Legal Talk Network - Law News and Legal Topics

DNA testing is the most powerful tool for freeing the innocent. But without evidence to test, it’s useless... leaving many wrongfully convicted people without hope. That’s why it’s critical to preserve every piece of evidence in your case. In this episode we talk with Alissa Bjerkhoel about her work in Uriah Courtney’s exoneration and how his freedom hung on a single article of clothing left in a box almost 10 years earlier. Stay tuned to hear about secondary transfers and why your DNA can be on objects you never touched. The case of Lukis Anderson should terrify all of us.Alissa Leanne Bjerkhoel is the Litigation Coordinator at the California Innocence Project.- Podcast Supported by Clio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since its origins, DNA evidence has both convicted the guilty and exonerated the innocent. Despite its amazing abilities, this forensic science has not always been a slam dunk. In addition to reliability issues, its misapplication has led to the wrongful prosecution of the innocent around the country. Host Michael Semanchik interviews world-renowned experts John M. Butler and Deanna Lankford about the history of DNA evidence and its use in the criminal justice system. Hear what investigators learned over the years to correctly identify profiles detected at crime scenes. The results might surprise or scare you.John M. Butler is the Special Assistant to the Director for Forensic Science at the National Institute of Standards and Technology.Deanna Lankford is the Director of Forensic Casework at BODE Technology.- Podcast Supported by Clio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Uriah Courtney was wrongfully convicted and sentenced to life for kidnapping and rape. Despite having a solid alibi, a series of coincidences and past drug offenses convinced law enforcement that they had their man. Although his case looked hopeless, there was one person who knew Uriah was innocent and refused to give up on him. After serving 8 years in prison, he would finally win his freedom. Tune in to hear Uriah’s Story, a real-life account told by the man who lived it. - Podcast Supported by Clio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Artificial Intelligence has become one of the most discussed topics of our day. With the introduction of sophisticated chatbots like OpenAIs ChatGPT 3.5 and ChatGPT 4, many have predicted that we're on the verge of a revolution in terms of how many industries operate, including the legal industry.So what do firms and attorneys need to do to stay ahead of the incoming AI wave? In this episode, host Craig Williams joins guest John Villasenor, professor of electrical engineering, law, public policy, and management at UCLA, to discuss AI and the law, the impact, and what the future holds for the profession under this new AI revolution. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Despite best intentions, our criminal justice system is not perfect. Innocent people are frequently accused, convicted, and sent to prison for crimes they didn’t commit. On this show, we explore how this happens by talking with real-life exonerees, famous attorneys who fight for freedom, and world-renowned experts. You’ll recognize many of our guests from prominent productions like Making a Murderer, The Staircase, and the Survivors Guide to Prison. You’ll hear from well-known exonerees like Amanda Knox and Brian Banks. Hosted by Michael Semanchik. Produced and written by Laurence Colletti. Audio engineering by Adam Lockwood. Music contributions by real-life exoneree William Michael Dillon.- Podcast Supported by Clio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For solos sharing office space with other attorneys, there are advantages, but also potential headaches. How do you navigate this arrangement?Guest Jared Correia is a podcaster, lawyer, and full-time business management consultant, sort of the lawyer you know who knows how to run a business. For clients, he digs into law firm management from the very high-level strategy to the nuts and bolts of tech and daily operations.Shared offices create issues with malpractice insurance, shared practice management software, and clearly communicating your solo status while working in what to a client may appear to be a firm.Plus, the important distinctions between website chat capability, automated chatbots, and the emergence of true artificial intelligence such as ChatGPT. Learn where each product can fill gaps in your practice and turn leads into clients. Tech that may make your solo practice work like a larger firm.Got questions or ideas about solo and small practices? Drop us a line at NewSolo@legaltalknetwork.comTopics: Practice management problems attorneys in a shared office space encounter. Incorporating online chat and chatbots on your website, capture more leads. And where does the latest – ChatGPT artificial intelligence – fit? Resources from This Episode:Nebraska BarFlorida BarSan Diego BarBook, “The Of Counsel Agreement” by Harold WrenABA, Of Counsel definedABA TechshowABA Legal Technology Resource CenterFormillaApex remote assistantsSmith remote assistantsRubyAbby ConnectBack Office BettiesChatGPTOpenAIGoogle A.I., “Bard” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Let’s talk about the art, and science, of billing. We’ll go ahead and say it, billing isn’t fun, but it’s crucial to the success of your law firm. And tracking many of those billable hours often falls on paralegal professionals. Getting work done is important, getting paid for that work is crucial.You aren’t alone. Everybody hates billing. Tracking your time and entering it into your system isn’t natural, and maybe it’s not even taught. But you can get better at this, make it part of your daily routine.Guest Karen Tuschak is an experienced consultant who runs her own firm, Spider Silk Solutions. She provides not only coaching and practice management development to law firms worldwide, but she also encourages firms to adopt the latest technologies. She dedicates much of her time helping paralegals understand billable hours and the importance of time capture.Tuschak says a lot of paralegals “self-monitor” their work, they shave time from a task if they feel it could’ve been done faster. Don’t double check yourself, simply mark down the actual time you spend on a task. If you don’t, not only does it take money from the firm, it makes it hard for managers to spot areas of inefficiency where better tech could help.This is a great reminder and could change the way you think about your job. Your “time capture” tells your story and demonstrates your value.Resources from This Episode:San Diego Paralegal AssociationInternational Practice Management AssociationNALA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a world where AI is becoming more and more prevalent, how do we protect the rights of the original, human ideas? Today, Zack talks with author, designer, programmer and lawyer Matthew Butterick about his work in copyright infringement and artificial intelligence.Links from the episode: Typogrophy for LawyersStable Diffusion LitigationGitHub Copilot LitigationIf 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!Thanks to Posh Virtual Receptionists, Clio, & Gavel for sponsoring this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Latest podcast also talks about ranking the best law schools the worst way possible.With March upon us, we created our our bracket-based challenge to rerank the top law schools based on... nothing. If the law schools don't want to provide data to ranking services, we'll show them what that looks like. It's pretty bad. Speaking of bad, a litigant got a bit of a lecture from a federal judge who cautioned for more civility in filings and let's just say he did not get it. Finally, we return to the hybrid work model with a study in contrasts. One firm announces that it's going to close up the office for the month of August while another puts bonuses in jeopardy if an associate prefers to work in the office on different days. One of these firms will have a happier roster before this is all said and done. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Preparing for trial can be a nerve-wracking experience for a young attorney. Today’s episode offers tried and true tips on when to request a pretrial conference and what matters to discuss, how to organize depos and evidence for quick reference, which hard copies you should and should not bring to the courtroom, how to prepare and use an exhibit checklist and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices