May Editor's Note: The Courts in the Age of the COVID-19 Pandemic
NLJ Editor-in-Chief Lisa Helem delivers highlights of the NLJ's May issue, including a cover story on how courts are dealing with COVID-19 and a Q&A with Crowell & Moring's Natalie Ludaway.
April 22, 2020 at 10:00 AM
3 minute read
We're all adjusting to the new normal in the legal community. Some of us are interfacing with clients from the dinner table, hoping an exuberant child or pet doesn't make a surprise guest appearance. And those of us who will one day join the profession are navigating life anew too.
As Renee Griffin, a second-year student at the University of Michigan Law School, recently told our ALM sister site, Law.com, "The Socratic method apparently cannot be killed by the coronavirus, as long as you have a patient professor with a good internet connection. My classes are still well-attended, and my classmates are still doing the best work they can."
Jurists are adjusting too, hearing oral arguments by video or audio conference and moving arguments when necessary, Marcia Coyle reports in our May cover story. Coyle speaks with judges including Chief Judge Robert Katzmann of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and Judge Roy Ferguson of the 394th Judicial District in Texas about the changes taking place and how the lessons learned from technology could shape the courts going forward.
Virtual hearings, for example, could "be a game-changer" for expanding access to justice in rural areas, Ferguson said.
Next, I recently spoke with 11 Washington, D.C.-based law firm partners in practices ranging from appellate to white collar about how they are being creative and resilient as the demands of legal practice continue or even pick up amid the pandemic. Come to hear how your colleagues across the district are faring and finding the silver lining. Stay for the 1980s pop music reference.
Next, in "1 on 1: Conversations with Newsmakers," Tony Mauro catches up with Natalie Ludaway, who joined Crowell & Moring after five years as chief deputy attorney general for the District of Columbia. Ludaway discusses how she helped lead the strategy for the D.C. Attorney General's Office, why she is proud of the office's work to protect consumers and why law firms are starting or ramping up their state AG practices.
And in Movers, check out the latest in legal moves from around the globe, compiled by Pearl Wu.
As always, we love hearing from you, especially in these times. Feel free to send me a note via the email address below or reach out on Twitter @lhelemNLJ about how you're doing in this new normal. How are you meeting the demands of clients, attending to your families and being kind to yourself? Until next time, thank you for reading. Stay safe and be well.
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