Legal Talk Network - Law News and Legal Topics

The arrest of Wisconsin judge Hannah Dugan is straight outta dystopian fiction. But at least retired Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer still has faith in the system, which makes one of us. Speaking of the High Court, Justice Sam Alito's dissent would be laughable if he weren't so powerful. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Plaintiff attorney Jake Plattenberger used innovative trial techniques to overcome key excluded evidence in a tragic design defect case. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

These are unprecedented times for the rights of immigrant workers in the United States. The current political climate has thrown a wrench into the Workers’ Compensation system when it comes to workers without documentation. Understanding the system can help.    Guest Enrique Flores is the founder of the Flores Law Group in Indianapolis, Indiana, and a leader in immigrant workers’ rights. The son of immigrant parents, he says immigrant workers have always sought to live and work unnoticed, “invisible.” But in today’s charged political climate, the fear is real.    When an undocumented worker contacts you for legal assistance, understanding the Workers’ Comp laws in your state is vital. Times may change, but the law and protections haven’t. The law provides benefits for people who are injured at work. What’s changed for workers is the importance of living a lawful life. Clients should stay out of legal trouble, ensure their car is legally registered and in working order, and avoid giving anyone a reason to question them.   At the workplace, if immigration services show up (ICE), clients should know to stay calm and carry what are called “red cards” detailing their rights along with the card of an attorney they can call. The law still works for injured workers, no matter their immigration status. For attorneys, a little proactive outreach to the community could go a long way.    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.  Mentioned in This Episode: Red Card/Tarjeta Rojas Print your own Red Card, Immigrant Legal Resources Center American Immigration Lawyer’s Association National Immigrant Justice Association phone (800) 954-0254 National Immigration Law Center Northwest Justice Project Workers’ Injury Law & Advocacy Group Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 Not too long ago, law firms were discouraged from using trade names and “branding” themselves. But the world has changed, and branding today is a key part of your success. Is it time for your firm to get serious, or even consider a “rebranding?”  Guest Jim Heininger, “The Rebrand Man,” founded and leads the firm Rebranding Experts. He is an experienced, highly successful brand consultant and brand activator. Branding, he says, is your strategic business accelerator, a “jet pack to success.”  Don’t confuse branding with marketing. It goes deeper. Who are you? What’s your culture? What do people think about when they hear your firm’s name, and what do they expect from you? Hear how far you can go with your brand (and how far you should).  Whatever you do, take a few minutes to soak up this insightful consultation with a branding expert who will get you thinking about who you are, what you stand for, and everything from your firm’s name to your message and culture. Mentioned in This Episode: “Jim Heininger: The Art of Rebranding,” YouTube “Your Rebranding Launch: Not The Finish Line But The Starting Point,” by Jim Heininger, Forbes Bravanti The Un-Billable hour podcast website Join the next Community Table live. What’s on your mind?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The imbalance of power in the courtroom is often very real whether that’s a David vs. Goliath battle pitting a small-firm plaintiff against a corporate giant, or a situation where a judgment-proof or anonymous defendant evades accountability. The scales of justice are sometimes uneven. Guests Marcus Chatterton and Fred Tecce are veteran litigators who have found themselves in countless courtroom skirmishes opposing all manner of large and small businesses in a variety of corporate, patent, trademark, criminal, and personal injury issues. They explain how tech can help balance an imbalance of resources. Deep pockets may have been an advantage, whether that’s in the form of available manpower or the ultimate ability to pay a claim. But that doesn’t have to be the case. Modern, novel legal approaches and today’s tech tools can help level the playing field as software programs can analyze mountains of evidence that used to require hours of poring through boxes of paper that could overwhelm small firms. “Technology assisted review” is a growing field. Will AI further help attorneys battle an information dump in discovery or chase down anonymous actors and follow online breadcrumbs? The key is pairing legal skills and experience with tech, not only learning to use the newest tools but also learning to explain the findings and methodology to a judge and jury. Technology is changing everything from the way you prepare for trial to the way you present your case. Whether you’re a “Goliath” with a duty to assemble and turn over mountains of discovery, or a “David” faced with digging through that evidence and uncovering precedents that back your client, tech tools are blazing a new trail. Resources: “The Prelitigation Advantage: Leveraging AI for Discovery and Pleadings,” by Nicole Black, ABA JournalNational Institute for Trial AdvocacyThomson Reuters Legal TechnologyWestlawOncue Legal Presentation Software“WIPO Guide to the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP)”“PGA Golfer Phil Mickelson Sues to Find Source of 'Defamation'”American Bar AssociationAmerican Bar Association Litigation Section  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Want to help your small firm flex its muscles? Think tech. Guest John K. Phoebus is a highly regarded personal injury and criminal defense attorney practicing on the eastern shore of Maryland. He is a founding partner of the Anthenelli, Phoebus & Hickman, LLC boutique law firm that he turbocharges with the latest technology.    Hear how Phoebus struck out at first on his own, then partnered with trusted colleagues and built a reputation so strong in their region they are known largely either by their last names or by Phoebus’ nickname, “The Crab Lawyer.”    To manage a heavy case load in a boutique firm and sift through massive piles of evidence, even decades of medical records for a single case, Phoebus leans into tech, often tinkering with new products and pushing for greater capabilities when taking his small firm into battle against much larger, deep pocket firms.    Technology can help you market online, take clients from inquiry to retainer, and create repeatable, dependable case management systems that deliver a consistent experience to clients, build your reputation, and maximize outcomes time after time.    Questions or ideas about solo and small practices? Drop us a line at NewSolo@legaltalknetwork.com     Topics: For small firms, a strong tech arsenal (and yes, that means AI as well) turns Davids into Goliaths. Go toe-to-toe with the biggest firms with a robust stable of tech tools, even sort through decades of medical records, sort multiple body camera videos, and help you read a brief through the eyes of a judge and jury.  Owning multiple online domain names can help you extend your reach without creating more work, they can all point back to the same website while protecting you from “poachers” who want to latch onto your reputation. How do you know you’ve “made it” in the legal world? When you’re known only by your last name. That’s a reputation.  Mentioned in This Episode: Clio Grow intake software Google NotebookLM 10 Kanban Board Examples Clio Legal Tech CoCounsel AI legal software Microsoft 365 for business MDEC, Maryland Electronic Courts Acrobat Pro Quickbooks  CallRail  JusticeText “Jake Heller Interview With Artificial Lawyer: ‘We Never Planned For This’”  Eastern Exposure: A Chesapeake Story Documentary on Crisfield, Maryland  Scorpion marketing Clio Cloud Conference 2025 Clio Legal Trends Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is a constitutional crisis? For some, a constitutional crisis is when the president defies the Supreme Court, for others it is when a president simply defies a federal judge’s order. Under the reign of President Trump and his administration, the country has dealt with a number of incidents where judicial orders have been disregarded. Kilmar Abrego Garcia, Rümeysa Öztürk, Mahmoud Khalil are three individuals who have taken center stage in the battle between the courts and the Trump administration, and the quest for due process. In this episode, Craig is joined by professor Kent Greenfield, the Dean’s Distinguished Scholar at Boston College Law School. Craig & Kent discuss whether the country is currently in a constitutional crisis, the Trump administration's defiance of a Supreme Court order involving the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia to the United States,  the power of  judicial vs. executive branches, and the consequences for defying the rule of law.Mentioned in this Episode:Bipartisan Letter Coordinated by Kent Greenfield, Professor and Dean’s Distinguished Scholar at Boston College Law School, and the American Constitution Society Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wealth Counsel’s robust estate planning drafting software has united with LEAP’s sleek automations to create a powerful end-to-end solution for estate planning and administration. Dan Lear talks with Ari Bulmash to discuss the combination of these technologies, along with other examples of merging tools in the legal technology sphere. They also look ahead to consider the implications of developments in AI and legal tech for attorneys and the future practice of law. Ari Bulmash is Director of Estate Planning and Administration at LEAP Legal Software US. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guest Huascar Matos is a paralegal professional and the new president of the International Practice Management Association (IPMA). He has a varied background including a degree in Spanish and time in the fashion and art industry. After an unusual and unexpected path, he has found himself as a director of paralegals at the firm of Foley & Lardner. It’s an exciting time for the IPMA as members consider international expansion, the “elephant in the room” of artificial intelligence, and the evolution of a constantly changing profession. AI may shake up the game, but Matos reminds us the legal profession is never static, enduring the shift from paper to e-discovering, the addition of computer capabilities, and other technologies. Paralegals, Matos says, will adjust and adapt as they always have. Being part of an organization such as IPMA helps paralegals understand new trends and learn new skills. Robots are not going to take over your job, but AI could help you do it better. Hear about Matos’ own career path and the advice he has for those new to the profession. Stepping up, volunteering for new duties, and learning as you go will build your career and get you noticed. Don’t put yourself in a box. Be a “legal MacGyver.”  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Qualified Member expert service provider Dan Thompson from DeeGee Rehabilitation Technologies, Ltd.  addresses determining reasonable value in medical malpractice cases. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices