Legal Talk Network - Law News and Legal Topics

Autonomous killer robots have certainly grabbed a lot of screen time over the years, but is our world really going to end in an AI-fueled war? Sharon Nelson and John Simek welcome Brigadier General Patrick Huston to discuss his role at the Pentagon and dispel some of the most common myths about AI and its military applications. As a self-described “near pacifist,” General Huston shares his perspective on the military’s commitments to ethical and legal development of AI defenses and emphasizes the importance of creating partnerships between the government and the best and brightest AI experts in private industry. Brigadier General Patrick Huston is the Assistant Judge Advocate General for Military Law and Operations in the Pentagon, where he is keenly focused on privacy and the legal and ethical development of AI, cybersecurity and other emerging technologies. Special thanks to our sponsor PInow. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joyce Tong Oelrich and Zohra Tejani, the founders of Tong Tejani, which specializes in government contracts and has mainly technology-sector clients, kept initial client feedback about subscription pricing in mind when they formally launched their firm in May 2020. Special thanks to our sponsors, Alert Communications and Nota. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Google takes center stage in news updates as Gyi and Conrad discuss two moves that may diminish opportunities for free lawyer advertising on the platform. Top billing goes to Google’s Local Pack change from a three-pack to a two-pack. The two also shift gears on earlier advice about Google My Business Messaging. Eek. Google is sending messages to your competitors when potential clients use the form. The “Word of the Day” is ‘conversion.’ To lawyers, conversion means a new client. But many marketers use the term to discuss leads. Gyi and Conrad agree to agree and disagree. Lawyers may be swimming in data analytics of their own. In discussing their new segment, “Clio Legal Trends Report Minute,” Gyi and Conrad explain that Clio’s report can help put that data in context with the industry, peers, and competitors. This month’s data points: Percent of lawyers who decided to leave office space for virtual practice in 2020? Percent of clients who prefer video conferencing over a phone call? Finally, Gyi and Conrad debate and justify their Pick Twos. Think the choices are obvious? Not a chance. Fast, cheap, quality? Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter? Harry Potter, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings? Clubhouse, blog, podcast? Coffee, ice cream, alcohol? First page of Google, a good website, good reviews? Special thanks to our sponsor Alert Communications, LexisNexis® InterAction®, LawYaw and Clio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New Hampshire vs. Massachusetts is a monster case about taxes and federalism that could impact employers all over the United States. Who’s going to win and who’s going to lose? Sam Megally from K & L Gates joins us to law-splain. Special thanks to our sponsor Nota. Sources: JD Supra article from K&L Gates by William LeDoux, Sam Megally, Cindy Ohlenforst, and Macie Wagner ‘New Hampshire v. Massachusetts: Potential for Remote Working Tax Uniformity’ SCOTUS Blog article ‘New Hampshire v. Massachusetts’ The Volokh Conspiracy article by Ilya Somin ‘New Hampshire’s Supreme Court Lawsuit Seeking to Prevent Massachusetts from Taxing NH Residents Working Remotely for Massachusetts Firms’ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To continue demystifying the attorney grievance and discipline process, On Balance hosts Molly Ranns and JoAnn Hathaway welcome Mark Armitage of Michigan’s Attorney Discipline Board (ADB). Mark explains how complaints move from the Attorney Grievance Commission to the ADB, outlines the types of cases that often require disciplinary action, and clears up common misconceptions about the relationship between the ADB and the State Bar of Michigan. Mark Armitage is executive director and general counsel at the Michigan Attorney Discipline Board. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The pandemic impacted the practice of law in unpredictable ways, especially for new lawyers. Host Sonia Russo taps into the lessons learned by James Liu, Michelle Garcia, and Shawn Hoover on how to manage their careers and ensure clients have adequate representation during a time of scarce resources and more limited access to justice. Stay tuned for the Financial Wellness Minute when show contributor Mathew Kerbis reveals practical tips for saving money. Special thanks to our sponsor, The Velvet Hammer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dealing with a rude, difficult, or offensive person can be a real challenge. But what happens when that person is a client, a co-worker, or even worse, your boss? It might be tempting to simply tell them off or quit but that could derail your career. Host Sonia Russo delves into the workplace experiences of Melissa Lessell, Eric Sternberg, Melanie Senosiain, and Professor Heidi Brown to find constructive ways to handle these tough situations as they come up on the job. Stay tuned for the Financial Wellness Minute when show contributor Mathew Kerbis discusses the long-term benefits of pet insurance. Special thanks to our sponsor, The Velvet Hammer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why should clients care about who owns their lawyer’s law firm? Does it matter? Are the clients still being taken care of? We answer these questions and more about the new Alternative Business Structures for law firms taking root around the country. Andy Halaby from Greenberg Traurig joins us. Special thanks to our sponsor Nota. Sources: ABA Journal article by Debra Cassens Weiss ‘First Law Firm Owned entirely by Non-Lawyers Opens in Utah’  Martindale article by Andy Halaby ‘Arizona’s New Alternative Business Structures Law Is Alive and Kickin’ Press Release ‘Law on Call Will Launch the First Nonlawyer-Owned US Law Firm’ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s time for the fourth and final pillar of the Second Brain project – sharing. Dennis and Tom discuss their differing theories on this pillar and explain what “sharing” might look like within their individual projects. Next, in the second installment of their “Hot or Not” segment, they discuss the increase in sales of desktop computers and give their take on this somewhat surprising trend. As always, stay tuned for the parting shots, that one tip, website, or observation 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 answers to your most burning tech questions. Special thanks to our sponsors, Colonial Surety Company, ServeNow, and Nota. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lawyerist Operations Director, Paige Atkins, shares her best practices for hiring a virtual assistant. 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 Lawmatics, Postali, ESQ.Marketing,  SweetProcess, and TextExpander for sponsoring this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices