Legal Talk Network - Law News and Legal Topics

Get the most out of today’s tech products that are specifically created to save you time on the mundane stuff so you can focus on getting results for your clients. Guest Ernie “The Attorney” Svenson’s biz tech consulting firm helps small and solo firms apply tech solutions without being overwhelmed and learn the “80/20 Rule,” getting more output with less input.  When it comes to efficiencies, automation plays a big role. In a solo or small firm, resources come at a premium. Learn to reduce wasted input through standardized, repeatable operating procedures and automation. (There are even tech products that help you create written standard processes learning from and organizing the work you’re already doing). Imagine speaking into an app as you “brain dump” and having those thoughts come out organized and notated for later use. Imagine dictating legal work into an app and having AI organize your dictation, even correct it. You don’t need to type everything in today’s tech world. Maximize downtime.   It’s all about training yourself to think “automation first.” Even when a virtual assistant (VA) located in another country can fill gaps in your practice, learn your preferences, match your brand, and help you be your most efficient you without hiring a full-tie employee. Today’s most successful law firms are high-tech hubs. Don’t let fear of the unknown hold you back. Questions or ideas about solo and small practices? Drop us a line at NewSolo@legaltalknetwork.com  Topics: There’s no reason for a solo practitioner or small firm not to engage in today’s tech. Leverage technology to get a lot of results without a lot of effort. Learn how the “80/20 Rule” helps you get more done with less effort.  If you’re a lawyer, time spent marketing is time spent not lawyering. Automation can perform repeatable marketing tasks (even social media, newsletters, and referral marketing) to help you bring in new business while you focus on results for your clients.  Virtual assistants, or VAs, are remote workers, often in another country, who can perform the routine tasks that are eating up your time while you focus on practicing law. Mentioned in This Episode:ABA TechshowLoomZoom ClipsOtter.aiFireflies.aiLetterlyCleft Windows dictationText Expander “8 Great TextExpander Alternatives” FancyHands Lawclerk legal assistantsPerplexity.aiPrior appearances on New SoloErnie the Attorney podcastErnie the Attorney blog“Blogging in One Hour for Lawyers,” by Ernie Svenson“Adobe Acrobat® in One Hour for Lawyers,” by Ernie Svenson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While Craig is on vacation, we’re re-airing one of our favorite episodes from the Lawyer 2 Lawyer library so you can re-listen or be introduced for the first time if you’re a new subscriber. As many of you know, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are currently stranded in space due to a problem with the Boeing Starliner and will now be rescued in February of 2025! This brings up many questions pertaining to the legal arena of space law. In this archived episode, originally recorded in September of 2019, titled, Space Law, Craig spoke with Attorneys Michelle Hanlon and Mark Sundahl as they discussed pertinent space case law, and other related legal issues in the space law arena.Craig will be back soon with all new episodes of Lawyer 2 Lawyer. As we await his return, you can also get caught up on In Dispute, Craig’s new podcast, about 10 famous trials that changed history. Enjoy!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Lawyerist podcast, Stephanie talks with Labster Jennifer Zahradnik, about the essential insights for avoiding costly mistakes when taking over a law firm. Jennifer shares her journey of inheriting a deceased attorney's practice, emphasizing the importance of institutional knowledge, organized client files, and the role of law practice management software. Listen to learn how she navigated the challenges of transitioning clients to new technology and the significance of due diligence in acquiring a firm. Links from the episode:   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!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rob van Akelijen, P.E., CFEI from expert service provider S-E-A addresses industrial automation and control systems and mitigating potential failures. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At the moment of conviction, the incentive to safeguard evidence diminishes in the eyes of the Criminal Justice System. That’s why it is critically important to act quickly to ensure evidence remains available for future appeals. Without it, your fight for freedom could be over before it even begins. In this episode, host Michael Semanchik is joined by Raquel Barilla, former Staff Attorney and Volunteer Coordinator at the California Innocence Project; Alissa Bjerkhoel, former Litigation Coordinator at the California Innocence Project; and Alex Simpson, former Associate Director and Resident Expert for Evidence Preservation at the California Innocence Project. Together, they discuss methods for preserving evidence. Tune in to learn what to do if the unthinkable happens. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why do professors think everyone has to personally experience the facts to understand the law?-----Hardcore porn shows up in a law school lecture. You know, the rest of us managed to learn the relevant standards for obscenity laws within the context of the First Amendment without visual aides. Also, Diddy's lawyers forgot how track changes works with embarrassing results. And Judge Aileen Cannon doesn't know her Founding Fathers... how a flubbed disclosure form speaks to Originalism's cynical lie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jill Barton spent the first decade of her career working as a journalist, with the Associated Press Stylebook always at hand to determine word usage and punctuation choices. But when she became an attorney, she says, she realized that there was no single equivalent style guide when it came to legal writing—and she had to adjust to using the Oxford comma.As a professor of legal writing at the University of Miami, she also began to notice a contrast between the classic 19th and 20th century court opinions her students were being given to read and the style of writing coming out of the U.S. Supreme Court in the 21st century. Standards were changing at the highest court of the land, but the wider legal community wasn’t necessarily aware of it. Barton spent five years analyzing more than 10,000 pages from Supreme Court opinions, and The Supreme Guide to Writing is the result.In this episode of the Modern Law Library, Barton and the ABA Journal’s Lee Rawles discuss her findings, and what some of the bigger surprises were. One of her biggest takeaways is that the justices are not a conservative bunch when it comes to writing style.For example, during most of Justice Antonin Scalia’s tenure on the court, he was a strident opponent of contractions—can’t, don’t, shouldn’t were always cannot, do not, should not. But in his final years, Scalia did sprinkle in a few contractions, and his replacement, Justice Neil Gorsuch, is “King of the Contractions,” Barton says.The justices were willing to depart from grammar rules if adhering to them caused stilted writing, Barton found. Chief Justice John Roberts uses commas based on cadence rather than simply following strict English grammar guidance. All the justices showed a marked preference for active verbs and shorter, simpler phrases. They have adapted to using pronouns that match litigants’ gender identities, and to using the singular “they” rather than “he or she.” The Supreme Guide to Writing notes when the court shows unanimity in a usage rule, and when there is disagreement. While each justice shows internal consistency with how they show a possessive when a singular noun ends in “s,” there is no group consensus on apostrophe-s versus a single apostrophe. Barton discusses her research process, offers more insight into the way legal language is evolving, and shares how practitioners can use her book to modernize their own writing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is dedicated to Amy Gunn’s beloved Sun Bun Gunn, who recently crossed the Rainbow Bridge. We’ll talk about the special place pets hold in our lives and why we think every dedicated trial attorney should consider a pet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You’ve got questions, we’ve got answers! Gyi, Conrad, and a roomful of attorneys got together for a Q&A session addressing real lawyers’ most pressing legal marketing queries. Every law firm has different resources, assets, liabilities, niches, advantages, connections, etc. So, how do you take your uniqueness and make your firm stand out? This episode showcases highlights from their session, where the guys offered tactical advice on the marketing issues that are consistently top of mind for law firms. The News: Big money flying around in the agency world — Scorpion acquired Get Noticed Get Found. Here’s the news bit: Scorpion Strengthens Commitment to Legal Industry with Acquisition of Get Noticed Get Found, Advancing its Consolidation Strategy. And, Conrad’s thoughts: What to do when your Agency is Purchased by Scorpion. Filevine has big news… and we beat Bob Ambrogi to the punch—ha! (Oh, you know we love you, Bob.) Now, what news, pray tell? Filevine’s got a lot going on: Even better end-to-end automated workflows AIFields: Instant Legal Document Analysis & Insights Filevine Revolutionizes Depositions with Depo CoPilot, an AI-Powered Second Chair for Litigation Attorneys  Mentioned in this Episode:The Bite - Lunch Hour Legal Marketing Newsletter!Leave Us an Apple Review Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on YouTube Lunch Hour Legal Marketing on TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Legal experts discuss their research into civil legal services and initiatives for addressing the access to justice crisis. Stanford’s Rhode Center is partnering with the Legal Design Lab and the Superior Court of Los Angeles County to collaboratively research, design and implement innovative, evidence-based approaches to improve access to justice for court users. Also, a look into the history of auto clubs shows how UPL has evolved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices