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ABA Journal: Modern Law Library

ABA Journal: Modern Law Library is a 2016 Lisagor Award-winning podcast featuring top legal authors and discussions of interesting legal theories and historical events. Join Lee Rawles each month to review a legal publication on ABA Journal: Modern Law Library.

Jan 8, 2020

How to kick off 2020 with more productive business meetings

Donald Tortorice has offered a solution with his new book, The Modern Rules of Order, which shares a modern and streamlined approach to business meetings that promotes efficiency, decorum and fairness in...

Dec 18, 2019

Our favorite reads of 2019

Lee Rawles brings our audience a glimpse at what they've been reading around the ABA offices.

Dec 4, 2019

What goes on in the mind of a sentencing judge?

Frederic Block talks about sentencing issues, the details surrounding the cases covered in the book, and the most important case that he has ever handled.

Nov 27, 2019

The Education of Brett Kavanaugh

Robin Pogrebin and Kate Kelly talk about their book The Education of Brett Kavanaugh: An Investigation, discuss their report on Kavanaugh's nomination in real time, and their talk with women who accused...

Nov 6, 2019

How to master the jury selection process

Jeffrey Frederick talks about the significance of nonverbal cues during questioning, why open-ended questioning is the best way to obtain necessary information, and how a conversational tone can break the ice.

Oct 30, 2019

Fighting for 9/11’s first responders

William Groner talks about how legal battle with billion-dollar stakes changed him personally, the challenge of "being ahead of the science," and why the heroism his clients showed is now more important...

Oct 9, 2019

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

Cynthia H. Cwik talks about why IoT devices are the most vulnerable hacker targets, the impact of they have on the national security, and potential future regulatory measures.

Sep 25, 2019

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

Julian Rankin talks about his first encounter with Ed Scott and the meaning behind Scott’s story, which depicts the struggle for racial and economic justice in the Mississippi Delta.

Sep 11, 2019

How power dynamics in the workplace shield perpetrators of sexual harassment

Lauren Rikleen talks about workplace structures accused of misconduct, why it's critical to discuss the matter of sexual harassment, and what is next for the #MeToo movement.

Aug 28, 2019

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

Sharon Bala talks about her fictional novel and the true stories behind it, as well as what "To Kill a Mockingbird" means to her.

Aug 7, 2019

How to train your expert

Expert witnesses can make or break your case. In her new book, Janet Kole shares how you can make the most out of your witness.

Jul 24, 2019

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

Simon Tam joins the ABA Journal's Lee Rawles to discuss his new book, Slanted: How an Asian American Troublemaker Took on the Supreme Court.

Jul 10, 2019

How the Great Recession changed American law firms

Randy Kiser talked about the impact the Great Recession of 2008 had on law firms, how the economy changed legal services, and why law firm culture is so important in today's society.

Jun 19, 2019

How to become a federal criminal

Mike Chase discusses different crimes: impersonating a mailman; importing pregnant polar bears; selling mail-order dentures; and letting movie makers film with your falcon.

Jun 5, 2019

A curmudgeon’s guide to surviving and thriving in BigLaw

Mark Herrmann talks about things law school doesn't tell you, working with your assistant and the new changes in his second edition.

May 22, 2019

Public-Speaking Skills Every Lawyer Should Master

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 both need help.

May 8, 2019

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

Casey Cep talks about how her time reporting on the controversial release of Go Set a Watchman led her to start seeking another book that could be hidden in Harper Lee's sealed...

Apr 24, 2019

Why tech tools can hold both promise and peril for policing

Matt Stroud discusses how the desire for quick technological fixes can compound the problems that technology was supposed to solve.

Apr 10, 2019

Networking for Introverts

Carol Greenwald talks about the networking matrix, interview double dates and random acts of lunch.

Mar 20, 2019

A look back at Lizzie Borden

Cara Robertson talks about the evidence from the Lizzie Borden crime scene, the differences between her trial and what we might see in a similar case today, and why each generation seems...

Mar 6, 2019

Former JAG captain draws from history and sports for diversity advice

Kenneth Imo talks about how firms can develop a more diverse and inclusive workforce; improve the legal profession; and creatively tackle the problems at hand.

Feb 20, 2019

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

Dave Cullen discusses his new book, “Parkland,” and how the Parkland students he met were able to create the impact they have in the year since the tragedy at their school.

Feb 11, 2019

Building blockchain expertise into a practice area that pays

James A. Cox and Mark W. Rasmussen give a breakdown of what blockchain is, the emerging legal issues the technology is prompting, and why Jones Day thinks that it's an important emerging...

Jan 23, 2019

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

Nancy Maveety talks about her book, "Glass and Gavel: The U.S. Supreme Court and Alcohol," and how she came to write this in-depth history.

Jan 9, 2019

How introverted lawyers can harness their traits for success

Heidi Brown talks about honoring yourself, affirming what’s true and embracing the blush.

Dec 19, 2018

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

Stewart Levine talks about how to engage in self-reflection, and how to implement more positive habits, self-care and collaboration into the often-stressful lawyer lifestyle.

Dec 5, 2018

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

Three judges share their own stories in their book “Tough Cases: Judges Tell the Stories of Some of the Hardest Decisions They’ve Ever Made."

Nov 20, 2018

How this lawyer turned a love for sports into his career

Darren Heitner talks about the latest edition of his book, how to pursue a career in sports law and some of today’s hot topics in college and professional athletics.

Nov 7, 2018

Ken Starr shares his side of the Clinton investigation in ‘Contempt’

Ken Starr talks about his book "Contempt: A Memoir of the Clinton Investigation," which unveiled the salacious details of President Bill Clinton's affair with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky.

Oct 24, 2018

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

Ed Walters talks about his book, “Data-Driven Law: Data Analytics and the New Legal Services" which discusses data informs and the aspects of modern life.

Oct 10, 2018

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

Katie Watson talks about her book, “Scarlet A: The Ethics, Law & Politics of Ordinary Abortion”, and discusses ways to have productive conversation about abortion.

Sep 19, 2018

How to be (sort of) happy in law school

Kathryne M. Young talks about her book, How to Be Sort of Happy in Law School, which talks about what alumni would advise their younger self and how to get along with...

Aug 22, 2018

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

Jeremy Richter on why he decided to channel energy into blogging during the early years of his practice as an insurance litigator.

Jul 25, 2018

What would it mean to impeach a president?

Joshua Matz discusses his book "To End a Presidency: The Power of Impeachment" and why he believes that the partisan use of impeachment rhetoric over the past 40 years has not been...

Jun 20, 2018

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

In this special episode, the ABA Journal’s Lee Rawles speaks with Lisa Scottoline, C.E. Tobisman and Scott Turow about their nominated books, their creative processes, and the role they believe lawyers...

Jun 6, 2018

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

Amy Werbel explains how Comstock’s religious fervor and backing by wealthy New York society members led to a raft of harsh federal and state censorship laws.

May 23, 2018

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

Victor Li explains how Nixon leveraged his time at Nixon, Mudge, Rose, Guthrie & Alexander to resurrect both his political viability and the firm’s financial standing.

May 10, 2018

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

Judge Bernice Donald and Sarah E. Redfield talk about Enhancing Justice: Reducing Bias, a book which Redfield edited and Donald contributed to. They discuss the latest research on bias, and give concrete...

Apr 25, 2018

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

Prof. Issa Kohler-Hausmann explains the impact a change in tactics had for New York City police, courts and residents, and discusses her new book, “Misdemeanorland: Criminal Courts and Social Control in an...

Apr 11, 2018

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

Mary Ziegler discusses what Roe v. Wade's legacy has been, and how it advanced–or failed to advance–Americans' right to privacy.

Mar 21, 2018

Uncovering the secret history of how corporations gained their civil rights

Adam Winkler, author of We the Corporations: How American Businesses Won Their Civil Rights, shares what he learned from his investigation into how corporations have achieved constitutional protections.

Mar 7, 2018

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

Tucker Carrington, author of "The Cadaver King and the Country Dentist: A True Story of Injustice in the American South," discusses flawed forensics, coroner system racism, and the effect these have on...

Feb 21, 2018

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

Jasmine Guillory tells the ABA Journal's Lee Rawles that writing served as a stress release from her legal work and functioned as her creative outlet.

Feb 7, 2018

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

Mark Torres shares what the process of writing the children's book “Good Guy Jake” was like and why he feels it's necessary for kids to learn about the modern labor movement.

Jan 17, 2018

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

Bryan Garner speaks about what gave him the confidence to ask a sitting Supreme Court justice to co-author two books, the four style issues he and Scalia were never able to agree...

Jan 3, 2018

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

Jeffrey Vagle speaks about his new book discussing government surveillance and a seminal Supreme Court case in 1972, the effects of which are still felt today.

Dec 20, 2017

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

Orly Lobel speaks about how an intellectual property dispute between the maker of Barbie and the creator of Bratz spun into a legal battle that would last more than a decade.

Dec 6, 2017

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

Paul Butler discusses racial inequities built into the system and the way to fully address the harm done to civil rights by the criminal justice system.

Nov 15, 2017

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

Andrew Guthrie Ferguson discusses data-driven surveillance technology, how it can be used and misused, and how implicit bias can taint results.

Oct 4, 2017

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

Sheryll Cashin discusses how the concept of race was introduced in America and her book, "Loving: Interracial Intimacy in America and the Threat to White Supremacy."

Your Hosts
Lee Rawles

Lee Rawles joined the ABA Journal in 2010 as a web producer. She has also worked for...

Matt Reynolds

Matt has been a legal affairs writer at the ABA Journal since January 2020. His work has...

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