Face Your Demons: Help Yourself Get Back On Track
Originally published in The Young Lawyer

It is a privilege to be able practice law, and lawyers have a professional obligation to make sure their clients are properly represented. Therefore, a lawyer must be able to recognize problems that may interfere with his ability to fulfill this obligation. The key is to identify and do something about those problems before they hurt you or your client. Download pdf of article here.

  Professionalism: What Does it Take to Satisfy Character & Fitness Requirements?
Originally published in Student Lawyer 37:2

The first step toward satisfying the Character and Fitness requirement is understanding what is expected of you and then knowing how you’d answer two key questions. Download pdf of article here.

  Professionalism: Combine Law Practice With Public Service for Positive Change
Originally published in Student Lawyer 37:6

Lawyers, who are called to serve society, have the power to make the world a better place through public service. Download pdf of article here.

  Legal Writing: Style Your Speech to Register Yourself as a Grown-Up
Originally published in Student Lawyer 37:7

Communicating effectively in the legal industry means employing professional speech patterns without embracing legalese and pomposity (or the other extreme). Download pdf of article here.

  Professionalism: For a Competitive Edge, Be Known for Your Excellence and Effort
Originally published in Student Lawyer 37:8

If you can master the art of making good choices in law school, you’ll understand what it is to be a professional and you’ll start your career on the right track. Download pdf of article here.

  Legal Writing: Cultivate the Right Demeanor for Effective Legal Writing
Originally published in Student Lawyer 37:1

Write like a legal professional: follow these five rules for cultivating the right demeanor. Download pdf of article here.

  Liberating Yourself from the Billable Hour
By R. James George Jr.
Originally published in Litigation 32:2

Prepare for a peaceful resolution of the war between the client's interest in results and the attorney's need to bill (insert lawyer joke here). George presents alternatives to the billable hour that benefit both lawyer and client. Download pdf of article here.

  Sidebar: The Game Is Lawyer's Poker
By Steven Lubet
Originally published in Litigation 32:1

Is bluffing at a card table cheating? Is it lying? What if the same tactic were used by a lawyer in the courtroom? Lubet, a professor of legal ethics, explains the similarity between the player's bluff and the lawyer's innuendo. Download pdf of article here.

  Bedside Manner for Lawyers
By Peter D. Baird
Originally published in Litigation 32:1

Building strong relationships with clients is the key to being their zealous advocate. Baird shows how to breathe new life into the practice by exercising a better bedside manner. Download pdf of article here.

  Incivility: An Insult to the Professional and the Profession
By Joseph J. Ortego and Lindsay Maleson
Originally published in The Brief 37:3

A perception exists that incivility, rudeness, and the use of offensive tactics
among lawyers are on the rise. Two authors discuss the differences between professionalism and ethics and highlight conduct that is on the borderline between civil, zealous representation and inappropriate, unprofessional conduct. While courts and review boards may disagree on where the line should be drawn, the authors maintain that unprofessional behavior never helps a lawyer's client. They review proposals to keep incivility to a minimum and suggest that the true solution is rooted in education, awareness, self-monitoring, and conscience. Download pdf of article here.

  Representing Bill: The ABA's Death Penalty Representation Project
By Robin M. Maher
Originally published in Experience 16:4

Despite opinions on the morality of the death penalty, it cannot be denied that impoverished defendants are often provided with minimal or negligent legal representation. The ABA Death Penalty Representation Project seeks to change that by recruiting volunteer lawyers to represent death penalty cases. The experience is difficult and sometimes demoralizing, but always life-changing. Download pdf of article here.