Legal Talk Network - Law News and Legal Topics

Technology adeptness doesn’t have to look exactly the same from law firm to law firm. Kristin Hodgins joins Dennis and Tom to share her thoughts on the latest trends in legal technology and effective approaches to tech competence. She also discusses her career path, the distinction between access to justice and access to legal services, ChatGPT, and much more. 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.Kristin Hodgins is project manager and product owner at Xcential Legislative Technologies.  Show Notes - Kennedy-Mighell Report #348A Segment: Fresh Voices on Legal Tech: Kristin HodginsB Segment: Continued Discussion with Kristin HodginsParting Shots: Design of Everyday Things: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/840.The_Design_of_Everyday_Things?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=jbaeZOMsdZ&rank=1  This is Service Design Doing: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37935807-this-is-service-design-doing?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_28 Ultimate Ears EpicBoom: https://www.ultimateears.com/en-us/wireless-speakers/epicboom-bluetooth.html Dennis Kennedy: Adding a “Group Advisory Layer” to Your Use of Generative AI Tools Through Structured Prompting: https://www.denniskennedy.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/445/2023/09/KIPL-White-Paper-on-Guided-Advisory-Layer-1.0-September-2023-FINAL.pdf  More from the Fresh Voices series:  Nick Rishwain Amani Smathers Ivy Grey Tiffany Graves  Natalie Knowlton Chase Hertel Kristen Sonday   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Montana Funk (herself a Canadian living and working in the United States) talks with immigration lawyer Stephanie Baez about the many facets of immigration law—a field that has been in the public eye a lot recently.Immigration law covers an array of niches, including employment and business immigration, student visas, and removal defense—fighting for desperate clients against deportation. Cases range from emotional courtroom litigation to overcoming mountains of paperwork. The field can be rewarding and plays an enormous role in the country’s history and the lives of families today. It is advocacy in the truest sense of the word.The field offers opportunities to serve private, public, and nonprofit interests. Young lawyers could find themselves helping large corporations to attract workers from other countries or working for a nonprofit helping immigrants apply for asylum as protection against dangers in their home countries.Baez describes how she found her way from law school to the fascinating and vital field of immigration law.Guest References: American Bar Association Commission On Immigration, WebsiteAmerican Bar Association Commission On Immigration, LinkedInAmerican Bar Association Immigration Justice ProjectSan Diego Volunteer Lawyer ProgramAdditional ResourcesBalancing Ethics and Zealous Advocacy for Undocumented ClientsIn the Trenches: Representing Migrant and Seasonal FarmworkersABA Young Lawyers Division Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Small Firm Roadmap Revisited doubled down on our Healthy Firm model. But what, exactly, is it? Join us for another stop on our podcast book tour. This week we dive into what it takes to be a Healthy Owner—beyond the traditional concepts of what it means to be “healthy.”  Sara talks with Lab Coach and personal injury firm owner Ryan McKeen about making the decision to build a resilience muscle, leveraging the time and talents of others, not letting your 5-year-old-self run your business, and ultimately, letting go of control.   Links from the episode:  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! Thanks to Posh Virtual Receptionists, Postali & LawPay for sponsoring this episode.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s dynamic environment, paralegals and legal assistants have an exciting opportunity to take their careers to the next level. From utilizing AI and machine learning to streamline complex matters to taking on hybrid, leadership or alternative roles, there are many avenues for growth. Learn about opportunities in the current job market as well as the characteristics employers seek most when hiring paralegals and legal assistants. Get tips to broaden your skill set, improve your marketability, and stay ahead of the curve to advance your career. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Whether you’re willing to admit it or not, no firm is too small to be a target for hackers. Each and every one—from large firms all the way down to solo attorneys—is susceptible to cybersecurity incidents. So, how do you avoid becoming a statistic? Sharon Nelson and John Simek talk with Mark Bassingthwaighte about the bad tech habits of law firms that lead to breaches and what to do to fix your security vulnerabilities. Check out these resources from today’s conversation:  Social Engineering Awareness Training Vishing – An Old Scam with a New Twist KnowBe4 Blog SANS.org OUCH! Newsletter SenseiEnt.com For more on cyber security risk mitigation from ALPS, subscribe to the ALPS Blog at: https://blog.alpsinsurance.com/blog-subscribeMark Bassingthwaighte, Esq. has been a Risk Manager with ALPS, the nation’s largest direct writer of lawyers’ malpractice insurance, since 1998. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sam Alito might be citing witchhunters from the 1600s as authority on the meaning of the Constitution, but the Fifth Circuit is taking it a step further and fighting over how the Bible might interpret a statute governing class action lawsuits. The MyPillow guy lost his composure in a video deposition for all the world to see. Probably had a bad night's sleep on some lumpy pillows. And it was quite the worrying summer for law students. Summer associates don't trust that they're going to get full-time employment and exploding offers have proliferated throughout the industry. At least one firm with a low retention rate this year still found the time to take everyone to the club. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Even though you are on opposite sides of the case, having an adversarial relationship with opposing counsel is probably not the best approach for you or your client. Defense attorney Tim Gearin sits down with Erich Vieth and Tim Cronin to discuss why keeping cordial relationships across the aisle is not only polite, but it can also be very productive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The podcast discusses the risks and limitations of using AI for legal writing, the ethical obligations of lawyers and their slow adoption of technology, and the potential impact and concerns of using AI language models in the legal field. They explore the potential applications of AI in legal research and document drafting, as well as its ability to provide quick resources and explanations for unfamiliar medical topics.

Professor and Dean Emerita Lisa Kloppenberg, author of The Best Beloved Thing is Justice: The Life of Dorothy Wright Nelson, discusses her mentor, colleague, and friend. Judge Nelson was a true trailblazer for women in the legal profession. She was one of only two women in her class at the UCLA School of Law and one of the first 14 female tenure-track law professors in the United States. She became one of the first women to lead an American law school as Dean of USC Gould School of Law and later became a distinguished jurist on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. An inspiring story shared by a nationally renowned scholar in her own right, Santa Clara University School of Law Professor and Dean Emerita Lisa Kloppenberg. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guest Dave Pederson is the producer of a new film, “Americonned,” that examines how the past few generations of workers have suffered from income inequality and been crushed by big business and its government influence. Wages aren’t keeping up, yet productivity has rocketed, on the backs of the American middle class. The rich are getting richer, the middle class is seeing the bottom drop out. Why? And what do seismic shifts in wealth mean for the future of the middle class, unions, and the lawyers who represent them? Organized labor and a strong middle class have been the drivers of Workers’ Comp protections. Without them, we may need to worry about the future. But as Pederson explains, a renewed interest in union membership and strength could be the turning point for workplace protections. If the American working class is being conned, how can Workers’ Comp lawyers help?Mentioned in this Episode:Pitchfork Economics podcastLaffer CurveTrickle Down Economics explained“Amazon Loses Bid To Overturn Historic Union Win At Staten Island Warehouse,” NPR“UPS Deal Raises The Bar For Worker Demands,” AxiosStarbucks Workers UnitedGaslit Nation podcastKurt Andersen, “Evil Geniuses,”President Lyndon B. Johnson “War On Poverty” speech“Student Loan Debt Crisis,” Education Data Initiative Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices