ABA Journal Highlights #4
Image via Unsplash.
Why Generation Z isn’t the feared ‘zombie’ generation.
When I first started teaching undergraduate students after working as an attorney and mediator, I used to joke that the next generation, Generation Z, would be the “zombie” generation. I laughed and said they would be the “indoor kids” who could not communicate unless they had a screen in front of their faces. Looking back, I grossly underestimated this group of individuals.
Wow, I remember as a kid how all the grown ups said we were turning into zombies, because we watched so much TV! My how things have changed (so little).
I was not alone. Historically, older generations tend to make fun of younger generations. Growing up, I remember hearing negative things about Generation X. Then it was the millennials’ turn to receive negative comments about being “lazy” and “entitled.” Now, Gen Z is entering into this tradition. I challenge the legal field to take the opposite approach and to embrace the benefits this group can bring.
Yeah, they used to say the same thing about all those hippie baby boomers that I recall from my youth, but was too young to play with. So, I’m not really a baby boomer, although these definitions could use some fine-tuning or something, I guess. Anyway, I’ve always felt closer to Gen X. Maybe Gen XXX! (Okay, not really.)
Scholarly opinions vary slightly as to the specific year when this generation was born. But it generally falls somewhere between the late 1990s and early 2000s. Therefore, Gen Z individuals are currently in college, law school or are even recent graduates. They most certainly are or will be entering the workforce in droves.
I remember college. And how the baby boomers changed their tune and took all the jobs before I could even manage to get a freaking college degree.
What does this mean for the legal profession? Although I predict some initial cultural clashes, smart firms can capitalize on the skills and knowledge this generation possesses.
Oh, you think? :)
Read the whole article here.
Florida lawyer wears full hazmat suit to court amid COVID-19 crisis.
Miami lawyer Samuel J. Rabin Jr. decided not to take any chances when he went to the federal courthouse recently for his client’s sentencing hearing amid the novel coronavirus crisis.
Rabin wore a full, disposable hazmat suit that he obtained from a contact who sells medical supplies, the Daily Business Review reports.
