ABA Journal: Modern Law Library

We often associate the #MeToo movement with the entertainment industry, but sexual harassment is a widespread problem in all industries. The hierarchical nature of the workplace influences victims’ fear that reporting harassment will result in retaliation, and they do not feel protected by the very systems that are in place to protect them. Lauren Stiller Rikleen addresses these structural issues in her new book, The Shield of Silence: How Power Perpetuates a Culture of Harassment and Bullying in the Workplace. This new release combines thought-provoking research, extensive interviews and strategic recommendations for addressing misconduct in a wide range of scenarios. Rikleen argues that if we are to move forward, all sectors must recognize the systemic problems that have left victims unprotected and work to create a culture of respect in the workplace. In this episode of the Modern Law Library, ABA Publishing’s Olivia Aguilar speaks with Rikleen about how workplace structures protect those accused of misconduct, why the study of unconscious bias is critical when discussing sexual harassment, and what is next for the #MeToo movement. Special thanks to our sponsor, Headnote.

In 2009 and 2010, two cargo ships packed with refugees fleeing the Sri Lankan civil war arrived on the shores of Canada. Those refugees inspired Sharon Bala's debut novel, "The Boat People," which won the 2019 Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction. Told through the eyes of a Sri Lankan man seeking asylum for himself and his son; a young Sri Lankan-Canadian law student reluctantly assigned to help with his case; and the granddaughter of Japanese immigrants to Canada interned during World War II, who will have to decide whether the details of his story add up. In this episode of the Modern Law Library, Bala speaks with the ABA Journal's Lee Rawles about the true stories behind her fictional novel, and what winning the prize named for the author of "To Kill a Mockingbird" means to her.

When it comes to working with an expert or expert witness, there can be a lot of moving parts to keep track of. Navigating a relationship with an expert can be challenging, but it can be done successfully if both you and your expert pay attention to each other throughout the process. Author and attorney Janet S. Kole examines the complex issue of expert witnesses in her new book How to Train Your Expert: Making Your Client’s Case. In this episode of the Modern Law Library, ABA Publishing’s Olivia Aguilar speaks with Kole about common mistakes that young lawyers make while working with an expert, the ins and outs of the written report and how to avoid “impermissible ventriloquism.” Special thanks to our sponsor, Headnote.

When Simon Tam booked the first gig for The Slants, there was a major obstacle to overcome: The band did not technically have any other members yet. There was just Tam and his dream of creating a rock band made up entirely of Asian American musicians. The bassist soon recruited enough musicians to perform the gig, but that would not turn out to be The Slants' biggest challenge. That would come with a trademark battle over the band's "disparaging" name that dragged on for more than a decade until it finally reached the U.S. Supreme Court. In this episode of the Modern Law Library, Tam joins the ABA Journal's Lee Rawles to discuss his band and his new book, Slanted: How an Asian American Troublemaker Took on the Supreme Court. Special thanks to our sponsor, Headnote.

There’s no denying that law firms have gone through significant changes in the last decade. These changes continue to create unprecedented challenges for modern law firms today. So, what’s next? Randy Kiser, author of American Law Firms in Transition: Trends, Threads, and Strategies, pinpoints why the Great Recession of 2008 marked a defining moment for law firms and how the economic shift transformed the legal services landscape. In this episode of the Modern Law Library, ABA Publishing’s Olivia Aguilar speaks to Kiser about the impact of the recession on law firms, why law firm culture is crucial in today’s world and what lawyers have in common with the Pirahã tribe in Brazil. Special thanks to our sponsor, Headnote.

The good news for anyone aspiring to a life of crime is that you may be a multiple offender of federal criminal laws without even being aware of it. Mike Chase, a white-collar defense attorney, launched his popular Twitter account @CrimeADay in an attempt to begin counting how many federal crimes are on the books in the Unites States. Five years later, he's still going strong, and the exercise led him to write How to Become a Federal Criminal: An Illustrated Handbook for the Aspiring Offender. In this episode, Chase talks with the ABA Journal's Lee Rawles about crimes like impersonating a mailman; importing pregnant polar bears; selling mail-order dentures; and letting your falcon be filmed for a movie. Special thanks to our sponsor, Headnote.

Who’s afraid of the big bad partner? For new law graduates and associates going into the world of BigLaw, the stakes have never been higher and neither have the expectations. As an attorney with Jones Day for over 20 years, Mark Herrmann is willing to tell you everything you wish that stoic senior lawyer would say. His book—The Curmudgeon's Guide to Practicing Law, Second Edition­—explains how to succeed with a little bit of snark and a whole lot of laughs. In this episode of the Modern Law Library, ABA Publishing’s Ashley Alfirevic speaks to Herrmann about what they didn’t tell you in law school, how to work with your assistant and what’s changed in this new edition. Special thanks to our sponsor, Headnote.

For every lawyer that thinks they have oral presentations down pat, there’s another that has anxiety about talking in front of a crowd. And they both need help. As an attorney and a formal federal law clerk, Faith Pincus gives lawyers the tools they need to succeed at public speaking. In this episode of the Modern Law Library, ABA Publishing’s Ashley Alfirevic speaks with Pincus about how to ditch the notecards, engage the audience and ask the right type of rhetorical questions.

A series of suspicious deaths; a murder at a victim's funeral; a minister whom locals suspected was dabbling in voodoo; a gregarious Alabama lawyer and politician called Big Tom; and one of the nation's most celebrated–and misunderstood–novelists, Harper Lee. These are the backdrop and the main subjects in the newly released, stranger-than-fiction book Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud and the Last Trial of Harper Lee by Casey Cep. The author of To Kill a Mockingbird spent years researching and writing about this true-crime tale, with the intention of producing her own book in the style of Truman Capote's In Cold Blood. But did she ever finish it? In this episode of the Modern Law Library, Cep speaks with the ABA Journal's Lee Rawles about how her time reporting on the controversial release of Go Set a Watchman led her to start seeking another book that could be hidden in Harper Lee's sealed papers: The Reverend. Special thanks to our sponsor, Headnote.

Like everyone else, police are inundated with new gadgets and technologies promised to make their jobs easier. But do they? In his new book, Thin Blue Lie, investigative journalist Matt Stroud digs deeps into the background of various police technologies' promises and perils. In this episode of the Modern Law Library, Stroud speaks with the ABA Journal's Jason Tashea about how the desire for quick technological fixes can compound the problems that technology was supposed to solve.