Legal Talk Network - Law News and Legal Topics

This year, we have created a new Environmental Law series on Lawyer 2 Lawyer, where wewill cover cradle to grave treatment of chemicals and our laws on environmental biology.In this episode, host Craig Williams joins Mark Squillace from the University of Colorado Law School, to discuss the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), wetlands protection, and habitat conservation plans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Turning a legal service into a product has already been proven to be both profitable for lawyers and a huge help in increasing access to justice. So, how do you join this new wave and productize your services? Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway talk with Dorna Moini about strategies for creating a legal product for your target market, pricing recommendations for today’s clients, and future outlooks as legal products change the way we deliver services in the profession.Dorna Moini is the CEO and founder of Gavel, a no-code platform for building document automation and client-facing legal products. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stephanie interviews Affinity’s Barron Henley and they dive into how lawyers can maximize their use of Microsoft Word. From formatting to footnotes, Barron offers his insights, tips, and strategies for making Word work for any law firm.Links from the episode: Workshop | Beyond the Budget: Why You Need a Financial ProjectionMicrosoft Word for Legal ProfessionalsMicrosoft Word Digital CourseBarron’s Pinterest Page for Vegan RecipesInterested in hearing about personalized training for your firm? Contact sales@affinityconsulting.comIf 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

Our justice system is changing as demand for access to court services grows. Are specially trained paralegal professionals the answer?Across the country, states are looking for ways to grant special licenses so paralegal professionals can handle some issues that have traditionally required an attorney. New programs with names including “allied legal professionals, “limited licensing,” and “legal paraprofessionals” are opening ways to offer access to justice and, at the same time, opening pathways for paralegals to expand their roles and embrace new opportunities.This is important stuff that affects us all, even if the stereotype is that “legal aid” projects are for indigent cases, studies find up to 40% of the legal needs of middle-class people go unaddressed due to high demand and costs. There has to be a better way. The medical community developed new ways to provide care (nurse practitioners instead of an M.D.), so why can’t we build a new tier of legal service providers?It's been a long slog as states individually decide how tiers of limited licensures can ensure access to justice. And it’s been contentious, maybe because the issue isn’t fully understood. Get educated and get involved with this informative episode of the Paralegal Voice.Resources from This Episode:The Landscape of Allied Legal Professional Programs (Report)North Carolina Justice For All Project’s legislative proposal, “Looking Beyond Lawyers To Bridge The Civil Access To Justice Gap”NALANFPAAAFPELimited License Legal Technicians, Washington State BarArizona Legal Paraprofessionals (limited licensing)N.C. Justice Richard DietzAmerican Bar Association, access commissionsMinnesota Legal Paraprofessionals Pilot Program Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Communication often happens because we are simply reacting to something, but how often do we react with a thoughtful, impactful response? Jared welcomes Jessica Chen to hear her strategies for leveling up your professional communications. They talk through some of the ways communications training can elevate your influence in the workplace and discuss ways to connect with professional peers through social media.Later, has anyone named Oscar ever won an Oscar? Find out whether Jessica knows the answer in Jared’s Rump Roast quiz featuring historic Academy Awards trivia.And, HBO’s “The Last of Us” is the best show Jared’s seen in a looong time, so if you like gut-wrenching, poetic, and a little bit disturbing storytelling, you’d better check it out.Jessica Chen is an Emmy-Award Winner and the founder and CEO of Soulcast Media.-----Since we talked about the Academy Awards, let's keep awards season rolling: here's our list of the best Best Original Song category winners!-----Our opening track is Two Cigarettes by Major Label Interest.Our closing track is Yellow Letter by Sam Barsh. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Don’t assume that an impressive CV from a prestigious university means you’ve found the perfect expert for your case. We think someone with down-to-earth communication skills and real-life experience may be a better choice. Tune in for our discussion of what to look for when hiring an expert witness, strategies to defend your expert’s testimony when your opponent presents multiple experts against you, and tips on expert prep so your best asset doesn’t become your worst nightmare. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Loyal Heels in the Courtroom listeners know Amy Gunn also hosts a podcast for the American College of Trial Lawyers. On her Trial Tested podcast, Amy spoke with Joan Lukey, one of the top female litigators in the country and the first female President of the ACTL. This extraordinary episode is a great opportunity to take notes on Joan’s philosophy for success and her ongoing commitment to compassion in every aspect of her life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Also, Elon Musk really needs legal counsel.Judge Stuart Kyle Duncan is the latest speaker to cry foul that an audience of law students heckled him to death. He's received an apology from Stanford Law School already, but the videos released from the event and the witness accounts appear to show the judge playing the role of wrestling heel. Taking the honest if probing questions from the audience and obstinately refusing to answer to further frustrate the students. Elon Musk fired up his Twitter machine to lurch the company into a potentially massive liability before someone -- presumably a lawyer -- told him about wrongful termination. Maybe he shouldn't be too quick to ditch the requirement that he run every Tweet by a lawyer first. Finally, Merrick Garland is taking heat for the fact that it's 2023 and Donald Trump has yet to be charged for anything stemming from the Capitol riot. But Garland's right. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Civil legal aid providers noted an increase in illegal evictions during the height of the pandemic,as some landlords pursued avenues outside the court system for forcing tenants out. Legal experts discuss the problem of illegal eviction and its role in housing instability on the latest episode of LSC's “Talk Justice” podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode’s discussion around the Community Table: Sometimes when it comes to your brand and marketing, doing everything is doing nothing. What is it you want to be known for? On the fence about hiring support staff? Do the math. Would more staff create more business, better reviews, and happier clients? The next step could be more profit. Gamification – cash rewards for individual and team goals (even promotions) – can energize your team. Retain your best players. And what about offshoring some tasks? Mentioned in This Episode:CalendlyAccuity Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices