Legal Talk Network - Law News and Legal Topics

Bonuses and botched prosecutions. ----- Bonus season is underway, and Biglaw firms are lining up to reward associates for a year's worth of effort. The market scale -- unless some firm breaks rank and crashes the party -- tracks last year, which can be a bit anticlimactic, but with the economy possibly resting on the precipice of recession, this was probably all we could hope for. Also, we discuss Lindsey Halligan's epic fail in the James Comey case -- and we recorded this before the judge tossed the case. Finally, Judge Jerry Smith decided to commit his unhinged conspiracy theories to paper in a massive, doorstop of a dissent in the Texas redistricting case. And we discuss Thanksgiving sides. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s episode is about you and your mindset as it pertains to generating wealth through your business. Guest Lauren A. Klein was a corporate attorney when she came to a crossroads, would she follow the corporate path and accept a paycheck, or strike out on her own and build wealth on her terms. She started by asking questions about how lawyers make money and build wealth. What does it actually mean to make partner at a firm? And she came to the conclusion that there had to be more, that she could do better on her own, knowing full well, as she says, running a law firm is “not for the weak of heart.” In addition to driving the elder law and estate planning firm Flourish Law Firm she co-founded with her best friend, she’s also the host of the podcast “The Wealthy Law Squad.” She learned from corporate law that getting a salary and spending it on lifestyle isn’t wealth. Wealth is investing, creating tools that generate passive income, and building net worth.  What can you invest in today that gives you the financial freedom to do whatever you want later? A “wealth mindset” is about creating freedom, not being chained to the golden handcuffs of a paycheck. What are you working toward?   Ask us anything for the Community Table. Leave us a question online!   Join the next Community Table discussion live! Always the third Thursday of the month at 3pm Eastern.   Mentioned in This Episode: The Wealthy Lawyer Squad podcast Clio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Causation and Workers’ Compensation? It’s complicated, and it varies by state. The concept is that to qualify for Workers’ Comp there must be a direct link between the injury (or illness) and the workplace. But how do you prove what’s a direct result of the workplace and what was the result of a prior injury or condition?  Here’s where it gets confusing. Every state has its own rules. There are varying degrees of required proof, pre-existing conditions, mental trauma, contributing causes, and it can be a challenge to sift through each jurisdiction’s standards.  Hosts Judson and Alan Pierce dissect how pre-existing conditions complicate work-related injury claims. It’s not always as clear as it seems, and state-by-state regulations create even more confusion. Add in workplace psychological stresses and it goes even deeper. If you have thoughts on Workers’ Comp law or an idea for a topic or guest you’d like to hear, contact us at JPierce@ppnlaw.com or APierce@ppnlaw.com.  Mentioned in This Episode: “AMA Guides® to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment: An Overview”  “AMA Guides to Disease and Injury Causation,” by J. Mark Melhorn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever thought about writing the perfect legal brief? Guest David N. Greenwald has, so much so that the retired partner from the firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore wrote a book on the subject, titled “Sentence, Paragraph, Argument, Brief: Meeting the Four Challenges of Legal Writing.” The book is the culmination of a 30-year legal career, beginning with a clerkship and the lessons learned under the guidance of the Hon. Richard A. Posner, Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Reading, digesting, and understanding everything related to each brief proved to be the foundation of good legal writing, Greenwald says. Throughout his career, Greenwald intentionally honed his skills, from writing briefs to eventually, as a partner, editing them. With each paragraph and edit, he focused on the construction and flow of each argument. Writing, Greenwald explains, is a linear process, putting ideas and sentences in a logical progression. A brief, he says, is a special kind of writing that must be learned. It starts with a statement of fact or history, building a narrative. But it’s also a work focused on clarity, without surprises or suspense. Hear Greenwald’s discussion of the art, and science, of legal writing and the principles of a clear, persuasive argument. Have a question, comment, or suggestion for an upcoming episode? Get in touch at MRogson@SkywardInsurance.com and JAReeder@JonesDay.com. Resources: Hon. Paul R. Michel, Chief Judge (Retired), U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on C-SPAN  2026 Women in Litigation CLE Conference American Bar Association American Bar Association Litigation Section  “Sentence, Paragraph, Argument, Brief: Meeting the Four Challenges of Legal Writing,” by David N. Greenwald Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A recent report from LSC's Rural Justice Task Force, “Justice Where We Live: Promising Practices from Rural Communities,” dives into a multitude of programs and approaches that address the biggest challenges to accessing civil justice in rural America. One issue is the scarcity of attorneys in rural areas, often called “legal deserts.” This episode highlights three programs working to create a pipeline of new rural lawyers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special episode of On the Road, Nexl Chief Growth Officer Ben Chiriboga explains why the future of legal practice hinges on what AI can’t replicate: strong client relationships. He introduces the concept of “relationship intelligence” and shows how lawyers can use simple data points—from communication patterns to internal connections—to focus their limited time on building deeper, more strategic client relationships. Learn how a data-informed approach to business development can help lawyers move from service providers to true trusted advisors. Ben Chiriboga is the Chief Growth Officer at Nexl and a former practicing attorney. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recently, in the state of North Carolina, a judge ordered a Tik Tok influencer to pay 1.75 million for destroying her manager’s marriage citing a common law tort called  alienation of affection. Alienation of affection lawsuits are still legal in a few states, including Hawaii, Illinois, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Dakota, and Utah. On this episode of Lawyer 2 Lawyer, Craig joins Professor Jill Hasday from the University of Minnesota Law School, as they spotlight the tort of alienation of affection.  Craig & Jill discuss litigation, states that recognize alienation of affection, and the law's treatment of intimate deception. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In episode 589 of Lawyerist Podcast, Stephanie sits down with Barron Henley of Affinity Consulting to talk about the practical, real-world ways law firms can use Excel to save time, reduce errors, and streamline everyday work.  Barron breaks down why Excel is one of the most underused tools in law firms and shares examples like expense tracking, probate calculations, medical bill summaries, date calculators, amortization tables, document automation, and even embedding live spreadsheets inside Word.  If Excel feels intimidating, Barron explains how even simple functions can dramatically improve workflows across litigation, estate planning, family law, real estate, and firm operations.  Listen to our previous episodes on legal tech tools and smarter workflows:  #497: Real Talk About Artificial Intelligence in Your Office, with Ben Schorr Apple | Spotify | LTN  #581: Agentic AI for Lawyers: Moving Beyond Enhanced Search, with Drew Bloom Apple | Spotify | LTN  #587: Future-Proofing Your Firm in the Age of AI, with Jack Newton Apple | Spotify | LTN   Listen to our previous episodes on Finances:  #306: Getting to Know & Love Your Numbers, with Bernadette Harris Apple | Spotify | LTN  #583: From Survival to Strategy: Scaling Your Law Firm Finances, with Bernadette Harris Apple | Spotify | LTN    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:  0:00 – Why lawyers should look at their numbers 4:17 – AI updates from 8AM (MyCase/Docketwise) 13:46 – Why Excel is the most underused tool in law 17:35 – What Excel can do that lawyers don’t expect 23:25 – Templates, formulas & real practice examples 31:27 – Using Excel for automation & mail merges 37:32 – Everyday lawyer workflows made easier with Excel 41:23 – Final takeaways  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 Expert Service Provider Richard Rosenblum addresses what real estate brokerages are currently experiencing as their most prevalent E&O claims exposure points and what can be done to reduce risk.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

But seriously, what would be a good legal dominatrix name? ------ Biglaw recruiting director out after racist rant goes public. A squabble between lawyers and their former firm presents important lessons on document management, but we spend most of the time wondering about the best legally themed dominatrix names. And we talk about Paul Weiss getting heckled at the New York Bar Foundation awards gala, providing one more embarrassing story to a rough year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices