Legal Talk Network - Law News and Legal Topics

Copyright law is buzzing with the rising possibilities of AI-related legal matters. Is this a major concern in our current era of blossoming AI technologies? Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway welcome Vedia Jones-Richardson to get her expert opinion on a variety of legal questions arising from the “creative expressions” of generative AI. They review the current landscape of AI’s copyright connections, get explanations on what is and isn’t protected, and discuss notable cases that have explored the infringement and copyright implications of AI-created materials. Vedia Jones-Richardson is a Principal with Olive and Olive, PA, where she leads the trademark and copyright practice group. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mental health, wellness, and managing burnout made headlines during and after the pandemic. But what did we learn? Guest Richard Rivera, a highly successful partner at a Florida law firm, knows we should. Many of us work too much and too hard and push beyond reasonable limits.Rivera knows firsthand. He was a fourth-year associate in a litigation focused firm, and he said yes to everything. Any new case, any new project, he was game. It was a matter of professional pride and rapid development. Then he noticed the stress was taking a physical toll on his body resulting in itchy and yellowing skin, fatigue, and sleepless nights. He figured eventually things would slow down and these conditions would pass. Of course, neither happened. A doctor eventually found the constant stress had taken an enormous toll on his body. Set boundaries: a time you won’t go to the office before or stay after; take at least one day off – really off – during the week. You only have so much capacity, and when you exceed that, you damage yourself and you can harm your clients and your firm with errors due to exhaustion. If you’re not good to yourself, you’ll be no good to anyone. Take a moment to listen to this critically important episode.   By Rich RiveraMy Experience with Organ TransplantationAdditional Resources How Sleep Affects Your Health How Lawyers Can Manage Stress and Cortisol Levels How to Talk about Mental Health with Your Employer ABA Young Lawyers Division ABA Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guest Andrew Schierberg retired from his first career after 20 years as a police officer, investigator, and chief in Northern Kentucky. Then he asked, “What next?” With a law degree and a lifetime of working in tense situations with people during their most stressful moments, Schierberg started a law practice with a focus on helping families by specializing in elder law and estate planning.He wrote his own business plan, shadowed established attorneys, sought educational and business development support, found shared office space with other lawyers, and developed a holistic approach that lets him to build relationships with his clients and work not only as an attorney but also as a trusted advisor.Learn how he set up his practice, selected case management software, established a flat-fee subscription plan for his clients rather than hourly rates, and developed an understanding of the needs of both elder clients and their families as they navigate a new stage of life.If you’re well into a first career, you might be surprised at how much your “real world experience” can translate to a solo law practice.Got questions or ideas about solo and small practices? Drop us a line at NewSolo@legaltalknetwork.com  Topics: Starting a solo practice as a second career and putting your “old job” skills to work in your new venture. The importance of selecting the right practice management and office equipment tools, learning about marketing, and asking for help when you don’t know. The value of finding a niche that lets you focus your energy on the kind of law that matches your passion.  Mentioned in this Episode:Fearless Paranoia podcastLife Care Planning Law Firms AssociationActionstepMyCaseElderCounselDecisionVaultCalendlyTextexpanderMaximum Lawyer podcastThe 80/20 Principle podcastThe Law Entrepreneur podcastLunch Hour Legal Marketing podcastPeggy Gruenke on Legal Talk Network podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Because someday you might face massive espionage charges... or something.Donald Trump is struggling to find representation in his multi-count federal criminal case and it shows because he just can't stop saying incredibly damaging stuff about his case. Like how he will plead guilty for money. This is what happens after decades developing a reputation for stiffing attorneys. We also have more layoffs from Orrick and Reed Smith -- what can we glean from these moves? And a Massachusetts court expanded the standard for ineffective assistance of counsel to include instances where the lawyer is clearly bigoted. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you have a particular interest outside of becoming a lawyer? With how incredibly broad the law is, a niche practice area might just align with your passions. For Arlan Lewis, his experience in architecture and some serendipitous happenings in law school led him to a fulfilling career in construction law. DeMario Thornton talks with Arlan about his career path, the nuances of construction law, and his top advice for today’s law students, no matter what area of the law they choose to pursue.  Arlan D. Lewis is a partner at Blueprint Construction Counsel, LLP. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Which attorney has jumped out of an airplane? Had an invisible friend? Or was required to wash rocks as a child? We went around the table using a fun life experiences questionnaire that prompted revelations and introspection from four Heels in the Courtroom attorneys. Get to know us by learning who did what…then try it with your own friend group and get to know them a little better too. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While directed at young children, a lawyer's book also speaks to lawyers who are moms, letting them know that being both can be a busy but fulfilling life.As Michelle Browning Coughlin, of counsel at ND Galli Law in Louisville, Kentucky, was raising her two daughters, she wanted her kids to understand what lawyers do. She worried that children only knew the type of lawyers who commonly appeared in courtrooms on television shows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Focus groups are common in marketing, but they also can help a lawyer learn what resonates with nonlawyers before presenting a client’s case before a jury. Focus groups, in their simplest form, offer a “test run” for issues and strategies you are considering using in pretrial and trial matters, and will let you know if you are building the best strategy and communicating your legal arguments in a way that is understood. You can even use them to evaluate whether your expert witness is likeable and communicates well. Don’t wait until your client’s fate is on the line! In this episode, guest Ken Levinson, a focus group expert and successful personal injury lawyer, gives advice on how attorneys can incorporate focus groups into their trial preparations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Helping workers and their families get back on their feet after a workplace injury or other workplace-displacing health event takes more than legal aid, insurance, and even doctors. Injured workers are people first, and people have emotional needs. Guest Danielle Troxel is managing director of Kind Souls Foundation, a non-profit, donation and volunteer driven organization dedicated to helping displaced workers with the emotional support and services navigation assistance they need to recover. Many of us see ourselves as our job. It’s part of our identity. Being stripped of that routine may lead to feelings of isolation or loss of identity. Having someone to talk to about those feelings can help people adjust and move forward. Assistance is offered discretely, even anonymously. There’s no need to provide a case number or any details. No insurance companies need to be involved and no medical records are needed. Kind Souls Foundation simply wants to help. If a client or someone you know has been displaced from work due to a health event and could use emotional support, they can contact the Kind Souls Foundation at their website, https://www.kindsoulsfoundation.org/ and schedule a session. Help is available online through a face-to-face video connection, through text and chat sessions, or by phone. Sponsorship opportunities are available at the Kind Souls Foundation website. Individual donations are accepted online at https://kindsoulsfoundation.charityproud.org/Donate .Mentioned in this Episode:Kids’ Chance Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Thaddeus Johnson, former police officer, Senior Fellow at the Council on Criminal Justice, and Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice and Criminology at Georgia State University, discusses his research and unique insights on empowering citizens to create safer communities. Public safety requires more than police reform, it requires community reform and in this wide-ranging and motivating conversation, Dr. Johnson details the steps communities can take to reduce crime, increase police accountability, and rebuild trust. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices