Aiming for a wider reach and audience, the civil legal aid podcast Talk Justice has joined the Legal Talk Network.

Produced by the Legal Services Corporation, the podcast features a rotating lineup of hosts covering civil legal aid funding and access to justice.

LSC views the podcast as a way to better communicate with legal aid providers and with public officials, the public, and the business community.

LSC President Ronald Flagg, a regular podcast host, is particularly interested in amplifying unexpected voices, including sports figures and business leaders. 

The most recent discussion focuses on why access to justice matters to American business.

In the episode, Flagg speaks with Merck & Co. Chairman Kenneth C. Frazier, Home Depot General Counsel Teresa Wynn Roseborough, Carlyle Group co-founder David M. Rubenstein, and Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Chief Operating Officer John F. Schultz. 

“People don’t expect CEOs of Fortune 100 companies and a chairman of one of the most significant capital companies in the world to have an interest in civil legal aid, but they do,” Flagg says.

Launched in August 2020, Talk Justice regularly features politicians, bar leaders, judges, and legal services providers on the front lines of the access to justice crisis.

Communications through the podcast and webinars ramped over the last year as the pandemic thrust poverty law issues into the spotlight. Access to healthcare, unemployment, housing, and domestic violence issues are all longtime civil legal aid matters. But the pandemic focused national attention from key policymakers and media in new ways.  

Plus, with mass job losses, many more Americans found they needed and qualified for legal aid. Access to civil justice became a topic of conversation among a wider audience.

Talk Justice, Flagg says, is a vehicle for alerting policymakers to what’s happening in on the ground. At the same time, the podcast helps LSC share successful strategies and tactics with providers. 

The first Talk Justice episode on the Legal Talk Network was published on Aug. 10, covering President Biden’s executive order re-establishing the White House Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable. 

Upcoming shows will feature topics covering the pandemic’s impact on the opioid crisis and recovery community. Another show will feature how state attorneys general can more effectively work with legal aid providers to serve low-income Americans.

Hit play to listen to the most recent episodes

Shuttered during the pandemic, movie theaters are only slowly opening capacity and drawing modest audiences. What impact did the shutdown and digital-first releases have on the pocketbooks of superstars headlining the films?

On Legal Talk Today, Laurence Colletti takes us behind the scenes with Prof. Jon Garon to discuss Scarlett Johansonn’s breach of contract suit against Disney for its simultaneous release of the movie Black Widow.

Garon identifies the strengths and weaknesses of the case and whether the law and her lawyers will be able to avenge her losses. He also places bets on what impact the litigation will have on Hollywood contracts.

The politics of sexual harassment

High-level, high-profile sexual harassment allegations are abundant, regardless of one’s political party. Just for starters, think Andrew Cuomo.

In a fascinating interview about why we do or don’t believe victims, Lawyer 2 Lawyer host Craig Williams interviews Syracuse University Prof. Rebecca Ortiz. 

The two discuss which party is more likely to pressure accused leaders to step down and face consequences, and how entrenched party loyalties play a role in victim-blaming.

Ortiz shares her latest research on willingness to blame and explains social identity and how social identity threats impact a willingness to believe or blame a victim.

Self-help tools for complex legal matters

The Scarlett Johansonns of the world have the means to afford legal teams for whatever legal dispute comes their way. The Sonja Ebrons? Not so much. 

Ebron speaks with Legal Rebels Podcast host Lyle Moran about the personal legal battles she experienced that led her to launch Courtroom5, an online tool that supports pro se litigants as they navigate complex civil matters.

While there are many online self-help tools for small claims and traffic matters, Ebron explains she saw a void when it came to tools for fighting debt collection, child custody matters, medical malpractice, and other complex cases.

10 tips for better electronic evidence reporting

Lawyers tend to use jargon like it’s a second language. Add in expert reports to legal matters, and the issue of clarity can be exacerbated exponentially.

Craig Ball addresses his ESI pet peeves on Digital Detectives by sharing ten tips for creating more useful reports that lead to better comprehension by the non-experts in the room.

First tip on the list: Answer the question you were hired to answer. By this, Ball explains to Sharon Nelson and John Simek that it’s important to frame the answer in a way that makes sense to the lawyers and those who will be reviewing reports in court.

Risks and expected insurance claims involved with the 5G rollout

As greater access to broadband comes in the form of enhanced mobile capacity through 5G, infrastructure is building in states, counties, cities, and neighborhoods across the country.

Best’s Insurance Law Podcast host John Czuba interviews governmental regulatory lawyer Michael Watza about potential health risks of small-cell transmitters placed in populated areas. 

Watza explains why many believe that radio frequency health claims will arise involving cell phones and new towers.

More from Legal Talk Network

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Building good teams often requires valuing the unique strengths of each member. For legal teams, diversity of thought and perspective can make all the difference when solving problems.

If everyone thinks the same way, creative solutions may be elusive.

Haley Moss speaks to the issue of neurodiversity in her book, “Great Minds Think Differently: Neurodiversity for Lawyers and Other Professionals.”

In a Modern Law Library interview, host Lee Rawles and Moss discuss how the best, most effective teams, bring different types of problem solvers to the table.

How (not) to respond to bad reviews

No matter how many cautionary tales, inevitably, there’s a real-world example of how not to respond to negative online reviews.

Gyi Tskakalakis and Conrad Saam beat this drum fairly regularly on Lunch Hour Legal Marketing. 

Responding to a bad rating with privileged information is one way to get bar authorities on your case. And responding with a lawsuit is another way to amplify the bad experience a customer was complaining about. 

So what should lawyers do? Gyi’s and Conrad’s advice is more nuanced than, “If you don’t have anything positive to say, don’t say anything at all.”

There are ethically acceptable response options. As important, fixing any issues that may have led to the negative review.

Document automation and happy clients

Clients can be unhappy about any number of issues. Communication is often at the core. So is receiving a bill for a task the client thinks (or knows) can be done more quickly.

Dennis Kennedy addresses this client peeve in the context of document automation. On the Kennedy-Mighell Report, he and Tom Mighell explore this evergreen topic and the evolution of client expectations.

A2J redux at the DOJ

With the Biden administration, the pendulum is swinging back to prioritizing access-to-justice.

On Talk Justice, host Jason Tashea welcomes Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, former DOJ official Karen Lash, and Elizabeth Werner, managing attorney at Legal Aid of West Virginia.

The four explore the renewed focus on the White House Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable, the current access-to-justice landscape, and the momentum necessary for progress.

Rationale behind law prof’s vaccine mandate challenge

Law firms, universities, and many other employers are rolling out vaccine mandates. The EEOC and governmental authorities have consistently blessed these moves.

So Joe Patrice and Kathryn Rubino at Thinking Like a Lawyer wonder out loud whether a George Mason University law prof’s challenge to his school’s mandate has any merit. Spoiler: they don’t.

The two also have some praise for Cravath when it comes to flex work. Will the move become the new flex-norm? 

More from Legal Talk Network

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In this On the Road Special Report, hear from National Conference of Bar Presidents leaders who presented showcase programs to evaluate the Covid-19 rollercoaster, lessons learned, and innovative ways bar groups are serving members.

Incoming American Bar Association President Reginald Turner joined former fellow National Bar Association President Juan Thomas about the value of mentors. Turner also shared his vision for his ABA presidential year and called for young lawyers to get involved with the ABA.

A moment with the most potential?

Michigan Chief Justice Bridget Mary McCormack shares why she’s optimistic there’s momentum for change to address unmet legal needs.

McCormack tells former Washington State Bar Association President Patrick Palace about how she walked out of law school into an access-to-justice crisis. Yet, 30 years later, stats are frustratingly similar.

So why is she optimistic that the legal profession is on the precipice of real change? McCormack says there’s a confluence of activity responsible for her optimism.

Even before the pandemic, progress was percolating in the form of reregulation and legal technology. Then the pandemic forced a reluctant profession to innovate, almost overnight.

Although lawyers can “resist change like a boss,” McCormack explains to Palace that the pandemic taught them that it’s possible to develop new skills, collaborate, and rely on other stakeholders. 

Sandbox state of play

With the nationwide access-to-justice crisis worsening and exacerbated by the pandemic, more eyes are on states like Utah, which is at the forefront of legal regulatory change.

Tom Rombach and Joe Sullivan–former Michigan and Montana bar presidents–interview Utah Justice Deno Himonas about his state’s efforts to address the access to justice gap. 

Himonas provides an overview of changes to paralegal licensing, limited practice for those with master’s of law, regulatory reform, Utah’s unique sandbox approach, and an upcoming overhaul of the civil small claims process.

The three discuss the disconnect between public needs and the protectionist reaction from rank and file bar members. But Himonas explains how evidence is growing that opening up the market, and increasing access, is also providing more opportunities for lawyers.

Shaping the future 

As much as many would like things to go back to a pre-pandemic normal, there are lessons to be learned and ways bar groups can better serve their members.

Jayne Reardon, executive director of the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism, speaks with bar leaders Bill Bay and Laura Farber about insights from the ABA’s “Practicing Law in the Pandemic and Moving Forward” survey and report. 

They discussed key findings, including that:

• More than half of lawyers surveyed work from home 100% of the time.
• Most lawyers surveyed are feeling overwhelmed.
• There is worry about job security and client access.
• Billable hour pressure added to the stress.
• Lawyers with children, especially women, were struggling and considering leaving the profession.

Farber and Bay also shared a key takeaway: Bar groups need to learn what they’re seeing and experiencing from their members.

More LTN Special Reports

Listen to more On the Road special reports from Legal Talk Network by following this link.

Leveraging technology and the latest legal tools doesn’t necessarily mean becoming an expert in coding and the nuances of machine learning.

Several recent Legal Talk Network episodes take deep dives into day-to-day tools and law practice management practices. Topics cover: building custom estate documents, developing tags for easier information retrieval, and managing trust accounts to reduce risk.

On New Solo, estate planning lawyer Marie Stockton shares why she’s focused so much of her time and attention making sure her clients can and want to read some of the most important documents they’ll ever sign. 

She and host Adriana Linares talk about the shift from WordPerfect to Microsoft Word, creating styles for formatting, and the importance of font choice.

Digitizing information is just one part of creating a nimble work environment. But just because everything is in a digital format doesn’t mean it’s easy to find. 

On the Kennedy-Mighell Report, Tom Mighell and Dennis Kennedy talk tagging, offering a lesson in data organization.

Money management is tough enough. But when money management involves client funds, lawyers need to be extra sure they have systems in place to protect clients and themselves.

On Digital Edge, hosts Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway welcome Nota’s Paul Garibian to talk about common mistakes that can put bar licenses at risk and the latest best practices to keep accounts above board.

Managing stress in uncertain times

If talk of tech competencies has your head spinning, Litigation Radio’s latest episode may help.

Host Dave Scriven-Young interviews Dr. Deborah Topol and Lawrence Rosenberg, co-authors of the “Trial Lawyers Guide to Success and Happiness.” They discuss coping strategies and ways to relieve stress.

And segment host-Darryl Wilson offers practice advice during periods of uncertainty.

Public personas on trial 

Are rap artists less likely to get a fair trial? Before learning about “Rap on Trial: A Legal Guide for Attorneys,” I hadn’t realized how lyrics are used against aspiring rappers.

So are lyrics autobiographical confessions or art? Dr. Charis Kubrin explains the shortcuts prosecutors use when “gangster rap” is in play. Kubrin discusses research in this area of rap, bias, and First Amendment implications.

More from Legal Talk Network

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Being away for a midsummer vacay meant binge listening to LTN’s recent podcasts to catch up.

For inspiration, laughs, and sober advice, I recommend the following playlist explaining #FreeBritney and covering the WALL-E of legal tech, surly judges, and SCOTUS poetry.

#FreeBritney conservatorship explained

Beyond the headlines and hype, a legal process is being used to control the assets earned by superstar Britney Spears. 

The Chicago Bar Association’s At the Bar podcast explores a sensational case in the context of conservatorship matters and the particularities of permanent conservatorship. 

Co-hosts Jonathan Amarilio and Jennifer Byrne interview California probate attorney Justin Gold to explain how the conservatorship system is supposed to work, its pros, cons, and whether it has failed Britney Spears.

Are robots breathing down our necks?

When you hear artificial intelligence and you think “Black Mirror,” “The Matrix,” or the supervillain Ultron, Jared Correa says to relax.

In legal tech, he says AI is more like Pixar’s WALL-E, cleaning up trash in service to the lawyers around it. 

On Legal Toolkit, Correia interviews Dashboard Legal founder Mat Rotenberg about the role of automation and collaboration tools post-pandemic and legal practitioners’ future.

Predictions about alcohol and back-to-work parties

As many are headed back or settling back to the office, there remain unanswered questions about what to expect. 

Mental health expert Patrick Krill advises patience and more patience. On Asked & Answered, Krill speaks with host Stephanie Francis Ward about preparing yourself to go back to the office. And he offers a caution about celebratory parties.

Because so many people increased alcohol consumption during the pandemic, firms may see a side of their lawyers they didn’t expect. And lawyers may show a side of themselves they don’t want their managing partners to see.

A very specific SCOTUS kink

Thinking Like a Lawyer covers various topics, from surly judges to an odd anonymous caller who gets off on librarians reading about a very specific Supreme Court case.

Hosts Joe Patrice and Kathryn Rubino try to make sense of the rash of the calls and deliberate on stories involving judges who became rationally and/or irrationally irritated in court.

The more you give, the more you get

That’s what Paul McCartney told SNL’s Chris Farley, and it’s what Gyi Tsakalakis says is the key to getting more referrals from colleagues. 

On Lunch Hour Legal Marketing, Gyi and co-host Conrad Saam discuss being “tangibly awesome” and other ways to ensure the right clients are opening your door.

Ripped from the headlines

Legal Talk Today tackled top-of-mind topics and waxed poetic, with episodes covering biometric data collection in the Big Apple, “learned helplessness” during the pandemic, and poetry derived from Supreme Court cases.

More from Legal Talk Network

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Thumbnail photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash.

This week’s solid listens include an inspiring founder’s story, the politics of quorum in Texas explained and approaches addressing homelessness in a meaningful way. 

Persistence pays off

When you know you’re right and everyone tells you you’re wrong, what do you do? If you’re Janine Sickmeyer, you move to the next conversation. You find a community of visionaries and bootstrap your dream into a reality.

Sickmeyer, the founder of bankruptcy software company NextChapter, faced rejection after rejection. All the while, she plugged away at developing a product she knew had a place in the bankruptcy market. Even when the influx of bankruptcy matters didn’t materialize during the pandemic, NextChapter thrived, growing at a steady clip and eventually snapped up by Fastcase.

Sickmeyer shares her founder story with Legal Rebels podcast host Lyle Moran. Hear about her dev-to-rev strategy. She shares her angle investor focus and the 82 times she pitched to investors only to be turned away.

Texas politics translated 

On Legal Talk Today, UT Texas School of Law Prof Randall Erben breaks down the unique constitutional provisions that have empowered Texas Democrats to break quorum by fleeing to the nation’s capital.

Erben and host Laurence Colletti discuss what “arrest” means in this context. And Prof. Erben predicts how this Texas standoff will end.

Combating homelessness coast to coast

U.S. District Judge David O. Carter created a stir when he ordered Los Angeles to not only find housing for the rising population of homeless but audit spending. 

Lawyer 2 Lawyer host Craig Williams interviews UCLA School of Law’s Gary Blas and the ACLU’s Breanne Schuster. They discuss the legal issues at play, separation of powers, current legislation, and approaches being tried across the country.

Client experience reframed

On the Lawyerist podcast, Canadian lawyer Spencer Keys shares his experience buying a firm straight out of law school, then rejuvenating the small estate-planning practice. 

He shares how he focused the firm on client service, starting with breaking from tradition and choosing an approachable name for his firm, Charthouse Lawyers. 

Keys is humble as he explains his trial and tribulations. Because there’s no “magic management” book, Keys is fine experimenting with approaches to find better ways to reach and serve clients.

More from Legal Talk Network

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Other than clean living, among the things better addressed sooner than later, is financial health.

This is true whether you’re swimming in debt or have money to burn.

In a two-part series, Young Lawyer Rising hosts and guest Ravi Ramanathan discuss the hot issue of paying down law school debt, saving for retirement, and entertainment spending. 

The episodes put “Financial Wellness Minute” segment host Mathew Kerbis front and center in a casual but practical advice-packed conversation about how to improve financial health at the start of a career.

From law school to Mary Kay to virtual law practice

When an unexpected bundle of joy disrupted her securities litigation practice plans, a random visit to Target sent Kara Vaval on a new path. One Mary Kay demo later, Vaval joined the ranks of cosmetics entrepreneurs. 

Legal Toolkit host Jared Correia interviews Vaval about her unique background and how the Mary Kay experience helped her structure and launch a thriving virtual law practice. 

Best quote from Vaval about her practice and her Laptop Lifestyle Lawyer entrepreneurial activities, “I just started making use of myself in a much bigger way than just what I went to school for.”

Free speech and social media litigation, in context

Celebrating its 200th episode, Legal Talk Today hosts special guest, Popehat himself, Ken White. 

Host Laurence Colletti asks White to break down Donald Trump’s class action against social media giants Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. 

White discusses the legal landscape and explains how the First Amendment works. He also offers his no-BS opinion on the suit’s likelihood of success.

Dear State Bar Regulators

Lunch Hour Legal Marketing hosts Gyi Tsakalakis and Conrad Saam aren’t shy about sharing their opinions on the good, the bad, and the ugly in legal marketing. It’s one of the reasons I enjoy almost every show. 

In the latest episode, Tsakalakis takes state bar regulators to task for imposing anti-competitive ethical restrictions on lawyers. He calls out Ohio’s recent ban on competitive brand bidding. He also names Texas, Florida, and South Carolina, as states that are making it harder for lawyers to compete with one another and with relatively new players in the market. Think Legal Zoom.

How to become a legal tech expert

There’s tech competence. Then there’s tech expertise. Kennedy-Mighell Report hosts Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell share some possible pathways to legal tech mastery.

While both caution there isn’t a quick way to become top of a complex field, they offer suggestions on how to dramatically raise your legal tech game. The show is aimed at those interested in writing and speaking on legal tech topics.

More from Legal Talk Network

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When someone hires a lawyer, they are entitled to a level of zealous advocacy. Ethical guidelines bind the lawyer to be loyal and give their clients their all. 

But there are limits to even zealous advocacy. To explore the limits and parse the suspension of Rudy Giuliani’s law license, Legal Talk Today host Laurence Colletti speaks with professional responsibility expert Stacie Rosenzweig.

Rosenzweig, a lawyer for lawyers when they need a lawyer, explains the sometimes fine line between striving to win and striving to win at all costs. 

She and Colletti attempt to read the tea leaves on New York’s suspension opinion and order, explore potential challenges, and whether the former NYC mayor can expect permanent disbarment.

Insider view of President Trump’s impeachment trial

Sticking with the theme of high-profile and highly political cases, Litigation Radio landed an interview with U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin, who takes listeners behind the scenes of the impeachment second impeachment trial of then-President Donald Trump. 

Before diving into trial dynamics, host Dave Scriven-Young leads Raskin through a discussion of his legal background. Raskin explains how despite pundit predictions that his political campaign was “impossible,” he was drawn to and pursued politics.

Raskin, the lead impeachment manager and a member of the newly created select committee investigating the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol riot, shares his insights, personal struggles, and perspective months later.

Who’s a journalist, and when do they deserve free press shields?

On the topic of presidential affairs, impeachment, and sensitive information, the Modern Law Library covers the book “National Security, Leaks and Freedom of the Press: The Pentagon Papers Fifty Years On.”

Speaking with First Amendment scholars Lee Bollinger and Geoffrey Stone, host Lee Rawles leads the authors through the genesis of the Pentagon Papers case. They discuss the 1971 case’s impact on First Amendment law and whether it’s past time to rethink the handling of classified leak investigations.

The book is a compilation of views in essay form from some 30 experts on national security, journalism, and scholars. A core part of the book is whether there should be special rights for the “press” and who qualifies for that status.

Bill of Rights for the ecosystem?

Shifting gears from press rights, Lawyer 2 Lawyer explores the rights of nature. Host Craig Williams interviews environmental lawyer Lindsey Schromen-Wawrin about the Rights of Nature doctrine.

Does nature – trees, oceans, animals, and mountains – have certain unalienable rights?  

Schromen-Wawrin shares perspectives of environmental law scholarship and indigenous legal scholarship in this developing legal space.

More from Legal Talk Network

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Thumbnail photo by Louis Maniquet on Unsplash

Rankings of all sorts can be controversial, especially for those being ranked when their numbers never materialize or slip. Yet, they continue to be incredibly important for the marketing of law schools, law firms, etc. 

As long as consumers and clients care about rankings, they will exist. 

On Thinking Like a Lawyer, Joe Patrice, Kathryn Rubino, and Chris Williams review Above the Law’s law school rankings. They share the top of the list and discuss ATL’s rankings model, which relies on employment outcomes.

They also interviewed Williams, the newest member of the ATL team, about his expertise with memes and why he decided to go to law school on earth.

Come for the rankings chat but stay for a discussion of the associate who billed 2,000 hours to a closed matter. How could this happen? Rants ensue.

Raging debate: Should we go back to the office full time? 

While companies (and law firms) create hybrid workplaces, go fully remote, or require employees to return by date certain, there are no shortages of opinions on the topic.

Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell debate the merits of force returns during the latest Kennedy-Mighell Report. Mighell explains how lawyers, traditional late adopters, now have a perfect opportunity to create innovative solutions. Before a quick return to “normal,” Mighell and Kennedy discuss how to benefit from lessons learned during the pandemic.

Listening, hearing then taking action

In the ABA Journal’s continuing series on the impact of Covid-19 on the legal profession, Asked & Answered host Stephanie Ward interviews law school dean Hari Osofsky about the shift to online learning and the future of legal education.

Osofsky, the current dean at Penn State Law who will be dean of Northwestern’s Pritzker School of Law, shares her strategy for listening to those who need to be heard and following up with actions and approaches grounded in that listening.

A tech spring cleaning for your law firm & Duck, Duck Gray Duck, explained

Following a recounting of a childhood trauma, Legal Toolkit host Jared Correia interviews Jess Birken about eliminating waste from law practice management.

Birken shares tech tips, including the effective use of scheduling and calendaring tools, before she and Correia demonstrate why Minnesota is so great.

What the wifi?

The new “Amazon Sidewalk” is arriving at a Ring Doorbell or Echo near you. Did you know? Do you care that you have to opt-out rather than opt-in to the “free” wireless network leveraging private devices dotting the nation? 

Legal Talk Today’s host Laurence Colletti interviews Bryant Walker Smith about the new network, its pros and cons, and privacy implications.

Happy July 4th

Before celebrating the nation’s independence with fireworks and BBQ, listen to the words that ignited the spirit of the holiday.

This LTT episode features a reading of the Declaration of Independence by Legal Talk Network Executive Producer Laurence Colletti.

More from Legal Talk Network

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Thumbnail photo by Stephanie McCabe via Unsplash.

At the top end of the legal profession, in terms of pay, salary wars are well underway. Starting associate salaries have jumped over the $200K mark and are rising.

But for much of the rest of the market, pricing takes on a whole other set of issues and consumer market pressures. Solo and small firm lawyers struggle to set competitive prices. With LegalZoom chomping at their heels, there’s a fear that hourly and project rates too low to make the practice worth the effort.

On Lunch Hour Legal Marketing, Cio’s COO George Psiharis takes on the controversial topic of lawyer pricing and hirability. Along with hosts Gyi Tsakalakis and Conrad Saam, Psiharis explores the disconnect between lawyers and clients regarding how they each value pricing.

Psiharis also shares some examples of ways lawyers can justify higher prices and leverage tech tools to improve communication and set client expectations.

Ready-made primer on going solo 

The New Solo podcast aims to offer practical, actionable advice for lawyers opting to strike out on their own. Brand new solo Dean Blachford can attest that the advice is sound. He’s a New Solo super fan who binged every episode.

With host Adriana Linares, Blachford reveals his CliffsNotes guide to using the podcast as a primer on going solo. Organized in five categories, the Canadian tax lawyer shares what he found most valuable from more than a dozen episodes.

Spotting and stopping a rising scourge of elder fraud

Inexplicably, there are people in this world who prey on the elderly and other vulnerable populations. The pandemic worsened the problem, making more and more people susceptible to fraud.

On Legal Talk Today, host Laurence Colletti interviews Atlanta lawyer Josh Jones from the Senior and Vulnerable Investor Group at Bressler, Amery & Ross. Jones provides an overview of the issue, spotting someone who might be at risk and how to help.

Modernizing a high-profile civil rights org

Legal technology expert Natalie Kelly shares how she’s used her experience serving State Bar of Georgia members to modernize the legal operations at the storied Southern Poverty Law Center.

As an expert in workflow and efficiency, Kelly has leveraged technology to improve collaboration and help the center advance its impact litigation in civil rights and social justice. 

Digital Edge hosts Jim Calloway and Sharon Nelson interview Kelly about her new role and challenges she’s tackling first.

Making wellness and wellbeing a priority

It’s one thing to know at an intellectual level that wellbeing is critical to health and happiness. Yet, it’s something altogether different to make wellness and wellbeing a priority.

On the ABA Law Student Podcast, host Meg Steenburgh interviews lawyer and mental health expert Patrick Krill about pervasive issues in the legal field and how lawyers can seek help.

Following the wellbeing thread, the Lawyerist Podcast hosts therapist Sherry Walling, who talks about what it looks like for lawyers to carry their clients’ trauma.

More from Legal Talk Network

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Thumbnail image by Tumisu from Pixabay

Look to the left, look to the right. If you’re a solo/small firm, it’s a fair bet that one of your firms has been a victim of a cyber attack.

According to the 2020 ABA Tech Report, 29% of law firms have been hacked. That’s up from 26% in 2019.
Security+ and GlobalMac IT CEO Tom Lambotte explains to Digital Detectives why solo/small firm lawyers fail to protect their sensitive information. He’s developed a “lacking framework” with four main components.

So what happens when there’s a data breach? A possible worst-case scenario is a hostage situation. 

On Lawyer 2 Lawyer, ransomware and cybersecurity expert Thomas J. Holt, director and professor in the School of Criminal Justice at Michigan State University, explains what to do if and when your firm becomes the target of an attack.

Given no one is immune from ransomware, host Craig Williams and Holt talk about everything from prevention to responses. 

One of the “lacking framework” elements articulated by Tom Lambotte on Digital Detectives is time. Lawyers say they don’t have time to research and implement security measures.

On the Kennedy Mighell Report, Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell have some suggestions for finding that time with their 20 tips to make the most of a lawyer’s time and technology.

Another time-saver, this one on evidence management. The platform, JusticeText, is an advanced technology tool aimed at helping public defenders manage evidence.

Devshi Mehrotra, one of the tools creators, speaks with Legal Rebels host Lyle Moran about what drove her and classmate Leslie Jones-Dove to become involved in criminal justice reform and build a direct-service tool for public defenders.

Mehrotra shares how she and her partner overcame initial failures by collaborating with public defenders in the field to identify a pain point and develop a solution.

Shifting from the indigent and public defenders…

Above the Law’s Thinking Like a Lawyer covers the ensuing salary wars to attract the best and brightest associates.

