Legal Talk Network - Law News and Legal Topics

Due to his lived experience with stress and anxiety in the practice of law, Joe Ankus was inspired to get involved in mental health education in the legal profession. Molly Ranns and JoAnn Hathaway talk with Joe about his passion for coming alongside attorneys experiencing mental health challenges and increasing support in all areas of legal. Joe emphasizes the importance of openness in struggles with wellness or substance abuse and offers advice for lawyers on helping colleagues or seeking help for themselves. Resources: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline NAMI  ABA   Institute for Wellness in Law National Institute of Health Alcoholics Anonymous  AlAnon Family Groups www.ankusconsulting.com Joe Ankus is president of both Attorney Mental Health Education, Inc., and Ankus Consulting, Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Should rap lyrics as evidence be allowed in criminal prosecutions? Rocky Dhir talks with Chad Baruch about his session titled, “Hip Hop on Trial: Texas Courts Confront the Use of Rap Lyrics in Criminal Prosecutions” for the Appellate and Civil Liberties & Civil Rights Sections. Rocky and Chad discuss the intersection of art and the law, highlight several cases involving the use of song lyrics or videos, and discuss trial tactics for attorneys working on a case involving rap music. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Incoming Bar President Steve Benesh and TYLA President Hisham Masri join Rocky Dhir to discuss their leadership priorities and plans for the coming year. Steve shares his interest in standardizing court filings, supporting and working with TLAP to initiate a Docket Assistance Program, continuing former President Tisdale’s initiatives regarding artificial intelligence, and improving the State Bar website. Later, Hisham shares what’s in store for TYLA, including efforts for community engagement, encouraging upcoming generations of lawyers, and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stephanie talks with Zack about tech things you should know but might be too afraid to ask.  They get into the why behind password managers, discuss the necessity of two-factor authentication, and bring some clarity to different types of encryption. They also discuss how artificial intelligence is making security fundamentals even more important.  If you’re confused about passwords and access control, or just want to make sure you’re handling them well, you’ll want to check this episode out. Links from the episode:  Let’s put the image from this Teams thread: Alex Palzewicz: How Long It Would Take A Hacker To Brute Force Your Password In 20... We may need to check copyright of the image above, or at least cite and link to where it came from.  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

Textualism and Originalism evaporate in face of partisan objectives.-----The Supreme Court closed out its season sidestepping text, precedent, and history -- the trifecta! -- to invent a new form of immunity to bail out Donald Trump. Weird, because so many of them were asked about this precise issue under oath and offered very different analysis. We also got January 6 legalized -- over the fiery dissent of Amy Coney Barrett -- the foundation of the administrative state thrown into chaos -- and a blessing for anyone who wants to make it illegal to be homeless. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Civility is one of the cornerstones of the practice of law, ensuring an efficient justice system and improving the lives of both legal professionals and clients. Rocky Dhir welcomes David Grenardo to hear highlights from his keynote address on the landscape of civility in law. David discusses the benefits of civility rules in encouraging restraint and cooperation, as well as debunking myths surrounding mandatory civility rules in place in several states throughout the country. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Listen up, clerks! Today we’re talking about what makes a clerk (or any mentee) stand out in the crowd. We’ll wrap up our discussion with top tips for making mentorship in your firm a positive opportunity for everyone. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In conjunction with the State Bar of Texas, Smokeball is providing free trust accounting and billing software for all Texas attorneys. If you’re a Texas lawyer, this perk is available to you at no additional charge because of your state bar membership. Tune in to this episode and learn more about the features as well as where to access it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Data shows that jury trials are declining rapidly, but what is causing this tendency? Rocky Dhir hosts Judge Mark Drummond to learn more about the factors involved in this decrease and what it may indicate about our legal system. Rocky and Judge Drummond discuss the history of civil juries, current trends, and developing innovations. Learn more about the work of the Civil Jury Project here: civiljuryproject.law.nyu.edu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nisha Anand, the Chief Executive Officer of Dream.org, joins SideBar to discuss how she builds bridges across political divides to find real solutions. Nisha employs the “radical act of finding common ground” with unlikely allies while still staying true to her progressive values. She provides a hopeful message that collaboration can achieve change and overcome polarization and political divides. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices