Legal Talk Network - Law News and Legal Topics

Human beings have told stories about violence and victims from our earliest records. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, newspapers and magazines flourished on crime coverage. Hollywood has churned out crime movies and TV shows, based both in fiction and non-fiction. But after the incredible success experienced by the podcast Serial in 2014 and the documentary series Making a Murderer in 2015, a new wave of popular media exploring real cases of potential wrongful convictions burst upon the scene.While Diana Rickard didn’t consider herself a “podcast person,” her interest as an academic was piqued. The criminology professor began listening to Serial, and became fascinated by what she saw as a new expression of the true crime genre, dubbing it the “New True.”“These series deserve our attention for what they reveal about our societal understanding of crime and punishment,” Rickard writes in her book The New True Crime: How the Rise of Serialized Storytelling Is Transforming Innocence. “Through them, audiences are receiving ideological messages about punishment. They are also sites where inequality, power and racism are openly examined, playing a role in our public conversations about who is and is not deserving of punishment and who is and is not protected by law. In addition, by using the term ‘New True,’ I am also suggesting these series indicate a new way of constructing truth itself. Questioning the finality of verdicts, framing facts as in the eye of the beholder, the new series unmoor our faith in what is knowable.”In this episode of the Modern Law Library, Rickard explains how she sees the New True podcasts and documentary series as differing from older media. She and the ABA Journal’s Lee Rawles discuss the differences between crime reporting and this serialized storytelling, and whether the New True series are managing to avoid some of the ethical pitfalls of traditional crime reporting. They also delve into whether debunking things like flawed forensic science or false confessions for the general public may have shifted the way people think about wrongful convictions.Rickard shares what she has heard from legal experts in the innocence community about the benefits—and drawbacks—of cases catching the eyes of New True producers. She also reveals what surprised her most when she researched the Reddit communities that gather to discuss New True cases. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Koon v. Walden is still making an impact on opioid prescribing in America, but insurance companies and legislatures are putting higher hurdles in place to limit damages and restrict the patient’s ability to have their day in court. In this update, Johnny Simon and Tim Cronin discuss the impact of the case on prescribing behavior, nationwide medical training, and potential opioid litigation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What do we think of using AI in social content creation? It’s complicated. And, the guys share the surefire signs that mean it’s time to drop your digital marketing agency. ______________With ChatGPT by our side, social media might just have the potential to become more inauthentic than ever. If, that is, you employ AI to generate your content full-time. So… should you? Gyi and Conrad talk through the current state of ChatGPT-aided content creation, explaining how to use it for what it’s worth, while leaving its lame, boring robot side out of your socials. For today’s LHLM question, a listener asks about the value, or lack thereof, in hiring a local celebrity for your marketing scheme. Does it work? Is it fraught with peril? The guys hash it out. Spotty communication? Red flag. No data access? Red flag. Certain indicators really do prove that it's time to oust your digital marketing agency. Things get a little heated as Gyi and Conrad outline a full list of things that just aren’t acceptable, so you’ll know when to give your agency the boot.  The News:Google is using click data as a ranking factor, because apparently Google users… like it? Ugh.  It's Goog Enough! - Blind Five Year Old The latest announcements from Google are promising personalization: Lily Ray on LinkedIn: New ways to find just what you need on Search New ways to find just what you need on Search - The Keyword Open AI is letting you make your own version of ChatGPT:OpenAI announces platform for making custom ChatGPTs - The Verge Mentioned in this Episode:https://www.reddit.com/r/LawFirmMarketing/Lunch Hour Legal Marketing Podcast: The Anatomy of an Annual ... Ask a question—get some swag!Leave Us an Apple Review Lunch Hour Legal Marketing now on YouTube Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Before killing George Floyd, Officer Devin Chauvin had at least 18 misconduct complaints lodged against him. Despite this history, Chauvin was elevated to training new officers. How could this happen? UCLA Law Professor Joanna Schwartz, author of Shielded: How the Police Became Untouchable, explains how courts have constructed multiple legal barriers to holding police accountable, making it nearly impossible for victims of police misconduct to obtain damages or to seek changes to police department’s practices and policies. In the end, she offers steps to dismantle some of these barriers and improve public safety. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Did we ever learn a lot during the once-in-a-generation health event that was COVID! Guest Dr. Bogdan Savych of the Workers Comp Research Institute (WCRI) is a policy analyst who is studying the lasting effects of the illness, as well as lingering cases of Long Covid. What is “Long COVID?” How big is the problem? Is it even real? Is a pandemic an occupational disease? Savych is investigating who should pay and who decides how much a claim is worth. Imagine months, maybe years, of shortness of breath, brain fog, anxiety, and chest pain. The question is whether the workplace is responsible. For Workers’ Comp attorneys representing clients, this becomes an issue of connecting the workplace to the initial infection, then to “Long COVID,” and finally to the worker’s ability or inability to return to work. If you’re confused, this is the place to start. Four years after the onset of COVID, we’re still learning new things and still committed to helping workers recover and get back to their jobs. Mentioned in this Episode:Workers Compensation Research Institute, WCRI“Long COVID in the Workers’ Compensation System in 2020 and 2021,” by Dr. Bogdan SavychDr. Bogdan Savych's previous appearance on Legal Talk NetworkCenters For Disease Control And Prevention, CDC, “Long COVID Or Post-COVID Conditions”National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, NIOSH   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Americans owe a combined $1.7 trillion in student loans, and the past few years have been a roller coaster ride. Now that the pandemic forbearance is over, what’s next? You may have your own debts, or you may be helping clients deal with these new pressures. What happens if you or your client can’t make a payment or can’t reallocate finances? Now that the pause is over and the bill collector is coming, what options are available to you and your clients?This episode features attorney Latife Neu, who operates her own law firm specializing in student loans and bankruptcy. Student loan repayment is anything but simple, and the pieces are in constant flux. Loan policy has bounced between the Supreme Court and the White House, and the policies are anything but clear. Talk about student loans, parent plus loans, bankruptcy, the pause-restart-pause rules, and it gets complicated in a hurry. There’s nothing simple about this stew of public and private loan borrowing, forgiveness, and repayment. But we can help you understand the questions to ask and the paths to explore. Join the Litigation Section’s virtual book club on December 12 at 1 PM ET to discuss books and other content focused on personal growth and mental health and wellness! Visit https://www.jotform.com/233055582985163 for more information and to register. RESOURCES:Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)IDR (Income Driven Repayment) Account AdjustmentMore IDR Account Adjustment informationGarnishments and Offset Orders for Student Loans Student Loan Bankruptcy Discharges and Limits (Oh, It’s Complicated)Federal Rules On Discharging Student Loan (Justice Department) IRS Student Loan Forgiveness Rules, IRS.govAmerican Bar AssociationBar Association Litigation Section Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this conversation, Max Gutsche, co-founder of Unifier, a content scaling platform, discusses how his platform uses AI to scale already existing content into different formats, providing a highly efficient way to repurpose knowledge. Contrary to generic AI generators, Max emphasizes the importance of starting with unique and creative knowledge and then using AI tools to spread it across different formats. He notes that investing huge amounts into unproven innovations often leads to failure, drawing an analogy with restaurants that test, refine, and settle on a successful menu. Max also stresses the importance of consistency, failure absorption capacity, and recording unique thoughts for content generation in the ever-evolving AI and marketing landscape. The discussion also covers potential legal issues with AI-generated content and predictions about the use of AI in producing web content.Max gives listeners actionable tips on: [0:00] Intro [2:00] Background of content generation with AI, how it works and benefits for a law firm [5:00] Where does the AI controversy come in [8:35] Downfalls or potential issues with not well done AI content [10:43] What the hallucination is in ChatGPT [12:00] Complications of doing this well [13:40] What other legal issues are at stake [16:25] Where do you see this heading [28:45] Max’s book review [31:25] Emphasizing the idea of failure and how you react [34:25] One big takeaway from this episode Resources mentioned in this episode:How Innovation Works by Matt RidleyConnect with Max here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maximiliangu/ https://www.unifire.ai/   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

The @theBar podcast is taking a holiday break in November and will return in December with new content. This episode, previously released in July 2021, discusses the conservatorship of Britney Spears, providing insights that complement her new memoir, "The Woman in Me," released after the conservatorship ended in November 2021.-----------In this edition, Jonathan Amarilio and co-host Jennifer Byrne are joined by California probate attorney Justin Gold to discuss a topic that is sensational, delicate, concerning, and much in the news: the conservatorship of Britney Spears. Justin explains how the conservatorship system is supposed to work, its pros, its cons, and how it – at least according to press accounts – seems to have failed Britney Spears. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The AI hype cycle is pretty much all Dennis and Tom (and everybody else) hears about these days, so what happened to the other “hot” tech we were excited about barely a year ago? After a little digging, the guys find out that other tech does, in fact, still exist! They talk through current happenings in crypto, blockchain, NFTs, the metaverse, and more. And, since AI is still a pretty big deal, they also offer up resources to help listeners keep up with the rapidly changing AI landscape. Later, it kinda feels like every tech podcast is interviewing AI vendors these days, but is this trend just resulting in lame, ultra-redundant content? Dennis and Tom discuss. 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.Show Notes - Kennedy-Mighell Report #352A Segment: Whatever Happened to the Last Game-Changing Technologies in Law How to Talk to an AI - https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/interactive/2023/how-to-talk-ai-chatbot-chatgpt/ How to Improve Your Company’s Use of AI with a structured approach to prompts: https://hbr.org/2023/11/improve-your-companys-use-of-ai-with-a-structured-approach-to-prompts AI Time to Impact - https://aittention.beehiiv.com/ The Batch - https://www.deeplearning.ai/the-batch/   B Segment: Why are Legal Tech Podcasts only interviewing AI Vendors?Parting Shots: James Keane Memorial Award Nominations are open - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc0LSmgDrMan6OCVtjVkgFqDaFAFMESxgo_E1fg8Q45XuQK9Q/viewform?pli=1 ODISTAR Desktop Vacuum - https://www.amazon.com/ODISTAR-Endurance-Cordless-Rotatable-Keyboard/dp/B07Q128V6W?th=1  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For many years, Sharon Nelson and John Simek have hosted the Digital Detectives podcast to bring practical advice and much needed guidance to help attorneys protect their law firms. In this, their final episode, they finish off with yet another round of current stats on cybersecurity issues and the measures to take to ensure your data’s safety. Sharon and John’s good friend David Ries joins them for this last conversation, where they explain the latest threats and give advice for improving security practices to protect the future of your law firm. Thank you, Sharon and John, for all the time, energy, and dedication you have poured into Digital Detectives. We wish the best for both of you in your retirement! Your parting words to us should be echoed back to you—please take care of yourselves and each other. If you should ever need Sensei’s digital forensics, managed technology and managed cybersecurity services, find them at senseient.com.David G. Ries is Of Counsel in the Pittsburgh PA office of Clark Hill, PLC, where he practices in the firm’s Cybersecurity, Data Protection and Privacy Group. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices