Legal Talk Network - Law News and Legal Topics

Incoming Bar President Steve Benesh and TYLA President Hisham Masri join Rocky Dhir to discuss their leadership priorities and plans for the coming year. Steve shares his interest in standardizing court filings, supporting and working with TLAP to initiate a Docket Assistance Program, continuing former President Tisdale’s initiatives regarding artificial intelligence, and improving the State Bar w...

Stephanie talks with Zack about tech things you should know but might be too afraid to ask.   They get into the why behind password managers, discuss the necessity of two-factor authentication, and bring some clarity to different types of encryption. They also discuss how artificial intelligence is making security fundamentals even more important.   If you’re confused about passwords and access co...

Textualism and Originalism evaporate in face of partisan objectives. ----- The Supreme Court closed out its season sidestepping text, precedent, and history -- the trifecta! -- to invent a new form of immunity to bail out Donald Trump. Weird, because so many of them were asked about this precise issue under oath and offered very different analysis. We also got January 6 legalized -- over the fiery...

Civility is one of the cornerstones of the practice of law, ensuring an efficient justice system and improving the lives of both legal professionals and clients. Rocky Dhir welcomes David Grenardo to hear highlights from his keynote address on the landscape of civility in law. David discusses the benefits of civility rules in encouraging restraint and cooperation, as well as debunking myths surrou...

Listen up, clerks! Today we’re talking about what makes a clerk (or any mentee) stand out in the crowd. We’ll wrap up our discussion with top tips for making mentorship in your firm a positive opportunity for everyone. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In conjunction with the State Bar of Texas, Smokeball is providing free trust accounting and billing software for all Texas attorneys. If you’re a Texas lawyer, this perk is available to you at no additional charge because of your state bar membership. Tune in to this episode and learn more about the features as well as where to access it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adcho...

Data shows that jury trials are declining rapidly, but what is causing this tendency? Rocky Dhir hosts Judge Mark Drummond to learn more about the factors involved in this decrease and what it may indicate about our legal system. Rocky and Judge Drummond discuss the history of civil juries, current trends, and developing innovations. Learn more about the work of the Civil Jury Project here: civilj...

Nisha Anand, the Chief Executive Officer of Dream.org, joins SideBar to discuss how she builds bridges across political divides to find real solutions. Nisha employs the “radical act of finding common ground” with unlikely allies while still staying true to her progressive values. She provides a hopeful message that collaboration can achieve change and overcome polarization and political divides....

In this episode, Monica Pitts, founder of MayeCreate Design and host of the 'Marketing with Purpose' podcast, shares insights on transforming a non-performing website into a powerful business tool.  She discusses the evolution of website design since 1998, emphasizing the importance of a website acting as a virtual salesperson. Topics covered include understanding client awareness and interest, th...

The 1954 case Hernandez v. Texas was the first and only Mexican-American civil rights case heard and decided by the United States Supreme Court. In 1951, a criminal case that arose from a bar fight and murder exposed a larger, widespread problem: the systematic exclusion of Mexican-American jurors from service. Rocky Dhir talks with Justice Gina Benavides, Chief Justice Dori Contreras, and Chris P...

Emotions can run high in family law cases, but creating realistic expectations can help your client effectively navigate the ups and downs of their legal issue. Rocky Dhir welcomes Britney Harrison to discuss her session on client relationships at the Annual Meeting. Britney explains her processes with clients and offers insights for dealing with common assumptions and ensuring ethical practices i...

Guest Claire C. Muselman’s recent publication in WorkersCompensation.com encourages adjusters to take a new look at Workers’ Compensation’s goals. Maybe we should be less skeptical of workers and show empathy. In other words: Be Nice.  We all have biases. Sometimes they get in the way and keep us from caring. From social media to traditional learning to storytelling and anecdotes, how do those bia...

According to a May 23rd U.S. Department of Justice press release, “the Justice Department, along with 30 state and district attorneys general, filed a civil antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation Entertainment Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Ticketmaster LLC (also known as Live Nation-Ticketmaster) for monopolization and other unlawful conduct that thwarts competition in markets across the li...

To gain a new perspective on technology from outside the US, Dennis and Tom welcome UK-based legal business consultant Jack Shepherd. Jack offers his thoughts on how European tech approaches may differ from that in US law firms and talks about competence, tech learning, collaboration, AI trends, and more.  As always, stay tuned for the parting shots, that one tip, website, or observation that you...

School’s out for the summer, and the ABA Law Student podcast is wrapping up for the season. Faculty host Todd Berger and student hosts Leah Haberman and Chay Rodriguez get together one last time to reflect on this year’s podcast and discuss the many possibilities that await both law students and recent graduates during the summer season. They discuss future plans, summer internships and classes, b...

The Chicago Bar Association is celebrating 150 years of championing justice, building connections and making an impact in Chicago and beyond. In this episode, Trisha Rich and Maggie Mendenhall Casey talk with the CBA's former Executive Director Terry Murphy about the history of The Chicago Bar Association, memorable moments from his five decades of leadership of the CBA, and the future of the lega...

Currently, all sports betting in Texas is illegal, despite the fact that many people believe there is a gray area around app-based betting. In reality, Texas does not yet allow for sports betting, but potential legislation might legalize this type of gambling and change the state’s approach to this issue. Rocky Dhir talks with presenters Kevin Vela and Blake Hart to learn more about what regulatio...

We consider it a great honor to serve as an adjunct professor at a law school, but is the juice worth the squeeze?   In this episode, Stephanie talks with Markus Funk about the investments lawyers make and the benefits they receive when they agree to teach. They also explore ways for adjuncts to make the most of their experience for themselves and their students.   Links from the episode:   If tod...

Two friends of the podcast return for this episode of New Solo to talk all things legal tech and the latest in AI services for lawyers. Guests Renee Thompson and Liz McCausland are both accomplished mediators and solo practitioners who depend on tech to boost productivity and keep up with their busy lives. AI is an emerging technology that is finding its way to more and more law offices. McCauslan...

Nowadays, all the cool kids are using customer relationship management (CRM) software, and you should too. It’s not new technology, but if you’ve missed the boat or need a refresher—Jared’s here to fill you in on CRM technology and what it can do for you. He explains different types of CRMs in detail to show you its potential for creating seamless intake experiences and optimizing your workflows....

Also, the Supreme Court's really sticking it to the Fifth Circuit. ----- We've got a few firms dipping into the summer bonus pool. But so far the pack hasn't followed them into the water. The Supreme Court continues to shoot down the Fifth Circuit, recognizing that politicians can't use false arrests to squelch free speech and using the Circuit to exorcise -- just a little -- their Second Amendmen...

Both the governor and legislature of Texas have hoped to drive more business to Texas, but previously, businesses have expressed concerns over the potential for difficulties in navigating courts across Texas’s 254 counties. Now, a centralized system of business courts will open September 1, 2024, to serve businesses in the most populous areas of the state. Judge Emily Miskel and Marcy Hogan Greer...

When you love what you do, you are already standing on a solid work/life balance that works for you. Listen as successful attorneys at different stages of their lives and careers reflect on what has helped them find that stability. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lawyers can’t just take a backseat when it comes to marketing, but what do you actually need to know to make sure your marketing approach holds water? Later, how do you go about marketing for two distinct practice areas in your law firm?  ----- Depending on your role in your firm, you may need to know much more or much less about the way the marketing world works, but you absolutely need to have s...

Camille Vasquez joins Rocky Dhir to talk about her path to becoming a lawyer and what led to her involvement in the highly publicized defamation trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. Camille offers insights into her experiences during the Depp v. Heard case and highlights the importance of crafting a powerful story during cross-examination to help bring justice for your clients at trial. Lear...