Legal Talk Network - Law News and Legal Topics

Why do professors think everyone has to personally experience the facts to understand the law?-----Hardcore porn shows up in a law school lecture. You know, the rest of us managed to learn the relevant standards for obscenity laws within the context of the First Amendment without visual aides. Also, Diddy's lawyers forgot how track changes works with embarrassing results. And Judge Aileen Cannon doesn't know her Founding Fathers... how a flubbed disclosure form speaks to Originalism's cynical lie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jill Barton spent the first decade of her career working as a journalist, with the Associated Press Stylebook always at hand to determine word usage and punctuation choices. But when she became an attorney, she says, she realized that there was no single equivalent style guide when it came to legal writing—and she had to adjust to using the Oxford comma.As a professor of legal writing at the University of Miami, she also began to notice a contrast between the classic 19th and 20th century court opinions her students were being given to read and the style of writing coming out of the U.S. Supreme Court in the 21st century. Standards were changing at the highest court of the land, but the wider legal community wasn’t necessarily aware of it. Barton spent five years analyzing more than 10,000 pages from Supreme Court opinions, and The Supreme Guide to Writing is the result.In this episode of the Modern Law Library, Barton and the ABA Journal’s Lee Rawles discuss her findings, and what some of the bigger surprises were. One of her biggest takeaways is that the justices are not a conservative bunch when it comes to writing style.For example, during most of Justice Antonin Scalia’s tenure on the court, he was a strident opponent of contractions—can’t, don’t, shouldn’t were always cannot, do not, should not. But in his final years, Scalia did sprinkle in a few contractions, and his replacement, Justice Neil Gorsuch, is “King of the Contractions,” Barton says.The justices were willing to depart from grammar rules if adhering to them caused stilted writing, Barton found. Chief Justice John Roberts uses commas based on cadence rather than simply following strict English grammar guidance. All the justices showed a marked preference for active verbs and shorter, simpler phrases. They have adapted to using pronouns that match litigants’ gender identities, and to using the singular “they” rather than “he or she.” The Supreme Guide to Writing notes when the court shows unanimity in a usage rule, and when there is disagreement. While each justice shows internal consistency with how they show a possessive when a singular noun ends in “s,” there is no group consensus on apostrophe-s versus a single apostrophe. Barton discusses her research process, offers more insight into the way legal language is evolving, and shares how practitioners can use her book to modernize their own writing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is dedicated to Amy Gunn’s beloved Sun Bun Gunn, who recently crossed the Rainbow Bridge. We’ll talk about the special place pets hold in our lives and why we think every dedicated trial attorney should consider a pet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You’ve got questions, we’ve got answers! Gyi, Conrad, and a roomful of attorneys got together for a Q&A session addressing real lawyers’ most pressing legal marketing queries. Every law firm has different resources, assets, liabilities, niches, advantages, connections, etc. So, how do you take your uniqueness and make your firm stand out? This episode showcases highlights from their session, where the guys offered tactical advice on the marketing issues that are consistently top of mind for law firms. The News: Big money flying around in the agency world — Scorpion acquired Get Noticed Get Found. Here’s the news bit: Scorpion Strengthens Commitment to Legal Industry with Acquisition of Get Noticed Get Found, Advancing its Consolidation Strategy. And, Conrad’s thoughts: What to do when your Agency is Purchased by Scorpion. Filevine has big news… and we beat Bob Ambrogi to the punch—ha! (Oh, you know we love you, Bob.) Now, what news, pray tell? Filevine’s got a lot going on: Even better end-to-end automated workflows AIFields: Instant Legal Document Analysis & Insights Filevine Revolutionizes Depositions with Depo CoPilot, an AI-Powered Second Chair for Litigation Attorneys  Mentioned in this Episode:The Bite - Lunch Hour Legal Marketing Newsletter!Leave Us an Apple Review Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on YouTube Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Legal experts discuss their research into civil legal services and initiatives for addressing the access to justice crisis. Stanford’s Rhode Center is partnering with the Legal Design Lab and the Superior Court of Los Angeles County to collaboratively research, design and implement innovative, evidence-based approaches to improve access to justice for court users. Also, a look into the history of auto clubs shows how UPL has evolved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guest Shaun Jardine is an unapologetic disrupter in the world of pricing and billing by lawyers and law firms. He’s leading the charge to move from traditional billable hour pricing – charging for time – to the emerging revolution of value-based pricing. Charge for the results you achieve for your clients, not the time you spent getting there.Are you still charging for time? Why not base your pricing on your experience, your wisdom, your education, the outcomes your clients want, and everything you bring to the table. Clients don’t want your time, they want their problems solved.It’s not “the way we’ve always done things,” but Jardine explains why change is inevitable. As technology, notably AI, accelerates the practice of law, why should a lawyer charge less – fewer billable hours – for achieving results faster and more efficiently? The move to value-based pricing isn’t like flipping a switch. It will take effort, and it will involve your entire team, from HR to marketing, to lawyers and paralegals. But in a changing world, sticking with the old ways may not be an option. This fascinating conversation will ignite your curiosity and challenge you to think differently. Mentioned in This Episode:Charles Proteus Steinmetz“Ditch The Billable Hour! Implementing Value-Based Pricing in a Law Firm,” by Shaun JardineAmerican Bar Association Rule 1.5: FeesRACI methodology of change management (free download)Join the next Community Table live. What’s on your mind? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Mark Stern, CEO of Custom Box Agency, discusses strategies for enhancing client engagement and optimizing the customer journey to drive faster results and better experiences. The conversation covers the application of marketing funnels, the importance of physical experiences, and how to create premium customer interactions. Mark emphasizes the role of strategic client engagement in driving revenue, particularly for law firms, and illustrates the impact of customized box experiences in different stages of the marketing funnel – acquisition, delivery, and retention. He provides practical examples of how this approach can improve client onboarding, educational efforts, and long-term client retention.Mark gives listeners actionable tips on: 00:00 Intro 01:47 Middle of the Funnel Tactics 02:38 Effective Use of Swag and Creating a Box Experience 03:53 Examples of Middle Funnel Strategies 04:47 Physical vs Digital Experiences 09:37 Drip Driving Revenue 13:41 Retention Strategies 20:14 The Importance of Clear Guidance 22:55 Reinforcing the Client Journey 23:47 The Role of Content in Client Education 25:55 Acquisition Strategies for Law Firms 31:44 Book Recommendation 36:20 One Final Takeaway Resources mentioned in this episode:Who Not How by Dan SullivanConnect with Mark here: Instagram LinkedIn Facebook https://customboxagency.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

Piquing curiosity in legal technology is the first step to helping lawyers engage with and acquire modern tech for their practice. Dennis and Tom welcome Caitlin McCabe to hear her perspectives on inspiring interest and enthusiasm for technology in the legal world. Caitlin discusses her role at BARBRI and how they continue to leverage technology to help law students study for the bar exam. She talks about her career path and her excitement for innovation and learning in the practice of law. 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.Caitlin McCabe is a project manager at BARBRI Global.Show Notes - Kennedy-Mighell Report #374A Segment: Fresh Voices in Legal Tech with Caitlin McCabeB Segment: More with Caitlin McCabeParting Shots: Stay Curious Bone Conduction Earbuds by Shokz Braves New Words by Salman Khan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Everybody wants your data, from companies to hackers to governments. Guest Lexi Lutz is senior corporate counsel, and privacy watchdog, at Nordstrom. She advises the company on the legal implications of AI, cybersecurity, privacy, and data protection. As computers get smarter and capabilities expand, it’s more important than ever to maintain legal guardrails and understand potential pitfalls.Lutz starts with keeping up with the slew of developing state privacy laws and international regulations. Corporations handle massive amounts of data, much of it confidential. Privacy disclosures, terms of service, customer service, data breaches, and transparency are all factors. It’s a lot for any legal team to manage, and the field is only getting bigger.Hear how Lutz got her start in corporate data and privacy law, how she approaches her duties, and how she helps the rest of the corporation understand where the vulnerabilities and minefields lie.As a lawyer, you understand your duty to maintain confidentiality. But as computing capabilities surge, and in the murky and evolving world of AI, there’s a growing need for attorneys who understand and stay on top of lurking challenges to privacy and data security. Everything from massive customer database hacks to simply sending an email using a coffee shop’s WiFi can create data security issues. (And Lutz reminds us, change your passwords frequently).Resources: Microsoft Outlook email encryptionGoogle Gmail encryption“Twenty Years Ago, AIM Chatbot SmarterChild Out-Snarked ChatGPT,” TechCrunchChatGPT“’She Hooked Me’: How an Online Scam Cost a Senior Citizen His Life’s Savings,” Wall Street JournalJustin S. Daniels at Baker Donelson, videosAmerican Bar AssociationAmerican Bar Association Young Lawyers Division Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stephanie and Lawyerist Lab finance coach Bernadette Harris discuss the financial red flags to watch for when considering hiring for your law firm. Listen to discover the signs that indicate your firm is ready to expand and the importance of strategic planning. You’ll also learn about the hidden costs beyond salary, like taxes, benefits, and overhead, and why having savings or a line of credit is essential. Links from the episode:   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!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices