Krause, C. A., & Chong, J. (2019). Lawyer Wellbeing as a Crisis of the Profession. SCL Rev., 71, 203. The legal profession is in the throes of a mental health crisis. State bars across the country continue to be rocked by the tragic loss of their lawyers to suicide and accidental drug overdose. Recent studies have also…
What’s Inside the Black Box? AI Challenges for Lawyers and Researchers
Yu, R., & Alì, G. (2019). What’s Inside the Black Box? AI Challenges for Lawyers and Researchers. Legal Information Management, 19(1), 2-13. The Artificial intelligence revolution is happening and is going to drastically re-shape legal research in both the private sector and academia. AI research tools present several advantages over traditional research methods. They allow for the…
American Bar Association issues guidance on using legal assistants
The American Bar Association Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility has issued a formal opinion that provides guidance for lawyers on how to use legal assistants to perform client intake tasks under ABA Model Rules. The opinion highlights the benefits of using nonlawyer assistants but also warns that without proper policies, training, and supervision,…
MIT Computational Law Report: Generative AI for Law and Legal Processes
The MIT Computational Law Report has convened a task force to develop principles and guidelines for applying due diligence and legal assurance to Generative AI for law and legal processes. The purpose of this task force is to ensure factual accuracy, accurate sources, valid legal reasoning, alignment with professional ethics, due diligence, and responsible use…
“This Is Not Normal”: The Role of Lawyer Organizations in Protecting Constitutional Norms and Values
Lawyer organizations in the United States perform a range of functions. Some are essentially social clubs that provide networking opportunities for lawyers. Others help their members stay up to date on changes in the law and provide other educational and material benefits. Through these efforts, lawyer organizations often serve as a site where lawyers learn…
This Is Not Normal”: The Role of Lawyer Organizations in Protecting Constitutional Norms and Values
Lawyer organizations in the United States perform a range of functions. Some are essentially social clubs that provide networking opportunities for lawyers. Others help their members stay up to date on changes in the law and provide other educational and material benefits.1 Through these efforts, lawyer organizations often serve as a site where lawyers learn…
Are lawyer-lobbyists answerable to “a higher authority”? Bar association rules as lobbying regulation in the EU and the USA
This legal comparative article analyzes the regulatory framework of lobbying services provided by law firms in the European Union and the USA. The comparison of regulation between the jurisdictions focuses on three aspects: the definition of lobbying, the legal advice exception, and alignment with bar association rules. While the EU and the USA are largely…
Characteristics of lawyers who are subject to complaints and misconduct findings
Sklar, T., Taouk, Y., Studdert, D., Spittal, M., Paterson, R., & Bismark, M. (2019). Characteristics of lawyers who are subject to complaints and misconduct findings. Journal of Empirical Legal Studies, 16(2), 318-342. Regulators of the legal profession are charged with protecting the public by ensuring lawyers are fit to practice law. However, their approach tends to be…
Ethical considerations for lawyers when responding to clients with cognitive decline
November is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, a time when we increase awareness of Alzheimer’s disease and the more than 6.2 million Americans living with it. And as our population ages, the chances that a lawyer may interact with a client with cognitive decline may increase too. The Alzheimer’s Association predicts that 12.7 million Americans 65 and older (almost 1 in…
Twelve Tips to Help You Avoid Disciplinary Proceedings
No lawyer sets out to become a disciplinary statistic. Some lawyers, however, find themselves corresponding more often with disciplinary authorities than others. Solo and small firm practitioners, especially with practices in criminal, family or personal injury law, receive the highest number of client complaint letters. During the many years of representing lawyers in disciplinary proceedings,…