Legal Talk Network - Law News and Legal Topics

Deferred contracts are becoming a powerful tool in Major League Baseball, allowing teams to stretch massive payouts over decades — but what does that mean for the sport? In this episode, Craig is joined by Jeremy M. Evans, attorney and CEO of California Sports Lawyer, to discuss the rise of deferred contracts and how they’re reshaping financial strategy in baseball. Craig and Jeremy break down how teams like the Dodgers are leveraging media revenue, why private equity is entering the conversation, and what lessons MLB might take from other leagues. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Boosting efficiency starts with basic tools your law firm probably already has! But, if you’re not engaging with your tools effectively, your firm may very well be falling behind the competition. Niki Black and Stephanie Everett talk with Dan Lear about their session on enhancing law firm workflows and client experience with simple, innovative technology. Embracing tools for scheduling, finances, communications, and more improves your firm’s productivity, draws in new clients, and helps you do your best work. Nicole Black is an attorney, author and journalist, and serves as the principal legal insight strategist at MyCase (AffiniPay). She is the nationally-recognized author of “Cloud Computing for Lawyers” and co-authored “Social Media for Lawyers: The Next Frontier”. Stephanie Everett is CEO and a Law Firm Business Coach at Lawyerist and serves as Affinity Consulting Group’s Chief Growth Officer. She is a co-author of Lawyerist's book, “The Small Firm Roadmap”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What’s new for NALA in 2025? Get the scoop from guest Vanessa “Vinnie” Finley, the CEO of NALA since 2019. There’s plenty of news about the upcoming NALA conference and new initiatives to help you be your best professional self. 2025 is no ordinary year for NALA as the paralegal association celebrates 50 years. Start with the latest on the 2025 NALA Conference & Expo, July 10-12 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Earn continuing education credits, network, learn new skills, and hear about NALA’s plans for the future. Early bird registration ends May 7. Plus, dig into NALA’s newest national survey on utilization compensation and learn about trends in pay, billing, and benefits. You’ll also hear about new limited licensing programs, AI, and trends across the field.And we’ll talk about NALA’s new Resource Navigator, pulling together vendor information and the newest in tech, and a new collection of relevant articles and updates on NALA’s free Paralegal Brief page. Even more? How about a review of NALA’s work with affiliates and students nationwide and an upcoming free webinar on billable hours. This special episode has it all.Mentioned in This Episode:Vanessa Finley, prior appearance on Paralegal Voice, “The Year Ahead For NALA, Plus A Preview Of The 2024 Conference” Vanessa Finley, prior appearance on Paralegal Voice, “The NALA Paralegal Jobs Report: Get Paid What You’re Worth!”  NALA, The Paralegal Association NALA Conference & Expo 2025NALA Resource NavigatorNALA Paralegal BriefGet involved with NALA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Starting a law firm straight out of school? Meet Philip Mauriello, an attorney who wasted no time launching his solo practice just three months after passing the bar. In this episode, host Adriana Linares revisits her conversation with Philip, who shares the smart, scrappy strategies that helped him build a successful business from the ground up. From freelancing to build startup capital to picking the right tech stack before day one, Philip shares real-world strategies for getting up and running fast. Plus, Adriana Linares and Rio Laine from ALPS Insurance break down why thinking ahead, specializing early, and planning your growth can reduce risk and lead to long-term success. Hear the original episode with Philip Mauriello.Learn more about ALPS Insurance. Receive email notifications every time we release a new episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Attorney Craig Dobson, an expert on ethics and professional responsibility, joins Stephanie Everett to talk about the ethical and professional responsibility concerns lawyers face in a rapidly evolving legal landscape. They discuss how solo and small firm attorneys can stay compliant while leveraging new tools, the importance of confidentiality and competence, and the fundamental need to maintain diligence in your practice. Craig and Stephanie examine alternative fee structures beyond just hourly billing and provide guidance on ethical practices around lawyer pricing models. Craig also shares how he’s approaching billing in his own practice and why lawyers need to be proactive about understanding the risks. Read Craig’s article: Overview | Full Article  Listen to our other episodes about ethics and alternative billing practices:   #350: Ethics in Your Business: It's More than Regulations, with Susan Liautaud Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Legal Talk Network  #488: The Power of Value-Based Pricing, with Shaun Jardine Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Lawyerist   #543: What Lawyers Need to Know About the Ethics of Using AI, with Hilary Gerzhoy Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Lawyerist  #547: Legal Tech You Need for Flat Fees, with Adriana Linares 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:  00:00 Introduction  00:18 Lawyerist Coaching 05:22 Expense Tracking in MyCase  10:01 Integrating Finance with Practice 14:54 Immigration Law and the Current Administration 17:53 Specialization and Maintaining Competence Across Multiple Areas 22:39 Lawyer Pricing Models in an Era of Uncertainty  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

