Legal Talk Network - Law News and Legal Topics

Learn how to overcome busyness, start meaningful conversations, and build lasting adult friendships that enrich both your personal and professional life. In this episode, Stephanie Everett talks with Kat Vellos, author of We Should Get Together: The Secret to Cultivating Better Friendships, about practical ways to form new connections, deepen existing relationships, and create a sense of community. You’ll discover strategies for moving beyond small talk, making the most of your time, and using Kat’s four “seeds of connection” framework to help relationships thrive.  Kat shares research-backed insights on why friendships matter for well-being, how to integrate connection into your daily life without adding more to your to-do list, and ways to authentically connect with neighbors, colleagues, and acquaintances. Whether you’re looking to expand your circle, reconnect with old friends, or foster deeper ties in your professional network, this conversation offers actionable ideas you can start using today.  Listen to our other episodes on Careers & Professional Development.    Episode #572 – Practical Courage Skills Every Lawyer Needs, with Jim Detert (leadership and professional growth) Apple | Spotify | LTN  Episode #567 – From Quiet to Confident: Redefining Success as an Introverted Lawyer, with Heidi Brown (confidence-building for career success) Apple | Spotify | LTN  Episode #564 – The Gift in the Struggle: Leveraging Emotional Intelligence for Growth Apple | Spotify | LTN  Episode #520 – The Truth About Lawyer Self‑Care: Prioritize or Suffer (personal well-being integral to professional longevity) Apple | Spotify | LTN    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.    Links from the episode:    Learn More about LabCon  We Should Get Together: The Secret to Cultivating Better Friendships    Chapters:  00:56 – Lab Con: Hands-On Business Building for Lawyers  04:43 – Meet Kat Vellos: Author & Friendship Expert  08:47 – Why Adults Have Fewer Close Friends Today  13:44 – Finding Time for Friends & the “Seeds of Connection”  16:20 – How to Meet Neighbors and Build Local Ties  18:53 – Moving Beyond Small Talk with Meaningful Questions  22:49 – Using Conversation Prompts to Connect at Work  26:30 – Committing to Local Friendships & Staying Connected  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For decades, the Uniform Bar Examination has been old school, with bar candidates using paper-and-pencil exam books. But starting with the first administration of the NextGen UBE next year, the test will be entirely conducted on the examinees’ personal computers. The ABA Journal’s Julianne Hill talks with Kara Smith, the National Conference of Bar Examiners’ chief product officer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Estate planning attorney Katie Krispin discusses how to protect and preserve your client’s settlement, and your own future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode’s discussions around the Community Table: Growth is the big issue firms repeatedly face. Set reasonable expectations and know what you want. Is it revenue growth? Why? Is it a lifestyle? What does that look like? Growth without a destination in mind is a fool’s errand. As Christopher says, “Clarity of purpose aligns everything.” It’s vital to start planning for the future when you know your firm is at capacity, but you just can’t justify hiring more staff (yet). You feel pressure to expand, but you’re afraid of overextending. Make a detailed plan, don’t guess, and trust the process. Burnout. There’s no reason or excuse for it. Burnout stems from unreasonable expectations for yourself and others. Know your limits. Running yourself into the ground to meet unreasonable demands helps no one. Not you, and not your clients. Mentioned in This Episode: Ask us anything for the Community Table. Leave us a question online Join the next Community Table live. What’s on your mind? InfoTrack InfoTrack Legal Up 2025 Clio Legal Trends Report Cliocon 2025 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Expert Service Provider Janine McCartney from HHC Safety Engineering Services and HHC Safety Consulting Services, Corporation addresses foreseeable use analysis and what methods a manufacturer uses in determining product hazards. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Corporate counsels discuss the private sector’s role in expanding access to civil legal services for Americans who cannot afford an attorney on Talk Justice. This conversation was recorded at LSC’s Detroit forum on July 15. The guests discuss how collaboration, innovation and leadership are key to expanding access to justice, and how private businesses can contribute to efforts to provide civil legal assistance for everyday Americans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Law firms deal with a mountain of sensitive documents and communications, so knowing how to manage them appropriately—and ethically—is a must for every attorney. Molly Ranns and JoAnn Hathaway welcome Alecia Chandler to discuss how to develop a robust records retention policy tailored to your law firm. Alecia guides lawyers through the process of creating a retention policy that can be customized to their practice area, including considerations for differing document retention requirements in specific areas of the law. Learn more: Ethics: Record Retention Kit - State Bar of Michigan  Alecia Chandler is an attorney and Professional Responsibility Programs Director at the State Bar of Michigan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What we do as lawyers and judges is deeply human and deeply connected to our communities—so how does technology fit into that perspective? Dennis and Tom welcome Bridgette Carr to share her insights on technology training, AI, and the use of modern tools to solve legal problems and bolster the communities we serve. Drawing from her work with law students and clinical research, Bridgette explores the exciting ways AI and tech can advance the practice of law and improve access to justice. 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. Bridgette Carr is a clinical professor at Michigan Law and co-directs its Human Trafficking and Immigration Clinic. Show Notes: Waterproof Kindle - The Ultimate combination of High Tech and Low Tech NotebookLM adds featured notebooks from The Economist, The Atlantic, and others | TechCrunch Personal Strategy Compass | DennisKennedy.Blog   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do Texas mineral rights and the laws governing oil, gas, and other natural resources truly function? The recent TV series "Landman" offers a dramatic portrayal of the politics and power dynamics of the West Texas oilfields, but what is the actual reality? Rocky Dhir discusses the oil industry's portrayal on the show with attorney J. Byron (Trace) Burton, III. They examine the laws governing Texas' natural resources and their impacts on both oil companies and landowners.   Byron (Trace) Burton, III is a Partner at Uhl Fitzsimons and Immediate Past Chair of the State Bar of Texas’ Oil, Gas, and Energy Resources Section. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn how to navigate difficult conversations, manage risk, and lead with integrity in legal settings by building courage as a practical skill. In this conversation, Stephanie Everett is joined by Jim Detert, professor at UVA’s Darden School of Business and author of Choosing Courage: The Everyday Guide to Being Brave at Work.  Together, they explore why speaking up at work is so hard, how fear and stress shape behavior, and what lawyers can do to build confidence over time. Jim introduces tools like the “courage ladder” to help professionals take small, strategic steps toward more effective and values-aligned leadership.  Legal professionals will gain:  Skills to manage fear and prepare for high-stakes conversations  A framework for building everyday workplace courage  Insight into the cost of silence in legal practice  Guidance on how to align personal values with professional conduct Ideal for lawyers, firm leaders, and legal professionals who want to take more intentional action in their work and leadership.    Listen to our other episodes on personal leadership:   Episode 491: Crafting Your Purpose-Driven Leadership Vision, with Leticia DeSuze Apple | Spotify | LTN  Episode 494: How to Stop Procrastination and Conquer Your To-Do List, with Paul Unger Apple | Spotify | LTN  Episode 499: Conquering Self‑Doubt, with Tim Atler Apple | Spotify | LTN  Episode 508: From Retreat to Rebrand, with Patricia Mancabelli Apple | Spotify | LTN    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 – Contranyms & Clarity in Legal Language  2:39 – Meet Jim Detert: Leadership Professor & Author of Choosing Courage  3:18 – Why Speaking Up at Work Feels So Hard  4:56 – Courage Is Not a Personality Trait: Debunking the Myths  6:28 – Practicing Bravery Like a Skill: The Importance of Reps  7:30 – Fear, Physiology, and Mindset: What’s Really Holding You Back  10:40 – From Performance to Growth: Reframing Stress and Risk  13:18 – How to Start Tough Conversations Without Fluff  16:39 – When Courage Gets Risky: Speaking Up in Politicized Professions  20:20 – Values vs. Aspirations: What Do You Really Stand For?  26:51 – The Long-Term Costs of Staying Silent  28:49 – Building a Courage Ladder: Start Small, Scale Up  32:34 – First Steps to Practicing Everyday Courage  33:34 – Final Reflections: Leading with Bravery at Work    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices