Legal Talk Network - Law News and Legal Topics

In this edition, Dallas County District Attorney Michelle Shughart provides a behind-the-scenes look at the criminal prosecution of former neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch, whose sinister story is depicted in popular true-crime series 'Dr. Death.' Over the course of his short career, Duntsch maimed over 30 patients, with two more dying during and shortly after undergoing surgery with him. Host Jon...

More than half a million jobs in cybersecurity go unfilled each year, showing a major need for more individuals to enter this ever-growing field. Think you might be up to the challenge? John and Sharon talk with Rob Lee about training available through the SANS Institute and the current hottest areas in the profession. Rob also offers recommendations, both for young people hoping to orient their c...

Since World War II, more than two million service members have been discharged from U.S. military service with a status other than "honorable discharge." Having a discharge that falls below a certain level can impact a veteran's access to pensions, GI Bill education benefits, health care, insurance or home loans, as well as carrying a stigma. But when a veteran's circumstances are given another lo...

A lot of folks would plead the First Amendment last week, and it was all nonsense. Yale Law School's Federalist Society advertised an event by throwing a whole mess of racist stereotyping at the wall just to see what would stick and when other students asked how this fit within the private school's standards for student organizations... First Amendment! Conspiracy theorists are convinced that Merr...

Young lawyers often stress about where to take their careers. But St. Louis attorney Shamon Moss is shining a light on a new path…letting the journey take you. Shamon shares her philosophy on self-motivation and giving back, and describes how she turned an empty space without a stick of furniture into a thriving satellite office for a major national firm. No matter what is in her future, Shamon Mo...

Marketing isn’t just billboards and blogs. Your most effective marketing tool is your own genuine interest in the people you interact with every day. John and Erich discuss simple ways to turn clients, contacts, and opposing counsel into marketing ambassadors for you and your firm. So, take a few minutes to re-think your preconceptions about how expensive and time-consuming marketing might be. The...

Ah, time management. Jared muses over whether time is the enemy or simply something we all should bend mercilessly to our respective wills.  Then, Jared is joined by Alice and Brett, co-hosts of The Prosecutors Podcast, to talk about how they manage their time as prosecutors and podcasters and their thoughts on what gave rise to the true crime boom. Today’s Rump Roast features “Direct Examination,...

A New York arbitrator recently ruled against former President Trump and his campaign in favor of former White House adviser Omarosa Manigault Newman in a matter regarding the enforceability of an NDA and Omarosa’s tell-all book, Unhinged. According to an article in the Daily Beast, the arbitrator found that the NDA went too far when Omarosa was forced “to never say anything remotely critical of Mr...

This week's top stories were all about the judges. Should judges be held to a higher standard when it comes to vaccines? Should they at least endeavor to hire clerks that don't have resumes drenched in red flags? How much should clerkships matter anyway? And we got judges making some tough talking threats. All that and a couple of sound effects -- what more could you ask for? Special thanks to our...

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati announced last month that it had teamed up with Workiva Inc. to create an application that automates the S-1 form that companies must file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission when going public. Special thanks to our sponsors, Alert Communications and Smokeball. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Much has been said about police officers and departments who violate civil rights or enforce the law in discriminatory ways. But not as much attention has been paid to the ways in which the U.S. Supreme Court has enabled police excesses and insulated police from civil or criminal responsibility, says Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the University of California at Berkeley School of Law and author of th...

Identifying the “I can’t get over it” issues in your case is the first step to successful case framing. But making your frame clear to the jury is key. When do you introduce your case frame? How often do you repeat it? And what is the defense going to do about it? In this second episode on case framing, legendary trial lawyer Mark Mandell drills down on how to select your most important issues, an...

Court is back in session with a variety of COVID protocols in place, and that brings additional stress to your trial prep. Get an update on our first face-to-face trial in a while and hear the challenges of reading masked jurors, working out of town, and trying to stay focused with more distractions than ever. Tune in and dial down your pre-trial stress….we survived, and you will too. Learn more a...

Conrad and Gyi take on the elephant in the courtroom. Clio’s Legal Trend Report shows us potential clients are interested in both pricing and payment plans, but as lawyers, we’re reluctant to go there. Why?  Explore options on how you can better position yourself. Are you less expensive than the competition? More efficient? A better value? Dig into the marketing opportunities that make you special...

Former Massachusetts Representative Joe Kennedy III and Rohan Pavuluri, CEO and co-founder of the bankruptcy nonprofit Upsolve, join LSC President Ron Flagg to discuss shifting the narrative on access-to-justice advocacy. {produced by the Legal Services Corporation} Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most lawyers remember what their first two years of practicing law were like. There’s a lot to learn and sometimes not much guidance. What do you know now that you wish you knew then? Sonia Russo sits down with a panel of young lawyers who have been practicing for several years. They share wisdom on topics like setting boundaries at work and recovering from mistakes. Whether you’re in your first t...

Adapting and growing through stressful circumstances creates more resilient lawyers. Molly Ranns and JoAnn Hathaway get some positive tips from Anne Chambers about how lawyers can not only cope, but learn to thrive in the face of stress. Anne focuses on gratefulness, mindfulness, and self care, and encourages lawyers to alter their perspective on stressors common to the profession and see them as...

It’s been awhile, but the guys have been hard at work on their Second Brain projects! They each share the progress they’ve made and hash out their diverging opinions on the ultimate goals of their respective projects.  Next, Microsoft recently announced their newest Surface. Is this new tech hot, or not? As always, stay tuned for the parting shots, that one tip, website, or observation that you ca...

E-filing systems are quicker and more efficient, but there is certainly still room for human error, as was seen in a recent case heard by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at New Orleans— a lawyer who had agreed to use e-filing later missed a motion for summary judgment that landed in his spam folder, leading to his failure to respond to the motion in time and, ultimately, to the court tossing...

Guest Leo V. Boyle recalls the frantic 60 hours after the 9/11 terror attacks of 2001. He calls that time “law’s finest hour” as pro bono tort attorneys collaborated with Congressional leaders to craft the $7 billion victims’ compensation fund.  Boyle shares how lawyers from across the country came together and rushed to head off potentially pointless class action suits in favor of protecting vict...

What's the next Supreme Court Term going to look like? Not great! We've got full-on assaults aimed at abortion, gun regulations, and affirmative action and that's just in the first handful of cases. Which you know if you've taken our Supreme Court quiz. Joe and Kathryn welcome ATL's newest editor Christopher Williams to break down these and other cases primed for this Term. Special thanks to our s...

Betrayal. Do your job. The value of a handshake. Case frames like these help summarize the “I can’t get over it” issues of your argument in simple terms the jury can understand. But how do you know which frame fits? And what are the dangers of incorrect framing? Acclaimed author and attorney Mark Mandell joins Eric Vieth and Johnny Simon for an eye-opening discussion of his innovative method from...

Feel like you’re drowning in a tidal wave of escalating work responsibilities, COVID-occasion catch-up, and every single thing in the world piling on right now? Yup, we are too. If being back in the saddle feels more like being dragged with one foot in the stirrup right now, tune in to share your stress and remember it’s ok if you fail small and know you did your best. So saddle up, sister, and le...

Dave Scriven-Young sits down with Erwin Chemerinsky to talk about what we can expect from the upcoming Supreme Court Term. Together they discuss the ideological leanings of the Justices as well as predictions about what will happen with Roe vs. Wade, Gun Rights, and much more. Stay tuned for Latosha Ellis’ first litigation segment about preserving evidence on the record. Learn more about your ad c...

Maybe he wasn’t the funniest Canadian ever (who could unseat Jim Carey?), but Norm Macdonald still deserves his due. Jared pays homage to the late comedian with an overview of his finest works and samplings of his deadpan comedic style. Next up, Jared brings on Stanley Tate to talk through the benefits of niche legal practice. Many lawyers leave law school not really knowing how to develop a profi...