Legal Talk Network - Law News and Legal Topics

Copilot is a powerful tool for lawyers, but are you making the most of it within your Microsoft apps? Tom Mighell is flying solo at ABA TECHSHOW 2025 and welcomes Microsoft’s own Ben Schorr to the podcast. Ben shares expert insights into how lawyers can implement Copilot’s AI-assistance to work smarter, not harder. From drafting documents to analyzing spreadsheets to streamlining communication, Copilot can handle the tedious tasks so you can focus on what really matters. Ben shares numerous use-cases and capabilities for attorneys and later gives a sneak peek at Copilot’s coming enhancements. 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. Ben Schorr is Senior Content Program Manager at Microsoft.  Show Notes:Microsoft CopilotCopilot Prompt Gallery Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if the key to better legal work isn’t just smarter tools but more inclusive ones? Susan Tanner, Associate Professor at the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law, joins Zack Glaser to explore how AI and universal design can improve legal education and law firm operations. Susan shares how tools like generative AI can support neurodiverse thinkers, enhance client communication, and reduce anxiety for students and professionals alike. They also discuss the importance of inclusive design in legal tech and how law firms can better support their teams by embracing different ways of thinking to build a more accessible, future-ready practice. The conversation emphasizes the need for educators and legal professionals to adapt to the evolving landscape of AI, ensuring that they leverage its capabilities to better serve their clients and students. Links from the episode:  NetDocumentsNetDocuments Demo RequestListen to our other episodes about diversifying learning strategies and the AI revolution: #405: The Diverse Way People Think, with Temple Grandin: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Lawyerist #551: Becoming the AI Driven Leader, with Geoff Woods: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Lawyerist #550: Beyond Content: How AI is Changing Law Firm Marketing, with Gyi Tsakalaki and Conrad Saam: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Lawyerist 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: 00:00 – Intro and Lawyerist's New Programs 03:50 – NetDocuments with Patric Thomas 10:49 – Meet Dr. Susan Tanner 12:30 – AI and Legal Ethics 13:30 – What is Universal Design for Learning? 20:59 – Applying Universal Design in Legal Practice 24:45 – Using AI to Support Diverse Thinkers 29:33 – AI as a Communication Partner 34:01 – Law Students and AI Adoption 38:04 – AI for Lawyer Productivity and Mental Health 44:00 – Enhancing Critical Thinking with AI 46:00 – Wrap-Up and Final Thoughts  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If the post-conference blues are taking hold, fear not! InfoTrack’s Legal Up conference is right around the corner with plenty to look forward to. Lisa Kirkman welcomes Alex Braun of InfoTrack to discuss Legal Up 2025, the largest FREE virtual conference available for legal professionals. The conference strives to be people-centric, offering sessions for individuals with diverse life experiences in a wide variety of practice areas. If you’re looking to enhance your career, gain new insights, and network with peers, register now! Legal Up 2025 takes place April 23-24.Learn more: Legal Up 2025Alex Braun is Product Marketing Manager at InfoTrack US. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

US News and World Report released its most recent law school rankings with a side of chaos, but the big takeaway is the scrambling and erosion of the "T14" as an organizing concept. Is it time to dismiss the rankings as arbitrary? At least until law schools agree to cooperate again. Also, Surrendergate continues and the "we'll do some pro bono for veterans" deal has turned dramatically, with the White House now claiming the authority to "assign" Biglaw firms to work on administration projects. Sound familiar? Along the way, firms are starting to lose senior lawyers fulfilling critical firm roles while the most recent defectors alienate the overwhelming majority of their team. Finally, the Supreme Court has issued some unanimous rebukes in defense of due process and the administration does not seem to care. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"May you live in interesting times." For immigration lawyers, that old proverb is now a reality. Ever since the start of the second Trump administration, immigration lawyers have been busier than ever, and they have plenty on their plates. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Everyone said they couldn’t win this case. But being the most prepared people in the room helped Dave Cates and Katie St. John secure a significant verdict in a difficult venue. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Meals on Wheels does more than just provide home delivery of healthy food for Seniors. President Christine Winge reminds us that maintaining human connection is a critical and essential part of physical and mental health as we grow older and risk becoming more isolated. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode’s discussions around the Community Table:   An attorney realizes she’s waited too long to fire someone and knows there may be repercussions. But sometimes, the cost of keeping a problematic employee outweighs the consequences of letting them go. What’s best for the firm? What if you can’t fill the position and work piles up? Nothing stays the same, even in marketing. Attorneys question the value of “pay per click” online advertising. Hear what firms are seeing, especially in Google ad words. Is the “golden age” of pay per click over? As rules change, you are one algorithm change from trouble. Communicate with your marketing team and diversify.                        Imagine if you had to move to a new city, or if you simply wanted to. If it’s not a corporate gig, and you’re hanging out a shingle, it takes some work to ramp up. Network, network, network. Develop a marketing plan that ensures your name gets out and clients can find you.   Cliocon 2025Ask us anything for the Community Table. Leave us a question onlineJoin the next Community Table live. What’s on your mind?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What’s it like to be a prosecutor in a case so high-profile it was dubbed “the trial of the century”? This special episode of Litigation Radio features guest John Meadors, the veteran murder trial prosecutor hired by the South Carolina Attorney General’s office to help prosecute prominent South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh in the sensational 2023 murder trial. In South Carolina, there had perhaps never been a more highly watched and scrutinized trial, and reporters and TV trucks filled the courtroom and the streets.Hear how Meadors and the prosecution team maintained focus and composure under the glare of television cameras and inside a packed courtroom facing a highly skilled and experienced defense team. The pressure during the weeks-long trial was enormous as reporters struggled to uncover every detail while attorneys and the court worked to maintain decorum and ensure a fair and just outcome. Meadors will join the American Bar Association’s Litigation Section Annual Conference as a guest in a session titled, “The Court of Public Opinion: Litigating in the Media Spotlight.” In addition to the conversation with John Meadors, this episode features Larry Kristinik, Chair of the ABA Litigation Section, who provides tips on preparing for large legal conferences, and Judge Griselda Vega Samuel, who highlights the upcoming ABA Litigation Section Annual Conference in Chicago.Mentioned in This Episode:“'He lied and lied!' John Meadors closing argument in Alex Murdaugh trial: full video” YouTube “Trial of Alex Murdaugh,” Wikipedia“To Crown a King, Kill the Law,” by Leonard Niehoff, Detroit Daily NewsProfessor Leonard Niehoff: “Mathew Rosengart, Power Litigator Who Freed Britney Spears From Conservatorship, Closes Chapter of Representing Pop Superstar,” The Hollywood ReporterAmerican Bar Association 2025 Litigation Section Annual Conference April 30 – May 2, American Bar AssociationAmerican Bar Association Litigation Section Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lawyers know they need to think about processes and efficiency in their practice, but it’s not always easy to map your workflows when you’ve got so much else on your plate as a busy attorney. Dan Lear welcomes Lauren Murphy to learn how she helps law firms automate workflows to create reliable consistencies in their processes. Implementing automation helps firms streamline everyday tasks, discover solutions to pain points, prevent missed details, and boost growth. Lauren Murphy is Vice President of Product Market Strategy at ProfitSolv. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices