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 may

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.