Business of Law

Weekly Column

Innovating For Wise Juries: Pre-Voir Dire Questions

The simple practice of asking jurors important and substantive questions early can help make trial by jury a more reliable form of dispute resolution, say Stephen Susman, Richard Lorren Jolly and Dr. Roy Futterman of the NYU School of Law Civil Jury Project.

An Interview With Floyd Abrams

It was a privilege to spend a half-hour on the phone with the nation's foremost First Amendment lawyer. Floyd Abrams and I discussed his career, his new book and what he sees in his free-speech crystal ball. And he was a very good sport when I asked if it is constitutionally protected to yell inside a movie theater: “Citizens United is a terrible decision and should be set on fire,” says Randy Maniloff of White and Williams LLP.

Bucking Tradition: NewLaw And The Coming Millennials

Recent surveys show that law firms won't be able to rely on the flood of associates their business model demands as long as they require them to dedicate all day, most nights, every weekend and all holidays to firm business, says Jill Dessalines, founder of Strategic Advice for Successful Lawyers and former assistant GC at McKesson Corp.

Monthly Column

Gray Matters: We Feel, We Decide

Despite legal education training and the focus on logic and reason by the courts, lawyers address emotional issues on a daily basis — albeit more indirectly. But a shift to consciously and strategically addressing emotions gives us a powerful tool to help our clients reach faster, better decisions, say dispute resolution experts Robert Creo and Selina Shultz.

Opinion

Justice Kennedy's Moderating Influence On The High Court

The guessing game around Justice Anthony Kennedy’s possible retirement is reaching a crescendo. Yet the speculation does more than fuel bookmakers’ odds. It draws attention to his pivotal role as the court’s swing vote, says Nan Aron, president of Alliance for Justice.

Weekly Column

Innovating For Wise Juries: Juror-Posed Questions

One way to combat juror confusion and boredom is to allow jurors to ask witnesses questions. No federal evidentiary or court rule prohibits it, and every federal circuit court to address the practice has held it permissible, say Stephen Susman, Richard Lorren Jolly and Dr. Roy Futterman of the NYU School of Law Civil Jury Project.

Tips For Complying With ABA’s New Encryption Guidance

Last month, the American Bar Association published revised guidance regarding an attorney’s duty to protect sensitive client material in light of recent high-profile hacks. The first step in compliance is understanding how your data is being stored and accessed. There are three key questions you should ask your firm’s information technology staff and/or external solution vendors, says Nick Holda of PreVeil.

Series

My Strangest Day In Court: When I Did Nothing And Won

After looking at all of the factual nuances associated with proving a constructive trust, I hit upon a strategy that I had never used before — namely, do nothing, say nothing and hope the IRS fails in its proof, recalls Mark Morris of Snell & Wilmer LLP.

Weekly Column

Innovating For Wise Juries: Preliminary Instructions

One of the easiest ways to improve civil jury trials is to give juries substantive instructions on the law at the beginning of the trial rather than at its conclusion. It is also one of the most popular proposals we are recommending, say Stephen Susman, Richard Lorren Jolly and Dr. Roy Futterman of the NYU School of Law Civil Jury Project.

Due Diligence From The Lateral Partner’s Perspective

Lateral candidates looking to make the last — or perhaps only — move of their career cannot afford to just stand by and let a law firm’s vetting process unfold on its own, says Howard Flack, a partner at Volta Talent Strategies who previously led lateral partner recruiting and integration at Hogan Lovells.