Legal Talk Network - Law News and Legal Topics

Rocky Dhir welcomes Laura Gibson and Trey Apffel to hear all about what to expect at the June 22 & 23 State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting 2023. They talk through the “CLE on steroids” programs, making the most of your conference experience, and later highlight each of the scheduled keynote speakers. What can lawyers learn from a filmmaker? Tune in for insights on Daytripper creator Chet Garner’s session centered around his exploration of the great state of Texas. Rocky, Laura and Trey also discuss the drama surrounding controversial speaker Attorney General William Barr. Register now! Online registration closes Sunday, June 18, 2023. Laura Gibson was the 2022/23 President of the State Bar of Texas and is a member of Dentons’ Litigation and Dispute Resolution practice and the Managing Partner of the Houston office.E.A. “Trey” Apffel III became executive director of the State Bar of Texas in December 2017. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

And the Supreme Court's ethical problems just won't go away.Biglaw has always played follow-the-leader. Usually it's about bonuses, but Skadden is taking a big gamble that the rest of the industry will follow it back to a Monday-Thursday office work week. If the rest of Biglaw doesn't follow suit, the giant sucking sound you hear will be Skadden talent lateraling to rival firms. Also the Supreme Court's ethical follies continued with John Roberts teasing a secret plan to cure its ethical woes, while Gibson Dunn took a turn as legal industry laughing stock with a shoddily researched letter on behalf of Harlan Crow. And the Court sided with a grandmother after the county stole $25,000 from her... but dig a little deeper and her case wasn't as sympathetic as it looked. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dan Thompson from Expert Service Provider Dee Gee Rehabilitation Ltd. discusses how technological improvements and enhancements are impacting individuals with disabilities and claims in the U.S. and Canada. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You’ve been working on this case for 2 years and it’s looking good. Then your own expert destroys it with a devastating response in their deposition. Is it their fault or yours? Good expert prep involves more than simply presenting the facts of the case. We’ll share tips from our expert depo checklist and show you how a little extra time with your expert upfront can prevent a disaster on depo day.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In wrongful death cases, we always focus on the facts regarding the decedent. Experienced attorneys know we should also consider the settlement before taking the case. Today we’ll talk about due diligence regarding estranged family members, what to do when potential beneficiaries can’t play nicely together and why having all beneficiaries represented by a single counsel can strengthen your case Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Johanna White joins me to talk about the world of branding and how to position your brand as premium vs. commodity. We discuss what branding truly means, debunking common misconceptions along the way, and provide valuable insights into Johanna’s three-step process required when starting a brand and offer guidance on how to effectively distinguish your brand from competitors.Johanna White is an award-winning graphic designer and visual branding strategist who designs premium brand identities that create impactful first impressions. As the founder of Design By Jo Studio, she believes that if someone is the best at what they do, they deserve to look like it! For the past decade, she’s worked with everyone from individuals to Fortune 200 brands worldwide to help magnetize their dream opportunities, clients and investors, and be as delightfully expensive as they deserve to be. Johanna knows there’s no limit on success, and she proved it several years ago when she took life by the horns and started three companies within one year while battling a brain tumor. At a time when everyone else in her life was suggesting that she quit working and go on social security to cover medical bills, she chose to do the opposite and defy the odds. As a result, Johanna is a now a “Dreamer Extraordinaire” for top performers, elite experts, and companies who are driven to maximize their impact. Specializing in designing premium brand identities from start to finish, Johanna assists her clients in a large range of needs, with complete branding packages that include everything you need to show up in the world as your best. - These days, she is on a mission to help other driven founders fully capture their uniqueness, level up their legacy and embody their limitless potential. Johanna gives listeners actionable tips on: [1:55] How most people treat their brand [3:45] What brand is and isn't [8:20] The three step process you need when starting a brand [10:20] How to distinguish your brand [13:10] Creating a premium vs. commodity brand [16:55] How to translate this into your firm [18:10] Developing brand consistency [24:30] Having clarity in your brand message [28:10] Why you need to create an intentional brand [30:30] Why it's hard to undo preconceived brand perceptions [39:30] Johanna's book recommendation Resources mentioned in this episode:Start by Jon AcuffConnect with Johanna here: https://www.instagram.com/designbyjostudio/  https://www.linkedin.com/in/johanna-white-designbyjo/ https://www.facebook.com/Designbyjostudio  https://www.designbyjostudio.com/  Connect with me Instagram Pinterest Facebook Twitter Karin on Twitter Karin on LinkedIn Conroy Creative Counsel on Facebook https://conroycreativecounsel.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the current exam, candidates have a 90% chance of passing, if they follow the advice of their law schools’ academic support staff.When the National Conference of Bar Examiners launches a revamped version of the bar exam in 2026, called the NextGen bar exam, it is expected that there will be new assessments on skills including legal research, investigation and client counseling. And that could mean less focus on memorization for candidates. Or not, says Mike Sims, president of the test prep group BARBRI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

According to the League of Women Voters, “Voting is a fundamental principle, and all Americans deserve the equal opportunity to make their voices heard in our democracy.” Yet over the years, various states have suppressed voters from reaching the ballot box through various methods like strict ID laws, purging voter rolls, and cutting early voting. Gerrymandering, defined as “to manipulate the boundaries of (an electoral constituency) so as to favor one party or class” has taken center stage when it comes to voting in elections. Just recently, SCOTUS decided to take up a South Carolina racial gerrymandering case, a lower court decision that struck down a congressional district in South Carolina as an illegal racial gerrymander. This case will be heard by SCOTUS next term.In this episode, host Craig Williams joins guest, professor Ruth Greenwood, Director of the Election Law Clinic at Harvard Law School. Craig and Ruth discuss election law, voting rights, gerrymandering, and SCOTUS and the South Carolina racial gerrymandering case. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lately, AI developments have been top of mind for just about everybody—lawyers included. And with AI’s potential to solve all kinds of workflow problems and majorly improve access to justice, the excitement around it does have real merit. However, concerns about accuracy, security, and the current lack of regulation are just as pressing as the excitement surrounding the AI bandwagon. To address all these issues and more, Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway welcome John Simek to unpack the latest AI trends and their implications for lawyers. John W. Simek is vice president of the digital forensics, managed information technology and cybersecurity firm Sensei Enterprises. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Take a deep dive into eDiscovery for small and midsized firms with an old friend and frequent New Solo contributor, guest Brett Burney, a lawyer and longtime consultant who’s passionate about legal tech. Facing a mountain of electronic documents from PDFs to spreadsheets to emails to texts in discovery? You don’t need to be an expert, but you do need to understand the basics, the traps, and the available tools.Start by accepting that electronic files aren’t paper files. They are inherently different and aren’t meant to be printed out. Embrace the format and treat electronic documents as what they are. If you print electronic documentation out, or you accept a printed version, you’re not getting the full picture, and you’re letting potentially valuable information slip through your fingers.It's a digital world, and litigation is more likely than ever to include emails, smartphones, voice mails, social media posts and comments, and texts.If you’ve been wondering if you’re doing the best job possible with eDiscovery, this is the episode for you.Got questions or ideas about solo and small practices? Drop us a line at NewSolo@legaltalknetwork.com Topics: Electronic discovery (eDiscovery) involves electronic files that are inherently different than paper discovery. What you need to know and mistakes you may be making. Metadata included in electronic documents can offer valuable clues that help you prepare your case, but it’s easy to contaminate that data. Understand the available tools that organize, preserve, and prepare digital evidence, including extracting text messages, voice memos, and emails from smartphones and tablets.  Mentioned in This Episode:Previously on New Solo, with guest Brett Burney LegalWeek New YorkiMazing“Forensic Image,” Science DirectSynctechSynctech SMS Backup and RestoreX1 SearchPage VaultPagefreezer WebPreserver vs. PagefreezerRelativityRelativity OneEverlawNextPointLogicullDiscoLexbeGoldFynchAcrobatDigital WarRoomNextPoint blog, “eDiscovery with Outlook: 3 Reasons Why Outlook is NOT a Document Review Tool,” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices