Comparison and Contrast of Two Legal Journals
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 ocabulary 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 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 eals 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 eporting 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 n 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.