The most recent base salaries top $205,000.

Hosts Kathryn Rubino and Joe Patrice discuss the firms scrambling to match the latest salary increases.

More from Legal Talk Network

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Thumbnail art by Morgan Housel on Unsplash.

Ever notice how when someone asks for reading recommendations on social media, the comment threads blow up? 

Folks love to share their favorite reads. They seem to equally enjoy seeing what books are on the reading lists of their friends and professional associates. Confession: I save all those lists, and now I’m swimming a sea of too many good choices. 

That said, I’m always up for a new list. So I was happy to see that, keeping with tradition, Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell broke from their legal tech discussion to talk books and reading habits. Well, they mostly broke from the tech part. No surprise, they snuck in mention of second-brain reading enhancers such as Readwise, the low-cost subscription service Scribd, and Libby’s underappreciated e-library app. 

Kennedy and Mighell explain how their reading habits have changed from paper to digital to audio and now a mix of all three formats. Still up for debate: Is watching a video the same as reading a book?

They share more than 18 books – everything from sci-fi to non-fiction brain health – that are on their next-up or must-read lists.

On the topic of books for lawyers, Modern Law Library host Lee Rawles interviews the author of “Vice Patrol: Cops, Courts, and the Struggle Over Urban Gay Life Before Stonewall.”

Author Anna Lvovsky shares the history of police entrapment, decoys, and other enforcement tactics aimed at criminalizing and suppressing queer communities from the 1930s through the 1960s.

Crime app publishes bounty and false arson accusation identifying homeless man

Amateur sleuthing is all fun and intellectual intrigue until the sheriff picks up a homeless man and questions him before realizing he really isn’t the one who sparked a large Los Angeles-area brushfire. Unfortunately, the $30,000 bounty on his head turned out to be a false accusation. Yikes. 

Legal Talk Today’s Laurene Colletti interviews Dr. Sarah Lageson from Rutgers University School of Criminal Justice to talk about armchair investigators, how they help the police break cold cases, and what happens when things go horribly wrong.

Peaceful protests, anti-riot bills, and the First Amendment

To date, 34 states have introduced more than 80 bills to regulate rioters/protesters. 

On Lawyer 2 Lawyer, Craig Williams interviews Jeff Lewis, from Jeff Lewis Law, to discuss how states regulate protests through new anti-mob legislation, the First Amendment implications, and how those who are protesting are impacted. 

On the same topic thread, Legal Talk Today’s Colletti homes in on Florida’s anti-riot legislation during a discussion with Kirk Bailey of the Florida ACLU.

Niche practice: Rideshare insurance claims and defense

Rideshare litigation is a relatively new practice area. But it covers an area experiencing exponential growth. Add to that the complexities of rideshare claims, and it’s no surprise that firms have developed specialties in this developing practice area.

On Best’s Insurance Law Podcast, Thomas Brown and Patrick Delong of Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman & Goggin, explain how rideshare cases differ from other auto cases. They discuss the complex new claims, including negligent platform design, and defenses that have emerged.

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Focused on guests’ deep experience and expertise, the producers and hosts of the new Litigation Radio podcast are exploring the lives and practices of litigators.

Produced monthly, shows are carefully planned to cover what it’s like to be a litigator, from finding purpose to understanding the history, nuances, and controversies of attorney-client privilege.

With Chicago-based litigator Dave Scriven-Young as host, Litigation Radio seeks to go beyond sharing substantive information and instead reveal the people, struggles and successes that make up a long-term litigation practice. 

Scriven-Young’s interview with veteran litigator and author Edna Selan Epstein is a case in point.

Rather than focus exclusively on Epstein’s respected work and study of attorney-client privilege, Scriven-Young’s wide-ranging interview covers Epstein’s fascinating background as a young mother pursuing a law degree during a time of political upheaval. 

“We try to find the best guests possible who have interesting stories to tell, great information to share, or perspectives that are not widely shared,” says Scriven-Young, who honed his podcast skills as host of the Lawyer Lifestyle Podcast. 

Following Scriven-Young’s interviews, segment host Darryl Wilson provides practical tips on topics related to the particular episode’s interview subject. 

The show is aimed at litigators at all practice levels, age groups, and practice settings, emphasizing helping litigators develop “sustainable practices.”

“There have been too many stories about litigators burning out, having health concerns, and leaving the law,” Scriven-Young says. “So the podcast will strive to devote episodes to support litigators who are dealing with these issues.”

Wilson says the podcast is taking a holistic approach to life as a litigator. 

“The podcast will have episodes that cover both professional and personal life balances to create the best litigators,” he says. “The episodes will cover many different themes that lawyers encounter in the profession and offer practical tips to help lawyers ‘sustain’ their practice and be the best version of themselves.”

Check out the shows to date

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As noted recently by Digital Detectives, ransomware and cyber breaches spiked during the pandemic. 

There are some understandable reasons for the increase in hacking. One is that data security protocols took a back seat in the scramble to get workers up and running at home. So did routine security patches and updates.

More than a year into the pandemic, a hybrid work environment looks to be staying put, at least for now. Even with restrictions lifting, compliance expert Kim Dickerson says recent polls indicate 60% of workplaces will be offering some sort of hybrid schedule for employees.

On The Robert Half Legal Report, Dickerson tells host Charles Volkert that companies need to get their houses in order in terms of security and compliance. She and Volkert discuss third-party risk management and how automation and cloud solutions can improve data security and compliance.

Who pays when an employee is injured at a party or on the ball field?

Along the lines of risk management, Workers Comp Matters hosts Judson Pierce and Alan Pierce flag an issue employers may overlook. In their eagerness to reconnect with workers by hosting social and team-building sporting events, employers may need to review the doctrine of recreational injuries.

The Pierces discuss the legal history leading to a patchwork of regulatory frameworks and bodies of case law on the topic. No matter where you are, Alan Pierce explains each case is incredibly fact-specific. So before strongly encouraging or mandating employees to attend social events or participating in the company softball league, it’s a good idea to understand the liability risks.

Independent contractor test revisited

Legal Talk Today sticks with the labor and employment theme of several recent LTN episodes. Host Laurence Colletti speaks with Dinsmore & Shohl’s Crystal Wildeman and Louise Griffin about the Department of Labor’s recent move to repeal the Trump-era independent contractor test.

Unlimited vacation is a benefit. Or is it?

One of the benefits of employee status is paid vacation. The current trend is to offer employees “limitless” vacations. Above the Law’s Joe Patrice and Kathryn Rubino discuss whether these limitless offers in law firms actually discourage taking vacation time. 

On Thinking Like a Lawyer, Rubino and Patrice hash out the vacation issue, work pressures, and how even well-meaning firms may be freaking their associates out with these enhanced benefits.

Books for Lawyers

Environmental litigator Rob Bilott joins @theBar for an interview about his memoir “Exposure: Poisoned Water, Corporate Greed, and One Lawyer’s Twenty-Year Battle Against DuPont,” a toxins case that inspired the 2019 legal thriller “Dark Waters.”

Veteran labor lawyer and author Mark A. Torres joins the award-winning podcast, The Modern Law Library, to discuss his book, “Long Island Migrant Labor Camps: Dust for Blood,” a non-fiction account of the deadly WWII-era Long Island work camps.

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If you sensed that hacking and ransomware attacks spiked during the pandemic, your suspicions were accurate.

A perfect storm of lapses in security, a rise in scripted attacks, and increased professionalized hacking have led to some of the most debilitating and embarrassing cyber attacks to date.

The high-profile Colonial Pipeline debacle led to gasoline hoarding, price-gouging and shortages. But two recent podcasts suggest there are many more attacks that never get reported or reported widely.

Digital Detectives guest Craig Hoffman shares details from the BakerHostetler Data Security Incident Response Report, which asserts ransomware is increasing in frequency and at increasingly higher monetary demands.

Hosts Sharon Nelson and John Simek question Hoffman about the report and continuing vulnerabilities, including companies failing to implement security measures and protocols to close well-known risks.

The number one reason hackers succeed? Kennedy-Mighell Report hosts Tom Mighell and Dennis Kennedy point the finger at people. Well, people, plus a slackened focus on security protocols exacerbated by the pandemic. 

With an emphasis on making work possible, security often came second. During the pandemic, firms reported delaying security updates and patches. Plus, fewer than half of lawyers report using encrypted email and files.

Flipping the script on the path to practice

College isn’t for everyone. But it’s unusual to hear about a licensed lawyer in practice who never even obtained a bachelor’s level degree. Yet that’s exactly what solo estate planning lawyer Rachel Allums managed to achieve.

How did she do it? The old-fashioned way, hard work and grit. 

On New Solo, Allums tells host Adriana Linares about her non-traditional path to the bar, starting as a receptionist and a longtime certified paralegal. Allums learned how to practice law and run a practice before learning to think like a lawyer, which she did by reading for the California Bar under the supervision of a mentor. 

Among the keys to Allums’ success is a willingness to look for business outside typical bar circles. She networks in the community, builds partnerships with companies as a preferred provider, and works the Facebook moms groups. 

Looking beyond the bar and networking in different industries and groups is something Legal Toolkit host Jared Correia recommends in his latest podcast too. Rainmaking consultant Jaimie Field joins Correia to talk legal business growth tactics, including exploiting virtual networking opportunities while you still can.

Fifteen justices: Court-packing or court reform?

Court-packing is widely understood to mean increasing the size of the U.S. Supreme Court to change its ideological makeup. 

Yet, many have long argued that limiting the high court to nine justices no longer makes sense from an administrative standpoint. 

Lawyer 2 Lawyer host Craig Williams speaks with Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, Professor Tonja Jacobi, about whether increasing the number of justices will make the court institutionally more effective.

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Thumbnail photo by FLY:D on Unsplash.

When exploring different ways to improve a practice, work habits, whatever really, a common piece of advice is to look at the data.

But what does that mean? Which data points? What metrics matter?

Legal marketing experts Gyi Tsakalakis and Conrad Saam narrow the field for lawyers who are either hands-on marketers or working with teams and vendors.

Their latest Lunch Hour Legal Marketing episode covers the top 5 (really 10) metrics that matter most and least. Each counts down their top five, discussing the value/lack of value of each data point.

Email management tips

Speaking of too much information… The Lawyerist podcast features Trivinia Barber, a business coach with tips on reigning in an out-of-control email inbox.

In addition to ruthlessly unsubscribing, Barber suggests various email management techniques, including filters to group and file messages.

With careful curating, it is possible to zero out your inbox.

Long read: Can’t make this stuff up

Jumping off a fascinating article by author and Atlantic writer Brendan Koerner, Legal Talk Today examines the botched 1974 kidnapping of U.S. diplomat James Patterson.

Host Laurence Colletti speaks with Koerner about the twisted tale involving the People’s Liberation Army of Mexico, government policies on ransom, a hijacking, and the ‘Hanoi Hilton.’

Niche practice: Crisis lawyering

If you’re good in a crisis, the growing practice area of crisis lawyer may be a good fit.

Modern Law Library host Lee Rawles explores the book, “Crisis Lawyering: Effective Legal Advocacy in Emergency Situations.”

Authors Ray Brescia and Eric K. Stern share their experiences and explore the ethical issues legal professionals face when advising clients amid a crisis.

Rants & Raves Rants

On Thinking Like a Lawyer, hosts Kathryn Rubino and Joe Patrice revisit a recent debate over the validity of using racial epithets in class; an issue in need of revisiting in a Philadelphia district attorney race; and the validity of the latest benchslap involving Judge Lynn Hughes. Spoiler: Patrice agrees with Hughes.

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Marketing metrics thumbnail image by Adeolu Eletu on Unsplash.

Over the past year, there’s been much discussion, debate, and suspicion about holding the most sacrosanct court proceedings via video.

A growing consensus is that the pandemic caused the judicial branch to advance technologically for the better. And there’s little debate that many of the emergency and stopgap measures put in place during shutdowns will continue, at least in some form.

But when it comes to jury trials, concerns remain over fairness, due process, and justice.

Two recent episodes dig deeper into the experiences of judges directly involved in jury and non-jury trials at the state and federal level over the past year. 

On Litigation Radio, host Dave Scriven-Young interviews U.S. District Judges Marsha J. Pechman and Thomas Samuel Zilly about their Western District of Washington experiences. They discuss lessons learned, tips for evidence presentation, and, importantly for litigators, how to read a jury.

Covering the state courts, State Bar of Texas podcast host Rocky Dhir speaks with Judge Emily Miskel about the shift from bench trials to jury trials. 

Miskel debunks many myths about in-person v. remote appearances. She also discusses the many ways jurors and trial lawyers say they are better able to follow along with the evidence, judge expressions, and other advantages to participating in proceedings via video conference.

Rituals and their role in work/life 

Making the transition from on and off the clock or the reverse is particularly tricky when folks work from home. 

On the Lawyerist Podcast, host Laura Briggs interviews workplace strategist Erica Keswin about the rituals people use to create a physical or symbolic separation from work and home life.

Whether that’s lighting a candle to signify the end of the day or some other routine, Keswin says a regular ritual can be transformative.

Would you let your employer implant a tracking chip in your finger? 

Has technology advanced so much that it’s time for states to take pre-emptive measures to protect workers from forced implantation of tracking devices? 

Indianapolis employment lawyer Craig Wiley, of Jackson Lewis, was skeptical when he first researched Indiana’s recent legislation on the topic. But he tells Legal Talk Today host Laurence Colletti that he learned quickly that legislation and guidance for employers and employees are needed. 

The issue, Wiley says, is mainly bipartisan, favoring treading carefully when subjecting employees to devices that would track or monitor their movements. Wiley and Colletti discuss current legislation and why some employers and employees are interested in using implanted technologies.

Law reviews, blogging, and the state of legal publishing

Jumping off a law blog discussion about whether legal analysis and scholarship should be freely available, Kennedy-Mighell Report hosts Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell discuss legal publishing.

Are blogs the best place for legal commentary? Is there a place for the traditional law review? What about newsletters and Discord?

Kennedy and Mighell discuss the purpose of law reviews, audience, and the broader landscape, including newsletters that encompass legal publishing and may be replacing blogs. 

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Thumbnail and social image by Chris Montgomery on Unsplash.

Young Lawyer Rising may be a new podcast, but the hosts sound like radio vets out of the gate.

There’s a reason why Sonia Russo and Mathew Kerbis come across as practiced broadcast professionals. 

For the show, Russo is tapping into her experience as an FM radio reporter and producer. And Kerbis is a litigator experienced with speaking to different audiences. Not to mention he has a background in voice acting and improv. 

The two create natural chemistry as they shift between Russo’s narratives featuring people and issues useful to young lawyers and Kerbis’s regular segment, the “Financial Wellness Minute.”

The show serves a niche that the creators from the ABA Young Lawyers Division saw missing for the audience of newly minted lawyers. While numerous shows feature interviews and advice for lawyers, including young lawyers, much of the advice comes from academics or lawyers decades removed from law school. The market, competition, and law practice dynamics have changed. So has the population. 

“Advice for young lawyers can sound like one thing coming from a lawyer who’s been in practice for 30 years and might not even really remember what it’s like to be starting out,” says Russo, a healthcare fraud prosecutor in Denver. “It’s different for that advice to come from us, from our peers.”

Kerbis, a civil litigation associate at Condon & Cook in Chicago, adds that while many young lawyers are podcasting for business development, this show explicitly benefits young lawyers. 

Young Lawyer Rising features stories and experiences each month from everyday lawyers discussing issues that impact the entire profession. Russo explains she wants to tell stories that help even one person with something they’re dealing with right now. “I’m interested in having real discussions and telling real stories about the tough issues we’re dealing with and how we can navigate those rapids and emerge on the other side stronger,” she says.

Russo won’t shy away from difficult conversations either. Topics include civility, challenges the profession throws at working parents, student debt pressures, finances, and retirement planning. An upcoming episode is featuring racism, with painful stories from those interviewed on the show. To Russo, the show creates an opportunity to share diverse voices on any number of topics, including diversity, equity and inclusion. 

“I’m a woman of color, so focusing on diversity, equity, and inclusion just some of the time isn’t possible for me because I live with these issues all day, every day,” Russo says. “I don’t get to temporarily take a break from being a woman or having brown skin, so I bring this perspective to all of the stories I tell through this podcast, not just the stories that are explicitly related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.”

Because the show is monthly, the creators ask listeners to subscribe, so they automatically receive notices once new episodes are released. 

The first two programs covered toxic people and civility and career-advancing lessons learned from the pandemic.

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