ABA Journal: Asked and Answered

You want to expand your book of business with networking events, and think that planning one yourself might be the most rewarding. But how can you develop an event that lawyers will actually attend, doesn’t go way over budget and brings you some great new connections? In this month’s episode, the ABA Journal’s Stephanie Francis Ward speaks with Alycia Sutor, managing director at the sales-effectiveness firm GrowthPlay, about hosting successful networking events for lawyers.

Many of us don’t think of ourselves as biased, and we don’t want to be prejudiced towards others. But we’re also reluctant to acknowledge the ways bias can creep in, according to academics who study implicit bias. In this episode of Asked and Answered, the ABA Journal’s Stephanie Francis Ward speaks with Jeffrey Rachlinski, a Cornell Law School professor who has done various studies about implicit bias, including one that focused on trial judges. Special thanks to our sponsors Amicus Attorney.

It's not terribly unusual for a law grad to need to take the bar exam more than once to pass. But the experience of failing the bar can be crushing to one's confidence–and concentration. After failing the bar exam, many students have a hard time studying for a retake. This is not necessarily because they can't do the work, but because anxiety and fear of failure get in the way, Jamie Kleppetsch of John Marshall Law School tells the ABA Journal's Stephanie Francis Ward in this month's Asked and Answered. Kleppetsch, who is president of the Association of Academic Support Educators as well as being an associate director of John Marshall's Academic Achievement Program, shares with listeners some tips for reapproaching the bar exam with a fresh mindset and more preparation. Special thanks to our sponsors Amicus Attorney.

While negotiating for one’s client is second nature to most attorneys, many find it a lot harder to negotiate for themselves. How can you advocate for a better position without being seen as too aggressive or off-putting? In this month’s Asked and Answered podcast, the ABA Journal’s Stephanie Francis Ward talks to Kathleen Kelley Reardon about how attorneys can ask for what they want without jeopardizing good work relationships. Kathleen Kelley Reardon, a professor emerita at the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business, is the author of numerous books centered on workplace communications. Her work centers on persuasion, negotiation and women’s leadership. Special thanks to our sponsors Amicus Attorney.

You landed someone you thought would be a great client, but now you’re finding out that the client isn’t great about paying the bill. What should you do?  In this month's Asked and Answered podcast, Stephanie Francis Ward speaks with Bob Markoff, a Chicago lawyer who has done collections work for many years. Markoff, a past president of the National Creditors Bar Association, gives tips and advice on what you can do to recover the money you're owed. Special thanks to our sponsors Amicus Attorney.

Lawyers are in the suffering business, says bankruptcy lawyer and meditation instructor Jeena Cho. "Rarely do clients come to us with happy news." Taking on clients' tough problems can be source of a lot of stress for practitioners. Cho speaks with the ABA Journal’s Stephanie Francis Ward about how practicing mindfulness--which at is heart, is about living in the present moment--can help lawyers quickly move on from daily stressors and setbacks. Special thanks to our sponsors Amicus Attorney.

Are you unhappy at work? Is it time to leave your job, or should you look for other options to improve your current work conditions? Trust your intuition, and don't beat yourself up with negative thoughts about workplace problems being all your fault, says Gayle Victor, a Chicago-area lawyer and social worker who counsels attorneys and their families. She spoke with the ABA Journal's Stephanie Francis Ward in this month's Asked and Answered podcast.  Gayle Victor is a lawyer who also has a master's degree in social work. She uses her unique perspective as a former attorney to provide counseling to attorneys and their families through CareForLawyers.com. Her practice is based in Chicago. Special thanks to our sponsors Amicus Attorney.

Business development doesn't come naturally to all lawyers. Some hesitate to take advantage of social opportunities out of fear of looking desperate or needy, but that's wrong-headed, says business development coach Larry Kohn. He speaks with the ABA Journal's Stephanie Francis Ward about ways that attorneys can promote themselves and their skills in ways that help both the lawyer and their potential clients.

Want to get outside, but work tethers you to your desk? Getting physical can increase both your productivity and personal happiness, and Kandis Gibson has some tips and tricks for how you can make exercise and outdoor activities part of your routine. Gibson, a senior associate at Foster, Murphy, Altman & Nickel in Washinton, D.C., has not let her busy IP litigation practice stop her from competing in triathlons. She speaks with the ABA Journal's Stephanie Francis Ward in this month's Asked and Answered to share how she did it, and how you can get your bosses on board with you getting out of the office more frequently. Special thanks to our sponsors Amicus Attorney.

"You have the right to remain silent.” Because of TV shows and movies, most people probably know at least this part of the Miranda warning. But do people actually understand all of their Miranda rights? Fifty years after the landmark decision in Miranda v. Arizona, we speak to Russell Covey of Georgia State University State’s College of Law to find out what people know and don’t know about their rights. Russell Covey, a professor at Georgia State University’s College of Law, teaches criminal law and procedure. One of his articles, “Miranda and the Media:  Tracing the Cultural Evolution of a Constitutional Revolution,” was published in the 2007 Chapman Law Review. Special thanks to our sponsors Amicus Attorney.