The March Bar Journal is an excellent start in acknowledging the criminal bar. It includes some good writing and useful topics. I learned from the contents page that it is considered a "special issue." Is there going to be an annual criminal edition, a regular criminal section, or some other arrangement in the future? If a criminal section were included each month, there would be more for many of us to read than the usual quick scan of jumping and punished lawyers.

With such an effort put forward by so many to create a different product that is more appealing to an long overlooked segment of the bar, it is surprising to see such a high percentage of voters finding the material no more than the usual content. Did they really read it? What do they want?

Well, with only 19 votes at this point, I don't know whether that is statistically sufficient to have a valid survey. It also doesn't show whether those voting actually read the issue or whether they are prosecutors.

Vote.

For lurkers, voting is easy. Just do it -- no one but you will know you did it. Maybe those a little more adventurous would share their thoughts too? Lawyers aren't known for sheepish behavior. It's worthwhile and even fun to join in. Let's help John in creating a more representative Bar Journal.

I voted, but my post was there one day, gone the next.

I would love to vote--but I still haven't received that issue!

Janette Ansolabehere

sarah's article rocked.

I would have posted this sooner, but I barely have time to read the bar journal AND the TDCAA Forum.

History of Court of Criminal Appeals - great article. This is probably why her opinions are so good -- she is a great communicator.

Oral Argument - good info.

Q&A w/ Kelly Siegler - when getting not guilty verdict, makes me feel better to know she's had a few herself (unlike Ted Poe...)

As for everything else, I felt it was geared more toward attorneys who don't practice criminal law. So, if you are asking if this issue was as informative as the "Texas Prosecutor," I'd say, "No." Is it a step in the right direction? Absolutely.

In developing the story ideas and types of articles for the Criminal Law issue of the Bar Journal, it was difficult to know whether to have them written for criminal law practitioners or for noncriminal law practitioners. After all, the magazine goes out to over 50,000 lawyers, a small percentage of which practice criminal law.

The idea was to encourage noncriminal lawyers to learn a little something about what we do, while giving criminal lawyers a broader view of their work.

Each month, the staff of the Bar Journal face that same dilemma: how to balance the articles to please a diverse audience.

My preference is to use it to draw lawyers outside of their field and learn a little something about what someone else is doing. But, the danger is picking a field that isn't interesting in writing.

In my opinion, the best way to bridge that gap is to have the authors avoid writing some footnote filled article that is really for publication in a law review. Instead, the article should be conversational and bring out the most interesting aspects of the subject.

Finally, what I also have learned is that very few lawyers actually write all that well. Many had their writing styles destroyed during the law school process. Let face it, we all seem to plagiarize our phrases from terms of art adopted by courts in their opinions. We rarely say things that sound original.

Anyway, that's some of the thinking. The Bar Journal will never be able (and shouldn't) compete with the Texas Prosecutor. That magazine rocks (as has been mentioned) because of the great inspiration provided by our GenX editor Sarah Wolf. Party on, Garth.