Legal Talk Network - Law News and Legal Topics

The legal profession upholds expectations for civility, inclusion, and wellbeing, but a new study by the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism found that bullying is still a systemic issue in legal practice. Trisha Rich and Mathew Kerbis welcome Erika Harold to the podcast to discuss the study: Bullying in the Legal Profession: A Study of Illinois Lawyers’ Experiences and Recommendations for Change.  Erika explains how their research was conducted and which groups within the profession were found to be most at risk. They also discuss how lawyers can take action to increase awareness and prevent future harm. Erika N. L. Harold is the Executive Director of the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Attorney Dave Cates partnered with Tim Cronin on a recent product case where the judge ordered a new trial based on defense misconduct. We’ll share the details and discuss how getting too deep in the weeds can actually save your case. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a long career in the corporate world, Beth Wilbur decided she would serve children as the Executive Director of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Monterey County.  She discusses the incredible work that CASA volunteers do to support children in the foster care system and how they change lives through their efforts.  She describes her motivation as a moral call to protect children. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hosts Alan and Judson Pierce reflect on nearly two decades of the Workers Comp Matters podcast with an examination of unusual or bizarre claims and cases. A reminder, while some of these cases may have puzzling or humorous elements on their face, it’s never funny when a person is hurt. We may wonder what people were thinking when these incidents happened, but we can learn from each case. For starters, always expect the unexpected.An employee who thought her boss provided gluten-free pizza was actually fed pizza with gluten in it (what followed after her Workers’ Comp claim was denied is educational and clever). Or an octogenarian, part-time attorney who slipped and fell when he was summoned from his home office to a workplace office and claimed it was an exception to the “going and coming” rule? How about the “personal comfort doctrine” and the breakfast sandwich incident? These and other unusual cases spotlight both employee behavior and how Workers’ Comp rules vary by state. They may challenge the way you view your own cases. This episode is well worth your time. If you have thoughts on Workers’ Comp law or an idea for a topic or guest you’d like to hear, contact us at JPierce@ppnlaw.com or APierce@ppnlaw.com. Referenced Links:Thomas A. Robinson blog, WorkCompWriter.comWalter A. Zerofski's Case, Masscases.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On March 15th, 2025, the Trump administration defied an oral order from U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg to stop the flights of Venezuelan migrants headed to a Salvadoran prison, after the administration used the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to deport more than 200 alleged members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang to El Salvador with no due process.In this episode, Craig is joined by Virgil Wiebe, Professor of Law from the University of St. Thomas School of Law, as they discuss the recent deportation of Venezuelan migrants and federal Judge Boasberg's ruling, blocking the Trump administration from   deporting noncitizens. Craig & Virgil talk about the Alien Enemies Act, defying the judiciary, and next steps for individuals who are deported without due process.Related Episodes Senators Weigh In on Immigration, The Constitution, and Obama’s Executive Order Unaccompanied Minor Immigrants: Push and Pull Factors of Immigration Inside Human Trafficking: Sex & Labor Trafficking, and the Fight to Protect Victims Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mentors help you build skills, gain confidence and are there for you when you need trusted advice on practically anything.  Mary brings her mentor (and Dad) Attorney John Simon into the discussion on the power of positive mentorship. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Get inspired and stay inspired as a solo legal practitioner. Guest Paige Greenlee started her firm, Greenlee Law PLLC, in 2014 and is still going strong on her own. Hear how she does it. Keeping the lights on, and keeping track of cases, business, even contract help is a full load, but you can do it. Having worked for large firms, Greenlee realized she wanted to control her own business, use the technology that worked for her, and manage her own calendar and cases. But as so many have noted, you learn the law in law school – not business management. Hear how Greenlee leaned on family experiences, mentors, and her own trial and error to keep the lights on, keep the cases coming in the door, and stay organized and efficient. Here’s a hint, a lot of running a solo practice comes down to making a business decision and then outsourcing the implementation. Greenlee learned to delegate tasks, including accounting and technology management. And as she started to build her practice, she learned to find and hire the right assistants to manage day-to-day duties. She relies heavily on tech tools – the right tools, not cheap imitations – to eliminate the forest of paper documents that comes her way daily. Questions or ideas about solo and small practices? Drop us a line at NewSolo@legaltalknetwork.com  Topics: Hear how a successful solo law firm founder learned to practice law, enjoy her life, and take care of the day-to-day chores it takes to run a business It’s easy to fall into the habit of trying to do everything yourself. Learn when to “outsource,” turning over business issues such as bookkeeping and administration to contract employees and firms. When it comes to your tech, don’t skimp. If you need it, get it. “Good enough” is rarely good enough.  Mentioned in This Episode:Clio Legal TechMicrosoft 365 for BusinessNetDocumentsScanSnapGliss Marketing and ConsultingTrialPadFlorida Bar AssociationABA TECHSHOW 2025Clio Cloud Conference 2025Clio Legal Trends Report  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if law firms didn’t have to be owned by lawyers? In the UK, non-lawyer ownership has been shaking up the legal industry for over a decade, bringing in private equity, corporate structures, and even stock market listings. But has it led to innovation or just new ethical dilemmas? Corinne Staves, a UK legal expert, joins Lawyerist Podcast to reveal the surprising ways this shift has (and hasn’t) transformed the profession.  Listen to our previous episodes about non-lawyer ownership:  #354: A Look at the New Non-lawyer Firm Ownership Reform, with Lori Gonzalez: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Lawyerist  #355: A Look at the New Non-lawyer Firm Ownership Reform, Pt.2, with Allen Rodriguez: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Lawyerist  #221: The State of the Legal Profession, with ABA President Robert M. Carlson: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Lawyerist   Have thoughts about today’s episode? Join the conversation on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and X!  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! Looking for help beyond the book? See if our coaching community is right for you.  Access more resources from Lawyerist at lawyerist.com. Chapters / Timestamps:  0:00 Introduction & ABA TECHSHOW Announcement 2:50 Meet Corrine Staves 3:44 How Non-Lawyer Ownership Works in the UK 6:03 Why the US is Afraid of Non-Lawyer Ownership  8:41 Can Non-Lawyer Ownership Threaten Attorney Ethics? 12:18 Unexpected Benefits of Non-Lawyer Ownership 17:17 Does This Hurt Small Law Firms? 20:31 Advice for US Lawyers Considering This Model 23:20 The Future of Law Firm Ownership  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this powerful, and deeply emotional and inspirational episode, acclaimed author and speaker Jesse Leon tackles sensitive issues including human trafficking and substance abuse and how he rose above the challenges on his path to success. Leon grew up homeless, addicted, and sexually trafficked. But he survived and is here to remind all of us that we all matter, and we can grow and rise above. None of us are alone. Leon shares his struggles and ultimate triumph as motivation and inspiration. No matter where you are in life, you are important, you can overcome. We are all warriors.If you’re struggling, if you’re hurting, there is help. People do care about you. There is help out there. Mentioned in This Episode:“I’m Not Broken” by Jesse Leon, available at AmazonNational Public Radio (NPR) “'I'm Not Broken' Is About Being Broken — And Building a New Life” 2022MenHealing.orgNALA, The Paralegal AssociationNALA Conference & Expo 2025 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Courage seems to be in short supply in Biglaw.-----Paul Weiss folded immediately in the face of Trump's threat, offering the president pro bono services and a retreat from DEI. For a firm that built its reputation on litigation, the move came as a surprise. A Skadden associate called upon the industry to develop a backbone. So she's not going to be working there any more. There are a lot of dumb things about the administration's mass deportation to an El Salvadoran prison, but its unironic inversion of the burden of proof is definitely the scariest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices