Legal Talk Network - Law News and Legal Topics

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

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

Even if you’re a great lawyer, your top-notch skills might be holding you back when it comes to running your business. Jared talks with Steve Seckler about his recent article in the ABA’s GPSolo eReport, Stop Thinking (and Acting) Like a Lawyer, in which he outlines the typical attorney characteristics that work great in legal matters, but kinda suck when you’re trying to network, grow your firm, get referrals, manage your employees, and more. Listen in to learn how to suppress those lawyer instincts when needed.Later, time to Roast some Rumps! Jared has crafted a brand new game for today’s special guest, titled “Deep Cuts with Steve Seckler” and featuring obscure trivia from the world of popular music.And, if you haven’t noticed, most law firm logos are terrible. Tune in to hear Jared’s list of what not to do when you design your logo—we’re looking at you, Doric columns, books, boring stuff, etc—and learn how to make something that’s actually appealing.Stephen Seckler is president of Seckler Legal Recruiting and Coaching.-----It's time to get deep - DEEP - into Steve's musical tastes. That's right, we've got some deep cuts here.-----Our opening track is Two Cigarettes by Major Label Interest.Our closing track is Tenderness of You by Cast of Characters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Hemant Varshney joins me to discuss client retention; what it is, why it’s important, and tips to help you create an environment that fosters a growing client relationship.For over 14 years, Hemant has played a pivotal role in all aspects of digital marketing. Starting out as a media manager, he continued on to become a consultant, Head of Growth, and executive at a hyper-growth agency, managing a team of 30+. Outside of work, Hemant loves to travel and has been to more than 45 countries (and counting).Hemant gives listeners actionable tips on: [2:00] Why client retention is important [4:30] The different categories for retention  [6:45] Being open and available to receiving feedback [8:40] The client retention processes Hemant has in place  [12:30] Signs a client isn’t a good fit [15:30] Prioritizing client and team communication [19:20] Getting to know clients on a personal level [22:15] Building out your client experience  [24:25] Creating systems for feedback [26:15] Hemant’s book recommendation [30:05] One key takeaway to implement right away Resources mentioned in this episode:Principles by Ray DalioConnect with Hemant here: www.instagram.com/digicom.io www.twitter.com/digicom_io https://www.linkedin.com/in/hvarshney/ www.Digicom.io 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

Legal technology is essential to the fight for access to justice, opening up a multitude of new possibilities for addressing legal needs. Dennis and Tom continue their “Fresh Voices” series by talking with Tiffany Graves about her knowledge of the pro bono space and how tech-powered solutions are helping expand access to legal services. Tiffany discusses the current landscape of pro bono tech, the importance of collaboration, and what emerging technologies could have in store for future pro bono work. 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.Tiffany Graves is Pro Bono Counsel at Bradley Arany Boult Cummings LLP.Mentioned in this Episode:The Justice Technology Association Law school introduces hologram witnesses in mock trial — ABA JournalAll Microsoft’s PowerToys for Windows 10 and 11, Explained — How-To Geek  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Stephanie talks with diversity scholar Dr. Terrell Strayhorn about the concept of belonging, emphasizing its significance beyond buzzwords like diversity, equity, and inclusivity. They highlight the positive outcomes of belonging, including increased job satisfaction and productivity and explore obstacles to fostering belonging. Dr. Strayhorn offers strategies for cultivating a sense of belonging in large organizations. The conversation extends to the ongoing need for addressing challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community in leadership and workplaces. Rewarding behaviors that foster belonging, such as recognizing selflessness and facilitating social connections, is also discussed. They discuss the concept of belonging and its importance, highlighting that it goes beyond buzzwords like diversity, equity, and inclusivity. positive outcomes of belonging, such as higher job satisfaction and productivity in the workplace. They explore the obstacles to creating a sense of belonging in the workplace, highlighting individual, group, and structural factors. Dr. Strayhorn suggests strategies for making large organizations feel smaller and promoting a sense of belonging among employees. discusses the importance of continuing conversations about the challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community in leadership, the workplace, and job opportunities even beyond the month of June. The discussion also touches on the idea of rewarding behaviors that promote belonging, such as recognizing selfless actions, welcoming newcomers, and facilitating social connections. 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, Clio, & LawPay for sponsoring this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Employees within your organization are likely a bigger risk to your cybersecurity than threat actors from without. Why? Because it very often takes an insider to let in an outsider. Sharon Nelson and John Simek talk with Mike Barnsback about prevention strategies for both internal and external threats. Mike explains common tactics employed by cyber attackers and how the right policies and training can protect your firm from a breach. Mike Barnsback is managing partner of O’Hagan Meyer in Alexandria, Virginia, where he counsels employers on issues concerning internal monitoring and data breach response obligations and procedures. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When you think about it, is a deputized bear really weirder than keeping classified documents in a bathroom with two chandeliers?Donald Trump got indicted since we last convened. And then the case got assigned to the same judge who got professionally scorched for trying to bail Trump out in the first place. Apparently he thinks the government pays people to plead guilty? It's all very weird. Davis Polk plays follow-the-leader with Skadden and announces a 4-day in-office work week -- is this the start of a trend or not? Barber Ranen is no longer Barber Ranen after racist, sexist, and antisemitic emails between the founders at their last firm came to light. There's a lot to be said about baked in structures of discrimination and casual bigotry, but also... how did labor and employment attorneys think it was a good idea to put this in writing?And we talk about a bear cop. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the United States, there has been very little movement toward establishing a regulatory framework at the federal level for artificial intelligence. Why is that?ChatGPT, the large language model released by OpenAI, is one of several such tools that have revolutionized the legal industry in a short amount of time, igniting debates about whether artificial intelligence has to be regulated—and by whom. The European Union recently took the first step toward passing the AI Act, whereby regulation would increase in proportion with the potential threat to privacy and safety that an AI system poses. China has also drafted rules to regulate AI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Everyone daydreams about winning the lottery and never “working” again. That fantasy probably won’t happen, but thinking about it can help you recognize some passions you might want to make room for in your life right now. Play along with our candid discussion about how much we love the law vs the grind and take this listener challenge: guess who wants to open a swim school, who would seriously consider running a beach chair business, which attorney would teach law and who wouldn’t change her career at all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices