Legal Talk Network - Law News and Legal Topics

As chunks of the Berlin Wall were being torn down by jubilant crowds on November 9, 1989, James Silkenat was serving his term as chair of the ABA International Law Section. But he is the first to admit he did not immediately anticipate what that event would mean for the Cold War, or that monumental changes that soon be taking place across Europe and Central Asia. It was that event, however, that spurred discussions within the section about the need to help support countries working to establish a new rule of law. And those discussions would lead to a global volunteer effort spanning more than 100 countries over the next three decades.In Building the Rule of Law: Firsthand Accounts from a Thirty-Year Global Campaign, dozens of those volunteers share their experiences from what began as the ABA Central European and Eurasian Law Initiative (known as CEELI) in the 1990s to the expansion into the ABA Rule of Law Initiative (known as ROLI), which now operates with five divisions covering Africa; Asia and the Pacific; Europe and Eurasia; Middle East and North Africa; and Latin America and the Caribbean. From fighting gender-based violence in Jordan to advising on judicial ethics in Kazakhstan to advocating for the rights of journalists in Indonesia, ROLI is involved in a myriad of efforts that have been supported by hundreds of volunteers as well as staff.The first-person narratives in Building the Rule of Law range from heart-rending accounts of helping to catalog war crimes to slapstick misunderstandings in foreign taxi cabs, and were compiled by editors Silkenat and Gerald W. Libby, who is also a past chair of the International Law Section. In this episode of the Modern Law Library, Silkenat speaks about the project of compiling these histories and personal photographs, but also about how he has been changed by his work with ROLI. Silkenat, who served as ABA president from 2013-2014, is still heavily involved in ROLI, and returned from a volunteer trip to Zambia the day before the recording. As for why so many lawyers, judges, and even U.S. Supreme Court justices wanted to volunteer their time for ROLI initiatives, Silkenat says there were a number of motivations. "Many saw a chance to help shape legal systems of countries that would later become leading players on the global stage," he told the ABA Journal's Lee Rawles. "Many were motivated, in part, by the interest in public service that originally caused them to go to law school. Other volunteers wanted the chance to experience life abroad with a specific professional goal to accomplish, and finally, many were encouraged to participate by the very persuasive views of CEELI/ROLI's early leaders. If Justice [Sandra Day] O'Connor and Secretary of State [Madeleine] Albright thought this was a good activity, then maybe it was something to be pursued seriously."In this episode, Silkenat and Rawles also discuss concerns about the strength of the rule of law in the United States, the World Justice Project's tracking of the rule of law around the world (the United States was ranked 26th out of 140 in the group's last report), and opportunities for other legal professionals to become involved in ROLI or other rule of law projects. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our values, fire and compassion come from somewhere and most likely, it’s from Mom. In honor of Mother’s Day the Heels in the Courtroom ladies stepped up to share the wisdom we learned from our Moms, stepmoms and grandmothers that still speaks to every woman right now. Grab a tissue and take a seat…we’re talking about Mom and it’s gonna get real. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kickin off with the news: blogger/lawyer Dan Harris of China Law Blog spent his May the Fourth testifying to congress about a different empire (of sorts) at a hearing titled: Rule by Law: China’s Increasingly Global Legal Reach.So, let’s talk about blogs. Blogging used to be the crème de la crème for getting your content to the masses, but somewhere along the way, something changed. Too many blogs traded in engaging, thoughtful posts for years-long spoutings of “marketing drivel,” as Conrad so aptly puts it. But, blogging isn’t dead, and you can learn to do it right. Gyi and Conrad have all the tips you need for crafting a newsworthy, linkworthy, testifying-to-congress-worthy blog. Well, close-to, anyway. Then, Conrad gets Gyi’s take on the five worst things legal marketers do with ChatGPT, but you won’t do those things because you’re gonna listen to this pod and totally avoid being unethical, inaccurate, uncool, etcetera.Mentioned in this episode:Kevin O’Keefe’s LexBlogSCOTUSblog AttorneySync Blog Mockingbird Marketing Blog Ahrefs - SEO Tools & Resources to Grow Your Search Traffic This LHLM with George PsiharisLeave a Review Lunch Hour Legal Marketing now on YouTube Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Experts discuss the potential impact of generative AI on legal services on the latest episode of LSC's “Talk Justice” podcast, released today. Talk Justice Co-host Cat Moon is joined by guests Sam Flynn, COO and co-founder of the no-code automation platform, Josef; Natalie Anne Knowlton, founder of Access to Justice Ventures; and Tom Martin, CEO and founder of the no-code AI platform, LawDroid. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode’s discussion around the Community Table: Why did your quarterly revenue plummet? Before you panic, look for anomalies like production capacity, weird payment timing, and changes in Google search algorithms. Fix what’s broken, but be rational. (What’s “Demand-Based Marketing?”) Stop personally handling every little issue and designate tasks across your team. How to set boundaries and ween staff off your direct involvement in routine matters. Trust and empower your team. How to use daily meetings – “huddles,” “scrums,” and “standups” – to facilitate peer management, teamwork, accountability, and productivity. Mentioned in this episode:Google Business Profile Join the next Community Table live. What’s on your mind? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How can you increase your marketing ROI? As a lawyer, you understand the value and importance of marketing, but how does it really play into your bottom line, and the leads you bring into your firm?Joining me for this conversation is Chris Nelson, who is the Senior Manager of Legal Marketing at CallRail, a lead intelligence platform helping businesses of all sizes turn more leads into better customers. With more than 10 years of experience marketing consumer goods and professional services, Chris is responsible for the lead intelligence platform’s Go-To-Market strategy and efforts in partnering with lawyers and law firms. A graduate of Syracuse University and the University of Kentucky College of Law, Chris practiced for 6 years in small and medium-sized firms before joining one of his clients as general counsel and head of HR. He subsequently moved to the business side of the company where he was given responsibility for Strategy and Marketing, including all strategic planning, business development, and marketing activities. Chris played a key role in the company’s efforts to build a service culture and to expand geographically and into new products. As a Marketing leader adept at driving revenue and profitability, he is energized by the opportunity to work with lawyers on growing their firms.Chris gives listeners actionable tips on: [1:15] Review of the 2023 Outlook on Marketing, where people are spending and wasting marketing dollars [5:40] Where to start with tracking metrics [11:00] How to get a better ROI on your leads [14:30] Tracking meaningful moments [17:15] Leveraging sales and marketing together [28:00] How your response times are costing you [30:00] Chris’ book review [34:20] One takeaway from this episode to implement right away Resources mentioned in this episode:Built to Last by Jim CollinsConnect with Chris here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-nelson-205588140/  https://www.callrail.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

New rules effective in September 2023 will require Michigan attorneys to name a person with knowledge of their practice as well as an interim administrator in their succession plan. Molly Ranns and JoAnn Hathaway welcome April Alleman and Alecia Chandler to discuss how these new requirements came to be and what past problems they aim to solve. They outline the process of naming individuals for these roles and explain the option of enrolling in the State Bar of Michigan’s Interim Administrator Program.Learn more at the State Bar’s webpage explaining Mandatory Interim Administrator Planning or check out the Rule 21 FAQ.April Alleman is Succession Planning Program Counsel at the State Bar of Michigan.Alecia M. Chandler is Professional Responsibility Programs Director at the State Bar of Michigan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Law school, bar prep, and the legal profession in general can be hard on mental health, but there is help through Lawyer Assistance Programs that even law students can access. DeMario Thornton talks with Molly Ranns about the services and support available to help law students and professionals cope with stress, anxiety, depression, and substance abuse. Molly also outlines what signs and symptoms law students should be aware of to help them assess their own mental well-being.Molly Ranns is program director for the Lawyers and Judges Assistance Program at the State Bar of Michigan and a co-host of the State Bar of Michigan’s On Balance Podcast.Find out more about the Michigan Bar’s program:Lawyers & Judges Assistance Program - State Bar of Michigancontactljap@michbar.comOr, search for your state’s LAP program here:ABA Directory of Lawyer Assistance ProgramsMentioned in this episode:The Prevalence of Substance Abuse and Other Mental Health Concerns Among American Attorneys Suffering in Silence: The Survey of Law Student Well-Being and the Reluctance of Law Students to Seek Help for Substance Use and Mental Health Concerns Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In light of the recent Internet Archive lawsuit, Dennis has some serious questions about what it and other recent happenings may mean for the future of online content. Will we see an increase in lost access to data or permanently deleted content? Tom doesn’t necessarily think so, but the guys dig deeper into this topic to hash out their thoughts on freedom of information, paywalls, and whether we ought to be concerned about the fate of internet content.Later, time for a checkup on Dennis and Tom’s 2023 tech resolutions! Tune in for their self-assessments on resolution progress to date.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.Mentioned in this episode:M365 Viva Insights Notion AI is Amazing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ever since cryptocurrency made its debut, many have repeatedly questioned its validity. Is it legal tender? A scam? Well, in today’s digital ether, both exist en masse, and lawyers need to understand how to recognize the real thing and how it fits into our current legal framework. Rocky Dhir welcomes Nelson Ebaugh to chat about his article in the Texas Bar Journal, Texas Cryptocurrency Jurisprudence.Nelson Ebaugh is an attorney in Houston. He has an LL.M. in securities and financial regulation and is certified in criminal appellate law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices