Legal Talk Network - Law News and Legal Topics

When the Trump administration's policy of separating families at the country's borders was announced, opposition from the public and the legal community was swift. The outcry and judicial decisions led to a reversal of the administration's stated policy. But detention and family separation have a long history in this country, history professor Ana Raquel Minian says. Minian, who immigrated from Mexico to the United States right before the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, has made an academic career studying immigration, incarceration and detention. As a young adult, Minian followed the news of Guantanamo Bay Naval Base being used to detain people who might be connected to those attacks. But in researching their new book, In the Shadow of Liberty: The Invisible History of Immigrant Detention in the United States, Minian discovered the base was first used as a detention center under President George H.W. Bush to hold Haitian refugees. Minian uses the personal experiences of four immigrants to walk readers through the history of immigrant detention in the United States: Fu Chi Hao, a Chinese Christian attempting to escape the Boxer Rebellion in 1901; Holocaust survivor Ellen Knauff, a war bride of an American GI who arrived at Ellis Island in 1948; Gerardo Mansur, a Cuban who joined the Mariel boat lift in 1979; and Fernando Arredondo, a Guatamalan asylum seeker who was separated from his daughter by border officials in 2018. In this episode of The Modern Law Library, Minian shares details of these stories with the ABA Journal’s Lee Rawles. They also discuss the shifting motivations behind changes in the immigration system, parole versus detention, and how attorneys can help immigrants currently in detention.

Bored with your run-of-the-mill marketing campaigns? Maybe it’s time for you to make a musical! Jared brings on Jacob Sanders to learn all about the recent release of NinjaCat’s Big Data Day – a corporate musical. They talk about the history of these sorts of marketing ventures and their uniquely fun and tactical advantages. They also dig into how super effective use of your data will help you run a better, more profitable business. Next, the Rump Roast! In a new trivia game called “Large Fathers”, Jacob must answer questions about big daddies of historical pop culture. ----- Also in this episode—Jared, in general, hates musicals (Sorry, Jacob). No spoilers here, but a very select few did make Jared’s remarkably minuscule shortlist. ----- Our opening track is Two Cigarettes by Major Label Interest. Our closing track is Sepulveda by Midnight Daydream.

When workers are recovering from a workplace injury, there are psychosocial factors, mental factors, which can impede the recovery from physical injuries. Things such as a worker’s recovery expectations, fear of pushing too hard or performing activities that may restrict the benefits of physical therapy and hamper recovery, or even new negative feeling about their job and perceived injustices over how a supervisor or employer reacted to the injury. Can these “mental” factors prolong recovery and delay a return to productive work? Guest Vennela Thumula, Ph.D., works at the Workers’ Compensation Research Institution – a nonprofit, objective provider of research and analysis – and is the lead author of this year’s WCRI report, “Importance of Psychosocial Factors for Physical Therapy Outcomes.” The role of psychosocial factors is increasingly being recognized as a major factor in recovery. Understanding a clients’ mental state – and its impact on recovering – may be just as important as their injury diagnosis when it comes to achieving full compensation and helping them return to a full, productive life. Just because you can’t see an injury doesn’t mean it isn’t there. What you hear on this episode of Workers’ Comp Matters may change how you approach each client’s individual situation. Mentioned in This Episode: Workers’ Compensation Research Institute “Importance of Psychosocial Factors for Physical Therapy Outcomes,” WCRI, Vennela Thumula et al. Previous appearance on Legal Talk Network “Examining State Variations in Opioid Dispensation with WCRI’s Vennela Thumula” Previous appearance on Legal Talk Network “2015 Workers Compensation Research Institute Conference: Cost and Impacts of Physician Dispensing Drugs” Keele STarT Back Screening Tool “Multidimensional Screening for Predicting Pain Problems in Adults: A Systematic Review of Screening Tools and Validation Studies,” National Library of Medicine via National Institutes of Health

Expert Service Provider Dan Thompson of Dee Gee Rehabilitation Ltd. discusses the impact of AI on the claims handling process.

You’ve opened your firm, hung out the shingle, and taken the leap. Now that you’ve made it a year or two, what’s next? There’s no step-by-step guide for small and solo practitioners, but you can learn from those who established a solo practice and made it through the first few years and how they’re moving forward. Hear guest Joanne Martin’s story, how she learned to hire, add relevant tech, and build on her success. Martin is the founder, managing director, lawyer, and accredited mediator at Align Family Law, a boutique law practice based in Victoria and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Hear how she joined professional organizations, expanded her marketing, and drove her practice to the next step. As you grow, you can build a network of like-minded professionals, ask clients for a Google review, manage and improve your branding and website, and hire a pro when you need technical help (and even personal coaching). You’ll learn as you go, but you can also learn from others. Once you get your feet under you, it can be tempting to be overly cautious with your emerging practice, but growth is essential. Spend the money when you need to, hire when the practice demands. Get better and bigger. Questions or ideas about solo and small practices? Drop us a line at [email protected] Topics: Launching a solo firm is hard. But so is taking that firm to the next level. Hear tips for growing beyond a one person show Adding associates and support staff may sound challenging, but making the right additions builds your business and takes routine tasks off your shoulders. It’s OK to spend on the tools and professionals you need, such as legal and practice management software and professional help optimizing your tech, even professional coaching. Mentioned in This Episode: Collaborative Family Separation Professionals Legends Legal Marketing AlignFamilyLaw.ca Clio (Grow, Manage, Documents, and Payments) Microsoft 365 DivorceMate Adobe Melissa Shanahan, Velocity Work coaching Previous appearance, “A Second Career: Building a Solo Law Practice Later in Life” Previous episode, “Productivity Boost: Real Uses of AI in the Software You Already Have” Previous episode, “Google, Maps, And Business? This is YOUR Episode” Previous episode, “A Better AI, Built For Lawyers: Results You Can Finally Trust?”

One of former President Trump’s criminal cases, the hush money trial, is currently underway in a New York City courtroom. Jury selection for this case was a lengthy and controversial process which included Trump’s lawyers scrutinizing potential jurors’ social media, Judge Merchan giving Trump a warning for reacting to a potential juror in court, and the dismissal of one seated juror due to their concerns over the intense media coverage of the trial. In this episode, Craig is joined by Betty L. Dunkum, Esq., Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Victory Trial Consulting, as they spotlight jury selection. Craig & Betty discuss the process, strategy, and what attorneys should look for in a juror.

Stephanie catches up with the original Lawyerist podcast host, Sam Glover. In addition to a brief walk down memory lane, hear how Sam is working to make our court systems more accessible to the public and how lawyers could think differently about the value they provide. Additionally, Zack talks with Joyce Brafford from TimeSolv about project management, budget tracking, and determining the value of your cases and your time. Links from the episode:  Increase your billable hours with Timesolv-start your free trial today! If today’s podcast resonates with you and you haven’t read The Small Firm Roadmap Revisited yet, get the first chapter right now for free!

What happens when forensic science is later found to be false? ----- Forensic science is a cornerstone of our criminal justice system. Unfortunately, not all sciences used to prosecute people are reliable. So what happens when forensic science is later debunked? Does that mean everyone convicted by it goes free? The short answer is no. Tune in to hear why.

Environmental law is a dynamic field that evolves rapidly with new challenges as they emergebut also against the backdrop of the politics of state and federal administrations. Regulatory focus shifts from administration to administration and crisis to crisis, creating a challenging area of law for those who practice it. Our guest, David Mandelbaum,is a shareholder with the firm of Greenberg Traurig and has practiced environmental law since 1984. He’s seen a lot, from focusing on solid waste landfills decades ago to today’s challenges created by a changing climate. Legal procedures vary from state to state in addition to how the federal government oversees environmental issues, challenging practitionerstounderstand the law and the issues and the procedural process. Laws and statutes are in constant flux. For newer lawyers, Mandelbaum says the constant changes in the field of environmental law level the playing field between experienced attorneys and those getting out of law school. Changes come so fast that a new lawyer who has studied the latest regulations and cases can be on equal footing with someone who has practiced in the field for decades. In this field, it’s never “the way we’ve always done it.” If you’ve ever considered a career in environmental law, this discussion may open your eyes to new opportunities. Resources: “SEC Adopts Rules to Enhance and Standardize Climate-Related Disclosures for Investors,” SEC.gov Superfunds and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency “EPA Imposes First National Limits On 'Forever Chemicals' In Drinking Water,” NBC news Pennsylvania Environmental Law Forum 2024 Different Career Paths in Environmental Law Nurturing the Future of Animal Law American Bar Association on Environment, Energy, and Resources American Bar Association American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division

Let's see if it pays off as well as a billionaire covering up an affair. ----- Donald Trump's hush money trial kicks off after a week of Trump alienating everyone involved in the process by refusing to respect basic decorum and attempting to skirt the gag order by arguing that RTs aren't endorsements. The Am Law 100 is also out and we talk through some of the key takeaways and Judge Ho tried to defend his take on forum shopping and it's... not good.