Aba Journal Podcasts - Legal Talk Network

In May 2020, lawyer and author David Lat was starting his recovery from a life-threatening bout with COVID-19. A little over a year later, Lat, founder of Above the Law, decided to leave his job as a legal recruiter, go back to writing full time, and leave New York City for the New Jersey suburbs with his husband and their 3-year-old son. The COVID-19 pandemic influenced those changes. Special thanks to our sponsor, LawPay.

With an ever-expanding universe and a Goldilocks zone around each and every star, isn’t it pretty impossible to assume we are alone in the cosmos? Perhaps since the mysterious Roswell incident of 1947, increased curiosity about aliens and space has given rise to a whole lot of great entertainment and conspiracy theories both interesting and absurd. The truth is out there, so join Jared as he examines our fascination with aliens and UFOs. (1:48) Next, Jared handily transitions to his interview with sales pro Erik Bermudez. Lawyers tend to hate the idea of sales, but Erik points out the need to drop the stigma and appreciate the fact that a sales-focused approach can actually impress clients and help your law firm grow. (8:56) Rump Roast time! Jared’s new game, “Samesies”, surprises Erik with the unique opportunity to compare himself with other “Erik Bermudez”-es that Jared found on the internet! (26:12)   Erik Bermudez is vice president of strategic partnerships at Filevine.    Our opening trac

The 6th Amendment guarantees our Right of Confrontation in criminal trials and affords us an opportunity to question witnesses against us. But in a world where criminal courts are using Zoom for trials, are we protecting the Constitutional Rights of defendants in court? Professor Andrea Roth from the University of California Berkeley School of Law joins us to explain. Special thanks to our sponsor Nota.

Microsoft 365 is heavily relied upon by many legal professionals, and with its numerous and frequently updated tools, it’s always good to re-up your knowledge of its capabilities! Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway welcome Ben Schorr to discuss 10 features lawyers especially enjoy about Microsoft 365. Ben discusses some of his favorite hidden gems in the software, and shares lawyer-specific insights on its licensing structure, security, mobile access, email encryption, and more.  Ben M. Schorr is a senior content designer at Microsoft. Special thanks to our sponsors, Scorpion, Blackletter Podcast, Alert Communications and Nota.

Remote work expert and Lab coach, Maryellen Stockton, talks to us about what your next steps should be after hiring and onboarding an employee. 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 Postali, Rankings.io, and  TextExpander for sponsoring this episode.

As the fully vaccinated emerge and more and more offices welcome employees back in-person, employers may be looking for creative ways to reconnect their teams in the office and on the softball field. Before organizing that company picnic or sponsoring, they may want to check their liability for employees. Hosts Judson and Alan Pierce address the “deceptively simple and litigiously prolific” workers comp doctrine of recreational injuries, varying standards of proof, and possible defenses.  Jud and Alan parse the various work-related factors, including how voluntary the activity is and the benefit the employer gets from hosting or sponsoring the off-premises activity. Special thanks to our sponsor, PInow.

As America continues to reopen, certain changes at the Department of Labor might impact your workplace and its ability to recover from COVID-19. Tune in to hear the details with expert guests Crystal Wildeman and Louise Griffin from the law firm of Dinsmore & Shohl. Special thanks to our sponsor Nota.

Amid the far-reaching disruptions caused by the pandemic, safeguarding client relationships, maintaining seamless delivery of legal services and supporting an engaged and productive (and largely remote) staff have been critical priorities. As law firm and legal department leaders manage these and other health, safety and business continuity matters, they are facing growing compliance risks they can’t be ignored. Changes in operational procedures and data security triggered by remote work arrangements and virtual communications channels are just a couple areas where legal teams are working to ensure compliance programs are up-to-date, effective and resilient. In this episode of The Robert Half Legal Report, host Charles Volkert, senior district president of Robert Half Legal, is joined by Kim Dickerson, a regional managing director with global consulting firm Protiviti, a subsidiary of Robert Half. They examine current issues that are amplifying compliance risks and discuss ways to man

Rob Bilott, the renowned attorney leading the fight against the spread of deadly “forever chemicals,” the author of acclaimed memoir “Exposure: Poisoned Water, Corporate Greed, and One Lawyer's Twenty-Year Battle Against DuPont,” and the subject of the 2019 legal thriller “Dark Waters,” sits down with host Jonathan Amarilio to discuss his struggle on behalf of tens of thousands of poisoned Ohio and West Virginia residents and his ongoing efforts to stop the use of toxins that have contaminated nearly all of humanity. Special thanks to our sponsors, CourtFiling.net.

Infinite vacation time sounds great until you place yourself inside the passive-aggressive crucible of a law firm. Management is probably genuinely trying to give associates more flexibility with their vacations but ultimately freaking out their lawyers in the process. Meanwhile, summer associates are heading to work and very worried about the level of mentoring they're going to get in a remote work environment. And we check in on a judge at the center of an epic set of allegations. Special thanks to our sponsors, LexisNexis® InterAction®, Lexicon and Nota.

When Mark A. Torres was researching his first novel, A Stirring in the North Fork, he came across a piece of local history he'd never known about. Starting during the labor shortages of World War II, Long Island had been home to dozens of camps for several decades, some of which kept migrant workers in deplorable–and often deadly–conditions. As general counsel for the Teamsters Union Local 810, Torres was fascinated. But information about these camps was available only in news accounts, film documentaries, memoirs and local records. Years after completing A Stirring in the North Fork(plus a children's book and a second novel) Torres decided he would write the first full-length non-fiction account of these camps and the people who lived and died in them: Long Island Migrant Labor Camps: Dust for Blood.

Jaclyn Foster knows what it’s like being a full-time paralegal and working for a temp staffing agency. But she opted to break from the norm and build her dedicated paralegal agency because she learned that a professional contract paralegal service could save law firms money, improve quality, and assure continuity.  Host Christopher Anderson interviews Foster about her journey from rural Minnesota and Wisconsin to running a team of contract paralegals to support modern law practices. Foster explains how, in her experience, contract paralegals not only save money but bring a level of expertise and consistency that many full-time approaches lack.  Anderson and Foster discuss lessons learned from the pandemic, including how quickly a sidelined paralegal could be picked up by a different firm in a competitive market. Jaclyn Foster is the founder and principal of Jaclyn Foster Paralegal Services. Special thanks to our sponsors, Scorpion, Lawclerk, Alert Communications and LawYaw.

How do you balance the needs of a patient versus safely running a mental health facility? In this episode, we discuss whether or not a non-certified service animal should have been granted access to a treatment center. Christopher Knauf from the Disability Rights Legal Center joins us to discuss his work and the law. Special thanks to our sponsor Nota.

Gyi and Conrad review the latest news. First up: Clio’s “blind date” with HubSpot. They wonder about the development of Clio Grow, its relationship with HubSpot, and customer relationship management options for law firms.  In the Clio Legal Trends Report Minute, Gyi and Conrad consider the quarter of lawyers who don’t meet clients virtually and the third of lawyers who don’t support electronic document sharing and e-filing. Back in the day, exceptional customer service was a bonus. Nowadays, exceptional is the expectation, Gyi and Conrad say. When it comes to legal marketing conferences, Gyi and Conrad shun pay-to-play speaking spots. Their alternative? The no-BS Bedlam legal marketing conference coming up on May 26. They preview the lineup with guest and Bedlam co-presenter and legal marketing frenemy Casey Meraz.  Listen for the code for the remaining #LHLM free registration spots.  Closing the episode, Gyi and Conrad talk one-star reviews and how to and how not to respond.  Pro tip: It’

Many Americans privately give to causes and charities but don’t want that fact to be made public. But, do we actually have a right to privately donate? The Supreme Court will soon answer that question in another free speech case called ‘Americans for Prosperity Foundation vs. Bonta’. Professor Roger Colinvaux from Columbus School of Law stops by to explain. Special thanks to our sponsor Nota.

Court packing is defined as “the act or practice of packing a court and especially the United States Supreme Court by increasing the number of judges or justices in an attempt to change the ideological makeup of the court.” Last month, Congressional Democrats introduced legislation to expand the Supreme Court from nine to 13 justices, and President Biden announced the formation of a commission to study the court's structure, including the number of justices and their length of service. Of course, this has led to yet another controversy along party lines. On Lawyer 2 Lawyer, host Craig Williams is joined by Tonja Jacobi, professor of law at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, to discuss packing the Supreme Court, the politicization of the High Court, potential reform, and next steps.

2020 not only brought us COVID-19, but also seemingly the worst year ever for cyber-attacks and data breaches. So, did someone drop the ball, or are threat actors just getting better and better at their craft? Dennis and Tom hash out their thoughts on the matter, examining cyber threats both old and new, discussing how to effectively educate yourself on what’s out there, and emphasizing the importance of proactive security and training for your law firm.  This time on “Hot or Not?”, Dennis and Tom examine Notion’s API and its ability to truly make this tool a power player in their ongoing personal knowledge management, the Second Brain.  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 Not

Data security risks are constantly evolving, and the past few years have only shown increases in the number of attacks faced by companies and organizations around the world. To examine these trends in depth, Sharon Nelson and John Simek welcome Craig Hoffman to look at the most recent stats from the BakerHostetler Data Security Incident Response Report. Craig offers insights into many of the report’s findings, including the marked escalation in ransomware incidents, rising risks for previously untargeted industries, whether the work-from-home shift brought about an increase in security incidents, and much more. He also shares tips for what your first steps should be if your business suffers a data security breach.  Craig Hoffman is a sought-after digital risk advisor who co-leads the Digital Risk Advisory and Cybersecurity team at law firm BakerHostetler. Special thanks to our sponsors CaseFleet and PInow.

Guest: Rachel Allums took a nontraditional path to law practice, first working as a receptionist and paralegal before reading for the California Bar. She benefited from years of firm management experience, leveraging these skills when she launched her estate planning practice one year ago. Topics: What it’s like being a legal unicorn Flipping the script by learning to be a lawyer before learning to think like a lawyer Battling inertia to make practice management changes that benefit clients Launching a firm during a pandemic Scaling and managing an influx of clients Cultivating relationships through preferred provider deals Managing client expectations with forthright, transparent communication Yes, print advertising still works! The Tech Stack: Clio Grow/Clio Manage for client intake and management Quickbooks online for bookkeeping  HotDocs document automation from AbacusNext  Lawyaw for online legal forms New Insights (brought to you by Nota): Veteran practitioner Starlett Massey answers liti

Authors and professors, Michael Heller & James Salzman, talk to us about the rules of ownership in our lives and what role lawyers play in all this. 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 TextExpander, Postali, and ESQ.Marketing for sponsoring this episode.