ABA Journal: Asked and Answered

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 off? The ABA Journal’s Stephanie Francis Ward gleans some tips and tricks from Jones Day partner Lawrence D. Rosenberg.

It’s a federal offense to grow, sell or use marijuana, but there’s a need for lawyers to represent cannabis businesses in Washington state, where the product is taxed and regulated by the state. In this month’s Asked and Answered, Seattle lawyer Ryan Espegard tells the ABA Journal’s Stephanie Francis Ward how he advises the marijuana industry, being mindful of state and federal regulation, and what sorts of business development activities have worked for him.

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.

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 place to give you and your clients peace of mind.

In this month’s Asked and Answered, the ABA Journal’s Stephanie Francis Ward speaks with Patrick Krill of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation’s legal professionals program to find out more. Krill is currently finishing a study in conjunction with the ABA to research substance abuse, depression and anxiety in legal profession.

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 what if if didn’t have to be that way? In this month’s Asked and Answered, moderator Stephanie Francis Ward speaks with Rebecca Love Kourlis and Melinda Taylor, who hope to change the way people approach the divorce process through the Honoring Families Initiative.

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 in Law and Knight Distinguished Journalist-in-Residence at Yale Law School. Turley is an attorney, legal scholar and professor at George Washington University Law School and is a legal analyst for several media outlets. Linda Greenhouse is the Joseph Goldstein Lecturer in Law and Knight Distinguished Journalist-in-Residence at Yale Law School. That follows a 40-year career at the New York Times, where she covered the U.S. Supreme Court. She currently writes a biweekly op-ed column about the Supreme Court for the New York Times website. Jonathan Turley, a professor at George Washington University Law School, focuses his academic work on constitutional matters, legal theory and tort law. He also writes an eponymous blog; is a member of USA Today's board of contributors; and had done legal analyst work for CBS and NBC.

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 and Answered podcast, we speak with Anthony C. Johnson, a plaintiffs personal injury lawyer who previously owned a search engine optimization and marketing company. He shares with moderator Stephanie Francis Ward some ideas about using Twitter, Facebook - and even Instagram - in a mindful manner. Anthony C. Johnson, an Arkansas plaintiffs personal injury lawyer, is a partner with Johnson and Vines. Johnson is a former SEO/SEM/Web-development company owner who was featured by the ABA Journal as one of "America's Techiest Lawyers" in 2012.

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 recent study, "The Contaminating Effects of Building Instrumental Ties: How Networking Can Make Us Feel Dirty," published in Administrative Science Quarterly. She shares with moderator Stephanie Francis Ward some tips for getting past this mental block, and how to feel better about reaching out to potential clients and colleagues. Tiziana Casciaro is an associate professor of organizational behavior at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management. Her work focuses on the social-psychological mechanisms responsible for the formation and growth of social networks within and between organizations. She's also a co-author of a recent Administrative Science Quarterly article, "The Contaminating Effects of Building Instrumental Ties: How Networking Can Make Us Feel Dirty."

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. It would seem a prime idea to hang your shingle in one of these small towns. But what does it take to run a successful legal practice in a rural area? Asked and Answered moderator Stephanie Francis Ward speaks with Lorelei Laird, the reporter who wrote our cover story, and Bruce Cameron, who runs a solo practice in rural Minnesota.