Legal Talk Network - Law News and Legal Topics

Bestselling author and lawyer John Grisham joins LSC Board Member Robert Grey for a conversation on how his journey from small-town lawyer to big-time author influenced his philanthropic priorities and made him an advocate for access to justice. Grey, who serves as president of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, interviewed Grisham at a D.C. forum for LSC’s 50th anniversary on April 9. Lea...

Litigators are used to being in front of a jury. But have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a member of that jury? What are jurors watching? What do they notice? Guest Chauntis Jenkins-Floyd, an experienced litigator, recently served on a jury. And what she learned as a juror is eye opening.  Like most of us, Jenkins-Floyd has been summoned for jury duty and dismissed each time. But this time...

Marketing and sales are keys to building your business. But where do they meet? It takes two to tango, and “Intake” is the junction. Good intake is always worth the effort.  Guest Bo Royal is co-founder of Pareto Legal and has worked with several Fortune 1,000 companies and scores of law firms. He specializes in helping small and medium sized law firms build their business and strengthen their int...

In this episode, Bennett Hein, the founder of Backlinks.ai, discusses the role and impact of backlinks in driving organic traffic, enhancing domain authority, and improving website ranking.  He explains the importance of quality over quantity, automating outreach using AI, and the potential pitfalls of pursuing low-quality backlinks. The discussion also highlights tactics like reporter outreach, u...

The second brain is a source of carefully curated information, but what’s the best way to access and interact with that wealth of content day to day? Dennis and Tom unpack the concept of “The Daily Me”—customized daily news—and whether it could be a solution for keeping up with content stored in a second brain.  In their next segment, the guys prompt ChatGPT to ask them a question. This time, this...

We hit our 500th Episode! Instead of looking back, the team decided to look to the future. So naturally that led us to Stephanie interviewing our own AI bot lovingly named Lasso the Lab Coach. Hear for yourself exactly what an AI bot trained on all things Lawyerist has to say about how to create your firm’s branding. This one is....different!    Additionally, Zack talks with Waseem Daher, a human...

We continue breaking down the U.S. News & World Report law school rankings and the chaos that its new methodology introduced. And we know exactly who to blame for breaking these rankings. Elon Musk recently went in for a deposition defended by Quinn Emanuel's Alex Spiro and earned a motion for sanctions. And a Berkeley Law protest goes viral, but all the "free speech" talk misses the mark. Learn m...

Nitrous oxide is primarily used to make whipped cream, so why is it being sold in smoke shops? That’s what Johnny Simon wanted to know…and his winning argument will help remove this insidious poison from many communities. Hear the dramatic trial story, the personal toll on the victim’s family, and the landmark verdict in part two of our story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/a...

The lack of diversity when it comes to race, gender, sexuality, disability and social class within the legal profession is nothing new. However, the last decade has marked a gradual increase in diversity across all fields. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Your CRM software isn’t just some technical database that should be hidden away somewhere. If you’ve got it, flaunt it! And, congratulations, you’ve made it through the first quarter. So, what checkups should you be doing on your marketing campaign? ___ As you meet people, either online or out in the wide world, you should be considering each and every new connection as a way to grow your CRM data...

Law Professor Mary Sarah Bilder discusses the amazing story of Eliza Harriot, a rare female public lecturer who delivered a University of Pennsylvania program attended by George Washington as he met in Philadelphia with delegates to draft the US Constitution. Harriot’s performance likely inspired the gender-neutral language of the Constitution and her advocacy inspired countless young women to con...

Many young law students begin their studies with high hopes of generating change by becoming a lawyer and advocate, but what does this lofty dream look like in the real world? Leah Haberman talks with Professor Dorothy Roberts about her career as a lawyer, professor, author, and activist. Professor Roberts shares how her unique skills led her to leverage her curiosity and passions to become an exp...

So much of our communications and societal existence is housed online, so e-discovery is the major way we gather evidence. Jared talks with Cat Casey about the AI spectrum within the e-discovery world, explaining the many ways varying elements of machine learning and AI have created more powerful tools for attorneys. They also discuss the promising future of AI in e-discovery and the legal profess...

In the early morning hours of March 26, 2024, Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed after a Singapore-based cargo ship named the Dali, lost power and hit the bridge's pillar. According to officials, eight people were on the bridge that morning when it fell: two were rescued, two bodies were recovered, and four are presumed dead. Crew members on the Dali were all safe. In this episode, Cra...

Meet Teresa Beck and Claire Gibson, two successful and experienced litigators who are deeply involved in the ABA Litigation Section’s Woman Advocate Committee and its two books featuring essays from women in the legal profession: “Her Story: Lessons in Success from Lawyers Who Live It” (2017) and the recent follow-up “Her Story: The Resilient Woman Lawyer’s Guide to Conquering Obstacles” (2024). T...

Sara has a heartfelt conversation with long-time Labster and owner of a thriving appellate law firm Tim Atler, about overcoming self-doubt and fear and embracing bold and impactful strategic decisions.  Through candid dialogue and poignant reflections, they explore the transformative power of self-awareness and courage as true business leaders. From navigating daunting uncertainties to embracing v...

A Minor Accident Turns Fatal ----- Zavion Johnson was bathing his four month old daughter when she slipped from his grasp and hit her head on the tub. He immediately checked her for injuries but found nothing. Tragically, she harbored unseen internal injuries that Zavion was unaware of. Later in the day, his daughter suddenly turned color. Zavion rushed her to the hospital but it was too late. She...

The State Bar of Texas Board of Directors approved the nominations of Denise Scofield, of Houston, and Santos Vargas, of San Antonio, as president-elect candidates at its meeting on September 30, 2023. Texas lawyers will vote for the president-elect and district directors from April 1 to April 30. The winner will serve as president-elect from June 2024 to June 2025 and as president from June 2025...

Haphazard ranking serves as a reminder that service hasn't quite found the right formula after law schools started withdrawing their data.  _______________ The full U.S. News & World Report law school rankings are out and they are... something. Duke is tied with Harvard? NYU nearly drops out of the top 10? Are we just hurling darts at a dartboard here? In a sense, yes. At least ever since law scho...

“Trespassing plus time equals adverse possession,” Paul Golden writes in his new book, Litigating Adverse Possession Cases: Pirates v. Zombies. When someone has occupied or used a piece of property as though they own it for long enough, a court could determine that they are the rightful owner—regardless of what the paperwork says. It’s a concept more popularly discussed as squatter’s rights. In th...

Our goal is to lift you up with every episode, and today we are sharing our mentor’s most valuable life lessons. We hope these ideas help you get through the day with a little more grace, a little less angst and a lot more confidence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode’s discussions around the Community Table:  AI is all the rage in the public media, but how are lawyers using it in real life? For starters, it can help you with written communications. Tone down an angry brief or client communication. Write advertising or blog communications. Even create Excel formulas. (But remember, it’s a tool, not a replacement for your skills!).  How do you co...

Guests from the online bankruptcy service Upsolve and Philadelphia Legal Assistance (PLA) discuss a new, free web resource for people struggling with student debt on Talk Justice. PLA received funding from a 2023 LSC Technology Initiative Grant for the project and brought on Upsolve to develop the tools. Their goal is to raise awareness of available debt relief programs and provide guided assistan...

Attorney Greg Lewis from the law firm Vernis & Bowling of Charlotte, NC discusses the advantage of Alternative Dispute Resolution in the litigation process. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Dave Sobel shares his insights on the significant impacts of AI technology and provides guidance on choosing IT service providers for law firms. He emphasizes the importance of recognizing AI as a transformative technology but encourages a balanced approach, highlighting the slower pace of actual implementation versus predictions.  Dave introduces the concept of 'hard trends' in t...