Legal Talk Network - Law News and Legal Topics

As far as the legal profession has come, there are still elements of racial inequality and it’s not always easy to see. Host Sonia Russo talks with attorneys Tiana Towns, Andrew Hairston, Paulina Vera, and Jerome Crawford about their personal experiences with racism while practicing law. In addition, they discuss microaggressions, implicit bias, and the importance of self-care. Stay tuned for the Financial Wellness Minute when contributor Mathew Kerbis shares practical tips for saving money. Special thanks to our sponsor, The Velvet Hammer.

A huge 2nd Amendment case that flew under the press radar, Travieso v. Glock addresses liability issues when 3rd parties unlawfully use firearms and injure others. Larry Keane from the National Shooting Sports Foundation joins us. Special thanks to our sponsor Nota.

Author, speaker and business coach, Trivinia Barber, talks to us about fighting our email to get to inbox zero. 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 LEX Reception, ESQ.Marketing, TextExpander, and Postali for sponsoring this episode.

Eugene Volokh used his blog to whine some more about how his constant demands to be respected for throwing around racial epithets in class keep getting him clowned. This time he tries to pull a "gotcha" that two years ago, a single Above the Law article had an unedited slur in a block quote... which is so unhelpful to his argument that you have to wonder if he's suffered a concussion or something. We also talk about Judge Lynn Hughes finding himself the subject of another benchslap and revisit the old Above the Law story that has taken center stage in the Philadelphia DA race. Special thanks to our sponsors, LexisNexis® InterAction®, Lexicon and Nota.

In 1974, a United States diplomat was kidnapped by the People’s Liberation Army of Mexico. His wife fought for his release but U.S. policy forbid the government from paying his ransom. Tune in to hear a true life account involving President Nixon, John McCain, Henry Kissinger, the “Hanoi Hilton”, a hijacking, and border crossings. Brendan I. Koerner, author and writer for the Atlantic joins us. Special thanks to our sponsor Nota.

When they were putting together their new book, Crisis Lawyering: Effective Legal Advocacy in Emergency Situations, editors Ray Brescia and Eric K. Stern didn't know that the world would soon be gripped by a pandemic–but they knew that being ready for crises large or small could only benefit attorneys. In fact, lawyers who specialize in emergency management and handling crisis situations are more in demand than ever, and it doesn't take a contagious deadly pathogen to need their services. In Crisis Lawyering, Brescia and Stern gathered personal accounts from lawyers who handled everything from Hurricane Katrina recovery, to international kidnappings of journalists, to the Muslim ban and contentious family law cases, all of who make the point that a crisis can pop up in cases large and small. Whether you want to make a career out of handling crisis cases or you want to weather a crisis that's been foist upon you, the authors in the various chapters have tips and tricks learned from their own experiences. In this episode of the Modern Law Library, Brescia and Stern talk about the writing process, their own experience with emergency management in government and the private sector, and delve into the ethical issues the legal profession should be examining as its members are forced to make hard choices in crisis situations. For example, the medical profession has come together to produce standards for triage during mass casualty incidents. Should lawyers hold themselves to a different standard of care in the legal equivalent of a mass casualty incident?

Top headline for #LHLM: More episodes are coming your way! Look for new shows twice a month on the second and fourth Wednesdays. Next up, as Gyi and Conrad predicted, venture capital is making waves in legal. Most recent headlines covered a $100 million infusion for Scorpion, followed soon after by word that Clio raised $110 million.  What does the investment mean for firms and matter management? Gyi and Conrad discuss. Speaking of Clio. In the “Clio Legal Trends Report Minute,” Gyi and Conrad explain why some lawyers fared better than others during the pandemic. Hint: Choices of technology for payments, portals, and intake are client-focused. Metrics can be confusing. So Gyi and Conrad ID the metrics they think law firms should care about most. Each shares five metrics that get to the heart of client acquisition. Properly implemented, they explain how these measures improve everything from client intake (just answer the phone) to a client’s lifetime value. And just in case you’re looking for more acronyms, Gyi and Conrad will set you up with UCR, LTV, and IQLMC. Special thanks to our sponsor Alert Communications, LexisNexis® InterAction®, LawYaw and Clio.

As bad as it might sound, some employees are faking COVID symptoms or exposure to receive more time off. Learn how to spot this and what to do about it in this episode with Daniel Kaplan from Foley & Lardner. Special thanks to our sponsor Nota.

The recent National Judicial Stress and Resiliency Survey offered insights into the overall well-being of judges and the strategies they use to handle stressors in their work. On Balance hosts Molly Ranns and JoAnn Hathaway are joined by Joan Bibelhausen and Judge David Shaheed, who recently co-authored an article on the survey’s results. They share how and why the survey was created, its findings on mental health and coping mechanisms, and what they recommend for stakeholders to help support judges in their roles.  Joan Bibelhausen has served as Executive Director of Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers since 2005. Judge David Shaheed's legal career spans more than 30 years, including 20 years as a judge in both criminal and civil courts.

Can you name all the Supreme Court Justices or tell us which Amendments are in the Bill of Rights (no Googling)? American Bar Association President Trish Refo reveals the results of their most recent civics survey. Tune in to see how your knowledge stacks up. Special thanks to our sponsor Nota.