Legal Talk Network - Law News and Legal Topics

During its time as a Soviet republic within the USSR, Kazakhstan was the site of massive nuclear tests, both above and below ground. The cost to the environment and health of the Kazakh people and livestock was likewise massive, though the full scale of the effects was under-studied and suppressed for decades. Through massive public protests in the 1980s, nuclear-weapons testing in the Semipalatin...

Many lawyers have difficulty staying mindfully present during depositions, cross-examinations, and client consultations because of stress, the fear of making a mistake, and worrying about what to say next. Learn the 3 rules for constructive cross-examination and improv techniques like looping from improvisational acting experts Steve Hohman and Olivia Espinoza to help steer the narrative and impro...

It doesn’t matter what country you’re from or if you’re in the U.S. documented or not. Workplace injuries don’t care about immigration status or language abilities. Everyone hurt on the job deserves representation. Arizona-based workers’ rights attorneys Robert Wisniewski and Javier Grajeda share their vast experiences representing immigrant workers. Communication is vital, and those with limited...

Every single referral you get is going to google you before they give you a call, so… what will they find? If you’re not sure, that’s a problem. Jared says it’s time to take a hard look at your website and social media presence (and go take a listen to Lunch Hour Legal Marketing) to make sure those leads turn into paying clients.  Next, all that web presence talk leads us right into Jared’s chat w...

What is the value of a great mentor? Why does mentorship matter for lawyers?   You may think back to your time as a junior associate and remember the specific people who impacted and helped shape your career from the beginning. Even if they didn’t know it, or if you didn’t realize it at the time, that’s a form of mentorship.   In this episode, we’re exploring why mentorship is a crucial piece when...

A war crime is defined as a violation of the laws or customs of war as established by international customary law and treaties.  On February 24, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine, pushing for control in the east and south of Ukraine. Days later, on February 28th, Karim Khan,the International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor, said he had opened a war crimes investigation following this invasion. And on...

There's not an explicit rule of professional responsibility for this, but the general commandment to serve the public ought to stretch far enough to keep the Court from running a propaganda arm. Amy Coney Barrett blasted a sound byte reassuring the public that the Court isn't a corrupt, partisan institution because it issues "opinions," knowing full well that she was about to obliterate half a cen...

Sara Muender talks with Lawyerist Lab member, Allison Harrison about when it’s time to hire and the ROI associated with finally making that hire and freeing up more of your time.                                                                     If today’s podcast resonates with you and you haven’t read The Small Firm Roadmap yet, get the first chapter right now for free! Thanks to LawPay, MyCase...

To move away from the death penalty as a country, the public needs be able to see inside the process and understand its effects. Sister Helen Prejean has dedicated much of her life to ministering to those affected by the death penalty, from death row inmates to guards to families of murder victims, and has worked to help the public and the church change their thinking on this issue. Michael Semanc...

Everybody hates to lose. If you avoid tough cases just because you might not win, you are doing a disservice to your client and yourself, and you are missing an opportunity to learn important lessons and build your character. Join John and Erich in this candid encore discussion on how to handle a loss with less pain and more gain. Reset your attitude and you’ll discover it’s not win or lose. It’s...

Like many Americans, Jazz Hampton and two of his friends, Andre Creighton and Mychal Frelix, watched in horror as two fellow Minnesotans, Philando Castile and George Floyd, were killed by police officers following what seemed to be routine traffic stops. If only there had been a way to de-escalate those situations while protecting the rights of the person detained, as well as the law enforcement o...

It’s business, don’t take it personally.” How many times have you heard that, and how do you react? Is there a middle ground that allows tough skin and a tender heart? Today’s thought-provoking discussion examines how we can make business decisions with humanity in mind and draw boundaries that help us honestly evaluate harsh criticism or aggressive language from opposing counsel while protecting...

Marketing’s not free. Is yours working? Conrad and Gyi dig into marketing attribution and how to ensure you’re spending wisely. Rand Fishkin’s new article claims “attribution is a boondoggle” and you should trust your gut, not a fancy attribution system (especially if you’re a smaller office). So, what’s going on? Can software track your marketing end-to-end process, from Google Ads to paying clie...

Experts discuss how consumer debt lawsuits have come to dominate civil courts at the expense of low-income Americans on the latest episode of LSC's “Talk Justice" podcast. Erika Rickard, project director for civil legal system modernization at the Pew Charitable Trust Arielle Levinson-Waldman, founding president of Tzedek DC George Simons, founder and CEO of SoloSuit Learn more about your ad choic...

Host Christopher T. Anderson meets with lawyers from around the country to discuss issues they are currently facing in their practices.  Featured on this episode: How do I format my invoices so they convey value? How can I better teach systems to my team? What should I do when a job candidate has a few red flags? What is the most efficient way to have my virtual assistant write out processes and p...

When you start a new firm, you will always be met with uncertainty. Of course, you have a plan of how you want to run your firm, but there are many variables that can attempt to throw it off course. So, how do you navigate it? That’s what we’re talking about in this episode with Jeremy Widder, a criminal defense lawyer practicing in Southern Maryland. Jeremy started his solo practice in 2020 at th...

Succession planning is critical for ensuring the protection of lawyers, clients, and the public; but does every lawyer need a plan? Molly Ranns and JoAnn Hathaway talk with Alecia Chandler about how to figure out what type of plan you need and the resources available on the State Bar of Michigan’s website. Check out the Planning Ahead Handbook, as well as many other checklists and forms designed t...

Time to be honest with yourself. Are you, quite possibly, wasting other people’s time with meandering, life-sucking meetings? Or, is your inbox full of languishing emails, much to the frustration of your coworkers? Dennis and Tom certainly hope not, but, just to be safe, they’ve got a whole show devoted to helping you understand the nuances of both synchronous and asynchronous collaboration modali...

Stephanie Everett talks with Lawyerist Lab coach and finance expert, Bernadette Harris, about law firm expenses, when it’s okay to spend money on your business, and when debt might even be a good thing.  If today’s podcast resonates with you and you haven’t read The Small Firm Roadmap yet, get the first chapter right now for free! Thanks to LawPay, MyCase, and Posh Virtual Receptionists for sponso...

US News and World Report released its annual law school rankings last week and delivered chaos upon the legal world, dropping Harvard from its top three perch. As we break down some key insights from the rankings, we remind everyone not to get too hung up on these numbers. Speaking of numbers that lawyers should get hung up on, it looks like a lawyer screw up cost a bank around $600M so that's not...

Consider the courtroom as a live drama unfolding before you. How can you direct the characters to tell their most authentic story and utilize breathing, dramatic structure, voice control, and more to make that story as persuasive as possible? The conclusion of our fascinating two-part discussion with Andrew Caple-Shaw and Alexandra Wright of ACT of COMMUNICATION will change the way you prep and pr...

In August 2020, contract attorney Laura Frederick accepted a challenge: Post to LinkedIn once a day, every day, for a month. Frederick thought she might be able to keep up a string of several days in a row. Instead, her daily posts became a way to connect with colleagues, build business, create a brand identity, and have a social lifeline during the isolation of the pandemic. A selection of those...

Opposing counsel's expert’s report raises doubts in your mind about scientific methodology or adherence to industry-standard practices….do you file a Daubert motion to seek to exclude the presentation of that expert’s testimony to the jury? You may not deal with Daubert motions every day, but they can play a key role in your case, so it’s worth a few minutes of your time to learn when to file a Da...

Litigators face distinct challenges when it comes to business development. Unlike their transactional counterparts, clients often only need a litigator once. That means the process of developing business for a litigator is ongoing. Because of this unsteady workflow, identifying a prospective client list, bringing in business and growing your litigation practice can be difficult.   In this episode,...

Zack talks with Knackly.io’s CEO, Kim Mayberry, about how lawyers can build apps using document automation platforms. Who is Knackly? They are the fastest, most-powerful document automation software available. They’re already saving other firms over 90% of the time they spent creating, drafting, proofing, editing, and producing legal documents and correspondence. Knackly.io: https://knackly.io Law...