Legal Talk Network - Law News and Legal Topics

Predicting your law firm's revenue each month is tricky business for many attorneys, but it can be done with an informed approach and the right tools. Laurence Colletti welcomes Jacqueline Bretell to hear highlights from her conference session on forecasting business income. Jacqueline offers insights on leveraging your law firm’s metrics to effectively predict earnings and make better, more profitable decisions for your team. Jacqueline Bretell is an attorney and CEO of Bighorn Law. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week's episode of Thinking Like A Lawyer is all about the wild decisions made by federal judges. First up is a Trump judge doing Trump judge things -- but don't tell him that. There's a Ninth Circuit judge that keeps using his dissents to make political stump speeches, much to the chagrin of his colleagues. And the Second Circuit comes out against libraries, because we live in the dumbest timeline. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Opposing counsel is telling you all the problems with your case for the 800th time. When he starts up again (yes, we think it’s a guy thing) should you shut it down or lean in? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Rank Number One!”—an all too easy promise made by SEO agencies, but probably only deliverable while they’re standing in your lobby. What happens when you walk down the block? The guys talk about real, meaningful ranking results with Local Falcon. How is your law firm showing up in local search? Gyi and Conrad give an extensive explanation of Local Falcon, their go-to data visualization tool for seeing how your firm shows up in the local map pack (those three neatly featured business profiles you see at the top of your search results). You’ll learn how to figure out who your main competitors are, how to use Local Falcon metrics to make ranking improvements over time, and insights into the many effects of proximity and your area’s geography on ranking factors.Later, the guys dig in even deeper to explain how Local Falcon can be used to help you figure out whether you ought to open another office, or, perhaps, close one down. They hash out how to assess your metrics to determine the success (or lack thereof) of your investments. The News: A very long, drawn-out Google Algo Update is finally done, and it was big—according to people who care about that stuff. Yelp has never been fond of Google, and the recent ruling against the Googs gave them the ammo they needed for a lawsuit – Yelp sues Google for antitrust violations - The Verge. And, the compulsory AI mention: Semrush Launches AI Overview Tracking in Organic Research.  Mentioned in this Episode:Local FalconDoes My Website Suck? | Law Firm Website Teardown - LHLM EpisodeThe 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

How are the latest AI advancements going to impact your law firm? Laurence Colletti talks with Filevine Legal Futurist Dr. Cain Elliot about highlights from his AI-centered session on implementing AI to improve the quality and delivery of legal services and increasing profitability. They discuss reliable go-to tools available in the legal tech sphere and what legal professionals should be doing to engage effectively with this quickly evolving technology. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join Andrew Perlman, a legal ethics expert and Suffolk Law School dean, as he dives into the intersection of generative AI and legal ethics. Discover how existing ethical rules apply to this transformative technology and the vital guidance from the American Bar Association. Perlman emphasizes the importance of lawyers harnessing AI to improve access to justice while navigating the ethical challenges it presents. He advocates for proactive measures in the legal field to responsibly incorporate AI, paving the way for innovative legal practices.

In this episode’s discussions around the Community Table: Growing pains. As you bring on new clients, it can be hard for an overburdened team of lawyers and paralegals to manage client communications. Hear how texting can help bridge communication needs, how a virtual receptionist can fill gaps, and how a standing schedule of update calls and a task assignment system can ensure clear communications between lawyers and clients. ·What is the “rhythm/parking lot” method for managing client communications? Combined with allowing clients to schedule their own appointments online and chat functions, this system can take pressure off your staff. Be honest and direct with your clients. Set expectations and ask clients if your expectations and theirs align, so they know how the case will proceed. And if a client “emergency” arises, be sure your staff asks the right questions and fully understands the situation so they can provide clear details to the attorney. Mentioned in This Episode:Clio Legal Trends ReportClio For Clients appCliocon 2024 (discount code, “actfast”)Google ChatVonageJoin the next Community Table live. What’s on your mind? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When is it time, and how do you know, to step back from your busy, often hectic, law practice and move on to a new chapter. And how do you prepare? Guests Charla Stevens and David Soley have both been highly successful attorneys in New England. Stevens moved on from her work at a law firm to establish a consulting firm, Charla Stevens Consulting. Soley continues to work at the firm Berstein Shur and is the author of the American Bar Association book “Transitioning to Happiness: Type A Lawyers and Retirement.”Soley says lawyers should start preparing now. Being a trial lawyer is a passion, but it’s important to regularly take stock and reflect on your situation. How do you feel? Are you still excited? What would you do if you were no longer a lawyer? It’s important to stay in touch with yourself and create a plan for your second act so that you’ll have an “escape hatch” when you realize it’s time to go. Don’t wait for the last minute.Stevens’ former firm even encouraged litigators to think ahead and understand how many hours they want to work. Hear how she learned to recognize the factors that nudged her to step away and engage in something new. The loss of empathy, stress even outside the workplace, headaches, and even lack of sleep can all be warning signs.We know good litigators are “Type A,” people. And our guests agree a rocking chair isn’t the answer for many of us. Hear how you can identify your other passions, outside the law, and pursue them. Make a list, make a plan, get excited. Consulting, writing, travel, sports, volunteering, teaching? They can offer a fulfilling way to engage and excel. There is life outside the courtroom.Resources:Coastal Maine Botanical GardensBernstein Shur websiteAmerican Bar Association “Real Estate Litigation Handbook” by David Soley“Transitioning to Happiness: Type A Lawyers and Retirement,” by David SoleyCharla Stevens Consulting websiteAmerican Bar AssociationAmerican Bar Association Litigation Section Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Paul Counts and Shreya Banerjee return with excitement to discuss the evolution of SEO and its critical role in marketing strategies for law firms. They delve into the concept of 'Social SEO', which emphasizes creating keyword-focused content to improve search engine visibility on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok. The episode also compares past and present SEO practices, such as the shift from using purely hashtags to incorporating relevant keywords in social media posts. More practical advice includes the importance of writing for human readers rather than AI, using tools like Google and Instagram's search features to find popular keywords, and having a critical 'above the fold' section on websites that captures visitor attention. The discussion also covers the foundations of conversion rate and sales optimization (CRSO), with an emphasis on understanding customer pain points, designing powerful calls-to-action, and using tools like Inspectlet to track site performance. Paul and Shreya gives listeners actionable tips on: 00:00 Intro 01:33 Understanding Social SEO 02:52 Evolution of Social Media and SEO 05:49 AI and Social Media Search 06:47 Finding the Right Keywords 08:41 Common Mistakes in Social SEO 08:58 Importance of Human Touch in SEO 11:29 Conversion Rate and Sales Optimization (CRSO) 15:32 Effective Website Strategies 23:27 Call to Action and User Engagement 25:05 Book Recommendation and Final Thoughts 28:51 One Big Takeaway Resources mentioned in this episode:The Ultimate Sales Letter by Dan KennedyConnect with Paul here: Instagram LinkedIn Facebook https://www.marketingcounts.com   Connect with Shreya here: Instagram  LinkedIn Connect with me Instagram Pinterest Facebook Twitter Karin on Twitter Karin on LinkedIn Conroy Creative Counsel on Facebook https://conroycreativecounsel.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Between forty and seventy percent of all malpractice claims and disciplinary proceedings are directly related to untreated mental health or substance abuse issues. Molly Ranns and JoAnn Hathaway discuss the intersection of wellbeing and professionalism/civility rules with Joan Vestrand and Tim Lessing. Wellness is necessary to a lawyer’s ability to conduct themselves professionally, but things may break down if wellness is compromised. They discuss the inherently adversarial system lawyers work within and outline strategies for mindset shifts that allow attorneys to live and practice law in ways that positively support mental health and wellbeing.  Joan Vestrand is Dean of Students and Professor of Law at Thomas M. Cooley Law School.Tim Lessing is principle at Lessing Law, PLLC, where he specializes almost exclusively in trial/litigation practice in both civil and criminal law. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices