Legal Talk Network - Law News and Legal Topics

In this edition, host Jonathan Amarilio and co-host Margaret Mendenhall Casey are joined by Judge Robert Bacharach of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit to discuss his recent book “Legal Writing: A Judge’s Perspective on the Science and Rhetoric of the Written Word” and what advocates should consider when crafting persuasive arguments.Special thanks to our sponsors: InfoTrack, Posh Virtual Receptionists, LLC, and Smokeball. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you thinking about appealing your case even before you go to court? You should. This episode explains how to preserve an error for the record, clarifies when a judgment is actually final, and outlines the major writs to remember. We’ll also review the basic rules of appeal because you can’t win if you don’t know the rules. And when it comes to appeals, rules rule. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many lawyers have difficulty staying mindfully present during depositions, cross-examinations, and client consultations because of stress, the fear of making a mistake, and worrying about what to say next. Learn the 3 rules for constructive cross-examination and improv techniques like looping from improvisational acting experts Steve Hohman and Olivia Espinoza to help steer the narrative and improve communication in every aspect of your practice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During its time as a Soviet republic within the USSR, Kazakhstan was the site of massive nuclear tests, both above and below ground. The cost to the environment and health of the Kazakh people and livestock was likewise massive, though the full scale of the effects was under-studied and suppressed for decades. Through massive public protests in the 1980s, nuclear-weapons testing in the Semipalatinsk region of Kazakhstan was brought to a halt.But when the Soviet Union dissolved and Kazakhstan became a sovereign state, it now had a conundrum: Should the country—which had no military of its own—retain the nuclear weapons and become the world’s fourth largest nuclear power, or relinquish them in return for international commitments?This is the story that Togzhan Kassenova was born to write. The nuclear policy and nonproliferation expert grew up in the capital city, Almaty, in a family with deep ties to the Semipalatinsk region. Her father, Oumirserik Kassenov, was the head of the country’s first think tank, now known as the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies, and he was charged with helping the fledgling Kazakh government make nuclear policy decisions in the 1990s. Kassenova—who now lives in a different capital city, Washington, D.C.—was also able to access and interpret archival documents from the United States, Kazakhstan and Russia.The result is Atomic Steppe: How Kazakhstan Gave Up the Bomb. In this episode of the Modern Law Library, Kassenova and the ABA Journal’s Lee Rawles discuss the challenges of writing about top-secret nuclear test programs; the brave Soviet-era medical professionals who sought to record the sicknesses and birth defects caused by nuclear radiation; and the connections between the communities in Kazakhstan and the United States impacted by nuclear testing. She also sheds light on the real international diplomacy that took place that led to Kazakhstan giving up its nuclear arsenal, which was not a foregone conclusion.Atomic Steppe was released only nine days before Russia invaded Ukraine. Kassenova also discusses the parallels between Ukrainian and Kazakh experiences, the Russian attitudes towards the former Soviet republics, and what the international community can do about the threat nuclear weapons still pose today. Special thanks to our sponsor, Posh Virtual Receptionists. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It doesn’t matter what country you’re from or if you’re in the U.S. documented or not. Workplace injuries don’t care about immigration status or language abilities. Everyone hurt on the job deserves representation. Arizona-based workers’ rights attorneys Robert Wisniewski and Javier Grajeda share their vast experiences representing immigrant workers.Communication is vital, and those with limited English proficiency often need help. Wisniewski shares tips on helping foreign workers communicate the extent of their injuries. American demographics are changing, but our system of protections is for everyone. A competent, certified interpreter is one key.Undocumented workers, and even documented immigrants, may not know they have rights or may be afraid to speak up. Some may not have valid tax ID information or may work under an assumed name. Others may have left the country or been deported after an accident.What are cultural tells? How do other cultures react in a courtroom? How do legal professionals vet interpreters? How can you ask simple, direct questions that may uncover information a case hinges on? These and other tips, in this episode of Workers’ Comp Matters. Special thanks to our sponsor PInow.com, Posh Virtual Receptionists, and MerusCase. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every single referral you get is going to google you before they give you a call, so… what will they find? If you’re not sure, that’s a problem. Jared says it’s time to take a hard look at your website and social media presence (and go take a listen to Lunch Hour Legal Marketing) to make sure those leads turn into paying clients. Next, all that web presence talk leads us right into Jared’s chat with Jeff Lantz of Esquire Interactive. They discuss what makes a great website, keeping things fresh, and leveraging analytics and social media. And, no, we didn’t forget the Rump Roast! Jared and Jeff play “Lance-A-Lot,” where Jeff “Lantz” must identify famous “Lances”… you see where we’re going here. Jeff Lantz is an attorney, ABA book author, and CEO at Esquire Interactive.-----Since we played the name game with Jeff Lantz of Esquire Interactive, here's a bunch of songs with people's names in them.https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2zitgmHXqG8LusNHqzOl7A?si=5be0e426621e4d48-----Our opening track is Two Cigarettes by Major Label Interest.The music for the Legal Trends Report Minute is I See You by Sounds Like Sander.Our closing track is Brooklyn Brunch by AFTERNOONZ. Special thanks to our sponsors TimeSolv, Clio, Scorpion, and Alert Communications. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is the value of a great mentor? Why does mentorship matter for lawyers? You may think back to your time as a junior associate and remember the specific people who impacted and helped shape your career from the beginning. Even if they didn’t know it, or if you didn’t realize it at the time, that’s a form of mentorship. In this episode, we’re exploring why mentorship is a crucial piece when it comes to helping the next generation of lawyers grow, and I couldn’t think of anyone better to join me for this conversation than Illana Raia.  Recently named one the first 250 entrepreneurs on the Forbes Next 1000 List, Illana is the founder and CEO of Être - a mentorship platform for girls. Believing that mentors matter as early as middle school, Illana brings girls directly into companies they select to meet female leaders face to face. Illana is a member of the International Space Station U.S. National Lab Education Subcommittee and serves on the National Girls’ Collaborative Champions Board.  Illana has also authored 60+ articles for HuffPost, Ms. Magazine, Worth and Thrive Global, and her award-winning book Être: Girls, Who Do You Want To Be? was released on Day of the Girl 2019. Her next book, The Epic Mentor Guide, arrives March 2022. Prior to launching Être, Illana was a corporate attorney at Skadden Arps and a guest lecturer at Columbia University. She graduated from Smith College and the University of Chicago Law School, and lives happily in NYC. Illana gives listeners actionable tips on: [1:10] How Être was founded [4:02] The evolution of Être over the years [8:35] How attorneys can get involved in mentorship  [21:35] How Illana’s very first mentor changed the life [23:40] The ways in which Illana has developed into an incredible mentor [28:10] Illana’s book recommendation for busy lawyers Resources mentioned in this episode: The Epic Mentor Guide by Illana Raia Embrace the Work, Love Your Career by Fran Hauser  Connect with Illana here: Instagram Twitter LinkedIn Facebook https://www.etregirls.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

A war crime is defined as a violation of the laws or customs of war as established by international customary law and treaties. On February 24, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine, pushing for control in the east and south of Ukraine. Days later, on February 28th, Karim Khan,the International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor, said he had opened a war crimes investigation following this invasion. And on April 4th, President Biden called for “ the prosecution of Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes over the discovery in Bucha, Ukraine, of mass graves and bodies of bound civilians shot at close range.” On this episode of Lawyer 2 Lawyer, host Craig Williams is joined by professor Jonathan Hafetz from Seton Hall Law, to discuss the Russia/Ukraine war, what constitutes a war crime, and the potential war crime charges against Putin and his associates.Special thanks to our sponsor, Posh Virtual Receptionists. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There's not an explicit rule of professional responsibility for this, but the general commandment to serve the public ought to stretch far enough to keep the Court from running a propaganda arm. Amy Coney Barrett blasted a sound byte reassuring the public that the Court isn't a corrupt, partisan institution because it issues "opinions," knowing full well that she was about to obliterate half a century of environmental regulations on the strength of an unsigned paragraph that very week. We also have to revisit the Yale Law School culture fight, which seems less a fight than a unilateral assault on free speech in favor of "you have the right to shut up and listen."Special thanks to our sponsor, Posh Virtual Receptionists, LLC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sara Muender talks with Lawyerist Lab member, Allison Harrison about when it’s time to hire and the ROI associated with finally making that hire and freeing up more of your time.                                                                    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 LawPay, MyCase, and POSH Virtual Receptionists, for sponsoring this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices