Legal Journals Essay, Research Paper
Upon first pondering the idea of comparing two legal journals, I automatically
summoned thoughts of lugging a seventy pound book over to a table then blowing the
dust off of it. In reality I found several journals to choose from, each with a few issues to
select from. I chose Trial: Journal of Association of Trial Lawyers of America and Law
Practice Management as my journals to compare/contrast. They were quite a stark
contrast to what I imagined them to be, visually as well as in regard to content. Though
the content and themes of the two journals differed, they were written in relatively similar
vocabulary levels and style. I saw no advantages in one over the other, since they cover
different subjects and both would most likely prove beneficial if in the possession of a
lawyer.
Neither journal was intimidating, as I had perceived them to be in my
imagination. Both journals followed a relatively similar information layout to that of PC
Monthly or Car & Truck Digest, in that they resemble a magazine with an editorial
section and a News and Trends section. They were both written in a vocabulary that
was not heady at all in my eyes; any college student should manage reading it easily. In
the case of Law Practice Management, one may need a firm grasp on financial lingo for
some of the specialized articles relating to bookkeeping, but beside that, both journals
were as easy to understand as Life magazine.
Both journals had a special focus in each issue, with Trial mainly focusing on
issues like civil rights, internet law, and other current issues that trial lawyers may not be
familiar with. Some of the actual articles were The Violence Against Women Act ,
Police misconduct , and Looking at State Constitutions. Law Practice Management
deals with topics relevant to lawyers as well as other corporate professionals that
deal with the legal profession, such as how to keep good relations with clients, how to
increase your profits with legal fees. Their special feature of one issue was Ten ways to
make more money , and another was Keeping a life-long client. The journal also
includes a large editorial section in the front of the magazine, followed by news on
current technologies pertinent to the legal field.
Both journals had rather small articles, but most all questions posed were
answered thoroughly. Though most articles were concise, there were no gaps in their
reporting of the story. Law Practice Management was relatively straightforward and
unbiased, however, Trial seemed to take a liberal stance with how they structured their
articles relating to civil rights. I took no offense to this, because I tend to take a more
liberal stance on civil rights as well as other political issues.
Being somewhat certain that I will continue to pursue a future as a lawyer and
politician, I believe that this served as a helpful introduction to journals I may subscribe
to in the future. A trial lawyer seems like an interesting profession, and Trial seems to be
an easy-to-read, relaxed way of staying abreast current issues relevant to being a trial
lawyer. The articles are informative, yet do not drag on for two or four pages. The
vocabulary is pretty simplistic, and should not pose an intellectual threat to any individual
in the law profession. Most people in the law industry probably want to maximize their
profit potentials, where upon Law Practice Management will prove beneficial. This
journal, too, is easy reading, and deals with current high-tech tools helpful in the legal
field, as well as informative tips on a lawyer s people and professional skills. I do not
favor one journal over the other, quite the contrary; I envision myself reading both of
these journals in the future.