Legal Talk Network - Law News and Legal Topics

Jane M. Spinak did not set out to write a book arguing for the abolition of family court. She thought she would be making the case for a set of sensible reforms. But the more she dug into the history of the family court system, the previous attempts at reform, and the examples of real world harms the system had caused, the more she began to believe there was no saving it.In this episode of the Modern Law Library, Spinak speaks with the ABA Journal’s Lee Rawles about her philosophical journey and the writing of her new book, The End of Family Court: How Abolishing the Court Brings Justice to Children and Families.Spinak walks Rawles through the origins of the family court system at the turn of the 20th century. The movement began with Northern and Midwestern progressives, usually white middle- and upper-class women, who felt there needed to be a way to make the children of recent immigrants into “real Americans.” They also believed, as Spinak does, that adult court was not a place for juvenile offenders.Over the next century, the purpose and purview of family courts expanded and changed. Today, family court judges may consider juvenile criminal offenses, status offenses, custody cases, adoption, the removal of children from their parents and truancy cases. What has remained constant is the uneven enforcement of child safety laws, which fall primarily on poor and minority families.“It is doubtless true that many children of the well-to-do are saved from coming before the courts because their families have greater resources and are often able to obtain special care for their children,” reads a report from the Children’s Bureau in the 1930s cited in The End of Family Court. “Whereas the children of the poor are more likely to be referred to courts or committed to institutions when they develop serious behavior problems.”In this episode, Spinak shares experiences from her four decades in the family law arena, discusses how the children and families impacted by family court are leading movements for change, and explains how family court jurisdictions could shrink as communities step up to support families. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Barbenheimer is upon us, along with legal coaching mayhem, and a very gassy marketing campaign. -----Law firm coaching has really, really, really taken off in the legal world, and Gyi and Conrad find themselves wondering why. And, is coaching truly beneficial to you in your legal practice? The guys hash out why today’s lawyers are seeking professional coaches at an ever-quickening pace, and whether this a good trend or (sometimes) a little sketchy.Later, the guys pick apart Michigan lawyer Sam Bernstein’s free gas marketing scheme. Does this tactic engage new clients for the law firm? Is community awareness really happening? Is it worth the price tag? Gyi and Conrad discuss. The News: The Fastcase 50 list is out, and Gyi and Conrad might have just blacklisted themselves after some pretty pathetic pandering.  Threads might not be the Twitter-killer we thought — traffic has dropped by half after first week. Bar associations, take note! Nota has partnered with the Florida Bar to provide free IOLTA accounts for members. Mentioned in this Episode:Sam Bernstein’s Free Gas Marketing Campaign on YouTube And Its Very Aggressive PR: 7 Action News - Free Gas Giveaway  Live in the D  Planning a Road Trip? 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

Marketing, acquiring new business, and growing your firm are all important. But ultimately, any law firm has to produce results to scale, and that comes down to who you hire and how you manage, develop, and collaborate with your team. Guest Luis Scott is the owner and managing partner of Bader | Scott Injury Lawyers. In addition to running a firm responsible for millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements, Scott devotes time to consulting with other firms to help them grow their own revenue. Based in Atlanta, Scott understands a competitive market for client acquisition, but also for employee acquisition. How do you find, hire, and retain the best team? Hear how Scott and his firm identified and hired employees, then turned the best into leaders, freeing senior partners to focus on strategy. The bigger a firm grows, the more important a strategic, mindful approach becomes. How big do you want to grow? Three million in revenue? Eight million? Bigger? Scott explains how he structures a firm and positions leaders and employees for success. Founders of any firm are only one person. After a threshold, there’s nothing more they can do by themselves. That’s where it’s vital to develop leaders who can oversee individual parts of the business, everything from litigation to HR to marketing. If you lead a law firm of any size, consider this episode your own, personal consulting session that will help you organize and focus your efforts on growing your revenue and expanding your reach. (Plus, you’ll learn “The Five Ps” of law firm management.)Mentioned in this Episode:Un-Billable Hour Community Table Figure Firm ConsultingThe Guts and Glory Show“The King of Growth,” by Luis Scott“It Has to Hurt,” by Luis Scott Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Senior Judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit David Tatel joins LSC President Ron Flagg to share his memories of the 1974 founding of the Legal Services Corporation, as well as his view on the roles of courts and lawyers in the advancement of access to justice on this episode of LSC's “Talk Justice.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Jason Rutel joins me to discuss how you can build deeper trust and credibility through website design.Jason Rutel, a passionate storyteller and missions advocate, founded Creative Nomads in 2019 to help global missions organizations enhance donor engagement and retention through impactful communication. With a strong background in the church and Christian entertainment industry, Jason previously worked as a traveling production manager and media director for renowned comedian Michael Jr.His passion for missions has led him to collaborate with organizations in Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Nepal, Guatemala, the United Kingdom, and Papua New Guinea. Jason holds a Bachelor's degree in Communications, with a minor in Intercultural Studies, from Southwestern Assemblies of God in Waxahachie, Texas.As the driving force behind Creative Nomads, Jason leverages his expertise in web design, videography, and branding to empower mission-focused organizations to communicate their message and champion their cause effectively.Jason gives listeners actionable tips on: [4:15] Recommendations to get through sales conversations without feeling salesy [6:25] Where storytelling comes in on your website [9:15] Breaking down what goes on to a website homepage [13:35] How to get your visitor to move through your website in a trusting way [15:20] Tips to convey your expertise  [16:40] Strategically using testimonials on your website  [19:00] How to deal with negative reviews  [20:45] Red flags that betray customer trust [28:50] How your navigation bar should look [34:05] Jason’s book review [36:25] One big takeaway from this episode Resources mentioned in this episode:Marketing Made Simple by Donald MillerConnect with Jason here: https://www.facebook.com/CreativeNomads/ https://www.instagram.com/thecreative.nomads/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/thecreativenomads/ https://creativenomads.com   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

As SCOTUS wrapped in leadup to its annual summer recess, three controversial rulings, all with a 6-3 vote, created quite the stir: Biden v. Nebraska, Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President & Fellows of Harvard College, and 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis.So what sort of impact will these rulings have on society? In this episode, host Craig Williams is joined by guest Professor Steven D. Schwinn from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law, as they spotlight the recent SCOTUS rulings regarding loan relief, affirmative action, & the website designer/first amendment ruling. Craig and Steve discuss SCOTUS, these rulings, and long-term impact of these decisions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The episode you’ve been waiting for. An all-Mac special with real Mac experts. More and more lawyers are using Apple Mac tech, including iPones, iPads, and laptops.In the past, there were challenges shifting between Mac and Microsoft, but today’s practice management programs can work on both systems. You like Macs? Then go for it, there is less and less to hold you back.Why Mac over PC? Cost, battery life, integrations between iPhones, the Apple watch, and iPads, as well as security are considerations. Only 15% to 20% of lawyers use Macs, so you do need to think things through and ensure you can share information with your Microsoft colleagues and opposing counsel. There are advantages and disadvantages. Make sure you understand every aspect.There are some basics to getting started. Maybe most important is to not “cheap out” when you’re getting your computer system set up. Our guests explain what you need, including processor speed and memory. It all matters. Law is your business, your computer is your tool. If you’re investing anywhere, it’s here. RAM? ROM? Gigs? Ports? What do you need?Got questions or ideas about solo and small practices? Drop us a line at NewSolo@legaltalknetwork.com  Topics: Lawyers use Macs. Yes, it happens, and it can go well.  Know what kind of needs you have and learn how to use your Mac to your advantage. Speed, cross-platform exchanges, and even weight matter. Programs abound for Mac lawyers. It’s not like the olden days when Microsoft programs only worked on Microsoft platforms. Adobe, Word, Excel all can work smoothly on a Mac. Mentioned in this Episode:Macs In Law OfficesJeff Richardson’s prior appearances on Legal Talk NetworkBrett Burney’s prior appearances on Legal Talk NetworkMacCodeweaversParallelsUSB hubs on AmazonAdobe subscriptionsTextexpanderTextexpanders for LawyersSetapp for MacUlysses app for MacQuick Look for Apple Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Greetings from Day One of the NALA 2023 Conference and Expo! Host Jill Francisco joins NALA past president and experienced paralegal Cassandra Oliver-Divens and paralegal student and first-time conference attendee Joey Jones to share the experience. Learn why the annual NALA conference is a must for today’s paralegal professionals. From ethics classes to the latest technology and trends, you’ll hear how paralegal professionals learn from each other and network with organizations and firms across the country. Paralegals have such transferable skills, and the opportunities never fail to surprise. This year’s conference included classes on the newest developments in real estate law, social media evidence, Roe v. Wade, and more. Learning can be fun. NALA makes sure of it. Meet your CLE requirements in an engaging, supportive environment. Review, refresh, and recharge. Mentioned in this Episode:NALA 2023 Conference and ExpoABA Model RolesNALA student membership brochureNALA membership online Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We all know generative AI is making significant waves all over the world, but lawyers need to take a hard look at its implications in the law and their own legal practice. John Simek and Sharon Nelson welcome Doug Austin to discuss AI technologies and their impacts on attorneys. They cover notable legal cases, new ABA resolutions, the latest AI trends in legal practice, and much more. Doug Austin is an established eDiscovery thought leader with over 30 years of experience providing eDiscovery best practices, legal technology consulting, and technical project management services to numerous commercial and government clients.Mentioned in this Episode:Resolution 112 - American Bar Association  Resolution 700 - American Bar Association Resolution 604 - American Bar Association The GPTJudge: Justice in a Generative AI World Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’re getting started, or thinking about getting started, trying criminal trials, this episode is a gold mine. Learn from one of the most noted and experienced trial attorneys out there, guest Paul Mark Sandler, a longtime attorney, author, and lecturer. This is an opportunity to hear from one of the best. Lessons on ethics and insider courtroom tips. Learn about your relationship with the jury, the judge, and opposing counsel. How to question witnesses. How to prepare. You didn’t learn this in law school, but Sandler can cut the learning curve in just a half hour podcast. Hear what a criminal trial actually looks like, both in the courtroom and behind the scenes. You can learn this the hard way, or you can learn here from Sandler. If you want to be a great trial lawyer, you have to try cases. There’s no way around that. But you can avoid some basic mistakes. A trial is structured simply. But at each step, it’s all about the details.Hear three key tips for new trial attorneys. And what about hiring a jury consultant? (spoiler, yes, do. Sandler learned this from Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. You’ll want to hear this story.)Resources:American Bar AssociationAmerican Bar Association Young Lawyers Division“The Art of Persuasion: Essays on Rhetoric in the Courtroom” by Paul Mark Sandler“Boot Camp Trial Training Programs Committee,” American College of Trial LawyersAristotle, “Rhetoric” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices