Legal Talk Network - Law News and Legal Topics

Attorneys yearn for the commute.-----Sullivan & Cromwell are bringing attorneys back to the office five days a week. The stated reason is to mirror "normal business hours" which is a cruel joke in an abnormal business hour industry. Democratic Party superlawyer Marc Elias faces an uprising at his firm after staff proposed a mandatory arbitration agreement despite many of his top clients openly campaigning on... banning mandatory arbitration agreements. Finally, Wilson Sonsini hands out bonuses but pulls a fast one with special payments. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If last year was when generative artificial intelligence went mainstream, could this year be the one when it gets even bigger? Will we see more people, law firms, companies and government agencies adopt, use or integrate it into their day-to-day activities? Will we see more rules and regulations from states or the federal government regarding its use? What about law schools and generative AI? Will we see more start to teach it? And will lawyers finally learn more about what to do, or not to do, when it comes to using it? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gaze into the depths with Gyi and Conrad, so you, too, can be prepared for the legal marketing days to come. This one’s all about the future, folks! -----Well, and the past. First, an in-depth retrospective on whether Gyi and Conrad’s 2024 predictions showed true seer potential (or phony-baloney tendencies). Then, the guys turn a preternatural eye to what lies ahead. What mystically foretold trends will dominate the legal and marketing landscapes of 2025? From super-spammer AI avatars to, of course, another Michigan win—Gyi and Conrad can see it all. The News: Happy New Year from the Googly Googs. They kicked off 2025 with an infestation of Google Business Profile bugs. Yaaay.  A Cautionary Tale: Deceptive marketing tactics could seriously come back to bite you in the you-know-where - “Strong Arm” Frank Azar wins $1.55 million in Google keyword lawsuit against Alabama law firm LHLM was selected by Feedspot as one of the 30 Best Legal Marketing Podcasts You Must Follow in 2025! Thanks, we think. Gyi’s GBP got suspended—again. ChatGPT for clients: MJ Morley shared that 3 out of 7 consults found her firm through ChatGPT – fascinating stuff! New CallRail launch – CallRail broadens attribution capabilities to include AI-powered search engines  Is the truth about to get even muddier? Meta backs away from fact checking in the U.S. : NPR   Suggested LHLM Episodes:Conrad’s Crystal Ball: The Re-Re-Return — Sponsored by CallRail Connect:The Bite - Lunch Hour Legal Marketing Newsletter!Leave Us an Apple Review Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on YouTube Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on TikTokChapters (Times Approximate)(0:00) Hail to the Victors(2:05) Google, Lying Lawyers, ChatGPT, and Meta all in the News!(13:47) 2024 Predictions in Review(24:45) 2025 Lawyer Marketing Prognostications Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When, why and how should you make a pre-suit demand? Tune in for a realistic discussion on when they work, why sometimes they don’t, and tips on how to improve your chances of a positive outcome. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode’s discussions around the Community Table: New year, new plan. And that’s the key: plan. Don’t stumble blind into 2025, instead hear what the experts say about reviewing the previous year and setting goals for the new one. Don’t keep doing the same thing and expecting different results. Sometimes your ship needs a rudder. If you need a COO, an “executive officer,” to manage the practice, part-time help is available. Experienced administrators take a load off your shoulders and teach others how to set a course and get where you want to go. What to do when an associate can’t manage retainers and payments? Being a good lawyer is only part of the job, making sure the firm gets paid is the other part. Sometimes an associate isn’t good at communicating financial information with a client. But if you’re a business owner, you have a responsibility to make sure the firm makes money. Mentioned in This Episode:Association of Legal AdministratorsAsk us anything for the Community Table. Leave us a question onlineJoin the next Community Table live. What’s on your mind? Clio Legal Trends ReportClioCliocon 2025 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Legal aid and tech experts discuss self-help kiosks on the latest episode of Talk Justice. The under-resourcing of legal aid makes it impossible to provide meaningful legal help to every person who needs it. Many providers build and share educational materials and self-help resources online to help fill the gaps, but those without access to a personal computer or smartphone may not be able to access these resources. Self-help legal kiosks offer adaptable access. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lawyers, amongst other “safety-sensitive” professionals like doctors, police officers, etc., aren’t allowed to have a bad day at work. If you aren’t doing your best, someone could get hurt, and the weight of that responsibility can lead to mental health or wellness issues when attorneys, judges, or law students don’t have the support they need. Molly Ranns and JoAnn Hathaway welcome Tom Grden to the podcast to discuss the many resources available to legal professionals through Lawyers & Judges Assistance Programs. There is confidential help available for anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and more. Tom also shares a variety of simple coping skills for managing daily stressors. Learn more at: Michigan - Lawyers & Judges Assistance ProgramTom Grden is Clinical Case Manager for the State Bar of Michigan’s Lawyers & Judges Assistance Program. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New year, new goals! Dennis and Tom share their tech resolutions for the upcoming year and take a look back to see how they did on their goals from 2024. As might be expected, AI continually expands in the tech and legal worlds, so AI is prominent amongst the guys’ resolutions. They talk about their hopes for new AI implementations, thoughts on streamlining tech, social media in the post-Twitter era, additional work on their Second Brain projects, and more.Later, the guys ponder the question: how do we make 'improving firm-wide AI literacy' an achievable resolution for attorneys? All law firm staff who use AI need to have a good understanding of its current capabilities and potential uses. Dennis and Tom talk through how to keep level with developments and utilize AI tech to your greatest advantage.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.Show Notes:  Dial 1-800-242-8478 to talk to ChatGPT Dennis’ New Substack Newsletter: Personal Strategy Compass  Google’s Gemini Advanced - get access to Google's most capable AI models with Gemini 2.0    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this conversation, Barron Henley shares his expertise on document automation and formatting in Microsoft Word, focusing on hidden features, effective techniques, and the importance of styles. He discusses common pitfalls lawyers face and provides practical solutions to streamline document creation, including the use of templates, styles, numbering, and cross-referencing. The conversation emphasizes the need for proper setup to avoid formatting issues and enhance productivity, particularly in legal contexts. Links from the episode:  Check out Affinity Consulting  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Texas can be proud to say that it was the first state to have an all-woman high court in the United States, but how exactly did this moment in history come about? Rocky Dhir welcomes Judge Jennifer Walker Elrod and Sharon Sandle to learn about this period in Texas history and the surprising series of events that led to the appointment of female judges. They go into detail about the challenges faced by these legal trailblazers—Nellie Robertson of Granbury, Edith Wilmans of Dallas, and Hortense Sparks Ward of Houston—and also discuss notable women’s issues of the era and highlight several other female legal pioneers. Judge Jennifer Walker Elrod is Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit with Chambers in Houston, Texas. Sharon Sandle is Executive Director of the Texas Supreme Court Historical Society and Director of the Law Practice Resources Division at the State Bar of Texas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices