Hapless New Editor and Publisher at ABA Journal

John O'Brien has landed at ABA Journal as the new Editor and Publisher, filling the vacancy left by Molly McDonough (whom I always predicted would find a way to avoid going down with the ship).

Looking around, O'Brien must wonder why there are nine "editors" and only four writers.  Is he through the looking glass?  Also, with limited web activity and the paper magazine coming out only half as often now, O'Brien must be wondering what all these editors are actually doing every day (if anything).

For a few days this week, a new issue appeared to be accessible on the ABA Journal website, denominated the "Winter 2019-2020 Issue," with a cover story about "The Coming Storm." Now the September issue is back on the site as the "most current issue," suggesting that the "Winter 2019-2020 Issue" was either pulled or is now behind the ABA paywall.

While it was accessible, I scrolled through a few of the stories and articles.  One was a proposal for a new Rule 8.5, that would provide lawyers should spend 20 hours a year on various pro-diversity activities.  Another was a piece by Liane Jackson, with a photo and quotation from former ABA President Paulette Brown, concerning "Inclusion Illusion." There was an apology underneath, saying the Journal staff had inadvertently published an unfinished draft in the paper version of the magazine and regretted the error.

Correction

An unfinalized draft of “Inclusion Illusion” inadvertently ran in the print version of the ABA Journal.

The Journal regrets the oversight.

I took this as an indication the paper version had in fact gone out, and of course I laughed at the utter level of incompetence suggested by that apology.  Perhaps some of you who may still know a colleague or two with an ABA membership can shed some light on what is going on with the "Winter 2019-2020 Issue."

I suppose the silver lining for O'Brien is that he did not hire, and does not know, any of these people.  He is in a position to objectively determine what needs to be done to get the top-heavy playhouse back in line, and can swing the ax as necessary to cull useless deadwood from the payroll. Still, I don't envy him one bit.  Pulling this thing out of its death spiral is going to be a daunting task, and likely, impossible in the end.  We should probably open a pool on how many weeks, months or years he manages to last.