Stephanie Francis Ward
ABA Journal
Chicago, IL, United States
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40 wellness tips to help lawyers cope with job pressure
* Home * Magazine * 40 wellness tips to help lawyers cope with… 40 wellness tips to help lawyers cope with job pressure By Victor Li, Lyle Moran, Matt Reynolds, Amanda Robert and Stephanie Francis Ward Photo illustration by Sarah Wadford/ABA Journal. Stress is one of the defining characteristics of becoming and being a lawyer. Applying to law school, figuring out how to pay tuition, taking… → Read More
Racial justice clinic announced for University of Minnesota Law School
* Home * Web First * Racial justice clinic announced for University… Racial justice clinic announced for University of Minnesota Law School March 16, 2022, 6:00 am CDT Photo by AlexiusHoratius, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. As school districts across the country deal with complaints from people who say they are opposed to teaching critical race theory in the classroom—and some claim that… → Read More
As the pandemic drags on, law professors are making changes
* Home * Web First * As the pandemic drags on, law professors… As the pandemic drags on, law professors are making changes January 18, 2022, 8:41 am CST Brenda Gibson is trying something new this semester with her legal writing students. After almost 17 years of using honorifics while teaching, she started calling them by their first names. “There are some things I had to do differently because… → Read More
Starting now, the GRE can replace the LSAT in law school admissions
In a closed session, the council of the ABA's Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar recently voted in favor of allowing law schools to accept Graduate Record Examination scores from applicants in place of Law School Admission Test scores. The change is effective immediately. → Read More
California bar entered $3.8M contract with ExamSoft without justifying value, auditor report says
When the State Bar of California selected ExamSoft as the software provider for its October 2020 remote bar exam, the test was administered appropriately, but the bar did not follow a procurement policy for outside vendors, according to a state auditor report. → Read More
Will paper bar exams become a thing of the past?
* Home * Web First * Will paper bar exams become a thing of the… Looking Ahead to 2021 Will paper bar exams become a thing of the past? December 28, 2020, 2:02 pm CST While there’s significant disagreement on how the bar exam should change, many believe it will, and there’s a wide range of ideas about what should happen. So far, suggestions for change include breaking the test into smaller… → Read More
Who are some of the lawyers serving on Biden’s agency review teams?
* Home * Web First * Who are some of the lawyers serving on Biden’s… Who are some of the lawyers serving on Biden’s agency review teams? November 19, 2020, 9:40 am CST President-elect Joe Biden. Image from Shutterstock.com. Of the 500-plus individuals appointed to President-elect Joe Biden’s agency review teams, over 150 are lawyers. The agency review teams are also some of the most diverse in… → Read More
Teaching was one of Ginsburg's many strengths, say former students and clerks
* Home * Web First * Teaching was one of Ginsburg's many strengths,… Teaching was one of Ginsburg's many strengths, say former students and clerks October 15, 2020, 5:28 pm CDT Devi Rao, second from right, when she was a law clerk, is pictured with the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and cellist Yo-Yo Ma, at left, who came to the court to perform. Before Ruth Bader Ginsburg… → Read More
2020 state of the profession report shows dearth of lawyers in rural areas, attorney debt struggles
Some states with the highest amount of lawyers per capita also have rural areas with few, if any, attorneys, according to the 2020 ABA Profile of the Legal Profession. → Read More
Self-awareness, mentors and family propel former C student to Harvard Law acceptance
* Home * Web First * Self-awareness, mentors and family propel… Self-awareness, mentors and family propel former C student to Harvard Law acceptance July 20, 2020, 10:14 am CDT Rehan Staton has always done things differently. “People say I take notes differently, I learn differently. People say in general I have a peculiar way of doing things, but it always worked for me,” Staton, 24, says.… → Read More
In light of COVID-19 public health interests, 2 more states opt for online bar exams
Massachusetts and Florida announced Wednesday that they will administer remote bar exams because of COVID-19 concerns. → Read More
COVID-19 hasn't stopped this lawyer from advocating for wellness and recovery
It may often seem like most, if not all, of your contacts on social media are complaining about wearing face masks, having to social distance and adhere to shelter-in-place orders. Since the novel coronavirus hit, performing these tasks have become part of our daily lives. But it's important to note that you only have control of yourself, says lawyer and author Brian Cuban. → Read More
If law schools can’t offer in-person classes this fall, what will they do instead?
* Home * Web First * If law schools can’t offer in-person classes… If law schools can’t offer in-person classes this fall, what will they do instead? May 7, 2020, 11:59 am CDT Students may not feel safe attending courses because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and that’s also true for professors, say law school deans, many of whom want in-person classes this fall but are making various plans they hope… → Read More
For some law students, clinic work during COVID-19 feels more real than ever before
* Home * Web First * For some law students, clinic work during… For some law students, clinic work during COVID-19 feels more real than ever before April 28, 2020, 8:00 am CDT Daniel Barragan is a second-year law student at the Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. He lives at home with his four brothers, who are frequently not happy when he asks them to shut off their video games so he can get on a… → Read More
What alternatives to the July bar exam are being considered in light of COVID-19?
Given that COVID-19 restrictions prohibit large gatherings for the foreseeable future, administration of the July 2020 bar exam seems unlikely, according to a working paper released Sunday by a group of legal academics. It calls for states to consider diploma privilege for 2020 law school graduates, as well as supervised practice. → Read More
March LSAT canceled and National Conference of Bar Examiners monitoring July bar exam
In light of the coronavirus, the March Law School Admission Test has been canceled. → Read More
How accurate is AI in legal research?
* Home * Daily News * How accurate is AI in legal research? How accurate is AI in legal research? February 28, 2020, 7:30 pm CST Thomas Hamilton and co-panelist Damien Riehl offer insight during “Open the Pod Bay Doors: Problems with AI.” Photo by Saverio Truglia. Humans can make mistakes, but so can machines. If we use artificial intelligence for legal work, what sort of quality is needed? A… → Read More
California may offer more opportunities for JDs taught entirely online
* Home * Web First * California may offer more opportunities for… California may offer more opportunities for JDs taught entirely online January 14, 2020, 6:30 am CST If people are open to attending a non-ABA accredited law school, they may soon have a lot more online choices in California—thanks to a recent rule change by the State Bar of California allowing state-accredited law schools to… → Read More
A better bar exam? Law profs weigh in on whether test accurately measures skills required for law practice
* Home * Web First * A better bar exam? Law profs weigh in on… A better bar exam? Law profs weigh in on whether test accurately measures skills required for law practice January 8, 2020, 10:09 am CST A small group of people sitting for the July 1980 California bar exam received a unique offer: After taking the two-day paper-and-pencil exam, they could agree to spend two more days being tested.… → Read More
Urge to merge: Difficult times for law schools have prompted several to attempt to be acquired by other schools
* Home * In-Depth Reporting * Urge to merge: Difficult times for law schools… Urge to merge: Difficult times for law schools have prompted several to attempt to be acquired by other schools Law school enrollment has decreased significantly since the Great Recession, as have many law schools’ reputations. Fewer graduates are passing the bar, and for the past two years, less than 70% of new… → Read More