And now we have a tracker for that!-----After a few weeks of watching some law firms stand up to facially illegal demands from the Trump administration... and more law firms rapidly cave to those same demands, we put together a helpful tracker to keep clients, potential laterals, and law students fully aware of where firms currently stand. But we depend on you out there to keep us up-to-date! Meanwhile, more associates have taken a stand against their surrendering firms and some law students have already told the firm recruiting events that they aren't interested in firms that can't stand up for themselves. Also the February bar exam numbers were terrible. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our goal is to lift you up with every episode, and today we are sharing our mentor’s most valuable life lessons. We hope these ideas help you get through the day with a little more grace, a little less angst and a lot more confidence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jorge Goldstein entered the fields of science and law at a time of immense change for them both. In the 1970s, huge strides were being made in biogenetics and microbiology, and in the 1980s, the intellectual property community was being asked to answer some giant questions they raised, like: How can you describe life, legally? Can a living being be patented? Who owns the material from your body? The 45 years since the groundbreaking 1980 case of Diamond v. Chakrabarty, in which the U.S. Supreme Court decided that living organisms could be patented, have been an intensely busy time for microbiologists, biochemists, genetic researchers, and the patent lawyers who serve them. Goldstein, who holds a PhD in chemistry from Harvard University and a JD from George Washington University Law School, has been on hand to witness and help shape many of the resulting debates. In Patenting Life: Tales from the Front Lines of Intellectual Property and the New Biology, Goldstein weaves stories from his own life and practice with the fascinating histories behind some well known medications, lesser known scientists, and groundbreaking court cases that will shape future scientific ventures. In this episode of the Modern Law Library, he and the ABA Journal’s Lee Rawles discuss the book and the fascinating career he’s had. In the book, Goldstein explains many of the scientific developments behind technologies like CRISPR in a way that lay people can understand, while offering humanizing looks at the quirky and sometimes flawed scientists who made those discoveries. Large moral and ethical questions are raised about how technologies are developed, commercialized and put into practice, and he does not shy away from the discussions. He also offers his perspective on how patent law can be improved to fund further scientific advancements while also protecting innovation. Goldstein and Rawles discuss key cases that helped shape genetic research, and some of the major changes he’s seen in legal theory over his career. They also discuss tikkun olam, a concept in Judaism about how our actions can repair and improve the world. It’s something Goldstein feels is a proper focus for science and for law, and they discuss two of the pro bono projects he has worked on with indigenous communities in which he can use patent law to protect their rights. Finally, Goldstein offers advice to young scientists and attorneys who are interested in practicing in these fields, and shares his opinion on what artificial intelligence could mean in the patent law sphere. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Loren Williams, Regional Account Manager at PCs for People, shares insights on ethical IT recycling. He discusses how law firms can donate retired computers instead of sending them to landfills. The conversation covers crucial steps for secure data deletion, ensuring client confidentiality while refurbishing computers for low-income households. Loren emphasizes the importance of community access to technology and outlines the eco-friendly processes involved in responsibly disposing of old law firm equipment.

Legal and tech experts come together on Talk Justice to discuss what generative AI is, how the growth of algorithmic decision-making can harm low-income people, and the need for people and institutions implementing AI to develop robust methodologies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices