Legal Talk Network - Law News and Legal Topics

In this episode’s discussions around the Community Table: How do you implement origination percentages when a new attorney joins the firm. What’s important is clarity, making sure everyone knows who originated the case (and how, including prior websites, phone numbers, and relationships) and how those payments will be calculated. What if your new hire has a few existing cases in the pipeline? Can a new hire continue to work independently to wrap up existing cases on the side? Would these cases involve your professional liability policies or include the new hire using the legal software your firm pays for?  On any team, different members prefer different communication channels. But it’s important to develop consistent policies. Consistency matters because in a law firm, speed of retrieval trumps speed of information flow. The ability for any member to see the entire case at a glance is vital. Ask us anything for the Community Table. Leave us a question online Join the next Community Table discussion live! Always the third Thursday of the month at 3 p.m. Eastern Mentioned in This Episode: “Come up for Air,” by Nick Sonnenberg Clio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What gets measured gets improved. In this On the Road episode, Bryan Billig, VP of Customer Education at Assembly Software, breaks down the most important data points law firms should be tracking—and the ones they shouldn’t stress over. From intake sources and case inventory to staff productivity and marketing ROI, Bryan explains how to turn firm data into actionable insights. Learn how consistent data entry, smart reporting, and a culture of measurement can reveal bottlenecks, boost efficiency, and strengthen your bottom line. Bryan Billig is Vice President of Customer Education at Assembly Software. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At the start of his 2nd term, President Trump imposed a series of tariffs affecting nearly all goods imported into the country, causing controversy.  These tariffs on goods from countries all over the world, include steel, aluminum, cars, auto parts, furniture, pharmaceuticals and more. Since Trump’s announcement, there have been many legal challenges regarding these tariffs. On this episode of Lawyer 2 Lawyer, Craig joins attorney, author, and professor, Raj Bhala, a University Distinguished Professor at the University of Kansas School of Law. Craig & Raj discuss tariffs, President Trump's use of tariffs, SCOTUS, and their potential impact on international trade law, and the American people. Mentioned in this Episode: KU Professor Says Trump’s Tariffs are Xenophobic, Unlawful and Harmful to U.S. By Tim Carpenter Kansas Reflector/The Lawrence Times Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In episode 582 of Lawyerist Podcast, Zack Glaser talks with Merisa Bowers, Loss Prevention and Outreach Counsel at the Ohio Bar Liability Insurance Company, about how artificial intelligence is reshaping lawyers’ ethical duties.  Merisa explains how deepfakes and realistic scams are creating new challenges for diligence and verification, why unregulated chatbots can accidentally create attorney-client relationships, and what disclosures lawyers should make when using AI tools. She also shares practical steps to maintain confidentiality, protect client data, and apply long-standing ethics rules to fast-changing technologies.  Links from the episode:     ABA Formal Opinion 512 - Generative AI  ABA Formal Opinion 510 - Prospective Clients & Rule 1.18    Listen to our previous episodes about non-lawyer ownership:  #354: A Look at the New Non-lawyer Firm Ownership Reform, with Lori Gonzalez: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Lawyerist  #355: A Look at the New Non-lawyer Firm Ownership Reform, Pt.2, with Allen Rodriguez: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Lawyerist  #221: The State of the Legal Profession, with ABA President Robert M. Carlson: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Lawyerist  Have thoughts about today’s episode? Join the conversation on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and X!   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! Looking for help beyond the book? See if our coaching community is right for you.   Access more resources from Lawyerist at lawyerist.com.    Chapters / Timestamps:   0:00 – ClioCon4:45 – Meet Merisa Bowers6:50 – Tech Shifts & New Ethics Risks9:10 – Deepfakes & Diligence13:40 – AI Scams & Fake Clients18:30 – Chatbots Creating Clients  23:40 – Ethical Chatbot Models26:45 – Should Lawyers Disclose AI?29:40 – Don’t Let AI Think for You34:20 – Protecting Client Data36:10 – Staying Ethical with AI37:40 – Wrap-Up & Final Thoughts    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How are you doing? No, really, how are you doing? Guest Chris Newbold is not only the COO of ALPS Insurance – a leader in malpractice insurance for solo and small legal practices – he’s also a recognized driver in the nationwide movement to ensure well-being in the legal profession.  Over the past decade, there’s been a focus on mental health, stress, and substance abuse in the profession. Meeting deadlines, satisfying clients, and the sometimes-confrontational nature of the job can take a toll, especially on lawyers in small practices or rural area where support can be lacking.  Newbold shares insights from ALPS’ recent report, “The State of the Solo: Positive Trends in Solo Attorney Well-Being,” which he helped deliver. The study made a special effort to include small and rural practices. A healthy lawyer is a good lawyer, Newbold says. Taking care of yourself helps you better serve your clients.  Questions or ideas about solo and small practices? Drop us a line at NewSolo@legaltalknetwork.com   Topics: Attorneys in solo or small firms are uniquely susceptible to the effects of stress. It’s a hard job. But the right tech, paired with a mindful approach and managed workload, can reduce that stress. Taking care of yourself ultimately benefits your clients. Practicing in a solo or small firm or in rural areas can have its benefits, and surveys show those attorneys are finding job satisfaction and taking time off when needed. But there are also unique stresses and the potential to feel alone or overburdened. Workload and cash flow are among the biggest stressors facing attorneys. Stress can lead to mistakes (and malpractice), so be mindful of where you are and how much you can handle. If you own your own practice, don’t let your practice own you.   Resources: “The State of the Solo: Positive Trends in Solo Attorney Well-Being,” ALPS Insurance “The Path to Lawyer Well-Being: Practical Recommendations for Positive Change”  Previous appearance on the Legal Talk Network, The Digital Age podcast, “The Insurance Industry Studies the Future of Law Practice”  Mental Health Resources, American Bar Association Law Student Mental Health Day, Oct. 10, ABA ABA Techshow 2026 Clio Cloud Conference 2025 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paralegals can find themselves on an island at the workplace, left without training, mentorship, and opportunities for growth and advancement in a sink or swim environment. It doesn’t have to be that way.  Guest Eda Rosa is a former paralegal who founded her own firm, Eda Rosa LLC, in 2017. The legal consulting and training company is dedicated to transforming the legal industry from the inside out. Rosa says CLE classes are fine for the nuts and bolts, but what about training to avoid burnout and build “soft skills” that make life and work better?  Training shouldn’t stop with paralegal classes and company onboarding. Continuous education and team building exercises ensure teams remain strong and develop as a unit. Every player on a legal team has a role, failure to bring along every player hurts the entire firm.  Hear how Rosa “learned by doing,” growing into her own professional self, earning a master’s degree in law, and then turned her insights into a mission to help paralegal professionals advance their careers and live their best lives both in and out of the office.  Resources:  Previous appearance on the Legal Talk Network, Legal Rebels, “What Does the Future Hold for Licensed Paraprofessionals?”  NALA, The Paralegal Association NALA Conference & Expo 2026 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One can only hope. ----- For a long time, the bar exam seemed like the nasty habit that the legal profession just couldn't quit. But there's finally some progress on that front, with Utah unveiling a new alternative pathway to licensure that values experience and the skills that an actual practitioner needs. We also check in on Cadwalader, where the firm brings on a new co-manager while taking some serious blows in the lateral market. Finally, the Supreme Court is back in session, so we look back at the summer of shadows, when the Court's shadow docket finally crashed into the reality of a president unwilling to play the game and Justice Thomas shed a little light on his decision to bail on teaching his class after Dobbs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do not underestimate your influence. Megan Phillips shares successful strategies that you can use to ignite change. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Clio announced that it had acquired global legal research platform vLex for $1 billion in June, it was the latest in a series of big moves from the cloud-based practice management software company. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is your career stuck in a rut? Hear what it takes to carve a meaningful career in law, as host Michal “Mic” Rogson sits down with Jill Wine-Banks, a history making lawyer who served as the only woman on the Watergate prosecution team and left a trail of shattered glass ceilings throughout her career. Wine-Banks shares how she built her extraordinary career tackling organized crime, a corrupt president, and led military and state legal teams. She headed the American Bar Association, corporate legal departments, and went on to host influential podcasts, published an autobiography, and serves as a legal consultant and contributor for MSNBC. Feeling locked in place in your career? Wine-Banks offers motivational insights about taking risks, moving forward, and never settling for the status quo. What do you really want to do, and what’s holding you back? Throughout her fascinating career, Wine-Banks continually accepted new challenges, broke down barriers, and reinvented herself over and over again. Resources:  iGen Politics podcast Just the Facts podcast Jill Wine-Banks, Wikipedia entry “The Watergate Girl: My Fight for Truth and Justice Against a Criminal President,” by Jill Wine-Banks “The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life,” by Erving Goffman, Amazon “Gideon's Trumpet: How One Man, a Poor Prisoner, Took His Case to the Supreme Court and Changed the Law of the United States,” by Anthony Lewis Assembly of Captive European Nations, Wikipedia American Bar Association American Bar Association Litigation Section Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices