Stephanie Francis Ward, a legal affairs writer, joined the ABA Journal staff in 2001. Stephanie had worked as a reporter for the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin and California Law Business, a publication of the Los Angeles and San Francisco Daily Journals. She earned her B.A. in journalism from California State University at Long Beach.
Brian Cuban shares about his decades long struggle with body dysmorphic disorder, and how he learned to address it.
Stephanie Francis Ward speaks with Valerie Fontaine, founding partner of the legal search firm SeltzerFontaine, about which in-demand areas of law have open job positions–and how law grads can secure them.
Wellness is not just about eating health food and exercising. Hear from Jolene Park, founder of Healthy Discoveries, a corporate wellness company.
E-discovery and privacy law should be two areas that legal tech jobseekers look into, Shannon Capone Kirk tells the ABA Journal's Stephanie Francis Ward in this episode of Asked and Answered.
Mary E. Juetten talks about Evolve Law and other legal technologies that are improving access-to-justice problems.
Nancy Levit shares tips on how to find the work you want to do, and how to find joy in the work you're already doing.
Bree Buchanan talks about how lawyers assistance programs work, and how a person can reach out for assistance.
Dr. Sharon Meit Abrahams talks about common social faux pas lawyers make, and how best to avoid them.
Karen Kaplowitz shares tips about how lawyers can best serve clients after a move or ways to make a place for themselves at a new firm.
Adam Minsky, author of "Student Loan Debt 101," shares tips and tricks for managing debt and regaining control of your personal finances.
John Tredennick, the first to add "chief information officer" to his title, talks about how he earned respect and used it to make a difference.
In this ABA Journal podcast, Jeffrey Lowe discusses compensation for lawyers, including tips to ensure you're getting paid fairly.
Richard Susskind discusses his next book which focuses on technology in the courtroom.
This legal podcast discusses how lawyers can advocate for themselves in the workplace, without getting in their own way.
This legal podcast dives into getting certified as a minority-owned law firm for government or private-sector programs.
In 2016, a group of lawyers filed a federal civil rights claim against the Detroit public school system. We interview Carter Phillips, one of the attorneys representing the plaintiffs.
In this month's episode of Asked and Answered, Stephanie Francis Ward speaks with Sara Sutton Fell about lawyers working remotely.
Event planning campaigns that won't break your budget resulting in events that lawyers will actually attend.
The website Lawyerist founder Sam Glover talks about getting attorneys information they want.
Stephanie speaks with Jeffrey Rachlinski, a Cornell Law School professor who has done various studies about implicit bias, including one that focused on trial judges.
How law students who have failed the bar exam should go about preparing to retake it - without fear or anxiety.
Trailblazer Randi Mayes talks about how the mindset of lawyers will change their use of technology in the future.
Kathleen Kelley Reardon talks about how attorneys can ask for what they want without jeopardizing good work relationships.
Executive producer Laurence Colletti interviews your favorite Legal Talk Network hosts about how they’re spending time during this holiday de jure
Tips and advice for lawyers on what you can do to recover the money you're owed.
Legal technology has changed since 1999, when Ed Walters and Phil Rosenthal founded the legal research service Fastcase—but not as much as they’d like.
Jeena Cho speaks about how practicing mindfulness, in essence living in the present moment, helps lawyers quickly move on from daily stressors and setbacks.
Gayle Victor, a Chicago-area lawyer and social worker who counsels attorneys, discusses whether you should leave your law firm.
Stephanie Francis Ward talks with Jerome Goldman, Legal Rebels Trailblazer because of OYEZ, his U.S. Supreme Court-focused multimedia archive.
Business development coach Larry Kohn discusses ways that attorneys can promote themselves and their skills, helping the lawyer and their potential clients.
Kandis Gibson has some tips and tricks for how lawyers can make exercise and outdoor activities part of your routine.
Can you plan to prevent workplace bias before it starts? In some cases yes, says Joan Williams, the founding director of the Center for WorkLife Law at University of California Hastings. The ABA Journal’s Stephanie Francis Ward discusses with Williams tips on how to create what she calls “bias interrupters” to head off potential discrimination.
Lawyers often think technology should always work. That’s aspirational, says Sharon Nelson, president of the cybersecurity, information technology and digital forensics firm Sensei Enterprises Inc. “People can screw up, but technology fails too,” says Nelson. “You really need to recover from what the problem is, as opposed to pointing fingers and being angry.” Nelson and...
Lawyer and longtime journalist Monica Bay didn’t let sexism or a technology-averse legal establishment keep her from breaking new ground. “The baby boomer lawyers were so entrenched with the idea that ‘only the girls touch anything with a keyboard’ that they absolutely refused to do anything involving tech,” Bay recalls. “They thought it was beneath...
Cost savings are particularly important for small firms and solos. What are some easy fixes for making law firm budgets go further, and what are some common mistakes to avoid? In this month’s Asked and Answered, the ABA Journal’s Stephanie Francis Ward gets some tips and tricks for stretching firm’s dollars further. Mrs. Natalie R. Kelly is the Director of the State Bar of...
You may have noticed that some lawyers are often quoted in the press. They might have a practice that naturally garners attention, or perhaps they are great at explaining complex issues succinctly and have a good camera presence. Or it could just be that they’re known for returning phone calls and emails in a timely...
It’s time to set goals for the new year. But can you actually follow through with them? In this month’s Asked and Answered, the ABA Journal’s Stephanie Francis Ward discusses what reasonable steps you can take in 2016 to improve your life and your career. Her guest Karen Kaplowitz gives listeners tips on making and...
Can a commitment to blogging help develop a practice area and turn you into an expert? In this month’s Asked and Answered, the ABA Journal’s Stephanie Francis Ward speaks with Hilary Bricken, a Seattle lawyer and one of the authors of Canna Law Blog. Recently honored as one of the ABA Journal’s 9th Annual Blawg...
Are lawyers prone to anxiety, or is the pace of the profession the culprit? The ABA Journal’s Stephanie Francis Ward speaks with Will Meyerhofer, a psychotherapist who has also been a practicing attorney, to learn more about anxiety and get tips on how lawyers can manage and overcome it.
The market for legal jobs may be getting better, but it’s still not great. That being said, are there specific practice areas that need more attorneys to serve current and future needs? In this month’s episode of Asked and Answered, the ABA Journal’s Stephanie Francis Ward speaks with legal search consultant Valerie Fontaine to find...
What good can some men serving life sentence do for other inmates? A great deal, says Judge Laurie A. White, who co-founded a re-entry program for inmates of the infamous Angola State Penitentiary in Louisiana. In this episode of Asked and Answered, she tells the ABA Journal’s Stephanie Francis Ward about how the program utilizes...
Do you get social anxiety thinking about networking at big events? Is it hard to make connections with other lawyers? Focus on what you can learn about others, rather than telling people about yourself, business development coach Larry Kohn tells the ABA Journal’s Stephanie Francis Ward. Larry Kohn, an executive coach, is president of Los...
We’d all love to be able to unplug completely while we’re on vacation, but for many lawyers it’s not that simple. Meeting your duty to your clients might mean that you can’t just leave your phone at home. But how can you keep distractions to a minimum and make the most out of your time...
It’s a federal offense to grow, sell or use marijuana, but a growing number of states have laws permitting its use under specific circumstances. In Alaska, Oregon, Colorado and Washington, the product is available for recreational use. In Colorado and Washington, it may be sold commercially, and is taxed and regulated by the state. The...
Have you ever daydreamed about having a career abroad? Before saying “bon voyage,” you should know what’s involved. In this month’s Asked and Answered podcast, moderator Stephanie Francis Ward will find out tips and advice on developing a practice beyond U.S. borders.
Legal Talk Network producer Laurence Colletti interviews Digital Detectives and The Digital Edge host Sharon Nelson, Digital Detectives host John Simek, The Kennedy-Mighell Report host Dennis Kennedy, and ABA Journal: Asked and Answered host Stephanie Francis Ward at the 2015 ABA TECHSHOW. Each host briefly explains the topics discussed in their podcast and discusses preparation...
If the unthinkable happens, will your practice be ready for an intermediary to take over or help with a transition? Do you know what would happen if you–or one of your colleagues–should suddenly die or become incapacitated? The ABA Journal’s Stephanie Francis Ward speaks with two experts about tools and systems you can put in...
With such a stressful profession, many attorneys face addiction and other mental health issues. If you find yourself struggling–or know another lawyer who is–what resources are out there? Does admitting a problem have to harm your career? What are your ethical duties if you do know that a colleague is battling an addiction or suffering...
In the wake of divorce, many families find themselves emotionally and financially devastated. If you’re in the heat of a legal battle, it’s easy to go to far and create acrimony with your ex-spouse which can poison any chance at a cordial future relationship–and drain both sides’ bank accounts to pay for attorney fees. But...
In this month’s Asked and Answered podcast, moderator Stephanie Francis Ward talks to Linda Greenhouse and Jonathan Turley about the past, present and future of legal journalism, and how it has influenced courts. Greenhouse reported on the U.S. Supreme Court for the New York Times for four decades, and is now the Joseph Goldstein Lecturer...
Social media is an easy (and often free) tool that litigators can use to share their clients’ stories. But how much is too much, and what if you post something that you’ll regret later? In this month’s Asked & Answered podcast, we speak with Anthony C. Johnson, a plaintiffs personal injury lawyer who previously owned...
Lawyers are often told how important professional networking is. But many find it so uncomfortable they feel physically dirty. Why is professional networking so distressing to so many? And how can you overcome it and be successful? In this month’s Asked and Answered podcast, we speak to Tiziana Casciaro, one of the authors of a...
Many young law grads are being urged to move out of large cities and into rural areas, where there aren’t as many attorneys competing for work. As we reported in the ABA Journal’s October cover story, there are many small communities in rural America that are woefully underserved, and access to justice is a real problem....
This month, in connection with our Legal Rebels project, we wanted to look at the growing field of virtual law practices. Opportunities are growing for lawyers to practice law in digital spaces. But clients still want and need individual attention. If you have a virtual law practice, how can you provide the hand-holding necessary for...
Zero tolerance discipline policies were once all the rage in schools. But instead of improving test scores and graduation rates, zero tolerance policies were shown to actually reduce them, says Daniel Losen, director of the Civil Rights Project’s Center for Civil Rights Remedies. Research also showed that in practice, many children—especially children of color and...
Language is a living thing. New words and phrases—or even grammatical shifts—mean that a lexicographer’s work is never truly complete. This month, we’re speaking with Bryan A. Garner, the editor-in-chief of Black’s Law Dictionary, president of LawProse Inc. and author of the ABA Journal column Bryan Garner on Words. He’ll share with us what goes...
For some clients, it seems like no matter what facts you present them with, you just can’t make them see the reality of their situation. They want to battle every step of the way to “have their day in court,” even when it’s not in their best interest. ABA Journal reporter Stephanie Francis Ward speaks...
Great trial lawyers should be great storytellers. But how do you remember everything you need to, and look confident while doing it? To find out, we spoke with Billy Martin, who is a high-profile Washington, D.C., lawyer and the veteran of more than 150 jury trials. Notecards should be used as props, not crutches, he...
