Lawyer 2 Lawyer

What's the status of the legal profession and the judicial system in Louisiana 7 months after Katrina? Coast to Coast hosts, J. Craig Williams and Robert Ambrogi, attorneys and Law.com bloggers find out why some law firms are back up and running, while others are still rebuilding or out of business. You'll hear first-hand accounts from Attorney Ernie Svenson, solo practitioner in New Orleans and author of the legal blog, "Ernie the Attorney," as well as Tim Doody, Firm Administrator for Chaffe McCall LLP, with headquarters in New Orleans and the Tom O'Connell, President of XOsoft, a technology company that helped law firms restore important legal files after the hurricane. And don't miss a special segment with Monica Bay, editor-in-chief of Law Technology News about her recent experiences in post-Katrina New Orleans!

Some of the best lawyers in the country are our Public Defenders. They have heavy caseloads, longer hours than most lawyers and they take starting salaries of $35K! in many parts of the U-S! Why do they do it? On this week's Coast to Coast with hosts and Law.com bloggers, J. Craig Williams and Robert Ambrogi, our guests give us a window on their world as Public Defenders. We're fortunate to have Attorney Josh Hayne from the Massachusetts Public Defender's office, Attorney Greg Apt, Public Defender in Los Angeles County and Attorney Robert Spangenberg, President of The Spangenberg Group, conducting research on civil and criminal justice system-related topics for over 20 years. You can't miss this compelling show, sponsored by Law.com!

Is the gender gap in the legal profession widening? Only about 17 percent of partners at major law firms nationwide are women. That's the hot topic on this Coast to Coast show with hosts, J. Craig Williams and Robert Ambrogi , attorneys and Law.com bloggers. You'll hear about interviews with lawyers across the country from Attorney Lauren Stiller Rikleen, senior partner at Bowditch & Dewey and author of "Ending the Gauntlet: Removing Barriers to Women’s Success in the Law." Also on the show is New England School of Law Professor Ronald Chester, who has written extensively about the legal gender gap and is a faculty expert on women in law and Attorney Mary Musette Stewart, President of the Central Florida Association of Women Lawyers, devoted to promoting the advancement of women in the legal profession. Don't miss this important discussion!

The Class Action Fairness Act became law in the U.S. in February of 2005. But has CAFA been a real benefit to the justice system across the country? Join Coast to Coast hosts, attorneys and Law.com bloggers, J. Craig Williams and Bob Ambrogi, for an in depth debate with their guests, appellate Attorney Howard Bashman, columnist for Law.com and The Legal Intelligencer of ALM Media, legal reporter Shannon Duffy, who also writes for The Legal Intelligencer and other ALM Media publications and Attorney Richard W. Cohen of Lowey Dannenberg Bemporad and Selinger, P.C. with first-hand experience in an ongoing class action case affected by the CAFA. You'll get the details of CAFA's first year from every side of the issue on this edition.

After a few stagnant years, salaries for first year Law Associates are exploding. Starting pay is an incredible $145,000 at some large firms. What is causing this first year salary boom? What do graduating law school students think about this? Attorneys and law.com bloggers, J. Craig Williams and Bob Ambrogi examine the reasons for these new salary heights with expert insight from Melissa Lennon of The Beasley School of Law at Temple University, Carey Bertolet of BCG Attorney Search and Michel Ayer, a student at the University of Iowa Law School. This is an invaluable discussion for all firms looking for new talent and law students looking for jobs!

Everyday we read about law firm mergers or acquisitions, becoming, or so it seems, much like big corporate America. Coast to Coast hosts J. Craig Williams and Bob Ambrogi - West Coast and East Coast attorneys and law.com bloggers, explore this growing trend toward the mega firm on this show. Our guests are experts with compelling insights on this topic: Attorney and national legal writer, Eric J. Sinrod, partner in the San Francisco office of Duane Morris LLP - one of the largest firms in the U-S and; Attorney and well-known legal consultant, Bruce MacEwen from New York. Can mega firms better serve legal clients in a new global legal community? Don't miss this discussion, sponsored by Law.com.

Chaos is an every day occurence in the Saddam Hussein trial. The courtroom has seen 3 different judges, 2 assassinations, postponements, outbursts, walk-outs, no-shows. It is nothing like what we're accustomed to seeing in the U-S Justice system. On this edition of Coast to Coast, hosts J. Craig Williams and Bob Ambrogi, who are attorneys and law.com bloggers, discuss what is really going on, with a very special guest, Simone Monasebian, Chief of the United Nations' Office of Drugs and Crime.

Being a lawyer today takes more than a legal degree - it also means running a business! Coast to Coast hosts J. Craig Williams and Robert Ambrogi, both of whom are lawyers and law.com bloggers discuss the complexities of the business of law beyond the courthouse. Our special guest is Reid Trautz, who serves as Director of the D.C. Bar Practice Management Advisory Service, where he provides practice management information and consulting services to lawyers to help them improve their businesses. Reid is a nationally recognized author and he is a frequent CLE presenter at the ABA and conferences nationwide.

Back in 1999, the Chief Legal Officers of 500 large corporations agreed to push their outside legal firms into hiring more minorities and women. Has their promise been kept? Have law firms diversified their staff? Coast to Coast, hosted by Attorneys and Law.com bloggers, J. Craig Williams and Robert Ambrogi, tackle this topic with in depth analysis from Veta Richardson, the Executive Director for the Minority Corporate Counsel Association, and Attorney Ron Jordan, the founding Principal of Carter-White & Shaw. This is expert insight you shouldn't miss!

Coast to Coast, hosted by Attorneys and Law.com bloggers, J. Craig Williams and Robert Ambrogi, brings the two sides of tort reform together in a lively debate over the issues. Among the big issues for 2006 are asbestos and obesity lawsuits. Our special guests are Laurie Beacham, Communications director for the Center for Justice and Democracy, who explains the 'dangers' of tort reform and Tiger Joyce, President of the American Tort Reform Association (ATRA) dedicated to bringing 'fairness and efficiency' to the civil justice system. If you care about our legal system, you'll want to listen!