Legal Talk Network - Law News and Legal Topics

Even though bankruptcy touches so many areas of the law, many attorneys outside bankruptcy practice lack an adequate understanding of how it all works. Rocky Dhir brings on experts Catherine Curtis and Robert Vanhemelrijck to get an overview of what all lawyers should know about this area of legal practice. They discuss different types of bankruptcy, outline filing and court processes, and share pro tips for things to look out for when working with clients in bankruptcy proceedings.Catherine Curtis is an Associate Attorney at Wick Phillips, where she represents clients in a broad range of insolvency and bankruptcy matters.J. Robert Vanhemelrijck is the founding and managing partner of Vanhemelrijck Law Offices, LP in San Antonio, Texas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is your to-do list never-ending? When was the last time you really felt productive? When we are constantly trying to get things off our list, the list seems to only grow longer.  In this episode, Stephanie talks with author Oliver Burkeman about this myth of productivity. They dive into different ways to be productive and actually get stuff done. If today’s podcast resonates with you and you haven’t read The Small Firm Roadmap yet, get the first chapter right now for free!Thanks to Posh Virtual Receptionists, Berkshire Receptionists, & Lawyerist Lab for sponsoring this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ABA poised to eliminate standardized testing requirement... but should it?Taking the LSAT is the first step in the law school journey. But it doesn't have to be. The ABA is considering dropping its requirement that accredited schools employ standardized testing as part of admissions. Some argue that the LSAT is a critical tool in promoting diversity in both law school and the profession. Others claim that the test's value as part of the process is overemphasized and that affording admissions more flexibility is a better tool. We also discuss the tale of a judge who questioned if a lawyer was faking a stroke. Spoiler alert: he was not. And we talk about rising Biglaw rates in an era of economic uncertainty. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The ABA Techshow isn’t just for tech wizards; rather, it should be a vital part of every solo lawyer’s networking plan! Guests Jeannine Abukhater Lambert and Gyi Tsakalakis are co-chairs of the upcoming ABA Techshow, the home of all things tech and your opportunity to see what’s new, and what you’re missing.Both guests serve unique corners of the legal world and found their paths through different methods. Lambert covers large policy areas through academia, and Tsakalakis is a leader in employing tech into legal marketing, making the most out of any firm. No matter what area of the legal world your career leads you to, knowing how to network and market effectively is vital to your success.What’s frightening is how many lawyers, across the field, say “tech competence” isn’t relevant. Not only is it relevant, it’s table stakes. If you aren’t confident of your firm’s – or your own – tech know-how, the ABA Techshow can open your eyes, open new pathways, and help you better serve your clients.Got questions or ideas about solo and small practices? Drop us a line at NewSolo@legaltalknetwork.comTopics: Not everyone who graduates from law school ends up practicing law. There are many little corners of the legal world. The upcoming ABA Techshow is your gateway to catching up and latching on to the latest in legal tech AND building your network. Gyi offers listeners some advice on how to start thinking about marketing, even from a young point in one’s career. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Female attorneys are still being asked to get the coffee. Will that ever change, and what can we do to make it change? Ladies, we need to find camaraderie and courage to speak out, stand together and share a little grace when the going gets tough. That starts with each of us taking small steps toward positive change that benefits all of us. Get a little inspiration for your personal journey in the final episode of our Arizona roundtable. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Miriam Aroni Krinsky worked as a prosecutor in Los Angeles County in the 1980s and 1990s as the War on Drugs was waged. Mandatory minimum sentences and tough-on-crime laws sent prison populations soaring and ripped apart families and communities. Krinsky believed that change was needed–and that it could come from prosecutors themselves. In 2016, she tells the ABA Journal's Lee Rawles, there was enough of a political movement behind the idea of reform prosecutors that the nonprofit Fair and Just Prosecution was founded to help elected local prosecutors promote "a justice system grounded in fairness, equity, compassion and fiscal responsibility." Krinsky became its executive director.Over the course of two years, Krinsky interviewed 13 elected prosecutors from a variety of different backgrounds who share the dream of reforming the criminal justice system. These oral histories were then paired with portraits of those prosecutors created by formerly incarcerated artists thanks to a partnership with Mural Arts Philadelphia. It became the bookChange From Within: Reimagining the 21st-Century Prosecutor.In this episode, Krinsky discusses insights from the election cycles FJP has observed; the difficulty of producing a book like Change From Within during the COVID-19 pandemic; and some of her favorite anecdotes she learned from the prosecutors she interviewed. She also responds to critics of the concept of reform prosecutors from both the tough-on-crime advocates and abolitionists who object to the carceral system entirely. Krinsky explains how prosecutors' discretionary power can be used to avert injustice in the system, and urges young lawyers and law students to consider that career path in addition to public defense positions to battle injustice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

@theBar wishes to honor the career of retired Cook County judge William J. "Bill" Kunkle Jr. after his recent passing by re-broadcasting our interview with him about his experience as the chief trial prosecutor on the John Wayne Gacy case. The episode originally aired on February 6, 2019.The Killer Clown Edition: The Prosecution of John Wayne GacyAmerican serial killer and rapist, John Wayne Gacy, Jr., became notorious for the mass murder of at least 33 teenage boys and young men in the late 1970s. December 2018 marked the 40th anniversary of the discovery of the mass grave beneath his home, which shocked the American public and shattered the image of the safe suburban community. This episode provides a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the crimes and prosecution of the man dubbed the “The Killer Clown” by William “Bill” Kunkle, the lead prosecutor who took him on and sent him to his eventual execution. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Significant physical injuries may be visible to the jury, but emotional harms are not. Are you doing everything you can to help the jury understand and compensate your client’s emotional damages? This episode addresses ways to communicate emotional harm and strategies to diffuse defense challenges to your claims in closing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why is having a marketing strategy so important? Do you take the time to think about the marketing strategy you want to implement for yourself or your firm? What are the tactics most lawyers get wrong when it comes to marketing? We’re talking about it in this episode with Sara Nay. Sara Nay is the COO at Duct Tape Marketing, Founder of Spark Lab Consulting, Scalable Business Advisor and host of the Agency Spark Podcast. With 11+ years working in the small business space, it is her passion to install marketing and operating systems for small business owners so they can get more clarity and freedom in their lives.  Outside of work, Sara tries to spend as much time as possible outdoors with her daughters and husband - from skiing to hiking to biking to camping. Sara gives listeners actionable tips on: [1:50] The start of Duct Tape Marketing [2:50] How marketing has changed [5:35] Starting with strategy to get the results you’re looking for online [7:35] What ‘pain points’ are [13:55] The Marketing Hourglass [17:55] How simplicity, being clear and direct leads to more growth [20:30] The wrong metrics to pay attention to [23:30] Sara’s book review [28:15] What people get wrong about marketing [32:45] One key takeaway from this episode  Resources mentioned in this episode:The Ultimate Marketing Engine by John JantschConnect with Sara here: Instagram LinkedIn http://www.ducttapemarketing.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

While 2022 was a phenomenal year for attorneys and “anyone with a pulse” and a law license could find work, 2023 might “go back to normal,” says Valerie A. Fontaine, a founding director of the legal search company SeltzerFontaine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices