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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.

Apr 21, 2021

Sen. Mazie Hirono speaks out in ‘Heart of Fire’

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

Apr 7, 2021

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

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

Mar 24, 2021

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

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

Mar 10, 2021

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

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

Feb 17, 2021

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

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.

Feb 3, 2021

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

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.

Jan 27, 2021

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

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

Jan 13, 2021

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

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

Dec 23, 2020

Our favorite reads from 2020

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 through 2020–and what listeners could be...

Dec 9, 2020

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

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

Nov 25, 2020

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

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

Nov 11, 2020

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

Katherine James explains how she uses her theater background to advise lawyers.

Oct 21, 2020

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

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 need to keep in mind during...

Oct 7, 2020

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

Steven 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 possibility of turning The Coyotes of...

Sep 23, 2020

The case for separating Church and State

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

Sep 9, 2020

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

Larry Tye takes an in-depth look at Joseph McCarthy's life, in his book 'Demagogue: The Life and Long Shadow of Senator Joe McCarthy'.

Aug 26, 2020

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

Brooke Lively discusses her book and breaks down the 6 key numbers that will help you understand the financial health of your law practice.

Aug 12, 2020

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

Jessica Henry speaks about some of the strange and heart-rending stories she's uncovered and how the legal community can work towards eliminating such injustices.

Jul 22, 2020

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

Maya Schenwar and Victoria Law outline the way that well-meaning movements ended up funneling people into environments where they faced even more scrutiny and punitive measures.

Jul 15, 2020

How feminism worsened mass incarceration–and how it can stop

Aya Gruber talks about unintended consequences of feminist criminal law reforms as well as her personal experience as a public defender.

Jun 24, 2020

What does police abolition look like?

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

Jun 10, 2020

What’s lost when jury trials vanish?

Robert Katzber explains why he chose to praise and criticize people by name, and why jury duty is such a valuable experience.

May 20, 2020

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

Renee Knake Jefferson and Hannah Brenner Johnson talk about their research project into the careers and personal lives of nine women who could have been elevated to the Supreme Court.

May 6, 2020

Insider’s guide to succeeding in law school

Andrew Guthrie Ferguson and Jonathan Yusef Newton share their thoughts on how distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic will impact the experience of law school.

Apr 22, 2020

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

Maurice Possley talks about his investigation, his writing partnership with Michael Segal, some of the more surprising turns his research took, and how Chicago city politics impacted the case.

Apr 8, 2020

Develop your horse sense with equine law

Julie Fershtman discusses the world of horse sense, the dark underbelly of the Kentucky Derby and the liabilities of pony rides.

Mar 25, 2020

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

Mary Lancaster discusses the best books and podcasts for people who want to know more about infectious diseases and their recommendations on good fiction reads.

Mar 11, 2020

How to achieve vocal power in and out of the courtroom

Rena Cook, co-author of Her Voice in Law: Vocal Power and Situational Command for the Female Attorney, talks about why understanding your voice is an important first step to building confidence and...

Feb 26, 2020

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

Steph Cha, author of Your House Will Pay, talks about the real-life incidents that provided the inspiration for her novel.

Feb 5, 2020

How safe is your right to vote?

Gilda R. Daniels talks about her book, Uncounted: The Crisis of Voter Suppression in America, a story of historical efforts of voter suppression and the modern-day dangers that face voters now.

Jan 22, 2020

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

James F. Haggerty shares how to properly handle the media aspects of litigation in the third edition of his book, In the Court of Public Opinion: Winning Strategies for Litigation Communications.

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.

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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