Legal Talk Network - Law News and Legal Topics

Who says the best things in life aren’t free?! The State Bar of Texas partnered up with Smokeball to offer a free trust accounting and billing software platform called Smokeball Bill. If you’re a Texas lawyer, this perk is available to you at no additional charge because of your state bar membership. Tune into this episode to learn more about what it does and how to access it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guest Mary Smith is an accomplished attorney and the first Native American woman to become president of the American Bar Association. In addition to a distinguished career in legal leadership for billion-dollar organizations, including CEO of the national organization Indian Health Services, she is also active in many civic organizations, including the Caroline and Ora Smith Foundation, dedicated to helping young Native American women forge careers in STEM fields.Smith’s career took a long and winding path, including a stop serving in the White House and the Department of Justice, along with billion-dollar publicly traded companies. Smith said the key has been to remain curious and open to new opportunities throughout her career.Being willing to take risks and face various challenges has driven her career to amazing heights. Smith explains how she never limited herself to any presupposed direction. Sometimes, you think you’ve selected a singular path, but if you remain open to new opportunities, that path can lead you to places you’ve never imagined and take you higher than you thought possible. As Smith says in this inspiring episode: “Be true to yourself. Believe in yourself. And seek help, mentors, and others who can help along the way.”Resources:“Asked & Answered: Mary Smith, ’91, President, American Bar Association,” University of Chicago School of LawCaroline and Ora Smith FoundationAmerican Bar AssociationAmerican Bar Association Young Lawyers DivisionNative Americans: A Crisis in Health EquityABA President to Students: You Will Change the Practice of LawWorking to Ensure an Enduring American DemocracyABA Task Force for American Democracy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We talk about finding the right law school for you, and wonder how deep the SCOTUS drama goes.-----The Above the Law Top 50 Law Schools ranking is here and this year it's putting power in the hands of the users. Meanwhile at the Supreme Court, ACB tells her colleagues that not every legal problem is a job for bad history. Sam and Martha-Ann Alito release Unplugged album, and it only took a matter of days into the Clarence Thomas Transparency Era for him to get caught covering up more gifts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sanket Kadam of Expert Service Provider S-E-A discusses risk mitigation for battery failures and available methodologies for proper assessment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Believe it or not, there are many reasons to plead guilty when you’re not.-----Plea deals are necessary to fight crime. Without them, our criminal justice system would grind to a halt, and the bad guys would run free. The downside is that plea deals can ensnare innocent people. Even more scary, once you admit to a crime you didn’t commit, it can take decades to get you out of prison. So why would anyone plead guilty to something they didn’t do? Tune in to hear why with host Michael Semanchik and special guests Justin Brooks, founder of the California Innocence Project, and former Los Angeles County Prosecutor Wayne Little. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you ever beat yourself up over all the things you think you should be doing? Do you work even when you’re sick or when your body tells you it’s time for a break? In this episode, Stephanie talks with Dr. Devon Price about our twisted view of laziness and why it might be time to embrace a little more laziness in our lives.  Links from the episode:  NetDocuments: The Cloud Platform Where Legal Professionals Do Their Best Work  Laziness Does Not Exist by Dr. Devon Price   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

You, your firm and the legal profession will benefit when you make mentorship a meaningful experience in your firm. We offer tips on how you can enhance the mentee’s learning experience, help them provide better work product for you and recharge your enthusiasm in the process. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Finances are a fraught area for many attorneys. Despite a high earning potential, new lawyers often start out with a financial disadvantage due to the opportunity cost of the years devoted to school and bar prep, coupled with high student loans. People who chose to get JDs instead of MBAs often find themselves having to operate as entrepreneurs to launch a small firm or solo practice. In The Lawyer Millionaire: The Complete Guide for Attorneys on Maximizing Wealth, Minimizing Taxes, and Retiring With Confidence, Darren P. Wurz addresses both personal finances and firm finances.“A financial plan starts with goals,” writes Wurz, who has a master’s degree in financial planning and is a certified financial planner. “Be aware that money itself is not the ultimate goal of this plan. Rather, it is what that money can do for you that is the goal.”In this episode of The Modern Law Library, Wurz gives advice for attorneys at the beginning, middle and end of their working careers and tells the ABA Journal’s Lee Rawles about the seven biggest money mistakes attorneys can make. Wurz, who also hosts The Lawyer Millionaire Podcast, says retirement often looks different for attorneys than other professionals. Many lawyers would like to continue to practice at least part-time even past the age most other people retire. He says the goal of many of his clients is to have the financial security to have a “work-optional lifestyle” that will allow them to take on only the cases that really interest them. One of the messages Wurz wants to convey to older attorneys is that their most important asset might be something they didn’t realize could be sold: their practice itself. The time and effort put into building a book of clients can also pay off at the end of your career, not just during your active years of practice. While it might take more time and planning to arrange than selling a piece of real estate, selling your practice to a younger attorney can provide continuity for your clients and a financial boon to your retirement.While Wurz offers tips for how newly minted attorneys can start off on the right financial foot, he and Rawles also discuss options for mid-career professionals who are only now getting a handle on their finances. He also shares what his general advice would be for the thousands who have recently had their student debt unexpectedly erased through programs like Public Service Loan Forgiveness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

J. Craig Williams has a brand new show 'In Dispute: 10 Famous Trials That Changed' right here on Legal Talk Network! Join us as we take a journey through time to discover the most interesting and impactful court cases in world history. Go beyond the basic historical accounts recapped in law school textbooks and soak in every aspect of the trials with fascinating reenactments of actual conversations preserved through trial transcripts and court reporters. Then, receive an exclusive courtroom backstage pass to hear legal analysis and modern-day reflections from Seasoned Attorney J. Craig Williams. Get ready to dive into the trials of the Salem witches, Chicago Black Sox, OJ Simpson, McMartin preschool childcare providers, and more! The first episode 'Salem Witch Trials: How The Hysteria Went Terribly Awry' is available to listen to now.LINKS: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts Subscribe on Spotify Sign up for our newsletter so that you’re the first to know when new episodes drop! Tell us what you’re looking forward to the most for this show on LinkedIn, Facebook, X or Instagram!  Purchase the e-book Purchase the hardcover SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR VOICE ACTORS:Meghan Steenburgh as News ReporterDaniel Rover Singer as William Jennings BryanScott Well as Clarence Darrow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

America’s banks play a critical role in our economy, and the industry is one of the most heavily regulated, with rules that affect nearly every consumer, borrower, and saver. In this episode, enjoy a deep dive into the web of regulations banks navigate daily and the role that litigators play.Guests Aaron Krauss and Brett Watson participated in the development of the ABA’s new book, Banking on It: The Ten Most Common Claims Involving Banks. Banking on It is a practical guide to navigating banking litigation. Aaron and Brett are experienced in litigating fraud, credit issues, and lending cases involving banks and financial institutions.Banking litigation usually involves institutions such as credit unions, commercial and retail banks, and even nationally and state-chartered banks. It’s an area full of opportunities for litigators interested in banking regulatory law and the constantly shifting landscape. For example, when was the last time you wrote a check to pay for something?It’s a jungle out there. Anything can happen in the world of banking regulation and litigation. Scams are common, and banks are frequent targets. Tune in to this episode and learn more!RESOURCES:Cozen O’Connor“Banking on It: The Ten Most Common Claims Involving Banks”“How Banks Should Respond To Calif. AG's Overdraft Warning,” Law360, by Brett WatsonLaw360 articles by Aaron KraussAmerican Bar AssociationAmerican Bar Association Litigation Section Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices