Legal Talk Network - Law News and Legal Topics

Host Jill Francisco is joined by NEW Paralegal Voice cohost (and a longtime friend of the podcast) Tony Sipp. Together, they kick off the new year with a rundown of upcoming events and news in the paralegal profession. NALA Conference and Expo, July 12, in Boston. New continuing education requirements are coming. Are you ready? NALA’s six-part series on real estate education, coming soon (and why you need this) Black History Month and how diversity and inclusion makes you better and helps you support your firm. We’ll also take a look at the current state of paralegal work with the NALA jobs report. How has the profession changed in recent years? You’d be surprised at how technology affects the tasks we all do and why it’s so important to stay current. You never know when you’ll be asked to step up to something new. The paralegal profession is never dull.Mentioned in This Episode:Los Angeles Paralegal AssociationNALAAmerican Heart Association2023 NALA Conference and ExpoNCCAPSI ExamsNALA Job Analysis SurveyAdvanced Certified Paralegal ExamNALA WebinarsBlack History MonthEmbracing Diversity Through Inclusion: Round Table Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is a holistic SEO strategy? And how do you leverage Google to boost your SEO while using current strategies and technologies?Joining me for this conversation is Gert Mellak, the founder and CEO of SEOLeverage.com - an SEO agency that helps course creators, coaches and e-commerce sites grow their SEO in a conversion-focused way. Gert is also the author of the book “The ERICA Framework”, in which he describes his consistent, conversion-driven way of approaching SEO, which has led to clients sticking to his consulting program for years, while steadily improving their results.Gert gives listeners actionable tips on: [1:30] How the digital marketing industry has evolved over the last 20 years [3:05] How user behavior has changed over time [6:50] How to make content more 'search-friendly' [9:30] The importance of content structure and design [13:35] ​​How to look at SEO from a conversion perspective  [19:40] How to leverage your competitor's rankings and use it towards your benefit  [24:10] The two types of SEO and how to use them  [29:35] Leveraging change as your industry and the market changes [31:30] Gert's book recommendation [36:25] One SEO tip that works every time Resources mentioned in this episode:Work Less, Make More by James SchramkoConnect with Gert here: Instagram Twitter LinkedIn Facebook https://seoleverage.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

Today's guests, Erik and Elliot, will be joining Christopher on our upcoming Community Table live Q&A on February 16, 2023 to discuss all things marketing. Sign up here (it's free) to join us so you can get your questions answered!-----Acquisition, from cold lead to paying client, is the important stuff. Marketing is one of three pillars of a successful firm: finding and signing new clients. Guests Erik and Elliot Alicea, co-founders of Empirical360 legal marketing, have a passionate focus on law firm marketing built on ROI, return on investment. Get real bang for your marketing buck.Automation may not be your best bet when it comes to generating cold leads. The process differs from referrals, you need to be personal. People only look for a new lawyer when they are in trouble, so be compassionate, be human. Reach out. And by all means, answer the phone.Learn to measure the return on your marketing dollar. There should be accountability and measurable results. Know what it’s costing you to land every new client. How do you know if you got your money’s worth? And when you get a lead, hey, that’s not the end. Get the contract signed, that’s work.(Plus, if you had only ONE channel for marketing your firm, which would it be? Can you guess the answer?) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

DeMario Thornton welcomes Professor Deleso A. Alford to discuss her work at the intersection of legal and medical education, where her scholarship helps students gain a broader understanding of how race, gender, and classism have shaped these two fields of study. Professor Alford shares highlights from her studies of Henrietta Lacks, critical race theory, cultural competency, and other histories (or HER stories) of black women and their experiences in our healthcare systems.Professor Deleso A. Alford is the Rachel Emanuel Endowed Professor at Southern University Law Center. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some of the unique challenges women face in their careers may actually stem from differences in the ways men and women communicate in the workplace. Molly Ranns and JoAnn Hathaway talk with bestselling author and executive coach Dr. Lois Frankel about strategies that help women communicate with impact, avoid common pitfalls, and advance in their career.Check out Dr. Frankel’s audiobook: Nice Girls Don't Speak Up or Stand Out: How to Make Your Voice Heard, Your Point Known, and Your Presence FeltDr. Lois P. Frankel, President of Corporate Coaching International, is a bestselling author, executive coach, and an internationally-recognized expert in the field of leadership development for women. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In fall 1982, seven people in the Chicagoland area died after taking cyanide-laced Tylenol capsules, and no one knew why or who might be next. Law enforcement quickly determined that the poisoned bottles had been placed on store shelves to kill unsuspecting customers. But who would commit such a heinous act? What was their motive? Those questions would elude investigators for decades, making this one of the U.S.' most notorious unsolved cases. Award-winning investigative reporters Stacy St. Clair and Christy Gutowski of the Chicago Tribune have uncovered new and critical clues in the case and have detailed their findings in their new true crime podcast, "Unsealed: The Tylenol Murders." In this episode of CBA’s @theBar, they join hosts Trisha Rich and Maggie Mendenhall Casey to discuss what they uncovered and what the future may hold for the investigation. In addition to this episode, we encourage you to listen to the Chicago Tribune’s full podcast series discussing the case which is available on a variety of platforms available at the following link: Home - Tylenol Murders 40th Anniversary (chicagotylenolmurders.com).  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Information governance, or IG, is the new term (and then some) for records management—now encompassing the entire life cycle of information from creation to disposition. Dennis and Tom talk lawyers through the basics of an effective IG framework and the need for us to understand up-to-date best practices and legal obligations for data privacy, security, litigation readiness, and, eventually, disposal of information. The guys also discuss AI developments in IG and its potential within future systems.Later, how would you like to have Dennis and Tom’s answer to any and every collaboration question you could think of? The guys discuss the possibility of developing a GPT3 chatbot fluent in The Lawyer's Guide to Collaboration Tools and Technologies: Smart Ways to Work Together.As always, stay tuned for the parting shots, that one tip, website, or observation 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 answers to your most burning tech questions.Mentioned in This Episode:A Segment: Contoural Webinars MER Sapient ACEDs B Segment: Creating a ChatGPT Chatbot out of our bookPick a Book to Talk toParting Shots:Vacay Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

No one said hiring and keeping a strong team was easy, but it’s definitely possible. Sara interviews Lawyerist Lab member, Chong Ye, about the success he’s found in hiring great people and building a strong team, even in a down market. Links from the episode: Pre-order our new book!For Better or for Work Thanks to Posh Virtual Receptionists, Clio, & Gavel for sponsoring this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Also, let's talk about Biglaw and cancel culture.How much continuing power should a judge have over the lives of defendants who plead guilty? A judge recently forced a woman to withdraw and apologize for statements diverting blame for an incident that she'd admitted to in court. A January 6th defendant is in hot water for the same thing. Prosecutors use overcharging and the ordeal of trial to leverage defendants into pleading guilty but a guilty plea has to mean something, doesn't it? Also, we discuss whether Biglaw has a cancel culture problem (it doesn't) and Judge Ho's case research (it's bad). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are Gyi and Conrad even real anymore? The “guys” discuss the most effective and efficient use of your marketing dollar. Then, it’s into the listener mailbag to commiserate over the ubiquity of unbearable (but SEO-optimized!) legal content.We’re not sure who carries eggs in baskets anymore, but we’re all familiar with the classic idiom. And, it applies to your marketing mix as well. Gyi and Conrad evaluate each of the major marketing channels, weighing cost and time-to-success to help you think through how to build a own well-rounded (egg-shaped?) and effective marketing portfolio. Then the guys respond to a listener question: Has compelling, useful content died in Legal? Lawyers are supposed to be good writers, right? So, how come so much of their marketing content is just plain awful? It seems that we all stopped creating content that an actual person would find useful in favor of serving our SEO god, Google. Remember, the client journey doesn’t end when they click your link. You still have to convince them to actually hire you. Hold fast, don’t give up; you can still create good content and win the SEO wars. The News: Gyi talks Google Business Profiles on Legal Talk Network's New Solo podcast Google's latest approach to ChatGPT content Lawyerist’s "Best Law Firm Websites" contest ABA Tech Show: Register now! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices