Legal Talk Network - Law News and Legal Topics

On the 4th of July, extreme rainfall ripped through Central Texas, causing catastrophic flash flooding, leaving 119 dead and over 160 missing, with numbers climbing. The National Weather Service (NWS), which has recently experienced staffing cuts under DOGE & the Trump Administration, came under fire from local Texas officials who criticized the insufficient warnings ahead of the extreme weather. In this episode, Craig welcomes Professor Jim Blackburn, environmental lawyer and co-director of the Severe Storm Prevention, Education and Evacuation from Disaster (SSPEED) Center at Rice University. Together, Craig and Jim discuss warnings, impact of staffing cuts, climate change, policy, and how we can protect ourselves from extreme weather. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many lawyers feel overwhelmed by never-ending to-do lists, constant context-switching, and the mental clutter of trying to keep it all straight. In this episode, Zack Glaser talks with productivity pioneer David Allen, author of Getting Things Done (GTD), about how lawyers can break free from chaos and reclaim control—both personally and as a team.  David shares the five key steps of the GTD framework and explains why a “clear mind” isn’t a luxury —it’s a leadership necessity. You’ll learn how to stop relying on your brain as a filing cabinet, how to set up simple systems that actually stick, and how to build a law firm culture where everyone knows what to do next.  We also explore concepts from his new book, Team: Getting Things Done with Others, including how to reduce bottlenecks, clarify roles, and avoid burnout by working smarter not just harder.  Whether you’re a solo lawyer juggling everything or a leader scaling a team, this episode will help you create space to think, lead, and grow.    Listen to our other episodes on systems & productivity:  #419: Free Yourself from Productivity, with Oliver Burkeman Apple | Spotify | Lawyerist #514: The Hidden Value of Doing Less, with Leidy Klotz Apple | Spotify | Lawyerist #485: Unleash Your Law Firm’s Potential with an Internal Coach, with Robin Carberry Apple | Spotify | Lawyerist #516: Flexing Your Discipline Muscle to Stay Motivated, with Sara Muender Apple | 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:  00:00 – Introduction: What Is GTD and Why Lawyers Need It  00:46 – Staying Ahead of the Wave: Zack’s GTD Takeaway  02:18 – Brain Dumping for Clarity: A Lawyer Coaching Example  05:34 – Introducing the Small Firm Scorecard  09:54 – Meet David Allen: Creator of Getting Things Done (GTD)  13:47 – Mind Like Water: The Mental State of True Productivity  15:59 – Your Brain Is a Terrible Office: The 5 Steps of GTD  24:52 – From Inbox to Action: Making Systems Stick  27:06 – Avoiding Burnout with Weekly Reviews  31:25 – From High Performer to Dysfunctional Team  34:46 – The Soccer Analogy: Great Players Still Need Teamwork  39:28 – The Power of Saying No: GTD’s Boldest Lesson  42:32 – First Steps: Start by Capturing What’s on Your Mind  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For over a century, The Dozier School for Boys held dark secrets behind its gates. Allegations of abuse, forced labor, and unexplained deaths had often come up throughout its history, but the full reality of what happened during its time in operation was largely unknown. Maggie Mendenhall-Casey talks with forensic anthropologist Erin Kimmerle about her mission to bring justice to the forgotten children of Dozier. Erin shares the story of her investigation, including her processes for locating unmarked graves, the community backlash and political resistance she faced, and the continuing efforts for justice and reunification with victims’ families.  Read the full account in Erin’s book:  We Carry Their Bones: The Search for Justice at the Dozier School for Boys  Erin H. Kimmerle, Ph.D., is the Executive Director of the Florida Institute for Forensic Anthropology and Applied Science at the University of South Florida Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lots to chew on this week. ----- Biglaw summer associate let go after biting upwards of 15 people at the firm. Now that sounds crazy, but that's because it is. We also discuss a lawyer's biting response to a demand letter. A lot of the professional decorum advocates objected to the tone, but at a certain point how does the profession pushback against aggressive and unfounded demands without public shaming? There's not another readily accessible disincentive. Finally, we address the gnashing of teeth in conservative media ecosphere over Superman being an immigrant and the knots they're willing to tie themselves into in order to avoid the obvious. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For lawyers, artificial intelligence agents could completely change the way that they do their jobs, handling things such as legal research, document creation and managing workflows with little human supervision. But if we’ve learned anything since the dawn of the generative AI revolution, the potential benefits of agentic AI come with risks and possible consequences, as well. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Your success depends on your team.  We talk with one of our paralegal team members about ways to build trust and encourage better collaboration. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mindy Romero is the founder and director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy that is part of the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy based in Sacramento, California. Romero is a political sociologist whose research focuses on political behavior and race/ethnicity. The research and reports of the Center seek to explain patterns of voting and political underrepresentation, particularly among youth and communities of color in California and the U.S. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We see higher rates of mental illness, divorce, alcoholism, and more in the legal profession, but what can we do to change it? In the difficulties of the practice of law, some attorneys struggle to care for themselves in the midst of the critical care they must provide their clients. Molly Ranns and JoAnn Hathaway talk with Rick Barinbaum to gain a deeper understanding of the adversarial systems lawyers must operate within and how to protect wellbeing in the midst of these challenges.    Rick Barinbaum, LMSW, is a clinical social worker, educator,and practitioner. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New approaches to legal service delivery are propelling us into the future. Don’t get left behind! AI and automations are making alternative service delivery easier and more efficient than ever. Dennis & Tom welcome Mathew Kerbis to learn more about his expertise in subscription-based legal services.  As always, stay tuned for the parting shots, that one tip, website, or observation that you can use the second the podcast ends. Have a technology question for Dennis and Tom? Call their Tech Question Hotline at 720-441-6820 for the answers to your most burning tech questions. Show Notes: Local Library Tech Resources Travel Extension Cords!  Malwarebytes - Scam Guard Legal AI Live Perplexity Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does it take to pivot from a career in law enforcement to launching a solo elder law practice? In this episode of New Solo’s First Flight series, Adriana Linares sits down with Andrew Schierberg, a former police chief who retired after 20 years of service and started a second career in law. Andrew shares how he found his passion for elder law, why he chose a holistic service model, and the systems he put in place to build a client-centered firm in Northern Kentucky. From his decision to practice law on his own terms to hiring a care coordinator as his first team member, Andrew's story is one of intentional design, service-driven values, and entrepreneurial smarts. Later in the episode, Adriana is joined by ALPS Insurance’s Rio Laine to talk about hiring smart, supervising staff, and how the right technology and documented workflows help safeguard your growing solo firm.   Hear the original episode with Andrew Schierberg Learn more about ALPS Insurance.  Receive email notifications every time we release a new episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices