Church and State

23 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Erwin Chemerinsky and Howard Gillman are sounding a warning about the direction of SCOTUS rulings on the separation of church and state.

'Demagogue' tells the story of Sen. Joseph McCarthy's rise and fall

09 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What made 1950s America vulnerable to a man like Joseph McCarthy, a junior senator from Wisconsin? In Demagogue: The Life and Long Shadow of Senator J...

6 key numbers that can diagnose the financial health of your law practice

26 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Do you know how many billable hours you can devote to a new case? Or whether you need to add another attorney to your firm? Can you afford to take tim...

Convicted of a crime that never occurred? It happens all too often, law prof says

12 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We are used to hearing about wrongful convictions where a murderer walked free because an innocent person was misidentified. But when Montclair State ...

How well-meaning social reforms created 'Prison by Any Other Name'

22 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

At a time when the country is discussing how the justice system and policing can be reformed, it's critical that we avoid adopting reforms that have d...

How feminism worsened mass incarceration–and how it can stop

15 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

As a law professor at the University of Colorado Law School, Aya Gruber has seen her Millennial students wrestle with a contradiction that she has lon...

What does police abolition look like?

24 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Alex S. Vitale explains the troubling origins of modern policing, why commonly suggested reforms like training and increased diversity have not been s...

What's lost when jury trials vanish?

10 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Thirty years ago, between 9% to 10% of federal criminal cases actually went to trial before a jury. That may not seem like a large percentage, but by ...

Meet 9 American women shortlisted for the U.S. Supreme Court before Sandra Day O'Connor

20 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

As early as the 1930s, presidents were considering putting the first woman on the U.S. Supreme Court. So who were these other candidates on the shortl...

Insider's guide to succeeding in law school

06 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Andrew Guthrie Ferguson says that near the end of every school year, he has law students come into his office, "usually in tears." They tell the profe...

Journalist investigating wrongful convictions turns lens on white-collar criminal case

22 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

When Michael Segal first approached longtime Chicago journalist Maurice Possley about writing about his case, Possley was not interested. Segal's 2002...

Develop your horse sense with equine law

08 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Julie Fershtman has developed a niche practice helping people who love horses deal with the particular joys and challenges that come with equine busin...

What should you read about COVID-19? We asked an epidemiologist

25 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

With a barrage of information and misinformation about COVID-19 coming our way, it can be hard to evaluate what sources are trustworthy, and where to ...

How to achieve vocal power in and out of the courtroom

11 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Public speaking is a crucial part of working as an attorney. It is especially important for female attorneys who are claiming their vocal authority in...

Two families connected by LA riots collide in 'Your House Will Pay

26 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The riots in South Los Angeles in 1992 may be nearly three decades old, but in the present day, two families in the novel Your House Will Pay will fin...

How safe is your right to vote?

05 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The story of voting rights in the United States is not just one of expansion; there have been periods (such as after Reconstruction) where voting righ...

The court of public opinion: Why litigation PR is a critical component of a case

22 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A lawyer’s duties do not begin and end at the courtroom door. They extend beyond to the proverbial court of public opinion. As both an attorney and ...

How to kick off 2020 with more productive business meetings

08 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

When considering our New Year’s resolutions, we all want to be more resourceful with our time, especially with our workdays. We don’t realize how ...

Our favorite reads of 2019

18 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

If you're traveling this holiday season–or just enjoying some end-of-year downtime–you might be in need of some good book recommendations. With th...

What goes on in the mind of a sentencing judge?

04 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A new book by Judge Frederic Block gives a behind-the-scenes look at a judge’s thoughts and feelings when imposing punishments. Block is candid and ...

The Education of Brett Kavanaugh

27 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

One year after Brett Kavanaugh's tumultuous nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court, questions that arose during the nomination hearings still linger. In...

How to master the jury selection process

06 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

As director of the National Legal Research Group’s jury research services division, Jeffrey T. Frederick is an expert on jury selection strategies. ...

Fighting for 9/11's first responders

30 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Tens of thousands of people worked at Ground Zero after the World Trade Center attacks in 2001, looking for survivors, sifting for human remains and b...

New book addresses critical legal issues, policies and strategies surrounding smart technology

09 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

From connected cars and industrial systems to toothbrushes and refrigerators, "internet of things" technology seems to be everywhere in the daily live...

African American farmer’s legal battle to save his family farm is focus of ‘Catfish Dream’

25 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ed Scott was the first ever non-white owner and operator of a catfish plant in the nation. The former sharecropper-turned-landowner was part of a clas...

How power dynamics in the workplace shield perpetrators of sexual harassment

11 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We often associate the #MeToo movement with the entertainment industry, but sexual harassment is a widespread problem in all industries. The hierarchi...

Debut novelist's tale of Sri Lankan refugees wins the Harper Lee Prize

28 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In 2009 and 2010, two cargo ships packed with refugees fleeing the Sri Lankan civil war arrived on the shores of Canada. Those refugees inspired Sharo...

How to train your expert

07 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

When it comes to working with an expert or expert witness, there can be a lot of moving parts to keep track of. Navigating a relationship with an expe...

Founder of The Slants talks about the band's free-speech fight

24 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

When Simon Tam booked the first gig for The Slants, there was a major obstacle to overcome: The band did not technically have any other members yet. T...

How the Great Recession changed American law firms

10 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

There’s no denying that law firms have gone through significant changes in the last decade. These changes continue to create unprecedented challenge...

How to become a federal criminal

19 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The good news for anyone aspiring to a life of crime is that you may be a multiple offender of federal criminal laws without even being aware of it. M...

A curmudgeon's guide to surviving and thriving in BigLaw

05 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Who’s afraid of the big bad partner? For new law graduates and associates going into the world of BigLaw, the stakes have never been higher and neit...

Public-Speaking Skills Every Lawyer Should Master

22 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

For every lawyer that thinks they have oral presentations down pat, there’s another that has anxiety about talking in front of a crowd. And they bot...

The strange tale of the 'Voodoo Reverend' and Harper Lee's lost true-crime book

08 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A series of suspicious deaths; a murder at a victim's funeral; a minister whom locals suspected was dabbling in voodoo; a gregarious Alabama lawyer an...

Why tech tools can hold both promise and peril for policing

24 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Like everyone else, police are inundated with new gadgets and technologies promised to make their jobs easier. But do they? In his new book, Thin Blue...

Networking for Introverts

10 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

You have to network to get work. Carol Shiro Greenwald wrote her book Strategic Networking for Introverts, Extroverts, and Everyone in Between for the...

A look back at Lizzie Borden

20 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cara Robertson has been fascinated by the axe murders of Andrew and Abby Borden–and the daughter who stood trial for those murders–since she was a...

Former JAG captain draws from history and sports for diversity advice

06 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Kenneth Imo spent years playing college football, working his way up in the military and leading the charge for diversity in two international law fir...

From Columbine to Parkland: How have school shootings changed us?

20 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The 10 years that Dave Cullen spent researching and reporting on the 1999 shootings in Littleton, Colorado for his book "Columbine" were so draining t...

Building blockchain expertise into a practice area that pays

11 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Blockchain's a buzzword, but what does it mean? In this episode of the Modern Law Library, our guests James A. Cox and Mark W. Rasmussen give a breakd...

The Supreme Court’s colorful history with alcohol gets a look in ‘Glass and Gavel’

23 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

From the earliest days of the U.S. Supreme Court, alcohol has been part of the work lives and social lives of the justices. In the book "Glass and Gav...

How introverted lawyers can harness their traits for success

09 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

“Fake it ‘till you make it.” For Heidi K. Brown, trying to mimic her extroverted peers in litigation always felt forced. She pushed through law ...

How to avoid burnout and be “The Best Lawyer You Can Be”

19 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

A new year, a new you? Stewart Levine has spent over three decades speaking to legal professionals after suffering from burnout as a lawyer himself. H...

3 trial court judges share the tough cases that stuck with them

05 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

All judges have cases that stick with them and linger in their memories. Sometimes it was because of the high profile of the case, and sometimes an ob...

How this lawyer turned a love for sports into his career

20 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

After navigating the ups and downs of being an agent, Darren Heitner pursued another avenue that combined his love of negotiation and athletics: sport...

Ken Starr shares his side of the Clinton investigation in 'Contempt'

07 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Ken Starr has been a D.C. Circuit Court judge, a law school dean and the U.S. solicitor general. But he is best known for his work in the Office of th...

How to stop worrying and learn to love data-driven law

24 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

“If you look at finance or medicine or sports, almost every other thing in the world is using data to make better decisions,” says Ed Walters. The...

We need to talk about abortion, says author of 'Scarlet A'

10 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Kate Watson talks about ways to have productive discussions about abortion; the emerging areas of contention which could be coming before the Supreme ...

How to be (sort of) happy in law school

19 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Law school can be a lonely, stressful time, and it’s easy to feel like you're failing to fit the model of the perfect law student. But there’s no ...

Can you become a better lawyer in 5 minutes a day? This author thinks so

22 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Many people promote a daily practice of meditation, spiritual contemplation and mindfulness as a way to improve your personal life and wellbeing. Atto...

What would it mean to impeach a president?

25 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The authority to impeach and remove a U.S. president is one of the legislative branch's most powerful weapons. But in the country's history, despite m...

Meet the nominees for the 2018 Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction

20 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Lisa Scottoline, C.E. Tobisman and Scott Turow have at least three things in common: They’re all novelists, attorneys and nominees for this year’s...

How Anthony Comstock's anti-obscenity crusade changed American law

06 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

From 1873 until his death in 1915, Anthony Comstock was the most powerful shaper of American censorship and obscenity laws. Although he was neither an...

How Nixon used a law firm stint to resurrect his political career and win the presidency

23 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

After losing both the 1960 presidential election and the 1962 California governor’s race, Richard Milhouse Nixon vowed at a press conference, “You...

How can we fight to reduce bias? 6th Circuit judge shares her thoughts

10 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Studies have shown that implicit bias is something that affects everyone to some degree. So what steps can legal professionals at all ranks take to ma...

How broken windows policing changed the legal landscape in ‘Misdemeanorland’How broken windows policing changed the legal landscape in ‘Misdemeanorland’

25 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

As violent crime in New York City peaked from 1988-1991, policy makers were desperate for ways to combat and prevent it. In 1994, a new theory was emb...

Roe v. Wade had a broader impact than the public realizes, says author of 'Beyond Abortion'

11 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In the 45 years since Roe v. Wade was decided, it has been a focal point for both anti-abortion and pro-abortion rights groups. But the opinion in t...

Uncovering the secret history of how corporations gained their civil rights

21 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

When we think of civil rights movements, the first to spring to mind might be the battles against African-American segregation or for women's suffrage...

Dark tale of 'The Cadaver King and the Country Dentist' brings wrongful convictions to light

07 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

For nearly two decades, Dr. Steven Hayne and Dr. Michael West were the go-to experts that Mississippi law enforcement and prosecutors relied on when t...

A stalled elevator leads to love in lawyer's best-selling romance novel

21 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Being trapped on an elevator leads to romance for the hero and heroine in The Wedding Date, written by attorney Jasmine Guillory. When a pediatric sur...

Teamsters lawyer pens children’s book to show importance of the labor movement

07 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

As general counsel for the Teamsters Union Local 810, Mark Torres spends his days arguing for workers' rights. But another of his passions is writing;...

Bryan Garner reflects on his friendship with Justice Antonin Scalia in ‘Nino and Me’

17 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

To Bryan Garner, editor in chief of Black’s Law Dictionary, Justice Antonin Scalia was a friend, a mentor, a collaborator and a fellow lover of word...

How a Quaker’s suit against the Secretary of Defense still impacts cases over government surveillance

03 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

You have reason to believe you’re being monitored by the government, that they are following you and cataloging everywhere you go and everyone you t...

Barbie v. Bratz: What happened when toy titans took each other to court

20 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

In this month’s Modern Law Library, we read a thrilling tale of dueling toymakers, corporate espionage and a group of brats taking on the queen of t...

Georgetown law prof calls for complete re-imagining of criminal justice system in 'Chokehold'

06 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

As a former federal prosecutor in Washington, D.C., Paul Butler once worked to put people in prison. Now, he has come to believe that prisons should b...

Will big data tools make policing less biased--or violate people’s rights?

15 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

With resource-strapped police departments facing pressure to avert crime and end racially discriminatory police practices, many are turning to data-dr...

What can we learn from the history of interracial relationships in America?

04 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Fifty years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down laws against interracial marriage in Loving v. Virginia. But Richard and Mildred Loving were not ...

How the author of 'The Forgotten Flight' fought to bring justice for terror victims' families

06 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

If you mention a terrorist attack in which a Libyan suitcase bomb brought down an airliner, most people will be quick to remember Pan Am Flight 103, w...

First Amendment defender warns of threats to free speech in the ‘fake news’ era

03 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The rights to free speech and freedom of the press guaranteed in the Bill of Rights. But when it was first passed–and for its first hundred or so ye...